HBO Max will get 4K movies and shows starting with Wonder Woman 1984

HBO Max will soon offer its subscribers access to TV shows and movies in 4K resolution, and it'll kick things off with the upcoming and frequently delayed movie Wonder Woman 1984. The movie was first set to premiere earlier this year but was bumped multiple times, ultimately earning itself a Christmas day theatrical release with an atypical streaming debut planned.

Patty Jenkins, director of Wonder Woman 1984, announced that the movie will be HBO Max's first title offered in 4K Ultra HD with HDR 10, Dolby Vision, and Dolby Atmos support. The movie is scheduled to hit theaters on December 25 and to premiere on the streaming platform on the same day.

If you plan to watch the movie at home, you'll need streaming hardware that supports 4K and HDR to enjoy the movie at its fullest quality. A number of smart TVs and streaming devices now feature this support, including the Apple TV 4K, the 4K versions of Amazon's Fire TV products, the Chromecast Ultra, and similar.

It's no surprise that the movie will debut in theaters and on digital (in the US, at least) given the current state of affairs and a recent leak claiming as much. Movie theaters in the US continue to struggle under lockdowns, social distancing, and a general consumer unwillingness to take the risk of visiting a theater.

WarnerMedia has apparently decided that the movie can't be postponed again, but that an exclusive theatrical release in the US may be less than ideal, particularly given the COVID-19 surge expect to sweep across the US in coming weeks due to holiday travel. The good news, of course, is that the wait for Wonder Woman 1984 is almost over.

Additional 4K content will start arriving on HBO Max in 2021, according to WarnerMedia.