HBO Max to lay off 29 roles in Europe amid restructuring of Warner Bros Discovery

As the restructuring of Warner Bros Discovery, the entity that came into existence from the merger of Warner Bros and Discovery, continues, movies and TV shows greenlit by the previous regime are being cancelled left and right. Many staffers in the various subsidiaries have also lost their jobs in layoffs. As per a Deadline report, 29 more staffers will lose their jobs in HBO Max in Europe in the upcoming months. The layoffs are from every rung of the ladder. For instance, HBO Max EMEA VP Original Programming and Production CEE Johnathan Young is one of the employees who were asked to leave. The report also said the layoffs are a result of a new content strategy and model of the company. 

Also Read: After 'Batgirl', 'Batman: Caped Crusader' series also not moving forward at HBO Max

The ultimate aim is to merge the two streaming services HBO Max and Discovery+. The new streaming service will launch next year in the US. The report further said there will be continuing commissions and acquisitions but original programming will be the sole responsibility of the US version of HBO Max. 

Earlier this month, it was reported that Warner Bros has shelved 'Batgirl', a movie that was already almost wholly shot with only post-production remaining. The news created a lot of controversy and left many fans of the superhero in utter disbelief. A rival studio executive called the decision to cancel the release of a $90 million movie unprecedented. 

More recently, several in-development animated projects have also been axed. These include 'Batman: Caped Crusader', 'Merry Little Batman', 'The Day the Earth Blew Up: A Looney Toons Movie', 'Bye Bye Bunny: A Looney Toons Musical', 'Did I Do That to the Holidays: A Steve Urkel Story', and 'The Amazing World of Gumball: The Movie'.