Streaming has officially taken over as the preferred way to watch movies. As a result, all kinds of streaming services are popping up everywhere. Warner Media is getting in on the action with their very own streaming service. The service is called HBO Max and we will talk about it in this HBO Max review. This new streaming service aims to provide direct-to-consumer content coming primarily from Time Warner.
This means a long list of movies and TV shows that the studio has produced over the decades will be available. It also includes a few reboots of popular shows and sitcoms.
In the midst of all the excitement about this new streaming service, we still don’t know that much about it. So, we decided to do some digging and find out what all this is about.
HBO Max Review: Movies and TV Shows
In a statement released in July 2019, HBO Max announced that it will launch with over 10,000 hours of content. This will include all the seasons of Friends.
This means the show will no longer be available on Netflix as of 2020. It’s worth noting that Friends is one of the network’s primary cash cows. Netflix paid $100 million last year due to its popularity. In addition to providing all the episodes of the Friends show, WarnerMedia is also planning a Friends reunion show for its new streaming service.
However, the reunion won’t exactly be a scripted return of the original cast. It will rather be a documentary-style format. It will include interviews and reflections on the show’s successful run from the original cast and crew. This panel-style discussion format will be unscripted. It’s far from being a done deal as no pen has been put to paper yet.
HBO Max will offer a whole host of other ultra-popular shows on its roster. These will include the original Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, as well as South Park and The Big Bang Theory, which Warner Media spent $1.5 billion to make.
Subscription Cost
The HBO Max review launch is slated for May of 2020. It will charge users a subscription fee of $15 a month.
But, when you consider the fact that cable users are willing to pay $15 per month for HBO and that HBO Max will launch with tons of popular content, it sort of makes sense why they’d be confident enough to launch with such a high subscription rate.
HBO Max Original Content
J.J. Abrams is by far the biggest producer that HBO has in its roster. It’s worth noting that J.J. Abrams has a $250 million production deal signed with Warner Media. He will produce all-new original content for the company’s streaming and cable services.
Although initial rumors estimated the deal to be worth $500 million, the rest of the facts regarding the deal seem to ring true. It seems that Abrams is excited to develop original content for HBO Max.
HBO has also enlisted the services of film producer Greg Berlanti. Berlanti is known as the prolific producer of powerful young adult content for The CW. Berlanti also worked with Reese Witherspoon to produce movies as Let Them Talk and Hello Sunshine. Both of which will feature on the new platform, according to HBO Max reviews.
Rumor has it that there’s a Gossip Girl reboot in the works for HBO Max. Meanwhile, Kaley Cuoco from The Bing Bang Theory will produce a murder mystery series called The Flight Attendant. There are also several series in pre-production currently, which are based on novels such as Circe, Made for Love ad Station Eleven. Rose Matafeo will also collaborate with BBC Three and Warner Media to produce a film called Starstruck. On the other hand, Tokyo Vice has nabbed Ansel Elgort from Baby Driver.
Anna Kendrick and Pail Feig have also collaborated on an original series for HBO Max called Love Life which is a romcom. This is in addition to the Dune: Sisterhood spinoff and the Gremlins prequel, all of which are set to become exciting additions to the streamer. Of course, sci-fi fans are familiar with Frank Herbert’s cult classic Dune and will be excited to see this new spinoff.
What About 4K Support?
HBO Max reviews don’t indicate whether or not the streaming service will have high-dynamic range or 4K capabilities.
Those who currently use HBO Now don’t have access to either of these high-resolution formats. So, there’s no telling if it’ll be the same for HBO Max. But, Warner Media may very well consider 4K video format if they want to compete with other streaming services that offer it. This includes Netflix, Disney+ and Amazon Prime.
DC Universe
With so many changes happening to WarnerMedia, DC Universe fans are concerned about what this means for their favorite DC superhero movies and series. What we can reveal in this HBO Max review is that WarnerMedia has confirmed the availability of Doom Patrol on HBO Max and DC Universe respectively.
Of course, comics fans are spoilt for choice in the DC Universe service, with an entire constellation of digital comics at their fingertips, in addition to Titans, Doom Patrol, and other original series.
Conclusion
To round up our HBO Max review we’re going to give you our verdict on whether or not this new streaming service is worth it or if we should just stick with what we know.
Well, if you’re a fan of HBO shows and TimeWarner films (of which there are many) then you should definitely consider this streaming service. Otherwise, $15 per month is pretty steep for a steaming service when there are so many other options available out there.
What do you think of our HBO Max review? Let us know if you’re going to try it out in the comments section below.
