Catch up on stories from the past week (and beyond) at the Slashdot story archive

 



Forgot your password?
typodupeerror
×
Television Sci-Fi

New 'HBO Max' Streaming Service Will Include a 'Dune' TV Series (androidauthority.com) 53

An anonymous reader quotes Android Authority: Studios like Disney and NBCUniversal are making preparations to launch their own streaming services, and they are planning to take back their back catalog of films and TV series with them. That's also what's happening with WarnerMedia, the AT&T-owned entertainment group that operates, among many other things, HBO, Warner Bros, and CNN. Recently, the conglomerate announced its own upcoming dedicated streaming service, HBO Max... Unconfirmed reports from Hollywood trade news outlets claim that HBO Max will cost between $16 and $17 a month. The service will be ad-free, although some reports have indicated that WarnerMedia might launch an ad-supported version of HBO Max at some point after the official launch in 2020. If that happens, it's likely the cost to sign up will be much less...

While HBO Max will have quite a lot for subscribers to watch from WarnerMedia's library of content, it will have its own range of original TV shows and movies that will be found exclusively on the streaming service. They will be known as Max Originals. Here's what has been announced for HBO Max so far, which includes a couple of spin-offs from current and upcoming Warner Bros. series:

Dune: The Sisterhood: Based on the classic Dune sci-fi novels by Frank Herbert, this 10-part series will focus on the Bene Gesserit group of women in this universe. Denis Villeneuve, who is directing the upcoming feature film adaptation of Dune, will also direct the pilot episode of the series.

Gremlins -- The Animated Series: The mischievous and destructive creatures from the two Gremlins feature films will return as an animated series on HBO Max...

A beta version of the service may launch before the end of 2019, according to Deadline. The studio's announcement also promised that HBO Max woud also include previously-announced HBO programs, including:
  • Stephen King's The Outsider, a dark mystery starring Ben Mendelsohn, produced and directed by Jason Bateman.
  • Lovecraft Country, a unique horror series based on a novel by Matt Ruff, written and executive produced by Misha Green, and executive produced by Jordan Peele (Us) and J.J. Abrams (Westworld).
  • The Nevers, Joss Whedon's new science fiction series starring Laura Donnelly.

This discussion has been archived. No new comments can be posted.

New 'HBO Max' Streaming Service Will Include a 'Dune' TV Series

Comments Filter:
  • by Anonymous Coward
    This time?
  • HBO Max

    Unfortunately, the people designing this service use to work on the Boeing 757MAX program so ...

    • HBO Max

      Unfortunately, the people designing this service use to work on the Boeing 757MAX program so ...

      In that case it should crash fairly quickly after launch.

    • In this case, I suspect it's a portmanteau of HBO and Cinemax. They're both owned by AT&T Warner Media.
    • If they really worked on Boeing _757_ most of them must be now living in a retirement community in Florida.

  • The service will be ad-free, although some reports have indicated that WarnerMedia might launch an ad-supported version of HBO Max at some point after the official launch in 2020. If that happens, it's likely the cost to sign up will be much less...

    Well at least they are offering an ad free option unlike some other services who shove their damn ads down the throats of subscription paying customers.

    • by Agripa ( 139780 )

      The service will be ad-free, although some reports have indicated that WarnerMedia might launch an ad-supported version of HBO Max at some point after the official launch in 2020. If that happens, it's likely the cost to sign up will be much less...

      Well at least they are offering an ad free option unlike some other services who shove their damn ads down the throats of subscription paying customers.

      Based on previous history, it will just start out as an ad free service that you pay for. Later it will include ads.

  • by Anonymous Coward

    Go in with the resent trends it will probably end up like that.

  • by Anonymous Coward

    when every media producer/distributor claims their own streaming service and makes their own content 'exclusive' to it, people will know EXACTLY where a particular program or movie will be. back catalogs are available, and they'll face a heap of backlash if they rotate shit in and out, so *everything* will be available ALL the time... queue the alternating subs: netflix / prime / abc / universal / warner, one at a time, binge-cancel-rotate-repeat. they end up with 1/6 - 1/12th the monthly revenue (each) tha

    • Or, just have one streaming service and pirate the rest...
      • Or, just have one streaming service and pirate the rest...

        Pretty much every time I read something that says "streaming service that isn't Netflix due to get XYZ", I read it as "look for XYZ.torrent soon".

        Streaming digital content is a solved problem. This trend of fragmenting the product by manufacturer is hostile to consumers. In the real world, you can go to any of a number of different book stores to purchase titles regardless of author or publisher. You can choose. In the real world, you can go to any of a number of different grocery stores to purchase f

      • I think what the splintering will result in is somewhat more sales of good TV series than ew've been being recently, so you can still enjoy them even if you aren't with the service any more (and discs are just a better place to get lots of bonus features, no streaming service does that aspect well at all).

  • We already have an existing HBO streaming service we use to watch stuff like Game of Thrones

    How is this any different? Is this just another rebranding exercise?

    • There's a link you can click and find the answer. :)

    • by Agripa ( 139780 )

      We already have an existing HBO streaming service we use to watch stuff like Game of Thrones

      How is this any different? Is this just another rebranding exercise?

      Why charge customers once for your content when you can charge them twice?

  • Go mentat.
  • by enriquevagu ( 1026480 ) on Saturday July 20, 2019 @03:19PM (#58957364)

    We used to call "killer app" to the specific application that motivates the adoption of a new service or technology: SMS in GSM, Pokémon in the Game Boy, internet access in 3G cellular networks, magic in 5G...

    Interestingly, the "killer apps" of the avalanche of new streaming services are individual series (or mini series). What is left after you see these flagship series? Is it worth, or you simply change your subscription to a different service? User engagement is not clear.

    • by AmiMoJo ( 196126 )

      They must be hoping that people are too lazy to cancel. I always cancel as soon as I sign up, so it only runs for a month. That's enough to watch 2-3 netflix series. When you compare to the cost of rentals at 2.99/episode or DVDs it's actually very cheap.

      Also if you keep cancelling they occasionally give you free trial months.

  • by ShieldW0lf ( 601553 ) on Saturday July 20, 2019 @06:06PM (#58958020) Journal

    The balkanization of streaming services is going to bring piracy back in a major way.

    Having a single service that you can pay a reasonable fee for and be able to conveniently search and watch the various shows and movies you hear and read about is a valuable service.

    Having dozens of different services that you need to pay for makes it more expensive than it's worth, and having to look to dozens of different sources to see what you want to watch devalues the experience.

    It makes The Pirate Bay the most convenient option available, and makes the less convenient options even more expensive.

    Too bad. Having a monopoly in the streaming video service would have made life better for everyone.

    • by tlhIngan ( 30335 )

      Having a single service that you can pay a reasonable fee for and be able to conveniently search and watch the various shows and movies you hear and read about is a valuable service.

      Having dozens of different services that you need to pay for makes it more expensive than it's worth, and having to look to dozens of different sources to see what you want to watch devalues the experience.

      Except well, a single service is bad for many reasons. First, for consumers, it means a monopoly. For studios,a monopsony.

      Th

  • My New 'Torrent client' Will Include a 'Dune' TV Series

"What is wanted is not the will to believe, but the will to find out, which is the exact opposite." -- Bertrand Russell, _Sceptical_Essays_, 1928

Working...