New streaming services have yet to frequently remove popular titles due to licensing reasons.
HBO Max gives in, HBO Max takes it down: The streaming service surprised early users when it announced that all eight “Harry Potter” movies would be available at launch, but the movies will be leaving the platform as soon as they arrived.
WarnerMedia announced a series of upcoming HBO Max additions and exits on Monday, including the removal of the “Harry Potter” movies on August 25. A handful of other popular movies including “Full Metal Jacket”, “Magic Mike” and both volumes of “Kill Bill” will also be out on the platform in late August.
IndieWire has confirmed with sources that the impending deletions of “Harry Potter” were due to license windows. It is unclear if or when the films will return to the platform.
Although not related to HBO Max removing the titles, “Harry Potter” creator JK Rowling has come under fire in recent weeks because of his comments about transgender people, which garnered rejection from multiple actors, including actors. from “Harry Potter” Daniel Radcliffe and Emma Watson.
HBO Max’s exit movies were announced several days after it became known that NBCUniversal’s Peacock, which launched on July 15, will also lose several popular titles. Peacock will lose the trilogy of “The Matrix”, “Shrek” and the first three films of “Jurassic Park”, among others, at the end of the month due to licensing reasons. The large number of impending deletions suggests that just because streaming services are new, there is no reason to believe that popular titles will be permanently available on a specific platform. Older streamers like Netflix and Hulu also regularly remove titles due to licensing reasons.
While HBO Max’s goodbye to “Harry Potter” may disappoint subscribers, the streaming service will add a variety of titles in August, including “All the President’s Men”, various “Batman” movies, “Elf”, both seasons of DC Universe “Harley Quinn”, “Jojo Rabbit”, “Kung Fu Panda”, several films of “Leprechaun” and “Wedding Crashers”, among others.
HBO Max is also starting to release original content at a higher rate. The animated adult comedy series “Close Enough” and “Expecting Amy” recently premiered on the service, while “An American Pickle,” directed by Seth Rogen and Sarah Snook, will premiere on August 6.
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