HBO Max rebrand sparks outrage with removal of director & writer credits
Controversy surrounds the rebrand of HBO Max to Max, with technical issues on launch day hindering user access Furthermore, users are now discovering that movies no longer feature specific writer and director credits, but rather list them under a broad category titled Creators alongside producers
The recently rebranded streaming service, Max, has found itself in the midst of a major controversy. After HBO's parent company, Warner Bros., merged with Discovery and combined Discovery+'s content with the HBO Max library, the service was relaunched yesterday. Unfortunately, technical issues marred the launch, preventing many users from accessing the platform throughout the day. In addition to this, users have discovered that movies no longer have writers and directors specifically listed, but rather are lumped into a category called "Creators" along with producers.
This change has sparked outrage among writers, directors, and fans alike. It is reported to violate DGA rules for official credit and diminishes the creative contributions of writers and directors. The timing of this change is particularly contentious, as it comes amidst the ongoing writers strike, in which Hollywood writers are picketing for fair compensation. Recently, Warner Bros. Discovery CEO David Zaslav was met with a "Pay Your Writers" chant at a commencement address. Below are select social media reactions to the decision, but some do contain NSFW language.
HBO Max's Complicated History Explained
From the outset, HBO Max has been plagued with controversies and setbacks. The streaming service's perplexing branding made it difficult to discern whether subscribers who had already paid for their HBO cable service or their streaming offshoot HBO Go would be granted access to new original content, including the highly anticipated Sex and the City reboot And Just Like That. In addition, the platform's initial launch failed to secure a deal to make it available on televisions using Roku.
HBO Max made waves when they decided to experiment with day-and-date streaming releases of their theatrical films throughout 2021, including the entire Warner Bros. slate. While some films like Dune: Part One were unaffected at the box office, others suffered significant losses in potential theatrical profits. This sparked controversy and criticism from filmmakers, including Tenet director Christopher Nolan who labeled Warner Bros. as "the worst streaming service."
The restructuring of HBO Max following the Warner Bros. Discovery merger, with David Zaslav appointed as CEO, caused further ripples. This included the cancellation of Batgirl, despite the DC film being in post-production, as well as the removal of several titles from the service and TV cancellations. It remains to be seen whether Max will reverse the decision to remove director and writer credits, but regardless, this controversy adds to the complicated and controversial legacy of the platform.
