Posted in: HBO, Max, Preview, streaming, TV | Tagged: harry potter, HBO, max, welcome to derry

Welcome to Derry, Harry Potter Now HBO: WBD Makes Max Strategy Change

Welcome to Derry and Harry Potter have moved from Max to HBO in a major shift in streaming strategy regarding original series moving forward.

We first noticed it when the news went out about HBO giving an eight-episode direct-to-series order for Showrunner & EP Chris Mundy's Green Lantern Series for DC Studios, Lanterns. Namely, the series was heading to HBO and not Warner Bros. Discovery's streaming service Max—as originally expected. Well, it turns out it wasn't a mistake or a one-time thing. In a major shift in its programming strategy in terms of upcoming series with hefty pricetags, titles such as Lanterns; filmmakers Andy Muschietti & Barbara Muschietti (It, It Chapter Two), and Jason Fuchs' (It Chapter Two, Wonder Woman) Welcome to Derry: From The World of "It"; and the live-action series adaptation of J.K. Rowling's "Harry Potter" novels will now find a home on HBO and not the streaming service (though nothing was announced regarding The Penguin or Dune: Prophecy also moving). Many are seeing this as WBD CEO David Zaslav following through on his promise to focus less on direct-to-streaming original content – which is a nice way of saying that the days of seeing "Max Original" (like we see below) on something appear to be either coming to an end or being scaled back dramatically.

Speaking of the "It" prequel series, we learned last month that Bill Skarsgård had been tapped to reprise his role as It/Pennywise from the hit films and to executive produce. Set in the world of Stephen King's It, the streaming series is based on King's It novel and expands the vision established by filmmaker Andy Muschietti in the feature films It and It Chapter Two. The streaming prequel series also stars Taylour Paige (Beverly Hills Cop: Axel Foley), Jovan Adepo (Watchmen), Chris Chalk (Perry Mason), and James Remar (Oppenheimer).

Welcome to Derry is produced by HBO Max and Warner Bros. Television. Fuchs will write the teleplay for the first episode, based on a story by Andy Muschietti, Barbara Muschietti, and Fuchs. Fuchs and Brad Caleb Kane will serve as co-showrunners on the project. Andy Muschietti and Barbara Muschietti (through their Double Dream production company, which has an overall deal with Warner Bros Television), Fuchs, Kane, and Skarsgård are executive producers. Andy Muschietti will direct four episodes of the series, including the first one.

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