Warner Bros. Discovery is removing six original films exclusive to franchises like the DC Comics films. At the height of Covid-19 restrictions, Warner Bros. retooled many of its planned theatrical releases to premiere exclusively on HBO Max. While this helped the studio mitigate some of its losses, several of the films failed to meet expectations as a result.
When Warner Bros. announced that Batgirl will not have a theatrical or streaming release, disappointed fans took to Reddit to express their concerns. Many were shocked to discover that Batgirl was in post-production when the studio decided to cancel the project. In part, Warner Bros.' decision was due to poor audience reception at test screenings and the belief that Batgirl did not meet the standard for a tentpole DCEU release. While discussing the sudden axing of Batgirl, fans questioned the decision not to have the film premiere of HBO Max instead. A few fans then noted that over several weeks HBO Max has been slowly removing a number of its original films.
Six HBO Max original films have been discreetly removed from the platform by Warner Bros. sci-fi rom-com Moonshot, starring Cole Sprouse and Lana Condor, was pulled from HBO Max less than three months after it premiered on March 31, 2022. This was a surprising turn for a film that otherwise seemed specifically crafted to attract a younger audience to the streaming platform. Check out Variety's take below:
"To be sure, streaming platforms continuously add and remove content. What’s unusual is that Warner Bros. Discovery did not announce the removals of the six WB streaming exclusives from HBO Max. (The movies are available to rent or purchase through third-party VOD services.) Also worth noting is that 'Moonshot' was pulled from HBO Max only about three months after its March 31 debut. HBO Max’s removal of the Warner Bros. movies could be part of WBD’s move to get streaming-content payment obligations for underperforming titles off its books. In the case of an unreleased movie like the 'House Party' remake, the media conglomerate could be ing for it as a tax write-down, as it is expected to do with 'Batgirl' and 'Scoob: Holiday Haunt'"
It is worth noting that HBO Max is not the only streaming platform to regularly cycle its content. This is a common practice by streaming sites to keep their catalog fresh and enticing to new customers. However, other platforms typically make an official announcement detailing the content that is up for removal, allowing audiences a final opportunity to watch. HBO Max did not do that here, in fact, they did it so quietly that fans did not notice until the discussion around Batgirl emerged. This is also a particularly unusual move because while other platforms cycle their licensed content, Warner Bros. removed Max Originals for which they hold exclusive streaming rights.
These HBO Max exclusive films are still available to purchase or rent through video-on-demand services, but it seems unlikely they will return to the streaming platform. Some have speculated that it must be a financial decision on Warner Bros.' part, since there is otherwise no downside to having a fuller exclusive catalog on the service. Earlier this year, the company merged with Discovery Inc. in an attempt to claim a larger stake in the entertainment market. As a result of the merger, Warner Bros. assumed $43 billion in debt. The company is expected to release its second-quarter earnings for 2022 later this week which may provide some answers to this peculiar turn of events.
Source: Variety
