Warner Bros. shelving the Batgirl movie was just the beginning. New reports have emerged that suggest HBO Max is moving away from scripted content, which will result in massive staff cuts.
According to The Wrap, HBO Max development is expected to be especially hard hit with layoffs with two sources placing the amount of dev staff cuts at 70%. "Everyone in Warner Bros. Discovery is nervous at the moment, and [they’re] starting to look at alternative job options in case they get the axe," revealed a company insider. "Sounds like they’re not doing HBO Max scripted shows anymore with HBO taking over, so less scripted shows overall." Reports surrounding the future of HBO Max and its exclusive scripted content began circulating after Warner Bros. canceled the planned streaming release for Batgirl and shelved the film.
An agent with knowledge of the situation explained the impending wave of layoffs. "HBO Max has a development team, which is a lot of overhead," the agent with knowledge explained. "And why do you need a development team at HBO and HBO Max? It’s redundant. Just have Casey Bloys' team do all the scripted TV development."
Warner Bros. Discovery is Making Some Major Moves
The Wrap notes that "Wall Street has been expecting that Warner Bros. Discovery would soon make some major moves to realign the company’s streaming assets." The company's CEO David Zaslav is expected to reveal more about the future of its streaming services -- HBO Max and Discovery+ -- in a quarterly earnings report on Thursday, Aug. 4. Speculation has run rampant online with many fans of HBO Max wondering what the streaming service might look like if it loses the majority of its scripted content in favor of increasing unscripted offerings.
Warner Bros. Discovery is busy cleaning house at HBO Max, following the cancellation of Batgirl, which was chalked up to the changing "leadership’s strategic shift as it relates to the DC universe and HBO Max." Six HBO Max-exclusive films -- Moonshot, Superintelligence, The Witches, An American Pickle, Locked Down and Charm City Kings -- have also been removed from the streaming service. No reason has yet been given for why these films are no longer available on the platform.
HBO Max launched in the United States on May 27, 2020, housing the libraries of HBO, Warner Bros. and their related brands. Some original series currently on the streaming platform include Gossip Girl, Tokyo Vice, Hacks, Peacemaker, Harley Quinn, Our Flag Means Death and Looney Tunes Cartoons.
Source: The Wrap