Warner Bros. Sued Over Matrix Resurrection Release On HBO Max

The Matrix Resurrections’ producers have filed a lawsuit over how the film was released, according to a complaint filed in Los Angeles Superior Court. The suit was first reported on by Variety.

Village Roadshow Pictures, a co-producer and co-financier of many major Hollywood motion pictures, filed a suit arguing that Warner Bros. allegedly engaged in “deliberate and consistent coordinated efforts” to reduce The Matrix Resurrections’ value as intellectual property by simultaneously releasing it in theaters and on HBO Max. The complaint further alleges that the pandemic was seized on as an excuse to boost HBO Max subscriptions–a revenue stream VIllage Roadshow doesn’t participate in.

The Matrix Resurrections earned $37 million at the domestic box office, which is the lowest of any of the films in the Matrix series. In January, AT&T said that HBO and HBO Max had ended 2021 with 73.8 million combined subscribers, exceeding projections.