Warner Bros Discovery (WBD) teased plenty of content on Wednesday’s presentation for its launch of the Max streaming service, among them new shows in development based on the Harry Potter and Game Of Thrones worlds and in-production Batman spin-off series The Penguin.
All these shows and others mentioned in the presentation heavily suggest WBD will exploit its vast content stable to build franchises as it competes for customers’ dollars against more established rivals like Netflix and Disney+.
Max, which launches in the US on May 23, has ordered an original, decade-long Harry Potter scripted series based on “authentic” adaptations of J.K. Rowling’s seven books. Rowling will be the executive producer for Max, along with Neil Blair and Ruth Kenley–Letts. This is in association with Bronte Film and TV and Warner Bros. Television. Film franchise producer David Heyman is in talks to join the executive producer roster.
In a Q&A session with press after the presentation HBO & Max Content chairman Casey Bloys dismissed a question about whether Rowling’s controversial comments on trans issues might make it challenging to cast talent on the series.
HBO has made a series order for Games Of Thrones prequel series A Knight Of The Seven Kingdoms: The Hedge Knight set a century before events in the original Game Of Thrones series.
George R.R. Martin and Ira Parker will serve as executive producers. The show will follow the adventures Ser Duncan the Tall, his diminutive squire Egg, and their quest for the Iron Throne. Ryan Condal and Vince Gerardis will also serve as executive producers.
Max Originals shows includes DC Studios Batman spin-off series The Penguin starring Colin Farrell (pictured). Bloys has created a teaser for the first look of the series from Warner Bros. Television. The story takes place in Alaska as two detectives investigate the disappearance of eight men from a research centre;
The Regime
- (formerly The
- Palace), starring Kate Winslet, directed by Stephen Frears and Jessica Hobbs, and written by Will Tracy. The show is set in the palace of a crumbling European government. Matthias Schoenaerts, Guillaume Gallienne, Andrea Riseborough, Martha Plimpton and Hugh Grant star alongside newly announced cast including Danny Webb, David Bamber, Henry Goodman, Stanley Townsend, Louie Mynett, Rory Keenan, Karl Markovics, and Pippa Haywood; andSatirical Vietnam War thriller The Sympathizer from Park Chan Wook starring and produced by Robert Downey Jr., and based on Viet Thanh Nguyen’s Pulitzer Prize-winning novel.
- Max is also developing with horror ace James Wan, DC Studios co-head Peter Safran and Warner Bros. Television a drama series set in The Conjuring horror Universe, as well as a comedy series derived from TV smash
The Big Bang Theory with Chuck Lorre, who has an overall deal at Warner Bros. Television.Amblin Television is behind the prequel animated series Gremlins: Secrets Of The Mogwai which
debuts on Max on May 23 and features Steven Spielberg as executive producer The story takes place in 1920s Shanghai where the Wing family first meet the young Mogwai called Gizmo and Sam Wing (the future shop owner in 1984 film Gremlins) agrees to take Gizmo home. Also dropping on May 23 is Smartless: On The Road, a six-part documentary following comedians and actors Jason Bateman, Will Arnett and Sean Hayes on the North American tour of their podcast. Sam Jones directs.
Meanwhile Max and Cartoon Network have greenlit an animated rendering of the fairy tale Peter & The Wolf in collaboration with U2 frontman Bono and his childhood best friend and musician Gavin Friday, who will narrate and compose music. The artwork is based on Bono’s illustrations from the book of the same title.
Peter and The Wolf, Gremlins Secrets Of The Mogwai
, Tiny Tons Looniversity are three examples of large children’s programming offerings at WBD executives are eager to promote. Kathleen Finch, chief content officer at U.S. Networks Group chairman and chief content officer of U.S. Executives know that HBO Max’s association with HBO’s controversial content may have offended households and parents, despite the fact WBD owns many programs that will appeal to families. Max will have a kids hub and parental controls.WBD CEO David Zaslav spoke up Warner Bros. and its rich history during the studios’ 100th anniversary year. Zaslav, a big believer in theatrical distribution as a driver throughout the revenue waterfall, name-checked several of the studio’s upcoming 2023 releases, among them The Flash,
Barbie
, and Dune 2. It was revealed that New Line/DC Entertainment box-office flop Shazam! Fury Of The Gods has raised $128m worldwide since its March 15th debut. It will be launched on Max on May 23. Zaslav and his associates will have greater hopes for DC Studios, its restructured DC Films division, led by Peter Safran and James Gunn, who have announced their first wave. Besides Warner Bros, HBO Max and DC Studios the WarnerMedia stables include TBS, CNN – executives said announcements would be forthcoming on CNN – and TNT.
Discovery+ is known for its lifestyle and reality programming and encompasses brands like Food Network, Magnolia Network, HGTV, OWN, Animal Planet, Science Channel, History, A&E, and Lifetime.Magnolia Network announced a new instalment in the Fixer Upper
franchise coming in November,
Fixer Upper: The Hotel
featuring Chip and Joanna Gaines. HGTV will launch Barbie Challenge this summer. This will coincide with the July 21.10 Max launch. The Max Ad-Free tier will remain at $15.99 per months, while Max Ad-Lite will stay at $9.99. The Max Ultimate Ad-Free plan will cost $19.99 and will offer 4K UHD resolution, 100 off-line downloads, Dolby Atmos sound quality, and 100 downloads.
