‘House Party’ Reboot Stalled As HBO Max Merges With Discovery+

As the HBO Max and Discovery+ merger nears a close, it’s pure chaos in the streaming world. According to Variety, six original films have been “quietly removed” from HBO Max within the last month. Rumors are also insinuating that the streamer has plans to cut scripted content out of its future.

It’s been confirmed that the LeBron James-produced House Party reboot—starring Jacob Latimore, Tosin Cole, DC Young Fly, Rotimi, Bill Bellamy, and Melvin Gregg—has been removed from HBO Max’s release schedule.

The remake of the 1990 classic followed two high-schoolers who lost James’ championship rings after throwing a party at his house. It was initially slated for release on July 28.

Unfortunately, House Party was not the only pending project scraped from HBO Max’s upcoming lineup. Batgirl has also been shelved indefinitely, meaning it will not be sold to another streamer nor will it have a theatrical release, according to Variety.

Despite the film being nearly complete, a Warner Bros. Pictures representative told The Wrap the decision “reflects our leadership’s strategic shift as it relates to the DC universe and HBO Max.”

The directors behind the $90 million film also released a statement regarding the cancellation.

 

Adil El Arbi and Bilall Fallah have issued a statement following the cancellation of ‘Batgirl.’

“We are saddened and shocked by the news. We still can’t believe it. We wish that fans would’ve had the opportunity to see and embrace the film. Maybe one day they will insha’Allah.” pic.twitter.com/lRRo8K1n3h

— Film Updates (@FilmUpdates) August 3, 2022

HBO Max is also expected to lay off up to 70% of its development staff, as reported by The Wrap. The merger was first announced back in March 2022.