What's Going On With HBO Max & Warner Bros. Discovery's Merge?

Before you plan on streaming your favorite HBO content on HBO Max, here's some news to have on your radar!

The streaming service, which launched in the spring of 2020, and is home to all of HBO's classic staples and many of the hottest TV shows on air today, is facing a major shift in its content.

Streamers have been a hot topic in general as of late; Netflix has experienced a huge loss in subscriber numbers and employee layoffs so far this year. Once considered to be the leading name in streaming services, instances of questionable memos to its employees and efforts to axe upcoming programming deals in an attempt to reduce costs.

Yesterday it was revealed several changes would soon be rolling out within the relatively new streaming service.

According to a report from Variety, multiple movie titles featuring a number of high-profile actors and actresses had been removed from the streaming service.

The outlet revealed Warner Bros. Discovery had been responsible for removing the films. Several of the titles had Warner Brothers' name attached to them, and the company had chosen HBO Max as their official 'home' for streaming.

The streaming service also seems to be taking a note from Netflix's playbook; Variety also reported the changes were a likely result of an attempt to reduce costs for the streamer.

News of the film titles quietly removed from the platform and the few instances where some content originally intended to be released on HBO Max in the coming months was suddenly nowhere to be found on the streaming service's list of upcoming releases did not sit well with subscribers and fans.

The situation was a hot topic on Twitter yesterday.

One user called the situation, "the single dumbest decision made by any corporation in the streaming age."

Writer Chase Mitchell tweeted the decision was "...also jarring for anyone who makes stuff in the streaming age. I have a few things on Netflix that weren't a big deal and the fact they could just cease to exist at any time feels insane. Good or bad, if you make something, you want it there."

Last night, critic Kayleigh Donaldson championed physical media in her take on the situation. Donaldson encouraged her followers to "Invest in physical media whenever you can. Streaming services are not your friends and they certainly don't care about the archiving and preservation of cinema."

Fans and critics aren't the only ones who feel unsatisfied with the move, which The Hollywood Reporter explained is a result of Warner Brothers Discovery's plan to "ultimately launch a unified streaming service, one that will carry the full breadth and depth of content from the likes of HBO, Warner Bros. and Discovery Inc."

The Blast reported on Warner Bros. Discovery's decision to pull the plug on the upcoming DC film, "Batgirl." Leslie Grace, who was slated to star in the film, shared her thoughts on the abrupt news in an Instagram post yesterday.

"...On the heels of the recent news about our movie 'Batgirl,' I am proud of the love, hard work and intention all of our incredible cast and tireless crew put into this film over 7 months in Scotland," the actress wrote in her post.