What’s Going On With HBO Max? What to Know About the New Name, Titles Leaving and New Additions

Credit: Courtesy of HBO Max; Karolina Wojtasik/HBO Max

What’s Going On With HBO Max? What to Know About the New Name, Titles Leaving and New Additions

HBO Max is now Max after its parent company merged with Discovery — and there are big changes to the platform. In April 2022, WarnerMedia (which owns HBO Max) merged with Discovery (which owns Discovery+), creating a new company called Warner Bros. Discovery. Observers immediately began to wonder if executives planned to combine the two streaming services or offer a bundled package as Disney does with Hulu, Disney+ and ESPN+. One month before the merger was finalized, Discovery's chief financial officer Gunnar Wiedenfels confirmed that the company eventually planned to combine HBO Max and Discovery+. As changes started popping up on HBO Max in August 2022, however, subscribers started questioning what might happen to Max Originals shows and movies as the two streaming services began sharing content. Max Originals — which include the Sex and the City spinoff And Just Like That as well as the Gossip Girl revival (which was canceled in January 2023), Hacks and Pretty Little Liars: Original Sin — appear only on the streaming service and do not air on HBO's cable channel. [sendtonews type="float" key="HAAKqUXyFS-3117699-14453"] HBO Max also quietly removed several original movies from the streaming service, including Lana Condor and Cole Sprouse's Moonshot and the 2020 remake of The Witches starring Anne Hathaway. Some observers characterized the move as unusual, as HBO Max had previously been publicly announcing which movies and series would be leaving the streaming service each month. According to IndieWire, those titles were "part of a long list of films and series" being pulled off HBO Max and Discovery+ as the two services geared up for their merger. "The content being targeted for removal tends to be shows and movies that are not performing on the service but have an opportunity for a partial write off," the outlet reported. The services finally merged in May 2023 under the name Max. Keep scrolling for more details about what's happening with the new streaming service:

Credit: Courtesy of HBO Max

Is HBO Max Going to Disappear?

HBO Max officially became known as simply Max to U.S. subscribers in May 2023, three years after HBO Max's launch. Usernames and passwords have been migrated over to the new service, and many devices will automatically update HBO Max to Max. However, Warner Bros. Discovery told Variety that some users will be prompted to download Max as a new app if their app didn't automatically make the change. 

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What's Coming to Max?

Max subscribers have access to some content that originally appeared on Discovery+, including several titles from Chip and Joanna Gaines' Magnolia Network: Fixer Upper: Welcome Home, Magnolia Table With Joanna Gaines and The Lost Kitchen. In October 2022, the duo launched a new show called Fixer Upper: The Castle, which followed them as they renovated their own home. The Castle is available on both Max and Discovery+. 

Credit: Jaap Buitendijk/Warner Bros.

What's Leaving HBO Max?

Several Max Original films have already left the service, though they are now available to rent or purchase on demand on other apps. In addition to The Witches and Moonshot, these titles include An American Pickle (starring Seth Rogen), Superintelligence (starring Melissa McCarthy), Locked Down and Charm City Kings.

All eight Harry Potter films left HBO Max in August 2022, but they are now available again on Max.

Credit: Karolina Wojtasik

What About Max Originals?

Hacks, the Emmy-winning dramedy starring Jean Smart, was officially renewed for a third season in June 2022 and started filming in early 2023. And Just Like That was previously picked up for a second season in March 2022 and is set to premiere in June 2023.

Other Max Originals picked up for another season include the Julia Child biopic series Julia, the Mindy Kaling-produced Sex Lives of College Girls and the superhero comedy drama Peacemaker, among others.

Original shows that air on HBO's cable network — including Succession, The White Lotus and the upcoming Game of Thrones spinoff House of the Dragon — were not affected by the merger.

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What Shows Have Been Removed From HBO Max?

In December 2022, Warner Bros. Discovery confirmed the removal of additional titles from HBO Max, including Westworld, Raised by Wolves, The Time Traveler's Wife, Made for Love, FBOY Island and Finding Magic Mike. The Nevers was also canceled and removed midway through the show's first season, though the remaining six episodes could eventually air elsewhere.

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How Will the Merger Affect 'Game of Thrones' Spinoffs?

George R.R. Martin, author of A Song Ice and Fire, admitted in December 2022 that the merger could potentially affect planned Game of Thrones spinoffs, hinting that the Jon Snow show starring Kit Harington still hasn't been ordered to series. "Some of those are moving faster than others, as is always the case with development," he wrote on his blog. "None have been greenlit yet, though we are hoping … maybe soon. A couple have been shelved, but I would not agree that they are dead. You can take something off the shelf as easily as you can put it on the shelf. All the changes at HBO Max have impacted us, certainly."