'Wonder Woman 1984' Has Been Fast-Tracked to Digital While It's Still Showing in Cinemas

Overview

When Wonder Woman 1984 opened in cinemas Down Under at the end of 2020, it was the year's last big release. The superhero sequel was one of the very few blockbuster flicks to actually hit the silver screen since the pandemic started, too. Now, just over a month later, the Gal Gadot-starring film is doing something else notable: becoming available via video on demand while it's still showing in theatres.

From Wednesday, January 27, cinephiles and caped crusader fans can stream Wonder Woman 1984 via digital movie rental services such as Google Play, YouTube Movies, Amazon Video and iTunes — to rent for AUD$29.99, or to buy for AUD$34.99. If you'd prefer to see it on the big screen, you still can at the time of writing. But if you'd like to watch it at home on your couch, that's now an option as well.

The film has made over $26 million at the Australian and New Zealand box office, so plenty of folks did head out to see it in theatres — and to see what happens to Diana Prince (Gadot) in the decade that gave us parachute pants. Chris Pine returns from the first Wonder Woman movie, while Kristen Wiig and Pedro Pascal join the franchise as new antagonists.

Before the pandemic, a huge movie like Wonder Woman 1984 wouldn't ever be available to view at home so quickly. Usually, films that release in cinemas don't make the jump to home entertainment for 90 days, in fact. But much has changed about the world in the past year, with Wonder Woman 1984 following in the footsteps of a heap of fellow flicks that did the same last March and April, when cinemas closed. Other features, including Hamilton, Mulan and Soul, bypassed the big screen altogether last year, too.

Whether this'll keep happening in the blockbuster space Down Under is yet to be seen — but there is a growing precedent for it in overseas countries where COVID-19 case numbers remain high and either all or most cinemas are closed. Warner Bros, the Hollywood studio behind Wonder Woman 1984, announced late last year that it'd be releasing both the superhero flick and its full 2021 slate of movies in cinemas and on HBO Max simultaneously where the latter is available. That doesn't include Australia and NZ, though, because HBO hasn't yett launched in either nation.

Check out the trailer for Wonder Woman 1984 below:

Wonder Woman 1984 is currently screening in cinemas in Australia and New Zealand; however, it's also available to stream online via video on demand from Wednesday, January 27.