Warner Bros. and HBO have announced a new film label, Warner Max, which will produce original films for the upcoming HBO Max streamer.
The joint effort plans to release eight to 10 movies a year, according to the companies. The first will debut in 2020.
HBO Max’s Chief Content Officer Kevin Reilly and Warner Bros. Pictures Group chairman Toby Emmerich share responsibility for Warner Max films. They will work with Warner Bros Pictures Group COO Carolyn Blackwood and HBO Max Head of Original Content Sarah Aubrey.
Oscar winner Steven Soderbergh (“Traffic”) has already sealed a three-year deal to create new shows for HBO and streamer HBO Max. He is releasing his next film, “Let Them All Talk,” with Meryl Streep, exclusively on the streamer. The YA novel “I’ll Be the One” is also being adapted by HBO Max into a film. Nahnatchka Khan, who directed the rom-com “Always Be My Maybe” on Netflix, will produce and possibly direct.
Jessie Henderson, EVP Original Feature Films for HBO Max, will serve as the day-to-day head of the label and coordinate between HBO Max and Warner Bros. Pictures Group.
Reilly stated the companies would “make a range of quality films, and provide a platform for each of them to have cultural impact. Now, HBO Max will be home to a robust collection of the legendary Warner Bros film library and a new slate of original WarnerMax films.”
“Warner Bros. Pictures Group has long been the gold standard for filmmaker driven storytelling. We are proud to be in in the features business with them and continue that legacy on our SVOD platform,” added Aubrey.
Debuting in May, HBO Max will charge $15/month.