Australian cinema operators face a “terminal” threat if major Hollywood studios follow Warner Bros and allow their blockbuster movies to be streamed online at the same time they are released on the big screen, research house IBISWorld has warned.

All 17 of Warner Bros' 2021 releases, including The Matrix 4 and the remake of sci-fi classic Dune, will be released simultaneously on the film studio's HBO Max platform, which is yet to launch in Australia.