Warner Bros. and HBO Max have announced Warner Max, a new movie label that will produce original feature films for the streaming service. In a bid to remain competitive in the ongoing streaming wars, WarnerMedia will launch a direct-to-consumer subscription service known as HBO Max this May. The service aims to become the go-to destination for streaming popular TV series like The Big Bang Theory and the still-running Doctor Who, in addition to movies like the collective works of Studio Ghibli. Of course, just like its competitors, HBO Max will also include exclusive original content, in addition to its library of older titles.
Among the original projects announced for HBO Max (so far) are a Green Lantern TV series from Arrowverse architects Greg Berlanti and Marc Guggenheim, in addition to revivals of animated shows The Boondocks and Adventure Time. Meanwhile, Steven Soderbergh has signed an exclusive first-look deal with HBO Max and will release his next film, Let Them All Talk, as an exclusive on the streamer. Now, WarnerMedia is doubling its efforts in the movie production department by establishing a label that will focuse on creating features for HBO Max.
Dubbed Warner Max, the film label (per WB and HBO Max's press release) will start out with "an initial target of eight to 10 mid-budget movies per year". HBO Max CCO Kevin Reilly and WB Pictures Group head Toby Emmerich will collaborate alongside WB Pictures Group COO Carolyn Blackwood and Sarah Aubrey (the HBO Max Head of Original Content) in running the label and intends to release the first Warner Max titles in 2020. Warner Bros. and New Line Cinema will continue to develop mid-budget films for regular theatrical release, while Warner Max will "create a new pipeline for filmmakers looking to make a particular type of film or connect with a specific audience that would be best reached in the streaming environment". Screen Rant reached out to ask them about their 2020 releases, but they declined to comment.
WB isn't the only Hollywood studio that's getting in the game of producing original feature films for streaming services, either. Near the end of January, it was reported Sony Pictures and Netflix are teaming up to produce a movie adaptation of the Roald Dahl book-turned stage show Matilda the Musical, with Ralph Fiennes in talks to play the villanous Miss Trunchbull. Sony is also reported to be discussing making its slow-developing Masters of the Universe live-action movie reboot exclusively for Netflix, as opposed to giving it a traditional theatrical roll-out. Should their ongoing deal pan out, Sony's TriStar division will devote resources to making films exclusively for Netflix in the future, similar to what Warner Max is doing for HBO Max.
The prospect of non-franchise mid-budget movies having a home at Warner Max is certainly enticing. WB, like every other studio in Hollywood, has increasingly prioritized IPs (a la the DCEU, MonsterVerse, and Wizarding World) above original films for the last decade. Outside of potential awards season contenders or adaptations of popular works from other mediums, it's rare for WB to release the type of films they're planning to focus on for Warner Max (next month's The Way Back being one of the exceptions that prove the rule). Further, their initial target of eight to ten films a year means Warner Max is promising quality over quantity. That alone will make it worth checking out, at least in the beginning.
Source: Warner Bros. Picture Group/HBO Max
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