Latest news with #Bloys
Yahoo
14-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Warners Reverses Course: Changes Max's Name Back to HBO Max
Warner Bros. Discovery is changing the name of its streaming service again. You'll never guess what its executives came up with. More from The Hollywood Reporter John Oliver Mocks Trump Over Comments About Girls and What Ages They Play With Dolls 'The Last of Us' Creator on Bella Ramsey's Intense "Baby Shark" Scene Critics' Conversation: A Gloomy Small-Screen Spring Originally, the service launched as HBO Max in 2020. In 2023, the company controversially changed the streaming service to simply Max — ditching the most venerated network brand name in television in favor of the most popular name for male dogs. Ahead the company's upfront presentation in New York at Madison Square Garden on Wednesday, WBD President and CEO David Zaslav said the name will change once again … back to HBO Max. 'The powerful growth we have seen in our global streaming service is built around the quality of our programming,' Zaslav said in a statement. 'Today, we are bringing back HBO, the brand that represents the highest quality in media, to further accelerate that growth in the years ahead.' Added chairman and CEO of HBO and Max Content Casey Bloys: 'With the course we are on and strong momentum we are enjoying, we believe HBO Max far better represents our current consumer proposition. And it clearly states our implicit promise to deliver content that is recognized as unique and, to steal a line we always said at HBO, worth paying for.' Thirty minutes into Wednesday's Warner Bros. Discovery upfront, Bloys revealed the name change to media buyers. The news was met with laughter, light applause and exactly one whistle. Bloys did follow with a solid joke: 'I know you're all shocked, but the good news is I have a drawer full of stationery from the last time around.' The company further explained the move in a statement by noting — in what sounds like a clear shot at industry leader Netflix — 'This evolution has been influenced by changing consumer needs, and the fact that no consumer today is saying they want more content, but most consumers are saying they want better content. With other services filling the more basic needs with volume, WBD has clearly distinguished itself through its quality and distinct stories, and no brand has done that better and more consistently over 50+ years than HBO.' Continued the statement: 'Returning the HBO brand into HBO Max will further drive the service forward and amplify the uniqueness that subscribers can expect from the offering. It is also a testament to WBD's willingness to keep boldly iterating its strategy and approach – leaning heavily on consumer data and insights – to best position itself for success.' The history of the streaming service is actually even more tangled if you look back to early efforts to bring HBO content to streaming, since HBO Max replaced an SVOD service titled HBO Now and a nascent streaming service for cable subscribers called HBO Go. So, in a sense, watching the company's content on demand has changed from HBO Now to HBO Go to HBO Max to Max to HBO Max. Recognizing the inherent humor of the situation, Warners' press packet for the announcement included a meme from Friends, with Ross famously declaring, 'We were on a break!' Here's the new logo: The move comes follows WBD framing its streaming business as its growth engine in its first-quarter 2025 earnings report last week, beating Wall Street expectations. The company had added 5.3 million subscribers to a total of 122.3 million, and grew streaming revenue by 8 percent to $2.7 billion and adjusted EBITDA to $339 million. During an earnings call with analysts, Zaslav signaled that the company was going to try to pivot back to a less-is-more strategy compared to a high-and-broad volume provider like Netflix. 'The idea is it's not how much, it's how good is something we've identified,' he said. 'We're not going to flood the zone. We want to be telling the best stories, and we want to also be taking advantage of all the great quality content over the years.' The move is a shift from back in 2023, when Zaslav emphasized a breadth and depth of content after announcing Max during an interview with CNBC. 'By increasing the amount of content we have on the platform – content for kids, content for families, nonfiction content, food, home, the biggest motion picture and TV library – by putting that whole bouquet of content, we think the broadest array of content available, that the churn will come down.' Earlier this month, Bloys reflected back on previous name change during an interview with Puck. 'When you go back to when AT&T first launched HBO Max, putting HBO in that title was controversial,' he said. 'There were a lot of, 'Oh my God, HBO is gonna be next to Friends in the TV library' … The thinking at the time was that once you put HBO in the title, it defines everything that comes on the platform.' Continued Bloys: 'Even two years ago, the idea was still that we were gonna be something for everybody. Everybody wanted to be the next Netflix, and it's so incredibly expensive to do that …We have accepted and understand that the majority of our subscribers at this point are going to have Netflix, and they're going to have Amazon … So when someone is putting together their media diet, it's about what you add to that … We did a lot of research and focus groups. The things subscribers want from us are HBO programming, scripted dramas, comedies, documentaries, the pay-one [licensing window] movies, library movies, and basically the Warner Bros. TV library. We went through all this data and showed it to David. The great thing about David—he looked at it and said, 'Okay, let's figure out what we're gonna do.'' And, it seems, reverting back to HBO Max is one result of those discussions. Max will officially change to HBO Max sometime this summer. Tony Maglio contributed to this report. Best of The Hollywood Reporter How the Warner Brothers Got Their Film Business Started Meet the World Builders: Hollywood's Top Physical Production Executives of 2023 Men in Blazers, Hollywood's Favorite Soccer Podcast, Aims for a Global Empire
Yahoo
14-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Inside the Warner Bros. Discovery Upfront: Branding Whiplash and 'The ‘White Lotus' Effect'
Taking a seat at The Theater at Madison Square Garden on Wednesday morning, I scanned the crowd, soaking wet from the rain, and wondered how many gathered at the Warner Bros. Discovery upfront had any idea that they were about to get punked. Two years after shoving the rebrand of streamer Max (née HBO Max) down advertiser throats, the 'HBO' is being surgically reattached to the platform on which the company's future hinges. Curiously, this development wasn't front-loaded in the presentation. It came 30 minutes in, after multiple mentions of 'Max,' when Casey Bloys arrived. More from The Hollywood Reporter Returning the HBO to Max Is Latest Sign of Potential Warner Bros. Discovery Split HGTV Is Going to Renovate the 'Bachelor' Mansion Warners Reverses Course: Changes Max's Name Back to HBO Max 'With the course we are on and the strong momentum we're enjoying,' said Bloys, 'we believe HBO Max far better represents our current consumer proposition.' The proposition was received in the room with laughter and a smattering of 'oh wows,' though no one appeared to interpret the news as a joke. If anybody was grieving Max, they did so quietly or they skipped right to acceptance. 'The good news is I have a drawer full of stationery from the last round,' said the Chairman and CEO, HBO and Max Content, whose title likely changed mid-presentation. 'So I'm all set.' An annual brag-fest thrown with the sole purpose of selling advertising space is an unusual venue to wave a white flag, but Bloys had fun with it — as did Max (Ahem, HBO Max) CMO Shauna Spenley. She went through her own spiel in front of a mocked-up meme of HBO Go, HBO Now, HBO Max and Max all sharing the same screen. Though Warner Bros. Discover CEO David Zaslav was notably absent from the pageantry, there was no shortage of executives. In fact, the company was the first this week to populate its presentation with more suits than actors. There was a lot of telling, not showing, especially when newly installed co-presidents of ad sales, Ryan Gould and Robert Voltaggio, frontloaded the presentation with an extended spiel about various branded initiatives: something called 'Storyverse,' an in-house studio called 'Courageous' and sales tools DemoDirect and NEO. A pre-recorded Conan O'Brien attempted to explain how the latter worked, but he took it about as seriously as expected. Are there not conference rooms and Zoom calls for this stuff? The strongest case for advertising came with the so-called 'White Lotus Effect,' which got more oxygen than any other single piece of programming. Spenley cited ample brand partnerships and noted the correlation between the show's locales with tourism booms. 'I don't want to brag, but it feels like we're building national economies out here,' she said. The screen behind Spenley switched to a tile of White Lotus tweets. One read, 'I wonder what Lachlan and Saxon are doing for National Sibling Day,' much to the room's delight. So bullish is WBD on media buyers' appetite for The White Lotus, cast members Carrie Coon, Michelle Monaghan and Leslie Bibb (aka 'The Big Blonde Blob') opened the show with a cute bit during which they complimented each other's skin with increasing puffery. 'Are we slipping back into character?' Asked Coon. 'Because if we are, I'm going to need a cocktail.' Me too, Carrie. But the star power diminished after that, only rebounding at the very last minute when Shaquille O'Neal joined DC's James Gunn and Peter Safran to screen the latest Superman trailer. As one of several media giants boasting a storied film studio to present this week, it was notable how little attention was paid to WBD's film slate. The stunning success of Sinners, its own movie, got more attention during Michael B. Jordan's cameo at the Amazon pitch. Instead, the presentation devoted its precious time to other matters … like CNN CEO Mark Thompson heralding the arrival of a new weather app and Tony Shalhoub (God bless him) opining for minutes on the universality of bread. After 90 minutes, there was finally time to acknowledge that Minecraft, which just grossed $1 billion at the global box office, will eventually land on HBO Max. Before the too-little-too-late nod to movies — before everything, in fact — the start of the show was heralded by someone from Actors Equity dressed up like one of those demonic nuns from the Dune movies. As people settled into their seats for what would be a nearly two-hour ordeal, her cryptic voice over promised 'a creative endeavor that will redefine what's possible' and 'a future that will lead the culture and heighten entertainment.' It was a comically lofty promise that, not unlike NBCUniversal's just two days earlier, didn't quite pan out on stage. But who am I to hate on somebody for drinking a bit too much of their own sand worm juice? Best of The Hollywood Reporter 22 of the Most Shocking Character Deaths in Television History A 'Star Wars' Timeline: All the Movies and TV Shows in the Franchise 'Yellowstone' and the Sprawling Dutton Family Tree, Explained
Yahoo
07-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Studio Chiefs Agree: California Needs a Better Plan to Keep Hollywood
Yahoo is using AI to generate takeaways from this article. This means the info may not always match what's in the article. Reporting mistakes helps us improve the experience. Yahoo is using AI to generate takeaways from this article. This means the info may not always match what's in the article. Reporting mistakes helps us improve the experience. Yahoo is using AI to generate takeaways from this article. This means the info may not always match what's in the article. Reporting mistakes helps us improve the experience. Generate Key Takeaways It was never not going to come up. At the Milken Institute Global Conference, a panel of four film and TV executives (and one television writer) were asked about President Trump's foreign-film tariff plan, another potential foreign-diplomacy disaster in an effort to keep productions in the United States. The consensus answer from the group was a bit of a swerve. 'It's a big issue, obviously,' Ravi Ahuja, the Sony Pictures Entertainment president and CEO started things off. 'In terms of production leaving here, it's almost more a California issue, honestly, than a U.S. issue. So, while it's true a lot of production has left the United States, it's even worse for California, and there are a lot of people — including our companies — that are working on this with the state government and trying to come up with different bills that will help.' More from The Hollywood Reporter They want to help, but make no mistake — the economics matter. 'If the incentives are stronger in the United States — and they are in many states — we'll shoot here,' Ahuja continued. 'I think what's often forgotten in our business is the margins are pretty modest. Producers will tend to locate in the place that's efficient — so, the more we can make the U.S. efficient, the better.' Casey Bloys, the chairman and CEO of HBO and Max content, concurred. 'I think it is a big California issue, because the talent is here, the infrastructure is here,' Bloys said. 'But the issue becomes when you're trying to plan, because [the state tax incentives are] capped, you can't plan. You have to get into a lottery, and you're not sure if your show is going to get the tax break or not.' Bloys' job is almost exclusively oversight TV series, not films. It is currently unclear if Trump intends to impose a 100 percent tariff on all internationally-produced television shows as well as films. We can't even be certain Trump will try to see his latest tariff threat through — the day after Trump's tirade about Making Hollywood Great Again, the White House was already walking the idea back a bit. Ironically, it is also the 'uncertainty' of California's tax-credit system that makes it 'very difficult' to film there, Bloys said. Atlanta, Canada and others guarantee an incentive right up front; not Cali. 'If California would address that, that would make a big difference,' Bloys said. Mike Hopkins said it's a 'complicated' issue, and he agreed to it being a California-specific one. He hopes to see Governor Newsom push through a planned tax-incentive increase this summer — and to keep pushing that bar higher. Let's start by Making California Great Again. 'It's a great day when you can walk out of your office and walk down to the set and say 'hi' to your talent and see what's happening,' Hopkins, the head of Prime Video and Amazon MGM Studios said. Pearlena Igbokwe, the chairman of Television Studios, NBC Entertainment and Peacock Scripted, agreed: 'That's the dream.' For the dream to be realized, the guarantees have to be there, Hopkins said. And they should be there, he argued. 'It's not that we're taking money and giving it to Tom Cruise or somebody,' he said, adding that stars will 'get their fee wherever they go.' 'It actually does drive the economy,' Hopkins said. As for the lone storyteller on the Storytelling, Strategy, and Innovation: Shaping the Future of Filmed Entertainment panel, The Diplomat creator and writer Deborah Cahn said she's happy to have her executives drop by set, as Hopkins and Igbokwe daydreamed. That didn't happen for her on season one, as The Diplomat primarily filmed in Paris and London — not for tax incentives, but because that's where the story took place. For season two, the show is in New York. It's no California in terms of studio-chief presence, but it's plenty accessible. 'The facilities here and the talent pool here is remains unmatched,' Cahn said. 'We've had great experiences overseas, (but) you still don't get the kind of designers, crews, craftspeople that you do here anywhere else. So this is always my first choice.' USA! USA! USA! 'But if you need Buckingham Palace, you got to go get it,' she said. Best of The Hollywood Reporter Sign up for THR's Newsletter. For the latest news, follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
Indian Express
03-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Indian Express
Harry Potter series to steer clear of JK Rowling's anti-trans views, says HBO boss after Pedro Pascal calls her a ‘heinous loser'
Harry Potter fans are divided over JK Rowling's involvement in the upcoming television reboot of the series. Rowling has been widely criticised for her anti-trans remarks, which have drawn criticism from industry insiders, including the three main stars of the Harry Potter film series. One such critic is The Last of Us star Pedro Pascal, who slammed the author as a 'heinous loser' for celebrating the UK's recent move to limit trans rights. As the debate surrounding the new Harry Potter series heats up, HBO boss Casey Bloys recently appeared on The Town podcast and declared that the series won't be 'secretly infused with anything.' The casting for the series has already begun, with half of the cast confirmed, though the search for the lead roles is still ongoing. Bloys made it clear, saying, (via Variety) 'The decision to team up with JK Rowling is nothing new for us. We've been working together for 25 years.' He was referring to their long-standing partnership, which has led to the upcoming Harry Potter series, based on the books that have already inspired eight blockbuster movies, raking in $7.7 billion worldwide. HBO's chief content officer mentioned that the network has already worked with Rowling on the show CB Strike, adding that, 'She's entitled to her personal views.' When asked if he is worried about the series, he emphasised that the new Harry Potter series will not secretly carry any beliefs, saying, 'If you want to debate her, you can go on Twitter.' Bloys was asked if he had seen Rowling's recent 'hate' comments on social media, to which he replied that while he's aware of her controversial statements, he doesn't pay much attention to her social media account. When pressed again if he had seen other HBO stars, like Pascal, react to her comments, Bloys said no. Earlier, Bridgerton star Nicola Coughlan, who was approached for the upcoming Harry Potter series, made it clear she 'won't touch it with a 10-foot pole.' This came after JK Rowling posted on Twitter, 'I love it when a plan comes together,' with a picture of raising a glass of champagne alluding to the UK's Supreme Court ruling, which stated that trans women might not be legally considered women and that 'sex' should be defined as biological sex. In the same post, she took a shot at her critics, adding, 'I get the same royalties whether you read [my books] or burn them. Enjoy your marshmallows!' Later, in response to activist Tariq Ra'ouf's post calling for a ban on the Harry Potter series, Pedro Pascal chimed in, saying, 'Awful disgusting S**T is exactly right. Heinous LOSER behaviour.' This is not the first time JK Rowling has drawn ire from celebrities. Her anti-trans views have even sparked backlash from Harry Potter movie stars like Daniel Radcliffe, Emma Watson, and Rupert Grint. But HBO, according to Bloys, is focused on the series itself. During a press event last year, Bloys mentioned that Rowling is very involved in selecting key people for the show, including during the selection of showrunners Francesca Gardiner and Mark Mylod, but it hasn't impacted any of the talent or writers brought on board. 'JK Rowling has a right to express her personal views. We will remain focused on the development of the new series, which will only benefit from her involvement,' he said. Speaking of the cast, HBO recently dropped the list of actors joining the new Harry Potter series. This includes John Lithgow as Albus Dumbledore, Janet McTeer as Minerva McGonagall, Paapa Essiedu as Severus Snape, and Nick Frost as Rubeus Hagrid. However, they are still looking for actors who would fit in the roles of Harry, Hermione, and Ron (the three main characters).
