Santa Inc., an adult animated comedy starring Seth Rogen and Sarah Silverman, is coming to HBO Max. Set to launch on May 27, HBO Max has garnered attention largely thanks to an impressive selection of established movies and television series that are already beloved. Classics like Friends and The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air will be available to stream, as will prestigious HBO titles like Game of Thrones and The Wire. Audiences will also be able to enjoy popular BBC programs such as Doctor Who, in addition to catching on some of The CW’s most well-known dramas. On the movie side of the ledger, the options available to subscribers run the gamut from Crazy Rich Asians to The Shining.
The platform won’t just be relying on its preexisting offerings. Though plans might have to be adjusted for coronavirus concerns, the platform had planned to feature 31 originals in its first year. This is likely due to the importance of new content, in of brandishing a streamer’s reputation. Some of the originals that will be available when HBO Max launches include the Rogen’s film An American Pickle.
The actor will have even more of a presence on HBO Max, as the service announced its decision to greenlight the adult animated comedy Santa Inc. Featuring the voices of Rogen and Sarah Silverman, who previously worked together in the 2011 drama Take This Waltz, the Christmas-themed comedy follows Candy Smalls (Silverman), the highest-ranking female elf in the North Pole. After the successor to Santa Claus (Rogen) is poached by Amazon, on Christmas Eve, Candy decides to go for her ultimate dream of being the first woman Santa Claus in the history of Christmas. Consisting of eight half-hour episodes, Santa Inc. will be written by showrunner Alexandra Rushfield. Rushfield has previously worked on Hulu’s Shrill, in addition to Parks and Recreation.
Santa Inc. comes from Lionsgate and Rogen’s Point Grey Pictures, becoming the latest animated project to garner the interest of HBO Max. The platform will offer a wide variety of Japanese animation from Crunchyroll. It will also be releasing new Looney Tunes cartoons, as well as providing a reboot of The Boondocks. The news about Santa Inc. is another indication that HBO Max is hoping to be the destination for animation lovers of all stripes.
Santa Inc. stands out for being unproven among those titles. However, Rogen has a good eye for projects. Point Grey Pictures has helped to bring a varied and largely critically-acclaimed slate of works to audiences, from The Disaster Artist to the Showtime series Black Monday. Time will tell if Santa Inc. measures up to the production company’s past output.
Source: HBO Max