Poor Quibi, with its ten-minute episodes and bite-sized entertainment for people on the go, launched during a time when people can’t go anywhere. No one needs quick content during social distancing. They need hours and hours of shows and movie. And they’re about to get over 10,000 hours of it from the latest entrant into the streaming site wars. HBO Max has finally announced a launch date. It will premiere in May with a deep library of old favorites alongside all new series.
WarnerMedia has announced HBO Max will officially debut on May 27, 2020. That’s not a lot of lead time since it’s already April 21. But with people around the globe practicing social distancing it doesn’t make sense to wait any longer.
The streaming platform will feature over 10,000 hours of content. It will pull from HBO, Warner Bros., New Line, DC, CNN, TNT, TBS, truTV, Cartoon Network, Adult Swim, Crunchyroll, Rooster Teeth, Looney Tunes, TCM, and more. It will also include an “extensive selection of third-party acquired series and movie titles.”
But there will also be brand new shows for users. HBO Max will offer “premium Max Originals” that will be available immediately on May 27. The shows available on day one, with something for people of all ages, young and old, include:
LOVE LIFE
“Love Life, the first full-length scripted series to star Oscar nominee Anna Kendrick, is about the journey from first love to last love, and how the people we’re with along the way make us into who we are when we finally end up with someone forever.”
CRAFTOPIA
“Craftopia is an epic kids crafting competition show hosted and executive produced by YouTube influencer Lauren Riihimaki aka (LaurDIY). Creating and demonstrating crafts to over 8.9 million subscribers on her YouTube channel, LaurDIY has been deemed the ‘millennial Martha Stewart’ by Forbes.”
LEGENDARY
“Pulling directly from the underground ballroom community, voguing teams (aka ‘houses’) must compete in unbelievable balls and showcase sickening fashion in order to achieve ‘legendary’ status. The cast includes MC Dashaun Wesley and DJ MikeQ as well as celebrity judges Law Roach, Jameela Jamil, Leiomy Maldonado, and Megan Thee Stallion.”
LOONEY TUNES CARTOONS
“Looney Tunes Cartoons, an all-new series from Warner Bros. Animation starring the cherished Looney Tunes characters. Looney Tunes Cartoons echoes the high production value and process of the original Looney Tunes theatrical shorts with a cartoonist-driven approach to storytelling. Marquee Looney Tunes characters will be featured in their classic pairings in simple, gag-driven and visually vibrant stories. The new series will include 80 eleven-minute episodes, each comprised of animated shorts that vary in length and include adapted storylines for today’s audience.”
THE NOT TOO LATE SHOW WITH ELMO
“Elmo is the host of his very own talk show and he’s going to bring you some (not-too-late) fun with an all-new, celeb-studded talk show series. This brand-new ‘primetime’ series brings familiar Sesame Street friends like Elmo, Cookie Monster, celebrity guests, and laughs the whole family can enjoy! Elmo will interview guests such as fellow late-night hosts Jimmy Fallon and John Oliver, comedian John Mullaney, New York Times best-selling author Kwame Alexander, actress Blake Lively, and award-winning musical acts Lil Nas X and The Jonas Brothers.”
ON THE RECORD
“Directed and produced by Kirby Dick and Amy Ziering (The Hunting Ground, The Invisible War), and first reported by the New York Times, On The Record presents the powerful haunting story of music executive Drew Dixon (collaborator on hit records by Method Man and Mary J. Blige, Estelle and Kanye West, and Whitney Houston) as she grapples with her decision to become one of the first women of color, in the wake of #MeToo, to come forward and publicly accuse hip-hop mogul Russell Simmons of sexual assault.”
More original shows are slated to premiere later this year. Among the highly-anticipated series are:
—The Flight Attendant, starring and executive produced by Kaley Cuoco. It’s based on the novel by New York Times bestselling author Chris Bohjalian
–the Friends unscripted cast reunion special
–original episodes of Doom Patrol
–a new season of Search Party
–the “unfiltered and intimate” three-part documentary series Expecting Amy. It follows Amy Schumer’s “life on tour creating a stand-up special during her difficult pregnancy.”
–sci-fi series Raised by Wolves from director and executive producer Ridley Scott
–adult animated comedy Close Enough, from J.G. Quintel (creator of Regular Show), “a hilarious look at the surreal life of a millennial family living with roommates”
—Adventure Time: Distant Lands- BMO, the first of four specials “resurrecting” Adventure Time
That’s a lot of hours of shows and movies, with a lot more on the way. Normally we’d say it’s too much, but there’s no such thing as too much content right now.
Featured Image: HBO Max
