Eagle-eyed observers might have noticed the change with today’s announcement that Lanterns, a drama series based on the characters of DC’s Green Lanterns, is officially receiving an eight-episode series order at HBO. That’s right: HBO leading the way, rather than being labeled a Max. Original” for the often rebranded HBO streaming service.
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Warner Bros. was designating DC shows as “Max Originals” instead of “HBO Originals” as late as last week, when the latest trailer of The Penguin abandonmentBut there has been a change in the brand, according to a report in Variety that HBO and Max content CEO Casey Bloys is “moving the majority of upcoming big-budget, big-budget IP projects from Max to Warner Bros. under the HBO umbrella.”
This change covers shows that will premiere in 2025 and beyond, so they will be released in 2024. The Penguin and Dune: Prophecy Both are expected to remain labeled as Max shows; “the licensing process [El pingüino] At the international level it has already begun,” Bloys explained. But once the calendar changes, look for LanternsInspired by Stephen King that prequel series Welcome to Derryand the Harry Potter series that WB insists on bringing under that HBO Originals banner.
This change undoes the previous intention to keep all shows based on WB properties under the Max Originals banner, and came about when Bloys and other executives realized that WB shows weren’t all that different from HBO’s own creations. “As we started producing those shows, “We were using the same methods, the same type of thinking, about how we would approach the HBO shows,” he told Variety, noting that there is even crossover between talent, such as watchmen‘s Damon Lindelof now working on Lanterns. “The idea of delineation started to seem unnecessary…let’s call them what they are: HBO shows.”
What does that mean for viewers? Not much. It means that if you see an HBO original being marketed, you’ll gain perceived prestige from being on HBO’s linear channel; all HBO shows will continue to stream on Max. Max-exclusive series will still exist, but they will be “more in broadcast and traditional TV” and will have smaller budgets compared to HBO shows. When asked why the company doesn’t just do each showing an HBO show, which would be the least confusing path forward, Bloys said: “I think it’s helpful to have a brand that doesn’t put expectations or intent on an HBO show. “If it’s not designed to do that, I shouldn’t have to do it.”
Make of that what you will. The Penguinperhaps the last of the DC Max Originals, arrives on September 8.
Want more io9 news? Check when to expect the latest Wonderful, star Warsand trip to the stars releases, what’s next for the DC Universe in film and TVand everything you need to know about the future of doctor who.
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