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The new Melissa McCarthy sci-fi comedy Superintelligence will not open theatrically as planned. Instead, the comedian and her director husband, Ben Falcone, have decided to release the movie via the new HBO Max streaming service. Superintelligence had been slated for release during the busy holiday season, on December 20, but have chosen a different route, at least in part to reach a wider audience.

McCarthy told Deadline:

It was actually Bens idea, it came from the filmmaker himself. We had a release date, a full marketing plan, and I had all my press lined up. We were really ready to go. When the announcement came that HBO Max was really happening, Ben had this idea. And we thought, is this better? Different doesnt mean worse, and how arewewatching films ourselves? To us, each movie is near and dear to our hearts. You just want people to see it and love it and you want them to feel good.Superintelligenceat its core is, love wins, and people matter. I want that to get to as many people as it can. We need that today, and this seemed like the best way to do it. So no, [this wasnt imposed on us]. We were ready to go the other way, and we decided to make the detour.

Falcone added:

Honestly, you can release a mid-budget movie, and if wed stayed in the theaters, we could have done incredibly well. There still are those examples of movies like this one that do. But for this movie, at this time, we felt like it was the best way to go. The PG rating, the fact they are starting this thing. All these streaming services are starting, and here, we are up there withSesame Street, and Meryl Streep and JJ Abrams and Hugh Jackman and Jordan Peele. There are cool people doing this. So following my fear-based mentality, I thought it was the best move.

In addition to Superintelligence, HBO Max will also be offering Let Them All Talk from Steven Soderbergh and starring Meryl Streep, Greg Berlantis Unpregnant, and Bad Education starring Hugh Jackman and Allison Janney, which HBO paid $17 million to acquire.

Carol Peters life is turned upside down when she is selected for observation by the worlds first superintelligence a form of artificial intelligence that may or may not take over the world.

Superintelligence also stars Bobby Cannavale, Jean Smart, Michael Beach, Brian Tyree Henry, and the voice of James Corden as the titular Superintelligence. The release will now be delayed, as HBO Max isnt expected to launch until next spring.

Falcone and McCarthy are re-teaming for Thunder Force for Netflix, which also stars Octavia Spencer.

Jax's earliest memory is of watching 'Batman,' followed shortly by a memory of playing Batman & Robin with a friend, which entailed running outside in just their underwear and towels as capes. When adults told them they couldn't run around outside in their underwear, both boys promptly whipped theirs off and ran around in just capes.

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Melissa McCarthy And Ben Falcone Have Decided To Release 'Superintelligence' Via HBO Max Ins - Science Fiction