From KCRW, I'm Kim Masters, and this is the business.

You know, I came into this business very shortly after video launched, and it was the end of civilization.

Paramount Pictures chairman and CEO Jim Giannoplas has weathered some big storms in the movie business,

though nothing compares with COVID.

But even as production's struggle and theaters are shuttered,

Giannopoulos has faith that one fine day, people will go back to the movies.

You might have a big screen TV, but you don't have a 50-foot big-screen TV.

And basically, people want to get out of the house.

Deonopoulos tells us about running a film studio during a global pandemic and

explains how he decides which movies go to streaming and which ones he's waiting to put in theaters.

He also recalls begging Joe Biden to run for president in a 2018 meeting with other Hollywood

heavyweights. But first on the news banter with Wonder Woman to go day and date, Warner Media lassoes its wagon to HBO Max.

Stay tuned. It's the business from KCRW.

I am joined by my buddy and banter, Matt Bellany. Hello, Matt.

Hi there.

So we have seen, you know, our guest this week is Jim Giannopoulos, the head of Paramount.

And as we talked, Warner had not made this gigantic move.

That is a big deal, which is shifting Wonder Woman 1984 to HBO Max on the same day that it will open in such theaters as

are open for business. So I didn't get to ask him specifically about that, but certainly we

can talk about what a big deal it is. This is a movie that certainly cost over 200 million.

I would guess well over. There is huge talent, obviously, Galgadot and

Chris Pine, director Patty Jenkins. All of them would have had a piece of whatever box office

...