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At least three of Max‘s in-the-works tentpole TV projects are getting a bit of a rebrand behind the scenes.
The previously announced Harry Potter series, IT prequel Welcome to Derry and newly ordered Green Lantern series Lanterns — all initially developed as Max exclusives — will instead be branded as HBO originals moving forward, according to a report from our sister site Variety.
With that trio of shows now under the HBO umbrella, it guarantees they will all air on the linear premium cable network, in addition to streaming on Max.
All three projects are based on Warner Bros. IP, which, according to HBO boss Casey Bloys, used to be a signal that a TV show should stream on Max instead of airing on HBO proper.
“The idea of using Warner Bros. IP as a delineation for Max felt right,” he told Variety. “At least that gives you a clear lane. But as we started producing those shows, we were using the same methods, the same kind of thinking, as how we would approach HBO shows… The idea of the delineation kind of started to feel unnecessary. Like, why are we doing this? Let’s just call them what they are: HBO shows.”
However, The Batman spinoff The Penguin (premiering in September) and Dune prequel series Dune: Prophecy (arriving sometime this fall) will both still be labeled as Max originals, as the rebranding efforts won’t take effect until 2025. (Welcome to Derry is slated for a 2025 release; the as-yet-untitled Harry Potter project is on track for 2026.)
Max first ordered its Harry Potter adaptation to series in April 2023, announcing it as a “faithful” take on J.K. Rowling’s popular novels. Welcome to Derry, meanwhile, is a prequel set in book author Stephen King’s IT universe and will expand the vision of the theatrical films IT (2017) and IT Chapter Two (2019). As announced in May, Bill Skarsgård will reprise his role as Pennywise the Dancing Clown in Welcome to Derry.
I am so excited for the HP series!
it’s sad to see people getting downvoted just for say they like Harry Potter, Just because it’s popular now to dislike J. K. Rowling…. can’t stand up for your own rights anymore because that is all she did. And it got noting to do with her children books or the world she created.
What rights has she lost? Or is in danger of losing? You’re right, her being a transphobic bigot has nothing to do with her children’s books, and everything to do with her.
She is NOT a bigot, she is a champion of girls and womens rights and fairness and safety and who personally funds a womans refuge centre for battered women!
Jog on u inbred bigot!
She’ll support women only if they fit her definition of what a woman is.
JK Rowling is human filth who decided punching down was more important to her than her legacy. And now her legacy is destroyed.
Zac, mouthwash will get that “billionaire in a castle who punishes the most vulnerable population for not fitting her personal aesthetic” boot flavor out.
Only if you believe the propaganda. She was radicalized into being a TERF and it sounds like you’re on your way as well.
I mean, it’s not POPULAR to dislike her. She’s just that she’s highly dislikable and keeps saying things that make her sound extremely bigoted, dense, and cruel. At a certain point, what you say is who you are. That’s why more and more people are done with her.
She even took a pen name from a pioneer of “ex-gay therapy” AKA torturing gay people to make them straight. Does that sound like someone who “just cares about battered women” who “just stands up for her rights”? Nevermind that transwomen are NO danger to battered cis women and in fact are more vulnerable. She is literally a billionaire in a castle–who made all her money off children–and she chooses to spend her time endangering and villainizing the most vulnerable population. Y’all wanna go to bat for her…so sad.
She’s also completely wrecked her HP legacy outside being a bigot. (And you have to admit she is, the constant bigotry is a big sign.) That horrible play she insists is canon? The terrible “Fantastic Beasts” movies? The constant changing of her mind about her old characters? Always changing her story about Dumbledore, getting more and more salacious and weird. Deciding she hates RON of all characters now?? Saying Harry and Hermione should have gotten together? (Giving reasons that makes it sound like she’s only watched the *movies* and doesn’t even remember her own books.) The woman, quite frankly, seems to be losing her faculties. But she’s too powerful and rich to simply be pitied. People are going to speak up against her, as is their right.
It’s so predictable.
Say something that could be seen as J. K. Rowling friendly and you will be torn apart. It’s not a conscious decision, it’s rather a validation of Pavlov’s famous experiment. And it makes sure you are seen on the right(eous) side of history ;)
Btw, if I understand the word “transphobia” right, it means “fear of trans persons”, but I doubt J. K Rowling actually fears them. Just saying.
You do not understand how language works or what “transphobia” means. You are pretending to sound smart and showing instead that you’re foolish and deluded.
You actually believe in the silly, illogical idea that “if people are against you you must be doing something right”? Oh dear. That’s pretty basic magical thinking. Bless your little heart. No, hon, people are against things that are harmful and bad, too. You’re not a special little crusader b/c you hate trans people or love a billionaire bigot.
People don’t like Rowling b/c they know what’s actually happening, hear what she’s actually saying, not whatever goofy thing you just wrote to make yourself feel like a smart person.
At least you are very good at insulting people you consider less w*ke than yourself. And you probably are extraordinarily smart and righteous. Bless you and the people around you you consider entitled to breathe the same air as you ^^
PS
I don’t hate trans people, I actually am sorry for them.
Those that are actually being caught in the wrong body and others for following a fashion trend that, hopefully, will pass. But in no way I fear them.
I had expected a lot more thumbs down but I probably need to take what I am given ;)
This alone proves that the streaming model is collapsing. It’s not sustainable. Looking forward to both shows.
I can’t wait for the Harry Potter show! I need that magic and escapism back in my life.
The entire industry model has been collapsing for a long time all they can do is keep trying to reach people via their preferred methods and that involves a lot of calling back and consolidating and making better spending decisions because spiraling costs and subscription prices will only hurt them more. I can see things stabilizing as nice everyone finally gets on the same page but if they keep lowering content and increasing costs it will continue down the spiral for now
My understanding is that nearly all current HBO series premiere simultaneously on HBO and Max, for example House of The Dragon episodes are available on Max at 9PM EST. Now that might change with this new “IP titles” on HBO linear strategy and this does seem like a vote of “no confidence” for “Max originals”. However, I am not reading anything in the articles that indicate that Zaslav and WBD are going to start releasing “HBO originals” one month later on Max or after a series airs its entire season on HBO. And considering that “next day on (insert name of streaming service) is pretty much industry standard and there are even linear networks (Showtime, Starz, AMC) that release episodes on their streaming services prior to the episodes airing on the linear network, I dont think Zaslav and WBD are idiotic enough to drastically change when HBO series are available on Max.
How is that different from the premium cable channel option? You’re still subscribing for access. Pushing everything back to a premium cable channel won’t save the cable model since those subscribers continue to tank. It would make more sense to shut down Max and sell their shows to another service like they’re already do with Netflix.
Warner Bros is the reason the labeling is all wacky. They should have never changed the branding.
Dateline 2025: WBD CEO David Zaslav has announced that “Harry Potter,” “Welcome to Derry” and “Lanterns” have been shelved and the corporation will instead take a tax write-off on all three series as well as the third seasons of “The Gilded Age” and “Euphoria.” The expected fan outrage will be dismissed with, “Aah, they’ll get over it.”
I’m always amused by “on track for 2026” which means “we don’t have a cast or crew or script or location, but we have a release date”
Zaslav wants to sell WB after personally stripping it for hundreds of millions in stock and bonuses. He’ll cash out for half a billion for himself. The Harry Potter series isn’t real (yet). It’s just to entice buyers. Zaslav never wanted to make it. It’s just to make the sale more attractive. The new owners, however, will probally make it.