Westworld, once thought to be HBO, has become a poster child for David Zaslav’s Warner Bros. Discovery channel trying to regain cash flow. Lisa Joy and Jonah Nolan’s quasi-zoology series is being removed from HBO Max as sources say Warner Bros. A new way to monetize the show, which grossed over 16 million dollars for its fourth and final season.
The company says that December 10 will package some canceled HBO and HBO Max shows at Sold in a new bundle to free and ad-supported third-party streaming services. These shows include Westworld and The Nevers, and FBoy Island , legend , time traveler’s wife and raised by wolves .
Meanwhile, many other shows will leave the HBO Max platform as WBD pursues licensing partnerships. Sources told The Hollywood Reporter that HBO floated the idea of a fifth season of Westworld for the WBD FAST platform, but HBO There’s no rush to make a show for a service that requires a significantly lower budget.
“The FAST service lets them have their cake and eat it, too,” noted one of the sources. “Write off the show from the main service and do something new with it.”
HBO decides to pull Westworld comes as Warner Bros. Discovery Channel is canceling renewals and pulling other shows off its platform as part of a larger move to cut costs across the company, including write-offs and impairments related to content and development costs, up from $2 billion The U.S. dollar rose to $2.5 billion to $2.8 billion to $3.5 billion.
It’s easier to find a new home for a show like Westworld (produced in-house by Warner Bros. TV) instead NotMinx, the risky Lionsgate TV comedy HBO renewed in May. For Minx, sources say HBO is interested in putting the critically acclaimed series starring Jake Johnson on its FAST platform, but the show’s Lionsgate TV Ownership (not to mention adult content) is an obstacle. With only 10 days of production left, HBO will pay for the just completed second season, as Lionsgate is buying both seasons.
This story first appeared in the December issue of The Hollywood Reporter Magazine 10 superior. Click here to subscribe to
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