Originally a private cable network, then a premium cable channel, then a mini-network of specialized and dedicated channels, HBO has evolved into a powerhouse of original content production. Game of Thrones is its most obvious success story. But series like Deadwood, The Sopranos, Westworld, True Detective, The Wire, Sex and the City, Girls, and many more have made the network a strong contender in the crowded streaming landscape. With the launch of HBO Max, the network’s offerings have been paired with major titles from Warner Bros., DC, Studio Ghibli, and more. The Verge can help you sort through HBO’s new content and follow its evolving business model as it looks for its next Game of Thrones.
HBO still hasn’t announced the official premiere date for House of the Dragon season 2, but according to a new report from Variety, it’s probably going to be a good idea to get all caught up on the show by this June.
Fubo sued Warner Bros. Discovery, ESPN, and Fox last month over their planned live sports streaming service. Here’s what Fubo CEO David Gandler had to say about the lawsuit during a conference call:
This is a duel to the death. It has been when we started this company. We’re fighting for consumers. We’re fighting for our customers. We’re fighting for the tens of billions of dollars that are wasted annually on consumers paying for the same content multiple times. This is a very important process. We are sticking to our principles, to our guns. We are continuing to walk and chew gum at the same time, as you see in our numbers.
Warner Bros. Discovery has stopped pursuing an acquisition of Paramount, sources tell CNBC. However, other potential buyers are reportedly still exploring a deal to acquire Paramount, including the production company Skydance Media and media mogul Byron Allen.
Although Comcast isn’t interested in buying Paramount Global, CNBC reports that the company is still looking into a partnership with the brand, which could involve bundling or merging streaming services.
Warner Bros. Discovery CEO David Zaslav said during an earnings call that the studio is “aiming” to release its upcoming Harry Potter TV show on Max in 2026. The company first announced the show last year, saying it will be a “decade-long series produced with the same epic craft, love and care this global franchise is known for.”
During Warner Bros. Discovery’s earnings call on Friday, CEO David Zaslav said bundling streaming services “just makes an awful lot of sense.” He also hinted at Max becoming a distributor of streaming channels, like Roku or Amazon:
These channel stores morphed into places that just provide a simpler and easier and less anxious experience for people to find the content that they want... I‘ve always advocated that we should do it ourselves, and so we’re looking to do that domestically, we’re looking to do it outside the US.
Zaslav adds that WBD’s upcoming sports venture with ESPN and Fox “is trying to meet that very need.”
The film gives us a look at the life of Willy Wonka (played by Timothée Chalamet) before he opened his famed chocolate factory. If you didn’t get a chance to see Wonka in theaters, you can stream it on Max starting March 8th.
You can start streaming the Aquaman sequel starting on Tuesday, February 27th.
As noted in my colleague Charles Pulliam-Moore’s review of the film, The Lost Kingdom has some stunning visuals, but it’s held back by a predictable storyline that makes it feel “like a product of the DCEU,” which has been plagued with issues over the past several years.
The Department of Justice is planning to review the upcoming sports streaming app from ESPN, Warner Bros. Discovery, and Fox, according to a report from Bloomberg. Sources tell the outlet that regulators will look into whether the service will harm consumers, competitors, and sports leagues once the joint venture is finalized.
One live streaming service, Fubo, has already slammed the sports streaming app, saying it “could dictate market terms in a manner that may not serve the broader interests of consumers.”
I’m thoroughly enjoying watching people solve True Detective: Night Country’s pettiest mysteries online, so congrats to Redditor Artie-Fufkin for asking the right question about last week’s episode: did Clark pay way too much for his ominous tattoo?
We’re still very much living through an age of there being almost too much good TV to watch.
But considering the way The Bear, Succession, and Beef dominated at this year’s Primetime Emmy Awards, it kinda seemed like the Television Academy might need to start watching outside its comfort zone a bit more.
Isabela Merced will be playing the role, Warner Bros. Discovery confirmed, joining new cast members Kaitlyn Dever as Abby and Young Mazino as Jesse. The show’s second season is set to debut in 2025.
Our Flag Means Death had a tremendous run, but after two seasons, Max is bringing the pirate-centric romantic comedy to an end with no plans for a third season. RIP.
Max has renewed The Gilded Age for a third season. The period drama, originated by Downton Abbey creator Julian Fellowes and focuses on the lives of New York’s upper crust (and their beautiful gowns) in the 1880s, wrapped its second season on December 17th.
The show’s actors apparently weren’t expecting a renewal and took to social media to celebrate the news along with the show’s growing legion of fans. It’s Mrs. George Russell’s world and we’re all living in it.
The bad news is, according to Deadline, Max has canceled Warrior, leaving the show with three seasons. The good news is that Netflix made a deal to stream those seasons in Max’s markets.
The other bad news is it may not get a fourth season, since, the article notes, the actors are no longer under contract, and the show’s lead, Andrew Koji, is already otherwise obligated.
Max just became the latest addition to YouTube’s Primetime Channels. As of today, you can subscribe to the ad-free tier of Max directly from YouTube.
It still costs the same $15.99 per month that you’d pay anywhere else, but the key benefit is that you can stream Max shows and movies right from YouTube itself after subscribing — no need to open the Max app anymore.
Warner Bros Discovery debuted the season 2 trailer for House of the Dragon at CCXP in Brazil today. The season’s eight episodes will start streaming on Max in summer 2024.
The Hollywood Reporter writes that House of the Dragon is bringing in some new actors, as well:
The production also announced additional actors joining the show: Clinton Liberty as Addam of Hull, Jamie Kenna as Ser Alfred Broome, Kieran Bew as Hugh, Tom Bennett as Ulf, Tom Taylor as Lord Cregan Stark and Vincent Regan as Ser Rickard Thorne.
I missed this in theaters, but I’m excited to catch up on it when it debuts on November 17th, as Warner Bros. Discovery announced yesterday.
Maybe the movie is a decade late, as Charles said in his review. But as a person who’s always fallen more on the DC side of the fence, this bit from his review’s opening paragraph has me looking forward to finally seeing it, anyway:
Blue Beetle feels like the end result of a creative team thoughtfully executing a plan to replicate certain elements of what’s made rival studio Marvel’s films so successful — and not just Warner Bros. clumsily trying to play catch-up.
Everyone assumes companies are out there attempting to manipulate online discourse to boost the profile of their own product, but rarely do we have evidence as sad trombone as the text messages coming out of the wrongful termination lawsuit in Los Angeles Superior Court between HBO and former staffer Sully Temori. The text messages, acquired and seemingly verified by Rolling Stone, reveal HBO CEO Casey Bloys’ often petty directives to troll online critics of HBO shows.
[Rolling Stone]
He said there wasn’t enough time left to answer my question — but he also promised that Warner Bros. Discovery will some day. I’ll be waiting!
To be fair to Bloys, I asked him about it at Code 2023 at the end of his allotted time on stage. “With one minute left in our conversation, I’m not even going to get into that because that is a much longer, longer conversation.”
I tried to push him — Bloys deferred a similar question when the major new show was announced in April — and asked when Warner Bros. Discovery might talk about this. “At some point, we will,” Bloys said. “But not with a minute for a very complicated, nuanced topic, and I’m not going to do it.”
HBO CEO Casey Bloys says Max won’t constantly interrupt your Succession streaming with breaking news alerts from CNN, as some reports previously suggested. Bloys says the event would “have to be really big to interrupt programming.”
That isn’t a surprise given he works for David Zaslav, who has already started bundling his variety of streaming services and channels together into one super streaming app that replicates cable—right down to the monthly bill.
Casey Bloys, the chairman and CEO of HBO and Max content, is pretty bearish on AI-generated TV shows and movies right now.
It stars Jodie Foster and Kali Reis. It looks excellent — and I’ve embedded the trailer below.
True Detective: Night Country kicks off on January 14th.
If you’re subscribed to Max, you can gain free access to a constant stream of news and original content from CNN starting today from the service’s News Beta or CNN Max Hub sections.
Some of the programming that will appear during the 24/7 stream include Anderson Cooper 360, The Lead with Jake Tapper, and Amanpour, along with new shows “built specifically for the Max streaming audience,” like CNN Newsroom with Jim Acosta.
