To say that there’s a lot going on with Warner Bros Discovery right now is a lie because there’s a TON going on with them, and a lot of it is their fault. To that end, you can understand why they’re trying to take big swings at things so that they can keep themselves relevant. For example, you might recall that last year they announced a Harry Potter TV Series that would retell the story of “The Boy Who Lived” in TV form, well after a decade since the movies did that very task.
Initially, the Harry Potter TV Series was announced for Max, WBD’s streaming service. However, in a chat with Variety, HBO head Casey Bloys revealed that it’ll now be both an HBO and Max show:
“We felt like we had to delineate between an HBO show and a Max show. The idea of using Warner Bros. IP as a delineation for Max felt right. At least that gives you a clear lane. But as we started producing those shows, we were using the same methods, the same kind of thinking, as how we would approach HBO shows. In a lot of cases, the same talent that has worked on HBO shows.”
The goal is to help HBO stand out without making it feel like Max is getting shafted, as it’s not. Some shows, like The Penguin, are already tied to releases on Max, which is fine. Then, you’ll have shows like this one, which will be on HBO first and then go to Max the next day, much like what the channel is already doing.
Will it work in their favor? Only time will tell. Same with whether the Harry Potter show will be worth all this effort and branding.
