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One of the best streaming services money can buy may have just gotten a little bit better, as Warner Brothers Discovery has announced that their smash hit streaming platform HBO Max is being rebranded into simply, Max, bringing in a wealth of content from Warner Brothers, Discovery, HBO, and more.
Whispers of a new platform combining the content between HBO Max and Discovery+ have been rampant ever since Warner Brothers and Discovery finalized their historic merger, creating a place where you can see Batman, Jon Snow, and a particularly touristy Stanley Tucci all in one place. On April 12th, 2023, Warner Brothers Discovery President David Zaslav revealed that all the rumors of a new service have been true, and HBO Max would now be turned into an all-new platform titled Max. The lengthy presentation also revealed much more than a simple name change, such as when the platform is set to launch, and a more than generous selection of what we can expect to see from the updated service.
That being said, with every new streaming platform (be it a rebrand or not), there is a whole batch of new questions. Will Max feature a price increase for HBO Max subscribers? Will HBO Max subscribers need to register as all-new subscribers for Max? Could Max finally be a platform where we can watch the canceled Batgirl on? The answer to the last question is almost definitely no, but in case you wish to have all those other questions answered and learn more about the upcoming streamer's launch date, pricing plans, upcoming exclusive content, and more, here is everything we know so far about Max.
When Does Max Launch?
Typically, streaming services are a major endeavor that takes months, even years, to plan and create. Thankfully, we won't have to wait long to see what's in store for Max, as the streaming service will be making its way into the world of streaming content in just one month. David Zaszlav and Warner Brothers Discovery officially announced in their Max reveal presentation that Max will officially launch on Tuesday, May 23rd, 2023.
Will Existing HBO Max Accounts Automatically Transfer Over to Max?
If you're an existing HBO Max subscriber and are concerned that your current account will be changed and updated, have no fear. Following Max's announcement, Warner Brothers Discovery made it very clear that the company is trying to make the big transition as smooth as possible. WBD confirmed that existing HBO Max accounts will automatically transfer over to Max, keeping subscribers' profiles, settings, watch history, and more. While most subscribers won't have to do a thing, WBD streaming chief JB Perrette noted that a small number of subscribers will have to do a quick two-step sign-in process in order to move everything over. The pricing will also remain the same between HBO Max and Max, with the only current difference being a more expensive third payment tier.
How Much Will Max Cost?
Max will launch with three separate subscription plans, the first two of which are virtually identical to the two current payment plans on HBO Max. The first and cheapest plan is Max Ad Light, which offers the entire Max catalog, and the ability to stream on two devices at a time, all with limited ads for $9.99 USD per month or $99.99 USD per year. The middle plan is Max Ad Free, which provides all the benefits of Max Ad Light but with no ads whatsoever, costing $15.99 USD per month or $149.99 USD per year. Finally, the last and most expensive Max plan is Max Ultimate Ad Free, which removes ads, allows for 4K streaming, and ups the number of concurrent streaming devices from two to four, all of which costs $19.99 USD per month or $199.99 USD per year.
The pricing plans above do make Max one of the higher-priced streamers in comparison to other platforms, but the sheer amount of quality and quantity on display makes the various pricing plans well worth considering.
What Is the Difference Between Ad-Free and Ultimate Ad-Free?
As previously mentioned Ultimate Ad Free will include 4K Streaming and will allow four devices to stream concurrently. Previously HBO allowed 4K Streaming on select titles including Game of Thrones, House of the Dragon, The Last of Us, The Batman, Zack Snyder's Justice League, all four Matrix films, Dune, both Wonder Woman films, The Suicide Squad, Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore, Elvis, Magic Mike, Black Adam, Godzilla vs. Kong, and Mortal Kombat among others.
What Original Content is Coming to Max?
In addition to all the content currently available on HBO Max and Discovery+, the reveal presentation for Max revealed that there are many exciting projects that will be making their exclusive home on the streaming platform.
For starters, it should hardly come as a surprise that DC Comics had a massive presence at the announcement, starting with the first footage premiering for The Penguin - the upcoming spin-off series of The Batman that will follow Oswald Cobblepot's (Colin Farrell) rise to power in the Gotham City underworld. Apart from the Matt Reeves Batverse, we also got more information on the soon-to-be rebooted DCU from James Gunn and Peter Safran. Collider exclusively revealed the main voice cast for the previously announced Creature Commandos series, which is set to include Frank Grillo, David Harbour, Maria Bakalova, and more.
Other intellectual properties under the Warner Brothers Discovery umbrella are also set to get represented on Max. Sitcom fans will be delighted to hear that The Big Bang Theory co-creator Chuck Lorre is hard at work on a spin-off for the popular comedy, though we don't know who or what the series will focus on at this time. The Gremlins franchise will also be making its big return through Gremlins: Secrets of the Mogwai - an animated prequel series centering on what the adorable creatures got up to before causing havoc in the United States. The Conjuring will also be getting the TV treatment with a new series from Peter Safran with James Wan in talks to executive produce. The It spin-off prequel series Welcome to Derry, which will star Taylour Paige, Jovan Adepo, James Remar, and Chris Chalk was also confirmed during the presentation. Although perhaps the biggest project revealed at the showing was the confirmation that the Harry Potter franchise will be rebooted as an all-new television series, currently being set for a whopping decade-long release plan.
HBO will also continue to deliver quality television content, starting with the fourth season of True Detective, being officially titled True Detective: Night Country and starring Jodie Foster and Kali Reis. HBO is also charting yet another return to Westeros with a new Game of Thrones prequel from George R. R. Martin himself, titled A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms: The Hedge Knight. Other shows that got their first trailers included The Regime, a new political drama series starring Kate Winslet, and The Sympathizer, a limited series that sees Robert Downey Jr. playing four different characters. The list of promising narrative content concludes with Rick & Morty: The Anime, a spin-off of Adult Swim's smash hit series, Tiny Toons: Looniversity, a revival of the fan-favorite 90s cartoon, and Peter and the Wolf, a new animated short film from Bono and Gavin Friday.
However, non-fiction educational content was also represented at the event, much of them coming from the Discovery side of the company. Among this group of shows is the Fixer Upper spin-off The Hotel, the educational immigration social experiment series Survive the Raft, and HGTV's new themed competition series Barbie Dreamhouse Challenge. It was also announced that Octavia Spencer will take a jump into the world of true crime with Lost Women of Highway 20.
Will Other Theatrical Projects from Warner Brothers Discovery Be Coming to Max?
In addition to the wealth of original content, Max is expected to succeed HBO Max as the place for WBD's theatrical content for a streaming release. The presentation confirmed that Shazam: Fury of the Gods will be available to watch on the service the same day the service launches on May 23rd. This is expected to be the case for all of Warner Brothers Discovery's major feature films, such as Barbie, Blue Beetle, Dune: Part Two, The Flash, Joker: Folie à Deux, and more.