Director Christopher Nolan has voiced his "disbelief" at Warner Bros "very, very messy" plans to launch multiple blockbusters on streaming service HBO Max simultaneously with cinemas in the US.
Warner Bros took the movie industry by surprise last week when it announced that ts 2021 slate of movies - including Dune, Matrix 4 and The Suicide Squad - would launch on HBO Max simultaneously with theatres in the US.
The unprecedented move, in response to the chaos caused by the pandemic, was seen by many as a hammer blow to the already ailing cinema industry.
Nolan, one of Hollywood's biggest directors and who has worked with Warner Bros since 2002's Insomnia, described HBO Max as "the worst streaming service" and said his first reaction to last week's announcement was "disbelief".
Speaking to Entertainment Tonight, he said: "There's such controversy around it, because they didn't tell anyone.
"In 2021, they've got some of the top filmmakers in the world, they've got some of the biggest stars in the world who worked for years in some cases on these projects very close to their hearts that are meant to be big-screen experiences.
"They're meant to be out there for the widest possible audiences. And now they're being used as a loss-leader for the streaming service - for the fledgeling streaming service - without any consultation. So, there's a lot of controversy."
He added: "It's very, very, very, very messy. A real bait and switch. Yeah, it's sort of not how you treat filmmakers and stars and people who, these guys have given a lot for these projects. They deserved to be consulted and spoken to about what was going to happen to their work."
Nolan, a passionate advocate of the cinematic experience, released his metaphysical espionage sci-fi thriller Tenet in cinemas in August and spoke of the importance of attracting fans back into theatres following months of closures.
