Wonder Woman and Wonder Woman 1984 director Patty Jenkins recently revealed what she thinks is the real point of movies.
Jenkins’ revelation about movies and film came in an interview with Gizmodo’s io9.
While discussing the decision to release Wonder Woman 1984 on HBO Max as well as in theaters simultaneously Jenkins stated, “It was one of the hardest decisions we’ve ever made.”
She went on to state, “But it’s interesting to actually sit there and face, like, ‘OK, we’re giving up the money. You’re not making any money with your film.’”
Jenkins elaborated, “But the truth is, what’s the point of a film? The point of the film is the message you’re trying to connect to the world with. That’s the most important thing.”
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“So in that way, when this idea was presented, I was like, ‘Oh, my God, this is the moment.’ This is the moment where this thing we have can become something to give, and a better thing, and and try to be about hope,” Jenkins continued.
Jenkins then went on to explain she’s excited for people to watch Wonder Woman 1984 on Christmas Day.
She explained, “I love Christmas and the fact that we get to play in people’s houses on Christmas Day is like a great honor of my life. Really. Truly.”
“I never thought I’d say that about streaming over theatrical and I’m going to go back to my old ways down the road. But this is a special year. So to give people the film in anyway they can is really awesome,” she added.
Jenkins comments about being excited about having Wonder Woman 1984 stream on HBO Max is definitely a shift in the director’s previous rhetoric.
Related: Wonder Woman Director Patty Jenkins Warns Of Theater Extinction
Back in October she warned about theater extinction.
Jenkins told Reuters, “If we shut this down, this will not be a reversible process.”
She then predicted, “We could lose movie theater-going forever.”
Jenkins went on to compare the theater industry to the music industry, “It could be the kind of thing that happened to the music industry, where you could crumble the entire industry by making it something that can’t be profitable.”
“I don’t think any of us want to live in a world where the only option is to take your kids to watch a movie in your own living room and not have a place to go for a date,” Jenkins added.
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She even expressed her hope that Wonder Woman could bring people back to theaters, “I really hope that we are able to be one of the very first ones to come back and bring that into everyone’s life.”
Jenkins also co-signed a letter in conjunction with the Directors Guild of America, the National Association of Theatre Owners and the Motion Picture Association seeking financial aid from Congress for theaters amidst numerous government lockdowns throughout the country.
The letter addressed to Mitch McConnell, Nancy Pelosi, Chuck Schumer, and Kevin McCarthy read in part, “Movie theaters are in dire straits, and we urge you to redirect unallocated funds from the CARES Act to proposals that help businesses that have suffered the steepest revenue drops due to the pandemic, or to enact new proposals such as the RESTART Act (S. 3814/H.R. 7481).”
It added, “Absent a solution designed for their circumstances, theaters may not survive the impact of the pandemic.”
The letter went on to claim that “93% of movie theater companies had over 75% in losses in the second quarter of 2020. If the status quo continues, 69% of small and mid-sized movie theater companies will be forced to file for bankruptcy or to close permanently, and 66% of theater jobs will be lost.”
It also claimed, “The moviegoing experience is central to American life. 268 million people in North America went to the movies last year to laugh, cry, dream, and be moved together.”
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The letter concluded with another plea for Congress to give theaters relief, “Theaters need specific relief targeted to their circumstances. We urge you to come together on a
bipartisan solution that provides this relief, by reallocating unspent funds from the CARES Act toward programs designed for industries like movie theaters, or by enacting new proposals such as the RESTART Act.”
What do you make of Patty Jenkins’ comments about the real point of film?