If you haven’t kept up with Hollywood in the past month, you might not know some gnarly updates are turning HBO Max on its head. The popular streaming service has been in the spotlight for weeks following a quarterly update from Warner Bros. Discovery. The post-merger brand is tightening its belt for a few controversial reasons, and reports have suggested its animation offerings could take a cut. And thanks to a new report, fans are freaking out ahead of a major HBO Max massacre.
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Late last night, outlets like Decider pooled together a list of shows that are leaving HBO Max this week. The exits were not telegraphed to fans or their creators, and several major titles are included on the list. So if you want to check out the impacted animated shows, you can find them listed below:
- Aquaman: King of Atlantis
- Close Enough
- Dodo
- Elliott from Earth
- Esme & Roy
- The Fungies
- Infinity Train
- Little Ellen
- Mao Mao
- Messy Goes to Okido
- Mia’s Magic Playground
- Mighty Magiswords
- Odo
- OK KO
- The Ollie & Moon Show
- Pac-Man and the Ghostly Adventures
- Summer Camp Island
- The Runaway Bunny
- Theodosia
- Tig n’ Seek
- Uncle Grandpa
- Victor and Valentino
- Yabba Dabba Dinosaurs
As you can see below, netizens are rightfully upset about the ordeal, and their outrage is being echoed by animators as well. At this time, the future of animation at HBO Max is incredibly uncertain, and that is only doubled by the service’s decision to scale back programming for kids. By removing these pre-existing shows from HBO Max, Warner Bros. Discovery will reportedly pocket money either from tax breaks or nixed residual payments. But for fans of hit shows like Infinity Train, the sudden cut feels like a slap to the face.
READ MORE: Summer Camp Island Creator Furious After HBO Max Removes Series Despite New Season Being Finished | HBO Max Subscribers Are Panicking After Confirmation More Shows Are Getting Pulled
As you can imagine, these line-up changes have not assured subscribers, and HBO Max is hoping to entice new users despite its restructuring. Right now, U.S. users can get a 30% discount on their HBO Max subscription when they sign up. But as the service continues to purge content on the fly, many are rethinking whether or not the app is for them.
How do you feel about HBO Max and its animation massacre? Are you surprised the service is getting rid of all these shows? Share your thoughts with us in the comments section below or hit me up on Twitter @MeganPetersCB.