The creation of Warner Max, a new film label that that will serve as the feature production arm of HBO Max, was announced today by Ann Sarnoff, Chair and CEO of Warner Bros., and Warner Media Entertainment and Direct-To-Consumer Chairman Robert Greenblatt. This unique joint venture between one of Hollywood's most successful movie studios and its sister company HBO Max, which launches in May, will ensure that the new platform has a steady stream of high-quality and highly curated original films.
With an initial target of eight to 10 mid-budget movies per year, the new joint venture will be overseen by HBO Max's Chief Content Officer Kevin Reilly and Chairman of Warner Bros. Pictures Group Toby Emmerich, who share greenlight responsibility for Warner Max films and will work in close collaboration with senior executives Carolyn Blackwood (COO, Warner Bros. Pictures Group) and Sarah Aubrey (Head of Original Content, HBO Max). Jessie Henderson, executive vice president of original feature films for HBO Max, will expand her role to serve as the day-to-day head of the label and liaison between HBO Max and Warner Bros. Pictures Group and jointly report to Aubrey and Blackwood. This new partnership will take advantage of the WarnerMedia organization's vast feature film expertise, library, resources, and relationships, with Warner Max utilizing existing Warner Bros. Pictures infrastructure, including physical production. Warner Bros. and New Line Cinema will continue to create mid-budget fare for traditional theatrical distribution, while Warner Max will create a new pipeline for filmmakers looking to make a particular type of film or connect with a specific audience that would be best reached in the streaming environment. The first Warner Max titles will premiere on the service in 2020, and Warner Bros. will be responsible for distribution of these titles in all other media and territories beyond the HBO Max SVOD window.Videos