The Dune legal drama continues.

After director Denis Villeneuve criticized Warner Bros for a deal with HBO Max last month, which meant that the movie would land on the streaming platform at the same time as the date for its theatrical release, the film’s production company, Legendary, which financed 75% of the film revealed that they were “completely blindsided” by the distributor’s new streaming arrangements.

The company even threatened lawsuits if Dune doesn’t receive a standalone theatrical release, which should happen in October 2021 after numerous COVID-19-related complications.

The move “is all about the survival of a telecom mammoth”, he writes. “Warner Brothers’ sudden reversal from being a legacy home for filmmakers to the new era of complete disregard draws a clear line for me,” said Villeneuve, continuing, “Filmmaking is a collaboration, reliant on the mutual trust of teamwork and Warner Brothers have declared they are no longer on the same team.”

Christopher Nolan, and other filmmakers, have shared their opinions, pointing at the film studio’s decision, but the chief executive of WarnerMedia Studios, Ann Sarnoff, responded that the pandemic calls for “creative solutions”.