HBO Max pulling originals and more, removing scripted content for what?

Recent reports show that cancellations favorite Max Original shows, as well as the quiet removal of six Max Original films have raised questions amongst platform users, especially those on Reddit.

The HBO Max Logo, photo sourced from Gossipify.

I recently discovered the world of HBO Max from a very generous friend who allowed me to add my own profile to their account.

I had a fantastic time watching a bunch of old (and new... newer for me at least) cartoons, such as Samurai Jack, Close Enough, Regular Show, and Tuca and Bertie (my favorite!). I was also able to watch the Bob's Burger's movie and Little Miss Sunshine. Yet, there was a world of Max Originals I hadn't even touched yet.

One of those was the absolutely awesome DC Harley Quinn Animated Series.

Look at that power team with Harley! Photo sourced from HBO Max.

I'll be honest-- when I watched episode 1 of season 1, I wasn't entirely sold. The blood and the guts reminded me of Amazon Prime's Invincible, which I also stopped watching after season 1 (I know it's very popular, it just wasn't for me for various reasons). Knowing that this is a different show, different writers, and a different streaming service, I did give Harley Quinn a second chance with episode 2. Now, a week after the fact, I'm on season 3 episode 3. Crazy how binges work, right?

I'd been looking for something to write about for a bit now, and I was doing some digging into the Harley Quinn Series when I noticed more and more articles pop up talking about HBO Max getting rid of a bunch of their content. With the articles being super recent, I decided to take a look into the issue and try to dissect why this may be happening (spoiler, it's not too difficult to figure out a roundabout answer).

For starters, users have found six main Max Original movies have been lost in the void:

1. Moonshot

2. Superintelligence

3. The Witches 2022 Remake

4. An American Pickle

5. Locked Down

6. Charm City Kings

Shot from Seth Rogan in An American Pickle, photo sourced from Slate.com.

According to Todd Spangler's article on Variety, users on Reddit noticed this loss in a subreddit forum discussing Warner Bros. pullback on releasing Batgirl in any theatre on or any platform (for those who don't know, HBO Max is owned by Warner Bros. Discovery, which is owned by AT&T). Spangler also mentioned in his article that fans saw shows get "scrubbed" off the release calendar, such as House Party.

It's not uncommon for streaming platforms to gain and loose content; it's quite common actually. What news sources are trying to explain, though, is that it is very uncommon for streaming services to not announce getting rid of content. It's a service/user exchange that can and should happen frequently.

This obviously has spooked users across the world, sparking debate on what movies and shows will be kept and which will be scrapped. Under r/HarleyQuinnTV, Redditor EveMBM posted this tweet found by @konshideout on Twitter:

As you can see, over 80 comments were posted on this thread, many of which detailed how users would quit their HBO Max subscription if Harley Quinn was not renewed for another season (understandably so, we're on a reddit thread dedicated to the TV show). So, what happened?

It's a simple answer, really: it's a money/movement problem.

When it comes to streaming services, there are a few ways to go about bringing people in for content. You could upload all your old content that will draw in a crowd of nostalgia, you could get the rights to other famous work from the past that are 'classics' or 'highly popular', you can created shows and or movies that are "streaming exclusives" to make fans of franchises purchase your platform, you can create "original" shows, or you can do a mixture of tactics. Common knowledge tells and shows us that most platforms, such as Disney+, Netflix, Hulu, do a mix. HBO Max is no different.

The real difference is in their budgets and creative teams. I personally have never heard of (or have heard very little of) the six movies that vanished on the platform, most likely because their popularity isn't skyrocketing. Something like Euphoria, on the other hand, is extremely popular with multiple age brackets, so I've heard lots of word about it.

HBO seems to be down on their luck on creative and budget. I'm sure some of these original shows and movies are fantastic-- they just haven't gained enough momentum to beat competitors. This, in turn, lessens their income, impacting their budget.

On the other hand, it's clear HBO Max is going through labor changes. According to Jonathan Easton's article on Television Business International, the streaming platform is going into a major staffing restructure. Easton writes, "The major restructuring around HBO Max will see Bob Greenblatt, chairman of WarnerMedia Entertainment and direct-to-consumer, departing along with Kevin Reilly, CCO of HBO Max and president of TNT, TBS, and truTV." Easton also explains that Keith Cocozza, EVP of marketing and communications, will also be stepping down.

We will be gaining Andy Forssell (general manager of HBO Max) who moves onto managing the HBO Max operating business unit (a new unit of the team). Quite interesting, as Forssell quit WarnerMedia back in April before the WarnerMedia Discovery merger (lots of movement, as you can see).

Either way, the unit will be responsible for all marketing and consumer development, according to Easton's article, which means a lot of change for operations. There are a decent amount of other changes with new faces and names for department new and old.

Mr. Forssell, photo sourced from Variety.com.

On one hand, such big changes comes strange periods of limbo for some companies. On the other, mergers and the movement of faculty is always happening, so this may not be a thing. Instead, this may just be a big turning point for HBO Max, and the service may come back on top after people are a little more settled into their positions. It's hard to say, though, at this time.

There are also big talks of HBO Max debuting a bunch of A24 films onto the platform in August (very exciting!). This is going to be a big game changer for the platform since there's a large group of A24 fans. It's no surprise, though, since Euphoria is already steaming, but this will amp up user excitement for certain. Titled such as Ex-Machina (2015), Tusk (2014), and How to Talk to Girls at Parties (2018) will be featured, just to name a few.

A shot from How to Talk to Girls at Parties, photo sourced from IMDB.com.

Sources:

- "HBO Max Weirdly Took Some Movies Down Without Saying Why" by Savannah Salazar on Vulture.com

- "HBO Max Quietly Removed Six Warner Bros. Streaming-Exclusive Movies" by Todd Spangler on Variety.com

- "WarnerMedia cuts jobs & restructures, with Bob Greenblatt & Kevin Reilly to exit" by Jonathan Easton on Television Business International

- "HBO Max To Add Massive Collection Of A24 Films In August 2022 [EXCLUSIVE]" by Tatiana Hullender on ScreenRant

- "HBO Max Head Andy Forssell Is Out Ahead Of Discovery Merger" by Anthony D'Alessandro and Dade Hayes on Deadline