On Wednesday, rumors swirled about the future of HBO Max. Warner Bros. merged with Discovery in April, and CEO David Zaslav is expected to lay out plans for how the two companies will function going forward. The word on the street, as per Deadline, isn’t good. First, there was the unprecedented news that they were shelving two films either already completed or nearing completion: Batgirl and Scoob!: Haunted Holiday. Now there’s talk of mass layoffs, especially with HBO Max’s original content. Nothing is official yet, but people are already worrying about the fate of their favorite shows.
Since its launch in the summer of 2020, HBO Max has distinguished itself as arguably the most diverse streamer. On top of HBO content, there’s plenty of movies, classic films, Looney Tunes, selections from the Criterion Collection, Studio Ghibli, etc., etc. And then there’s their original programming, independent of HBO, including such beloved shows as The Flight Attendant, Hacks, Minx, The Staircase, Station Eleven, and And Just Like That…
Perhaps all these shows will be fine. But people are still freaking out.
Without the HBO Max development team, you don’t get:
Station Eleven
Hacks
Minx
Love Life
The Flight Attendant
Peacemaker
Our Flag Means Death https://t.co/VtLSMzBnDV— Alex Rabinowitz (@alexrab) August 3, 2022
In the span of two years: raised by wolves, station eleven, Tokyo vice, the staircase, love life, the flight attendant, hacks, the sex lives of college girls, peacemaker, and minx is how many good quality scripted shows they’ve produced. This is completed and total bullshit. https://t.co/4JhGRc8PPq
— The Ace Face (@TruthsandLies14) August 3, 2022
TITANS, GOSSIP GIRL, SEX LIVES OF COLLEGE GIRLS, HARLEY QUINN, AND PLL ORIGINAL SIN NEED TO STAY WITH ME pic.twitter.com/xupyf9tVP8
— ceo of kory • JAYVAN DAY (@korysverse) August 3, 2022
Hacks, Our Flag Means Death, The Flight Attendant, Peacemaker, Gossip Girl, Julia, Sex Lives of College Girls and Minx stans realising that their favourite shows will probably get cancelled if the rumours about HBO Max being retooled are true pic.twitter.com/jgWjKUBfMd
— Huncrweo (@huncrweo) August 3, 2022
hbo max has been the best streaming service. hacks, harley quinn, the flight attendant, minx, peacemaker, the other two … etc. are all under the hbo max originals banner https://t.co/qGOzhH7Sa4
— alex (@alex_abads) August 3, 2022
HACKS, THE OTHER TWO, TSLOCG, AND MINX STAY WITH ME
https://t.co/8nflTefjBv
— carey (@brokebackstan) August 3, 2022
Some singled out This Flag Means Death.
Our Flag Means Death fandom staring intently at @hbomax @WBHomeEnt cancelling Batgirl to remind them we would literally eat every executive alive. Also give us merch and Blu-Rays, we are trying to throw money at you. Do y’all not like money? Isn’t that like y’all’s whole thing? pic.twitter.com/x9qYNhSMN0
— Our Flag Means Death Frames (@ofmdframes) August 3, 2022
Touch a hair on the head of Our Flag Means Death so help me GOD https://t.co/wb534Jk3J5
— it was rachatha all along (@RachelLeishman) August 3, 2022
And Peacemaker.
OUR FLAG MEANS DEATH AND PEACEMAKER GET BEHIND ME QUICK pic.twitter.com/PE3drHo1O3
— bernie
(@harlsdevil) August 3, 2022
Though Peacemaker is allegedly safe, according to creator James Gunn.
With a lot of upcoming DC Projects in question James Gunn says Peacemaker Season 2 is safe.
To that also means The Batman Penguin show is safe as well . pic.twitter.com/IHPTJUHgja
— Cris Parker (@3CFilmss) August 2, 2022
James Gunn says #Peacemaker S2 is safe after #Batgirl gets canceled pic.twitter.com/dBN9Txj6cc
— Culture Crave
(@CultureCrave) August 3, 2022
Still, what about Hacks?
If they cancel Hacks I will RIOT. pic.twitter.com/nuSTySjWbJ
— RikuZegram (@CorgiYordle) August 3, 2022
Or The Sex Lives of College Girls?
If the sex lives of college girls gets canceled over some dumb shit like this it’s gonna get real ghetto and nasty around here bcuz of me https://t.co/3dxsgx0E51
— HEEDlE (@heyheedie) August 3, 2022
me walking out of the warner brothers office with season two of “the sex lives of college girls” up my ass pic.twitter.com/GxYYTnnxl9
—
(@naurveen) August 2, 2022
Or The Other Two?
This HBO Max shit better not interfere with me getting more The Other Two
— Esther Zuckerman (@ezwrites) August 3, 2022
People were worried about HBO Max — a very, very good streamer — in general.
hbo max stay with me
pic.twitter.com/ZADMuFVphp https://t.co/iVQ1jcDhSf— marlon (@lonniegoeswest) August 3, 2022
netflix watching hbo max slowly kill itself off after everyone said hbo max was better than netflix pic.twitter.com/5lMNzy8ipP https://t.co/cUyYh5jgfq
— nia (@fleektoven) August 3, 2022
People that have been calling out the streaming industry as a giant bubble about to burst watching the HBO Max news: pic.twitter.com/Ap72N2PSox
— Jonathan (@jonathanmb32) August 3, 2022
discovery being in charge of warner bros really does feel like the sheinhardt wig company owning nbc on 30 rock
— monteverdi’s flying circus (@fivepoisonskid) August 3, 2022
HBO Max is one of the best streaming services around because they actually have movies! If they start cutting back on that for more PROPERTY BROTHERS or whatever bullshit they have on Discovery+, I will cancel that subscription so damn fast.
— Chris Evangelista (@cevangelista413) August 3, 2022
We are living in a society where Morbius was in theaters not once, but TWICE, and Batgirl can’t even get an HBO Max debut.
— Kasey (@RawbertBeef) August 3, 2022
Warner Bros. Discovery is reportedly making public their Q2 earnings on Thursday. Word about where the newly merged company is headed may follow soon thereafter. In the meantime, say a little prayer for the streamer that has both the Gossip Girl reboot and the cinema of François Truffaut.
(Via Deadline)