‘Harry Potter’ & ‘Welcome To Derry’ Moving From Max To HBO As Part Of Big-Budget Streaming Strategy Rethink

Everett Collection/Max

Don’t expect many big-budget original scripted series heading to Max.

Warner Bros. Discovery is changing its strategy when it comes to big-budget series and will move titles such as the upcoming Harry Potter series and IT prequel Welcome to Derry from the streamer to its linear network HBO.

Green Lantern series Lanterns is also part of this strategy shakeup after being handed a series order at HBO today.

It’s not clear whether The Penguin, which is set to be released in September, or Dune: Prophecy also will move to HBO. Insiders said these are still TBD.

Obviously the likes of Harry Potter and Welcome to Derry will air on Max after their linear debuts, but the move doesn’t shout confidence in scripted streaming originals for the David Zaslav-run company.

At the launch of the rebranded Max service in April 2023, where it confirmed series such as Harry Potter, Zaslav declared, “This is a real moment for us … This is our time. This is our chance, and everything is possible,” he said. “I feel like, for our company, this is our rendezvous with destiny.”

After axing its unscripted division in 2022, it appears that Max won’t be the original home for big-budget scripted series moving forward either.

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