In the wake of Warner Bros. Discovery shelving Batgirl and Scoob! Holiday Haunt, the shocks keep coming as WBD has quietly removed several HBO Max originals from the service in an apparent effort to save on costs as Discovery’s David Zaslav continues re-organizing after the merger.
The films that have been removed include 2020’s remake of The Witches, Moonshot, Superintelligence, An American Pickle, Locked Down and Charm City Kings. All these films were produced specifically for HBO Max as original movies intended to build up subscribers for WB’s growing streaming service. Batgirl and Scoob! Holiday Haunt were also intended for HBO Max, though there was talk of theatrical releases for both films.
While the six movies can still be viewed through other streaming and VOD services, the decision to take them off the service seems to come from Zaslav’s desire to turn back from WB’s HBO Max initiative. Recent reports following up on Batgirl‘s cancellation cite WBD’s cost saving strategy as using the films shelving as tax write downs to recoup some of the financial losses, including Batgirl‘s $90 million budget, during the corporate merger.
SEE ALSO: Batgirl directors issue statement in wake of movie’s cancellation
While several HBO Max originals still remain on the service, time will tell if any more will be pulled down and what other projects may be cancelled.
Ricky Church – Follow me on Twitter for more movie news and nerd talk.
