Originally a private cable network, then a premium cable channel, then a mini-network of specialized and dedicated channels, HBO has evolved into a powerhouse of original content production. Game of Thrones is its most obvious success story. But series like Deadwood, The Sopranos, Westworld, True Detective, The Wire, Sex and the City, Girls, and many more have made the network a strong contender in the crowded streaming landscape. With the launch of HBO Max, the network’s offerings have been paired with major titles from Warner Bros., DC, Studio Ghibli, and more. The Verge can help you sort through HBO’s new content and follow its evolving business model as it looks for its next Game of Thrones.
Six years after its US debut, HBO Max is coming to the UK and Ireland on March 26th.
The series, helmed by Craig Mazin, will be a continuation of the events of Baldur’s Gate 3.
Now, Paramount is offering to cover the $2.8 billion termination fee that Warner Bros. Discovery would owe Netflix for abandoning the $82.7 billion merger agreement. It’s also tossing in a $0.25 per share “ticking fee” that it would pay shareholders for every quarter its deal hasn’t closed beyond December 31st, 2026.
[The Hollywood Reporter]
That’s George R.R. Martin, in a big profile published by The Hollywood Reporter. Relatable.
The piece also details new work being done on a potential Game of Thrones sequel series featuring Jon Snow; Arya Stark might be in it, too. But that show is in “very early development,” THR says.
[The Hollywood Reporter]
HBO’s new spinoff prequel takes a humorous look at the grimy lives of Westeros’ smallfolk.
With the renewed “multi-year partnership,” A24 films will come first to HBO and HBO Max after leaving theaters. The two sides initially announced a deal in 2023.
Well, they’re not kids anymore, but things are not looking good for the cast of Euphoria in the new season 3 trailer, which sees just about everyone involved in some kind of criminal enterprise or... content creation. The series returns to HBO on April 12th.
Last week, we talked about how Warner Bros. — quite reasonably! — had some agita about David Ellison’s bid for the company. Well, what do you know, David’s daddy is going to personally guarantee the offer. Also, since the last time we talked, Jared Kushner backed out of the nepo baby bid.
We don’t even know who will own HBO Max this time next year, but the streamer is putting on a good face with this sizzle reel of new footage from upcoming seasons of House of the Dragon, Euphoria, Dune: Prophecy and Lanterns — all of which are coming in 2026.
Netflix may be the frontrunner now, but the war for Warner Bros. could end in a number of different ways.
Since Netflix announced that it was the frontrunner to buy Warner Bros., David Ellison’s Paramount Skydance has been getting more hostile in its bids to own the legacy studio. But Semafor reports that Paramount’s tactics have raised eyes in Washington, where some think Ellison is banking on favoritism from Trump’s Justice Department.
After launching a hostile bid for the entertainment giant, Paramount’s Ellison told CNBC that Netflix’s deal to buy part of WBD would create a company with “unprecedented market power:”
When you combine the number one streamer with the number three streamer, that creates a company that has unprecedented market power, north of 400 million subscribers. The next largest competitor is Disney, with just under 200 million. That’s bad for Hollywood, that’s bad for the creative community, that’s bad for consumers.
Gorilla Grodd — DC Comics’ gorilla supervillain who has longstanding beef with the Flash — is set to be the focus of DC Crime, a new HBO Max “true” crime docuseries hosted by Daily Planet reporter Jimmy Olsen (Skyler Gisondo). No premiere date yet, but Tony Yacenda and Dan Perrault are attached to write / showrun the project.
Rather than waiting for Sunday, HBO now plans to drop It: Welcome to Derry’s second episode on October 31st just in time for the end of spooky season.
The It prequel series is a half-hearted attempt at crossing Stephen King’s opus with Stranger Things.
Weapons is set to make its HBO Max debut on October 24th, which might get folks intrigued about the spinoff prequel director Zach Cregger has in development.
[HBO Press Room]
The latest trailer for HBO’s Welcome to Derry series is chock full of alarming new scenes from the It prequel, but the most intriguing thing about it are its shots of what seems to be Pennywise’s arrival on Earth from space(?) in a massive ball of fire.
According to The Wall Street Journal, the newly merged Paramount Skydance Corporation is thinking about making a majority cash bid to acquire the entirety of Warner Bros. Discovery — a move that would consolidate two of the world’s largest media conglomerates into a single entity run by billionaire Larry Ellison’s son.
[The Wall Street Journal]
When HBO’s new comedy The Chair Company premieres on October 12th, William Ronald Trosper (Tim Robinson) will set out to discover the truth behind “a far-reaching conspiracy” that has him questioning everything about his life.
After months of teasing us all with snippets from It: Welcome to Derry, HBO has finally given the prequel series an October 26th premiere date.
The streamer will add Your Name, Fortune Favors Lady Nikuko, Children Who Chase Lost Voices, Ghost Cat Anzu, and more titles starting September 1st. It’s also bringing Shin Godzilla and other films like the 1985 sci-fi flick Angel’s Egg to the platform later this year and into next.
[Warner Bros. Discovery]
Though technically, it was Max at the time. All but 200,000 of them came from international markets, bringing Max to 125.7 million subscribers worldwide — and according to Warner Bros. Discovery, still on track to hit 150 million next year.
The streaming division turned a profit of $293 million, after a loss this time last year, which will be good news for the Warner Bros. bit of the company ahead of their separation next year.
[s201.q4cdn.com]
A collection of 15 shows will be available on HBO Max, Vulture reports, including the Ricky Gervais-led version of The Office. They’ll be available until the end of September.
[vulture.com]
During an interview with Variety, HBO Max head Casey Bloys said the next season “is definitely planned for 2027,” though there might not be another one after that:
Craig [Mazin] is still working it out whether it will be two more seasons or one more long season. It hasn’t been decided yet, and I’m following Craig’s lead on that.
The next season will be the first without the involvement of The Last of Us co-creator Neil Druckman, who is shifting focus to upcoming Naughty Dog games.
