Meet the Woman Arming HBO Max for Battle in the Streaming Wars
WarnerMedia guaranteed last week that its new streaming service would get maximum fanfare by announc..
WarnerMedia guaranteed last week that its new streaming service would get maximum fanfare by announcing that it will reclaim Friends from Netflix at the same time that it trumpeted the platforms official name: HBO Max. WarnerMedias sprawling back catalog will be crucial to the companys chances as it battles with Netflix, Amazon, Hulu, and the avalanche of new streamers headed toward us in the next year for a finite amount of subscriber dollars.
The thing that will define HBO Max, though, is its original programming—a list of series that already includes projects from stars and producers like Anna Kendrick, Nicole Kidman, Greg Berlanti, Patrick Somerville, and Ansel Elgort. The high-pressure task of pulling together a sparkling slate of must-see new shows for the streamer in a little more than a year has fallen to Sarah Aubrey, the former executive vice president of TNTs original programming.
“Theres so much great stuff in all our cupboards!” Aubrey croaked exuberantly when I visited her Burbank office this spring. She was hoarse from the relentless schedule of meetings that have rolled over her like a tidal wave since she got the job in January.
Aubrey had been brainstorming with writers and directors in her orbit (the voluminous list of talent with Warner overall deals includes Ava DuVernay, Mindy Kaling, and J.J. Abrams), huddling with executives in WarnerMedias other divisions to see which projects in-process might work as streaming original series and movies, and rummaging through the archives to see which properties might be prime for rebooting or reimagining. The companys back catalog is a pop-culture treasure chest that includes TV classics like Looney Tunes, Friends, The Big Bang Theory, Gossip Girl, and The Flintstones, and as well as blockbuster franchises such as Harry Potter, Lord of the Rings, Wonder Woman, and the DC Extended Universe.
Standing in front of her desk, Aubrey pointed out her view of the iconic Warner Bros. water tower, which stands as a beacon over the studio lot. A leather jacket was slung over her chair; on her wall hung a plaque that said “Welcome to Dillon,” a souvenir from Aubreys days as a producer on Friday Night Lights. She also produced The Leftovers and the NBC version of Prime Suspect, the latter of which she worked on with then NBC chief Bob Greenblatt—who is now the WarnerMedia Entertainment chairman, overseeing this new streaming platform as well as HBO, TNT, TBS, truTV, anRead More – Source
