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Warner Bros.' merger with Discovery has resulted in a massive company restructuring, resulting in major changes to the studio's slate of content. While many headlines have gravitated toward the high-profile and controversial cancellation of the DC Extended Universe film Batgirl, what has become known as the "HBO Max Purge" has been on the forefront of many animation fans' minds. As Warner Bros. shifts to focus on projects more aligned with theatrical releases, the streaming service has seemingly taken a back seat, with new CEO David Zaslav seeking to determine what sets Max apart from competitors such as Netflix and Disney+.
Many popular shows developed exclusively for HBO Max have been axed and removed from the streamer, making it effectively impossible for fans to watch them through legitimate sources. The ongoing drama has sparked a controversy surrounding Warner Bros.' intentions, most notably amongst animation studios who fear for the continued existence and availability of their shows.
Given the complications and confusion surrounding the ongoing situation, this article serves as a timeline of key events that have factored into the "HBO Max Purge." Links have also been provided for specific events that require elaboration, and we will continue to update as new developments occur. This timeline is built on information provided to the general public through official statements made by Warner Bros. Discovery, affected creators and fans.
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Warner Bros./Discovery Merger Announced
In May 2021, AT&T confirmed WarnerMedia's entertainment assets would merge with Discovery Inc. David Zaslav, CEO of Discovery, was tapped to helm the new company, announcing that the deal was expected to save both entities approximately $3 billion USD. At the time of the announcement, the primary focus of the merged business was noted as being the "individual streaming services of WarnerMedia and Discovery, HBO Max and Discovery+, respectively, as well as both company's large profiles of cable channels."
Following the announcement, industry insiders suggested WarnerMedia's decision to merge with Discovery was related in large part to Warner Bros.' policy regarding same-day releases on HBO Max, which saw major blockbusters debut in both theaters and the streaming service at the same time due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The company eventually acknowledged that the policy had been mishandled.
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Reassurances Regarding the Future of Warner Bros. Studios and DC Comics
Following the merger, then-WarnerMedia CEO Jason Kilar reassured HBO Max subscribers more content was planned for the service. In July 2021, the executive promised Warner Bros. was lining up ten movies that would be exclusive to the streamer, while simultaneously stating that the studio's theatrical releases would remain on the circuit for 45 days before debuting on HBO Max. "[The film industry] will continue to evolve and innovate in ways that work for not only for consumers and fans but also for our business partners," Kilar said.
In August 2021, DC Chief Creative Officer Jim Lee promised fans the WarnerMedia/Discovery merger would not have an effect on the comic book publisher. "For some of us, we're used to working in that kind of environment," Lee said. "The bottom line is, it's business as usual. Past the initial surprise of the announcement, at the end of the day, we're still moving forward, trying to reach the goals and objectives we have for ourselves. The impending merger, in my opinion, does not materially change anything."
Later that same month, Toonami creator Jason Demarco was promoted to Warner Bros. Animation and Cartoon Network's new Senior Vice President of Anime & Action Series/Longform Programming. Demarco's new role in the company was designed to "spearhead Warner Bros.' efforts to expand the company's anime production and partnerships with anime studios."
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Warner Bros.' Unrest Clashes With DCEU Plans
Despite beginning 2022 with several successful projects, including the HBO Max series Peacemaker and the superhero blockbuster The Batman, rumblings regarding Warner Bros.' approach to its slate of content began to enter the public conversation. As online boycotts led by fans took off, protesting the studio's treatment of several high-profile actors, including Justice League's Ray Fisher and Ben Affleck, new CEO David Zaslav began to criticize the company's previous attempts at establishing a superhero franchise akin to the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
In April 2022, reports emerged claiming Zaslav was actively considering "overhauling" Warner Bros. Discovery's DC Films division. The executive was rumored to have been searching for someone who could further grow the DC Extended Universe, which insiders state was considered to be struggling due to a lack of a "singular vision." At this stage, conversations were largely focused on Warner Bros. theatrical slate, with little mention of its HBO Max offerings.
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HBO Max's DC Content Purge Begins
In May 2022, reports began to surface alleging Zaslav had begun trimming the Warner Bros. Discovery's slate of HBO Max productions. The first project to receive the axe was an HBO Max Wonder Twins film. At the time, the decision to terminate the film was purportedly due to the movie's $75 million-plus budget; simply put, Zaslav didn't believe a straight-to-streaming project would be able to make a return that would justify the expenditure. This is the first reported incident of Warner Bros. Discovery pulling the plug on a project that was designated as an HBO Max exclusive, prompting many fans to fear for the development of other productions that were announced to premiere as Max-exclusives.
In June, several more reports alleged to have knowledge of Zaslav's plans for Warner Bros. Discovery, noting that the CEO was aiming to "restructure the company into three production verticals: Warner Bros.-New Line, DC and Animation." Michael De Luca and Pam Abdy were appointed as the leaders of Warner Bros. and New Line Cinema while also overseeing DC. Toby Emmerich, who served as the chairperson of Warner Bros.-New Line for half a decade, was confirmed to be stepping away from his position. Zaslav was also reportedly in talks with Joker director Todd Phillips to "act as an advisor for future DC Universe films." Despite the supposed discussion, Phillips was not expected to accept the role due to his lack of knowledge regarding the wider DC Universe.
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Batgirl: Fully Filmed, and Completely Canceled
August 2022 was a watershed month for Warner Bros. Discovery as the company sparked controversy for canceling two highly-anticipated HBO Max projects: Batgirl and Scoob! Holiday Haunt. Both films had completed filming and were in post-production, leading many fans to question the decision to terminate both films when much of the work had already been completed.
While initial reports claimed that Batgirl was canceled due to its poor quality, Warner Bros. Discovery provided an official explanation: "The decision to not release Batgirl reflects our leadership’s strategic shift as it relates to the DC universe and HBO Max. Leslie Grace [the film's star] is an incredibly talented actor and this decision is not a reflection of her performance. We are incredibly grateful to the filmmakers of Batgirl and Scoob! Holiday Haunt and their respective casts and we hope to collaborate with everyone again in the near future." The cast and crew of the DCEU film have responded publically, with one of the movie's stars openly begging Zazlav to reconsider the movie's culling, and the directors stating they were locked out of the servers before they were able to record or save any of the footage for their personal reels.
On the heels of these two cancelations, a collection of six HBO Max-exclusive original movies were removed from the streamer with no notice - Moonshot, Superintelligence, The Witches, An American Pickle, Locked Down and Charm City Kings. Warner Bros. Discovery did not provide an explanation regarding the movies' disappearance, but did caution that more deletions could follow suit.
Another report suggested that Warner Bros. Discovery was looking to significantly reduce the amount of scripted content on the service while also beginning a round of layoffs. Insiders speculated that the company was looking to cut approximately 70% of the platform's development staff. "HBO Max has a development team, which is a lot of overhead," it was explained. "And why do you need a development team at HBO and HBO Max? It’s redundant. Just have Casey Bloys' [Chairman and CEO, HBO and HBO Max Content] team do all the scripted TV development."
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Warner Bros. Discovery's Stock Begins to Spiral
Despite canceling Batgirl and Scoob! Holiday Haunt, Warner Bros. Discovery attempted to reassure HBO Max subscribers that the service was still in good hands. Zaslav promised users that regardless of the cuts, the streaming service would remain a top priority, one that continued to warrant further expansion and investments. "Quality is what matters," Zaslav said. "Quality is what Casey [Bloys] and that team is delivering. It’s the best team in the business. We’re doubling down on that HBO team. They’re all committed under contract and we’re going to spend dramatically more this year and next year than we spent last year in the year before."
Despite this statement, Warner Bros. Discovery stocks began to plummet when an earnings call revealed that the studio had missed its targets, losing approximately $3.4 billion. It's estimated that $1 billion of that number was due to costs associated with the company's restructuring, while $825 million was lost due to content expenditure; it was never confirmed which "content" was responsible for the write-downs. The same meeting confirmed that WBD had also lost subscribers across HBO Max and Discovery+ between Q1 and Q2. The company reassured shareholders that the reduced numbers did not include the "10 million legacy Discovery non-core subscribers and unactivated AT&T mobility subscribers from the Q1 subscriber count," stating that WBD has added 1.7 million new subscribers in the first two quarters.
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The Animation Axe Falls at HBO Max
As fans began to wonder which Warner Bros. Discovery projects were safe, numerous creators began to issue statements regarding their series and films. While some were deemed to be out of Zazlav's crosshairs, including Harley Quinn, Peacemaker Season 2 and House of the Dragon, WBD shocked many fans by removing 36 different titles from HBO Max, many of which were animated series that were exclusive to the platform. The affected titles included popular shows such as Infinity Train, Mighty Magiswords and Uncle Grandpa, all of which were removed with no warning, while fans were actively watching episodes. Not even long-running franchises were safe, as evidenced by 200 episodes of Sesame Street disappearing from the service in the middle of the day.
Responding to backlash from subscribers, WBD issued a formal statement regarding the removal of so much of its original programming. "As we work toward bringing our content catalogs together under one platform, we will be making changes to the content offering available on both HBO Max and discovery+... That will include the removal of some content from both platforms." To further appease fans, HBO Max launched a limited-time discount for new and returning American customers, offering a 30% discount on an annual subscription plan, bringing the price down from $149.99 a year to $104.99 a year.
Despite this, many creators felt betrayed by Warner Bros. Discovery's decision to unceremoniously remove their content from HBO Max. Infinity Train creator Owen Dennis noted he, as well as many other directors and producers, were blindsided by the "animation cull." "I had no idea it was coming, neither did any other show creator I’ve talked with, nor any of their representatives," Dennis said. "We do know it was a direct order from Discovery, and it’s about saving money somehow. I think the way that Discovery went about this is incredibly unprofessional, rude, and just straight up slimy."
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The HBO Max Content Purge: What's Next?
As the dust settles on the "HBO Max Purge," subscribers are left wondering what further changes they should expect. After the mass removal, Warner Bros. Discovery's stock price once again plummeted despite the successful premiere of House of the Dragon and more layoffs, which also targeted executives, were implemented across the company's European branches. A number of those affected claim they were specifically let go as a "part of a deliberate plan to cut back on internal diversity." Several employees spoke about WBD's current employee makeup, with one stating, "I don’t think anyone knows just how white the staff is."
Despite the ongoing drama surrounding WBD, the company is seemingly standing by its decision to purge HBO Max. A report claimed that the spate of cancellations and removals is saving the studio "tens of millions" of dollars, but a specific amount was not mentioned. At the time of writing, it remains to be seen whether the content struck from the streaming service will resurface, but there is hope for some projects. Harley Quinn has been confirmed to return for a fourth season while projects like Bruce Timm, Matt Reeves and JJ Abrams' Batman: Caped Crusader is reportedly being shopped around to other networks. For now, both Titans and Doom Patrol's next seasons remain in the works, but Young Justice, which ended its fourth season on a cliffhanger, appears to be another quiet casualty of the purge as well.
