What’s Going On With HBO Max? Why ‘And Just Like That’ and ‘Gossip Girl’ Could Be in Danger

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

What's Going On With HBO Max? Why 'And Just Like That' and 'Gossip Girl' Could Be in Danger

HBO Max is undergoing some changes after its parent company merged with Discovery — and some fans are worried about the fate of their favorite shows. 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 plans to combine HBO Max and Discovery+, though he didn't offer a timeline for when that would happen. 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, Hacks and Pretty Little Liars: Original Sin — appear only on the streaming service and do not air on HBO's cable channel. [jwplayer 0ROoo1ki-zhNYySv2] Rumors continued flying after Warner Bros. axed Batgirl, a feature film adaptation of the comic set to star Leslie Grace. The movie was greenlit in 2021 and was originally meant to premiere exclusively on HBO Max, but in August 2022, the studio announced that it was shelving the movie indefinitely, meaning it won't premiere on streaming or in theaters. (Batgirl had already finished principal photography and was in the middle of post-production.) At the same time, Warner Bros. canceled Scoob!: Holiday Haunt, a sequel to the 2020 animated film Scoob! Like Batgirl, Holiday Haunt was already finished and reportedly cost Warner Bros. $40 million to make. 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 has previously been publicly announcing which movies and series will be leaving the streaming service each month. According to IndieWire, those titles are "part of a long list of films and series" being pulled off HBO Max and Discovery+ as the two services gear 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. Keep scrolling for more details about what's happening with HBO Max.

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

What's Going On With HBO Max? Why 'And Just Like That' and 'Gossip Girl' Could Be in Danger

HBO Max is undergoing some changes after its parent company merged with Discovery — and some fans are worried about the fate of their favorite shows. 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 plans to combine HBO Max and Discovery+, though he didn't offer a timeline for when that would happen. 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, Hacks and Pretty Little Liars: Original Sin — appear only on the streaming service and do not air on HBO's cable channel. [jwplayer 0ROoo1ki-zhNYySv2] Rumors continued flying after Warner Bros. axed Batgirl, a feature film adaptation of the comic set to star Leslie Grace. The movie was greenlit in 2021 and was originally meant to premiere exclusively on HBO Max, but in August 2022, the studio announced that it was shelving the movie indefinitely, meaning it won't premiere on streaming or in theaters. (Batgirl had already finished principal photography and was in the middle of post-production.) At the same time, Warner Bros. canceled Scoob!: Holiday Haunt, a sequel to the 2020 animated film Scoob! Like Batgirl, Holiday Haunt was already finished and reportedly cost Warner Bros. $40 million to make. 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 has previously been publicly announcing which movies and series will be leaving the streaming service each month. According to IndieWire, those titles are "part of a long list of films and series" being pulled off HBO Max and Discovery+ as the two services gear 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. Keep scrolling for more details about what's happening with HBO Max.

Credit: Courtesy of HBO Max

Is HBO Max Going to Disappear?

No formal plans have been announced, but Wiedenfels has indicated that Warner Bros. Discovery eventually plans to combine Discovery+ and HBO Max into one mega streaming service. In the meantime, the company will explore bundling options that package the two services together for one rate.

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What's Been Scrapped?

In addition to Batgirl and Scoob!: Holiday Haunt, HBO Max canceled the series Made for Love in June 2022 after two seasons. One month later, the platform canceled the coming-of-age comedy series Gordita Chronicles after one season. A reboot of the 1990 film House Party produced by LeBron James was also scrapped.

In August 2022, Variety confirmed that HBO Max will remove almost 36 titles. Some of the projects that will no longer exist on the streaming service include Generation, Infinity Train, 12 Dates of Christmas, About Last Night, Summer Camp Island and more. The science fiction drama Raised by Wolves was also canceled after two seasons while the animated series Close Enough was discarded after three seasons.

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What's Coming to HBO Max?

Before the rumored merger of HBO Max and Discovery+ happens, some Discovery+ content will become available on HBO Max. Several titles from Chip and Joanna Gaines' Magnolia Network will debut on HBO Max in September 2022, including Fixer Upper: Welcome Home, Magnolia Table With Joanna Gaines and The Lost Kitchen. According to Variety, the former HGTV stars will also launch a new show in October 2022 called Fixer Upper: The Castle, which will follow them as they renovate their own home. The Castle will be available on HBO Max, Discovery+ and the Magnolia Network cable channel.

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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 will also leave HBO Max at the end of August 2022, but they will still be available to stream on NBC's Peacock.

Credit: Karolina Wojtasik

What About Max Originals?

The fate of several Max Original series is still up in the air. The second season of Gossip Girl is already in production, though a premiere date has not yet been announced. Hacks, the Emmy-winning dramedy starring Jean Smart, was officially renewed for a third season in June 2022 but has not yet started filming. And Just Like That was previously picked up for a second season in March 2022 and was set to resume filming later in the year.

Other Max Originals picked up for another season include the Julia Child biopic series Julia, the Mindy Kaling-produced Sex Lives of College Girls, 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 — are not likely to be 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."