HBO Max's Tuesday Night Massacre
Save Batgirl! Save Gossip Girl!
The streaming economy is a tempestuous beast. In 2019, Meg Whitman and Jeffrey Katzenberg were hailed as some of CNN’s great “Risk Takers” who were “pushing business forward” with their upcoming shortform streaming service Quibi—which you may recall only lasted six months. Earlier this summer, HBO Max took the top place in New York Magazine’s annual Streaming Power Rankings, dethroning Netflix and their 13 year head start.
But on Tuesday night, HBO Max’s fortunes began to turn. Following the $43 billion Warner Media/Discovery, CEO David Zaslav set his budget-slashing sights on the streaming service.
It began with the shelving of Batgirl, originally planned as a Max-exclusive film and rumored to have been upgraded to a theatrical release based on studio confidence in early screenings. Starring In the Heights breakout Leslie Grace and directed by up-and-coming directors Adil El Arbi and Bilall Fallah of Bad Boys for Life, it would expand on the rickety DC Extended Universe and tie into the upcoming(?), scandal-plagued The Flash with appearances from Michael Keaton’s Batman and Sasha Calle’s Supergirl. Add in the long-awaited big-screen return of Brendan Fraser as the Batgirl’s antagonist, and you’ve got a buzzy little picture package.
But in an unprecedented move, Warner Bros. Discovery removed the nearly-complete film from its slate, stating “the decision to not release Batgirl reflects our leadership’s strategic shift as it relates to the DC universe and HBO Max.”
By Wednesday morning, viewers found that underperforming Max Originals like Anne Hathaway’s The Witches and Seth Rogen’s An American Pickle had been removed from the service.
Now HBO Max and I haven’t always gotten along—I once called their subtitles the worst in the biz—but not only do they boast the strongest back catalog of any streamer (I’m finally watching The Matrix movies!), their Gen-Z targeted series such as Sex Lives of College Girls, and the rebooted Gossip Girl have become some of my favorites. With Zaslav proving that everything is on the chopping block, regardless of sunk costs or film processing, I fear for the future of these shows! I fear for Hacks! I fear for Rap Shit!
As press time, unsubstantiated rumors swirl that HBO Max is expected to layoff around 70% of their development staff. Without diving into the tax breaks and corporate finance of it all, this is, on its face, a dispiriting decision. Less creativity, less representation, and less diversity of perspectives is always a loss for anyone involved in consuming or producing media.
Leslie Grace posted the following statement to her Instagram:
Querida familia! 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. I feel blessed to have worked among absolute greats and forged relationships for a lifetime in the process! To every Batgirl fan - THANK YOU for the love and belief, allowing me to take on the cape and become, as Babs said best, “my own damn hero!”
#Batgirl for life! 🦇
This story is developing, keep a close eye on your HBO Max apps, people!
Beyoncé’s Renaissance, v1 & v2
Last week, Beyoncé released her seventh studio album and the first part of a three-act project, entitled Renaissance. A house-y dance record marked by rich samples and flawless transitions, it’s good! But not perfect.
“HEATED,” Track 11 on the album, featured ableist language that mirrored a recent controversy with Lizzo’s new album. As Lizzo did before her, Beyoncé edited the song and released an updated version removing the language.
The instantaneous nature of music streaming has allowed artists like Kanye West to continue tinkering with their songs long after the release date, and it’s nice to see it being put to good use here.
Beyoncé’s Renaissance, v3
One round of revisions later, Beyoncé’s renaissance was back on! That is, until Kelis heard track 5: “ENERGY.” The original version of that track included an interpolation of Kelis’ iconic song, “Milkshake,” a sample that was neither cleared nor credited.
An updated version of “ENERGY” is now on streaming services, removing the “Milkshake” interpolation.
Beyoncé’s Renaissance, v4?
With Yoncé now making edits in real-time, why not examine her back catalog too? Monica Lewinsky chimed in via Twitter, calling out the song “Partition” from Bey’s 2013 self-titled album—presumably referring to the line “He Monica Lewinski'd all on my gown.”
Since her 2015 TED Talk, Lewinsky has opened a conversation about being “Patient Zero” of online harassment and controlling her own story. Whether or not “Partition” get an edit, it’s a thought-provoking indictment.
This is my Multiverse of Madness
At the Season 3 premiere of High School Musical: The Musical: The Series, co-stars Olivia Rodrigo and Joshua Bassett made a surprise appearance together on the red carpet. Surprising because they are rumored to have dated, broken up, dated other people, and written hit songs about each other. Friendly exes—you love to see it!
…
(Alexa, play “Driver’s License”)
Be well,
Derek