WarnerMedia has announced that its new streaming platform HBO Max will officially launch on May 27.
The new streaming service will be available to U.S. customers for $14.99 per month (the same price as HBO Now), with approximately 10,000 hours of content available to viewers from day one, including a mix of original projects and an extensive lineup of library and acquired programming. Existing HBO customers will get access to HBO Max at no extra charge.
Where all of HBO meets your favorite shows, movies, and new Max Originals. Streaming May 27.
Sign up for updates: https://t.co/e3U0f0wgAV pic.twitter.com/SbBjZ0smb8
— HBO Max (@hbomax) April 21, 2020
Launch day originals include the scripted comedy Love Life, starring Anna Kendrick; Sundance 2020 Official Selection feature documentary On the Record; underground ballroom dance competition series Legendary; Craftopia, hosted by YouTube star LaurDIY; all-new Looney Tunes Cartoons, from Warner Bros. Animation; and Sesame Workshop’s The Not Too Late Show with Elmo.
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The service will also launch with a large selection of library titles such as Friends, The Big Bang Theory, Doctor Who, Rick and Morty, plus CW shows such as Batwoman, Nancy Drew, and Katy Keene, the first season of DC’s Doom Patrol, and much more, with the platform expected to add the complete libraries of South Park, Gossip Girl, The West Wing, and many others in the first year of launch.
In addition to TV series, specials, and documentaries, HBO Max will feature a catalogue of more than 2,000 feature films within the first year, including titles from Warner Bros., New Line and DC such as Joker, Suicide Squad, Wonder Woman, and Aquaman, as well as a mix of films acquired specifically for HBO Max via Warner Bros., the Criterion Collection, and the acclaimed Studio Ghibli.
HBO Max officially acquired U.S. streaming rights to Studio Ghibli films last year, meaning that 20 films from Japan’s legendary animation arthouse will be available on the platform at launch, including Spirited Away, Howl’s Moving Castle and The Tale of the Princess Kaguya, as well as fan-favourites My Neighbor Totoro, Princess Mononoke, Ponyo, and Kiki’s Delivery Service, while The Wind Rises will join the collection in the Fall.
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“Our number one goal is having extraordinary content for everyone in the family, and the HBO Max programming mix we are so excited to unveil on May 27 will bear that out,” said Robert Greenblatt, Chairman of WarnerMedia Entertainment and Direct-To-Consumer. “Even in the midst of this unprecedented pandemic, the all-star teams behind every aspect of HBO Max will deliver a platform and a robust slate of content that is varied, of the highest quality, and second to none. I’m knocked out by the breadth and depth of our new offering, from the Max originals, our Warner Bros library and acquisition titles from around the world, and of course the entirety of HBO.”
After the initial launch, Max Originals will continue to premiere on the streamer at a regular cadence throughout Summer and Fall, so there is a significant amount of content in the works. In fact, it was recently revealed that three high-concept projects from J.J. Abrams’ Bad Robot are in development – a DC Comics-inspired series using characters from Justice League Dark; a show set at The Shining’s infamous Overlook Hotel; and a 1970s-set drama about a getaway driver.
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The highly anticipated Friends unscripted cast reunion will also be released on the platform at a later date, as the production was delayed indefinitely amid the COVID-19 pandemic. Jennifer Aniston, Courteney Cox, Lisa Kudrow, Matt LeBlanc, Matthew Perry, and David Schwimmer were all set to return to the original soundstage, where the show started out about 25 years ago, to film the special on March 23 and March 24, but plans had to be postponed.
The good news is that, even without the Friends reunion special, HBO Max will have plenty of content to offer subscribers when it launches next month, as it attempts to compete with the likes of Netflix, Hulu, Amazon Prime Video, and the Disney+ platform. If you want to find out more about these services, check out our breakdown of the state of the streaming wars so far.
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Adele Ankers is a Freelance Entertainment Journalist. You can reach her on Twitter.
Source: IGN.com HBO Max Launch Date Set for May 27