The entertainment industry is a tricky one, and fans can sometimes have a hard time understanding executives' decisions. Just look at the Batgirl being scrapped despite the movie basically being completed. Another one of these puzzling moments when Max rebranded one again, announcing it'll go back to being referred to as HBO Max. Jame Gunn poked fun at the situation, while exec Casey Bloys admits he's been personally stressed about it.
Those with a Max subscription will remember that the application has gone through a number of names and iterations throughout the years. From HBO Go, to HBO Max, to Max (and back again), it's been a dizzying journey for the streamer. And there are plenty of folks sounding off online about the situation.
James Gunn's Joke About The Rebrand
The internet was full of memes and jokes when it was reveled that the HBO was going back in the title of Max. Not one to be left out, co-CEO of DC Studios James Gunn got in on the fun over on his social media. He took to Threads to throw some shade, posting:
Ok that was a pretty solid read. After seeing the name of the streaming service once again change, Gunn made a reference to late singer Prince famously changing his name to a symbol back in 1993. And at this point, it doesn't seem like an impossibility for HBO Max. It's already gone through so many name changes.
Name changes are one thing, but this corporate pivoting also meant that subscribers have had to download new applications every time this decision is made. As such, this is a uniquely triggering decision for longtime subscribers.
What Casey Bloys Said About The Name Change
It turns out that even those within the organization have felt similar stress about the rebranding of Max. While appearing on Town Hall with Matt Belloni, HBO/ Max exec Casey Bloys got real about how he's felt about the name changes. He joked:
Do you know how much hair I’ve lost worrying about just HBO and Max and what to call it?
Well, at least he's got a good sense of humor about it. But being at the top of a major studio sounds like a difficult job, I'm sure he foresaw all of the online discourse about Max's latest name change. Hair loss aside, the streamer did get ahead of the joke by posting a variety of funny memes about the situation.
Since the rebranding announcement was just made, it remains to be seen what growing pains might come with the change. But either way I'll be subscribing, thanks to my investment in projects on the 2025 TV premiere list and beyond. Call it what you want, I'll be there.
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