ADVERTISEMENT

All the DC movies and TV series in the works for HBO Max and how they compare to DC Universe's originals

WarnerMedia's new streaming service, HBO Max, is developing several high-profile projects based on DC Comics properties, such as a spin-off series of "The Batman" movie.

  • Meanwhile, the DC Universe streaming service, which has been touted as a community-centric hub for fans, has few original titles.
  • Sources close to DC Universe told Business Insider earlier this year that they felt WarnerMedia, DC's parent company, wasn't prioritizing DCU, but that there weren't any immediate plans to phase it out.
  • Business Insider rounded up all the DC projects currently in the works for HBO Max.
  • Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories .
ADVERTISEMENT

HBO Max, the new WarnerMedia streaming service, announced on Friday a series commitment to a show about the Gotham City Police Department set in the world of the upcoming movie "The Batman," which hits theaters next year.

It's the latest high-profile DC project in the works for Max. Others include a Justice League Dark series as part of J.J. Abrams' production deal with WarnerMedia and the long-awaited "Justice League" "Snyder Cut."

Meanwhile, WarnerMedia's fan-centric streamer, DC Universe, has few original titles and little has been announced recently about its future. People close to DCU told Business Insider earlier this year that they felt DCU wasn't a priority WarnerMedia, but that there weren't any immediate plans to phase it out.

ADVERTISEMENT

"Stargirl," which debuted in May on both DC Universe and The CW network , will move exclusively to The CW for its second season. And DCU is already sharing "Doom Patrol," which premiered last year as a DCU exclusive, but is now streaming on both DCU and Max.

Outside of those, DCU has few remaining exclusive titles:

  • "Titans" season two debuted in September and has been renewed for a third season.
  • The adult animated "Harley Quinn" series recently wrapped up its second season, but there's been no word on a third yet. Collider reported in June that the series would eventually stream on Max, too.
  • The animated "Young Justice" series was renewed for a fourth season.

DC did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

HBO Max's content chief Kevin Reilly told Business Insider in May that "there have been extensive discussions around DCU because DC is such a valuable entity to us and the depth of fandom is so important."

ADVERTISEMENT

But HBO Max seems to be the driving force behind WarnerMedia's new DC content right now, and Reilly said to "expect the highest level of cinematic production values on those shows."

Below are all the announced DC projects in the works for HBO Max:

HBO Max announced on Friday it had made a series commitment to a spin-off of director Matt Reeves' upcoming "The Batman" movie, which is set to hit theaters in October 2021 and stars Robert Pattinson as the Dark Knight.

ADVERTISEMENT

The series will be set within the world of "The Batman," specifically in the Gotham City Police Department, and "will build upon the motion picture's examination of the anatomy of corruption in Gotham City, ultimately launching a new Batman universe across multiple platforms."

HBO Max and director Zack Snyder announced in May that Snyder's cut of "Justice League" would debut exclusively on Max in 2021. The Hollywood Reporter reported that it could cost between $20 million and $30 million to assemble.

Fans had rallied for the "Snyder Cut" to be released since the theatrical version of "Justice League" flopped in 2017. The movie cost $300 million to produce, disappointed at the box office, and was lambasted by critics.

ADVERTISEMENT

Snyder departed the movie late into production after a family tragedy and "Avengers" director Joss Whedon came in for extensive reshoots that fans claimed significantly altered Snyder's original vision.

Snyder shared the first official clip for his "Justice League" cut last month, which teased Darkseid, a villain that did not appear in the theatrical cut.

"Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker" director J.J. Abrams and his production company Bad Robot closed an exclusive deal with WarnerMedia in September that runs through 2024 to develop and produce original theatrical movies and content across WarnerMedia's platforms, including HBO Max.

ADVERTISEMENT

Max announced in April that Bad Robot would produce a one-hour drama series based on DC's Justice League Dark characters, but didn't release further details.

A "Justice League Dark" movie had been in development for a number of years but never got off the ground, and cycled through various directors, from "The Shape of Water" director Guillermo del Toro to "Edge of Tomorrow" director Doug Liman.

Berlanti, known for creating DC series for The CW like "Arrow" and "The Flash," is developing a series based on Green Lantern for HBO Max.

ADVERTISEMENT

During a Television Critics Association panel in January, Berlanti said that the series would "span several decades and focus on the origin story of two major Green Lanterns on Earth."

The last live-action attempt at the character was 2011's "Green Lantern" movie starring Ryan Reynolds, which flopped at the box office with $220 million globally off of a hefty $200 million production budget.

DC Comics

ADVERTISEMENT

Few details have been released about the "Strange Adventures" series that's in the works at HBO Max, but Variety reported in October that it would be a one-hour drama that explores "close-ended stories about the intersecting lives of ordinary humans and superhumans." Variety described it as a "DC super hero anthology that will feature characters from across the DC canon."

"Doom Patrol" debuted last year as a DC Universe exclusive, but season two premiered last month as both a DCU and Max original. Both seasons are streaming on both platforms.

HBO Max's content chief Kevin Reilly told Business Insider last month that it was a series "that felt like, budgetarily, we could handle from a business model better, and bring along and service that swath of fans."

ADVERTISEMENT

"There have been extensive discussions around DCU because DC is such a valuable entity to us and the depth of fandom is so important," Reilly said. "So we really want to figure out how we walk this line for fans where we have a deep fan engagement, which is why DCU was designed, and a broader fan engagement."

A Max representative told Business Insider at the time that there were "no current plans for any other DCU show" to move to Max.

See Also:

FOLLOW BUSINESS INSIDER AFRICA

Unblock notifications in browser settings.
ADVERTISEMENT

Recommended articles

Egypt, Nigeria, and South Africa ranked as Africa's most polluted countries in new report

Egypt, Nigeria, and South Africa ranked as Africa's most polluted countries in new report

10 African countries with the lowest life expectancy according to the World Bank

10 African countries with the lowest life expectancy according to the World Bank

Kenyan women are more obese than their men - here’s why

Kenyan women are more obese than their men - here’s why

Africa’s richest man Dangote stands between Europe and $17 billion in revenue

Africa’s richest man Dangote stands between Europe and $17 billion in revenue

After months of exchanging blows, Kenya and Uganda takes steps towards resolution

After months of exchanging blows, Kenya and Uganda takes steps towards resolution

Africa's first black billionaire could join $2.9 billion Vivendi bid for MultiChoice

Africa's first black billionaire could join $2.9 billion Vivendi bid for MultiChoice

10 most dangerous African countries in 2024

10 most dangerous African countries in 2024

Russia’s nuclear influence expands further north of Africa

Russia’s nuclear influence expands further north of Africa

Navigating the future: How AI transforms selling on Amazon

Navigating the future: How AI transforms selling on Amazon

ADVERTISEMENT