Last month, Variety reported that HBO and Max content CEO Casey Bloys had redefined the distinction between an “HBO show” and a “Max show.” Initially, big-budget Warner Bros. IP projects like the “Harry Potter” TV show, the “It” prequel series “Welcome to Derry,” and the Green Lantern adaptation “Lanterns” were set to move under the HBO umbrella. However, those changes were not expected to take effect until 2025.
The two shows premiering this fall, “The Penguin” and “Dune: Prophecy,” were initially unable to make the switch due to existing international licensing agreements that labeled them as Max Originals. These deals are often complex and difficult to renegotiate.
Bloys expressed his frustration at the time, stating, “‘The Penguin’ would be an obvious fit as an HBO Original. Unfortunately, the process of licensing it internationally has already started.” However, after some strategic negotiations, HBO has successfully rebranded both “The Penguin” and “Dune: Prophecy” as HBO Originals. These series will now air on HBO and stream on Max.
Bloys had been eager to move these high-profile Warner Bros. IP series from Max to HBO after viewing early cuts of “The Penguin.” He believed the quality of these clips matched or exceeded HBO’s standards and deserved the HBO Originals label. “What we ended up with are shows at this scope and scale that look great, with great narratives and talent we’ve worked with,” Bloys said. “The idea of the delineation kind of started to feel unnecessary. Like, why are we doing this? Let’s just call them what they are: HBO shows.”
Now, “The Penguin” and “Dune: Prophecy” are officially HBO Originals. This news comes as HBO prepares for a significant presence at San Diego Comic-Con for “The Penguin,” including a takeover recreating Gotham’s Iceberg Lounge, a Gotham Ice truck stationed in front of the San Diego Convention Center, and partnerships with local businesses for giveaways. Additionally, a Hall H panel will feature the cast and executive producers of “The Penguin,” where the official trailer for the series will premiere.
“Dune: Prophecy” is set in the expansive universe of “Dune,” created by acclaimed author Frank Herbert. The series takes place 10,000 years before the ascension of Paul Atreides and follows two Harkonnen sisters as they combat forces threatening the future of humankind. They establish the fabled sect that will become known as the Bene Gesserit. The cast includes Emily Watson, Olivia Williams, Travis Fimmel, Johdi May, Mark Strong, Sarah-Sofie Boussnina, Josh Heuston, Chloe Lea, Jade Anouka, Faoileann Cunningham, Edward Davis, Aoife Hinds, Chris Mason, and Shalom Brune-Franklin.
“The Penguin,” set immediately after the events of the 2022 film “The Batman,” is an eight-episode series starring Colin Farrell as the title character. The show follows his rise to power in the Gotham underworld, becoming one of the most notorious villains in the “Batman” universe. Joining Farrell are Cristin Milioti, Michael Zegen, and Clancy Brown, along with Rhenzy Feliz, Michael Kelly, Shohreh Aghdashloo, Deirdre O’Connell, Carmen Ejogo, François Chau, and David H. Holmes.
More of Max’s in-the-works tentpole TV projects are undergoing a rebrand behind the scenes, including “The Batman” spinoff “The Penguin” and the “Dune” prequel series “Dune: Prophecy.” These projects will join the previously announced “Harry Potter” series, “It” prequel “Welcome to Derry,” and the newly ordered Green Lantern series “Lanterns” as rebranded HBO Originals. This guarantees they will air on the linear premium cable network in addition to streaming on Max.
All these projects are based on Warner Bros. IP, which, according to HBO boss Casey Bloys, used to signal that a TV show should stream on Max instead of airing on HBO. “The idea of using Warner Bros. IP as a delineation for Max felt right,” he told Variety in June. “At least that gives you a clear lane. But as we started producing those shows, we were using the same methods, the same kind of thinking, as how we would approach HBO shows… The idea of the delineation kind of started to feel unnecessary. Like, why are we doing this? Let’s just call them what they are: HBO shows.”
“The Penguin” and “Dune: Prophecy” were initially set to be labeled as Max Originals, as the rebranding wouldn’t take effect until 2025. However, after Bloys viewed early cuts of “The Penguin,” he believed it fit the HBO brand. Max first ordered its “Harry Potter” adaptation to series in April 2023, announcing it as a “faithful” take on J.K. Rowling’s popular novels. “Welcome to Derry,” meanwhile, is a prequel set in Stephen King’s “It” universe and will expand the vision of the theatrical films “It” (2017) and “It Chapter Two” (2019). Bill Skarsgård will reprise his role as Pennywise the Dancing Clown in “Welcome to Derry.”
Last month, it was announced that several Max Original shows are being rebranded as HBO Originals by Warner Bros. Discovery, including “Welcome to Derry.” “We felt like we had to delineate between an HBO show and a Max show,” HBO/Max’s Casey Bloys had explained earlier this summer. Deadline confirmed that both “The Penguin” and “Dune: Prophecy” will also be rebranded as HBO Originals, meaning they’ll air on HBO in addition to streaming on Max.
This rebranding is part of a strategy to rebrand its highest-profile titles into HBO Originals, giving them a linear airing on the premium cable network as well as a streaming debut. Initially, it was unclear whether “The Penguin,” set to premiere in September, and “Dune: Prophecy” would fall under the new branding, but this has now been clarified.
Colin Farrell returns as Oz Cobb in Max’s upcoming “The Penguin,” a new limited television series that will expand upon the dark world of Matt Reeves’ movie “The Batman.” The eight-episode DC Studios limited series premieres in September 2024. “Dune: Prophecy,” meanwhile, will arrive this fall. The series is set 10,000 years before the birth of Paul Atreides and before the universe knew them as the Bene Gesserit. The six-episode first season follows two Harkonnen sisters as they combat forces threatening the future of humankind and establish the fabled sect that will become known as the Bene Gesserit.
Source: Variety, Deadline
