HBO Max Degrassi Reboot Gets Canceled
The reboot of Degrassi is the latest project to get scrapped at HBO Max, according to The Wall Street Journal.
In January 2022, the streaming platform announced the Degrassi reboot had been picked up for 10 hour-long episodes. The series was set to air sometime in 2023. It would have been the sixth installment of the franchise following The Kids of Degrassi Street, Degrassi Junior High, Degrassi High, Degrassi: The Next Generation and Degrassi: Next Class.
The most popular series was Degrassi: The Next Generation, which ran from 2001 and 2015 and featured breakout talent such as Drake and Nina Dobrev.
The news of the cancellation comes after Warner Bros merged with Discover in April 2022. Other projects such as the HBO Max film Batgirl was shut down despite the project being in post-production.
In a recent town hall, the CEO of Warner Bros. Discovery David Zaslav said the company is undergoing changes to become a “global leader” in the streaming space. “There’s nothing harder than what we’re going through right now,” added Zaslav, according to The Wall Street Journal.
Online, fans of Degrassi lamented the news of the cancellation. “I love degrassi so much I’m sad hbo canceled the reboot,” tweeted a fan. “HBO canceling the degrassi reboot is so evil..” wrote another.
The show was to be produced by franchise owner WildBrain and developed by showrunners and executive producers Lara Azzopardi and Julia Cohen, according to Variety.
“Series after series, the ‘Degrassi’ franchise continues to make an indelible impact on young viewers looking for trustworthy and authentic storytelling,” Amy Friedman, the head of kids and family programming at Warner Bros, had previously told the news outlet.
“Now in its fourth decade, ‘Degrassi’ is one of those beloved evergreen properties that demands to be refreshed for each new generation,” said WildBrain president Josh Scherba.