Warner Bros. Discovery (WBD) recently launched their streaming service Max, and have faced immediate issues, such as not properly crediting writers, directors and producers on the platform. On Twitter, user John Frankensteiner pointed out that specific films and TV shows had not been properly accredited, listing only ‘creators’ in a vague section, which has been met with outcry. Statements from the Writer’s Guild of America and Directors Guild of America noted their disapproval, citing Max’s lack of accreditation as disrespectful and insulting.
In response, WBD made a statement to Variety apologizing for the oversight and explained that the mistake had to do with the transition from HBO Max to Max. They are now actively correcting the credits for each movie and TV show.
Notable technical difficulties have plagued Max upon its launch, including trouble for users trying to log in, as well as dissatisfaction from HBO Max fans over their replacement of that platform. Fortunately, there are some positive points to consider with Max’s arrival, such as having more 4K HDR movies than HBO Max, as well as a wide variety of new TV shows and movies to explore.
This isn’t the first time Warner Bros. Discovery has encountered controversies. Just recently, they were under scrutiny for their stance on the Writer’s Guild of America strike. During David Zaslav’s visit to Boston University, he was heckled due to WBD’s involvement with the strike between the Writer’s Guild of America and the Association of Motion Pictures and Television Producers.
Overall, this misstep has caused further drama to an already tumultuous situation for Warner Bros. Discovery. Their lack of proper accreditation is tone-deaf, especially given the ongoing WGA strike. To make headway and regain the trust of those they have wronged, WBD will need to do some serious amount of groveling and show that they care about the talent behind their content.
