Barbie shook the box office by running away to Barbieland with more than a billion dollars globally. Since its theater run ended, many have been eagerly waiting to see it on HBO Max.
But, with the year ending, many are wondering when the film will finally be available for streaming. Turns out the release date is close.
As per Hollywood Handle, Barbie will be streaming on Max on December 15, 2025. It took so long since the film’s initial July 21, 2023, release date, probably because WB Discovery wanted to give the physical media release (October 17, 2023) a longer sales window.
When Is Barbie Coming To Max?
Many were disappointed when Warner Bros. Discovery didn’t include Barbie in the Max streaming service for its November release slate. Patience was running out as many begged the company to make the movie available.
After all, many people hoped to see Greta Gerwig and Margot Robbie’s blockbuster during the holiday season with their families. It turns out they might be getting their wish after all.
It has been confirmed that Barbie is coming to Max in December. As for the date, Hollywood Handle reports that the film is coming on December 15, 2025.
This does not align with what Warner Bros. CEO David Zaslav informed his shareholders. He had said there would be a fall release for the film on streaming. Zaslav had said (via The Wrap):
“We really believe in the motion picture window. Let this movie go to the motion picture window, play it up, build up that brand, then have it go into PVOD. Take it through these windows of economics that have worked forever, and we think work extremely well. And then put it on Max. And when it goes on Max, we think it’ll have a very good impact, and that’ll be in the fall.”
But that didn’t happen. The movie “window of economics” brought Barbie to Max in winter. But what was the reason for the delay?
Barbie has been available for purchase on physical media like Blu-ray, 4K UHD, and DVD since October 17, 2023. Additionally, it has been available for online purchase since September 12, 2023.
As such, it looks like the bosses wanted to give the film a long enough window to maximize physical media sales before bringing it on streaming.
Why do you think it took so long to bring Barbie on Max? Was it to increase the sales of physical media? Or was it to ensure that families could view the film during peak holiday time in December?
Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.
Source: The Wrap
