Demimonde: HBO Max Scraps J.J. Abrams Series
Paul Dailly
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Demimonde will not be moving forward at HBO Max.
The streamer has canceled the J.J. Abrams series ahead of production.
There was a lot of interest in the project, largely because it was the first original series created by Abrams since Fringe in 2008.
The project snagged a series order in 2018 after a bidding war with Apple, setting the stage for the series to be produced and aired on the Warner. Bros Discovery-owned streamer.
According to The Hollywood Reporter, Abrams made a last-ditch plea to HBO/HBO Max boss Casey Bloys to keep the drama alive.
However, the budget is said to have been too much, with Abrams looking at a number north of $200 million to bring the first season to fruition.
News of the cancellation of the project comes as Warner Bros. Discovery is in cost-cut mode following the merger of the two media conglomerates.
According to reports, CEO David Zaslav has been tasked with trimming $3 billion from the company.
It's unclear whether Demimonde will move to another network, or if Abrams will move on to other projects.
Fringe was a big success in the sci-fi space when it launched, so there would have been plenty of interest in Demimonde.
Speaking of cost-cutting at Warner Bros. Discovery, HBO Max canceled the sprawling sci-fi series Raised by Wolves last week after two seasons.
The series had a third season mapped out, but it sounds like the streamer did not want to invest in a third because of the budget.
That show's stars are urging fans to help find a new home for the show.
It's unclear whether Abrams will remain under the Warner Bros. Discovery banner or if he will branch out to other destinations.
What are your thoughts on the demise of this new series?
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Paul Dailly was an Associate Editor for TV Fanatic.Follow him on X.
