Superhero movie Wonder Woman 1984 will launch in US cinemas and on the HBO Max streaming service on Christmas Day, Warner Bros said.
The film will arrive in international markets from December 16, the studio added, though it did not specify a UK release.
It is a surprising move for a blockbuster film but reflects the precarious state of the cinema industry due to the health crisis.
For the first time ever, #WonderWoman1984 will release in theaters and stream exclusively on @HBOmax* on December 25.
*Available on HBO Max in the US only at no extra cost to subscribers. pic.twitter.com/bU1Lmg5YDA
— Wonder Woman 1984 (@WonderWomanFilm) November 19, 2020
In the US, cinemas across the country, including in the key markets of New York and Los Angeles, remain closed while many audiences are also reluctant to return amid a still-raging pandemic.
Wonder Woman 1984, starring Gal Gadot in the lead role, has been delayed multiple times this year.
Studios have scrambled to save their films from box office doom and almost all major blockbusters vacated 2020 in the hopes of returning to a more fertile market.
Christopher Nolan’s Tenet arrived in August but was widely seen as a box office disappointment. Daniel Craig’s James Bond swansong, No Time To Die, was shifted from November to April, a move met with dismay by struggling theatre chains desperate for new releases to entice customers back inside.
Director Patty Jenkins shared the news of Wonder Woman 1984’s new release date on Twitter and said: “THE TIME HAS COME. At some point you have to choose to share any love and joy you have to give, over everything else.
“We love our movie as we love our fans, so we truly hope that our film brings a little bit of joy and reprieve to all of you this holiday season.
“Watch it IN THEATRES, where it is made safe to do so (check out the great work theatres have done to make it so!) and available in the safety of your own home on HBO MAX where it is not.
“Happy holidays to all of you. We hope you enjoy our film as much as we enjoyed making it.”
The first Wonder Woman film arrived in 2017 and grossed more than 821 million dollars (about £620 million) worldwide.