The problem continues and grows with Warner Bros. Discovery CEO David Zaslav who is planning to drag down the HBO Max streaming platform. After canceling most of the highly expected projects, now according to a new report, the studio is actively targeting people of color in its recent list which covers about 14 percent of the staff.
Unfortunately, the layoffs are mostly people of color, which has been creating many controversies regarding whether the studio is intentionally picking up on a single demographic in its quest for making a so-called ‘unique’ streaming platform. According to the source, the lack of diversity at the studio is happening because of HBO Max’s new ideological position and tendency to target more right-wing audiences.
Former HBO Max Exec Says Layoffs Have Contributed to the Lack of Diversity
According to two former HBO Max executives who reported to the Daily Beast about the ongoing condition, they said those layoffs were actually by default, as David Zaslav wants to run away from diverse content. One of them said, “I don’t think anyone knows just how white the staff is.”
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Additionally, HBO Max executive vice president of drama Joey Chavez is reportedly one of the remaining people of color, while another source reveals that there may be one black woman left at the HBO cable channel, which operates independently and further added:
“The layoffs have ‘amplified the lack of diversity at HBO,’ another former executive told The Daily Beast. ‘HBO is the most homogenous part of this umbrella. Instead of trying to figure out how to integrate some of the [Max] executives into HBO, they just made this sweeping cut of three divisions: kids, family, and international. A lot of Black and brown people lost their jobs.’”
Batgirl Cancellation Justifies David Zaslav Wants to Steer Away From Diverse Content
The reason feels more justified now after the shelving of one of the biggest projects within HBO Max so far, the $90 million DC movie Batgirl. The movie featured an Afro-Latina actress Leslie Grace and was canceled because of a money-saving tax break. The movie was widely anticipated by DC fans, who are now praying for a leaked screener in hopes to gain access to the film. Tax breaks were also reportedly the biggest reason to justify trimming dozens of projects from the platform, including movies, TV shows, and specials.
Source: thedirect.com