One goal behind the Max video-streaming app rebrand has been to improve the app’s interface. But the redesign is already ticking off writers and directors in Hollywood for crediting them as “creators” amid an ongoing strike with the major film and TV studios.
The change appeared as the streaming service —formerly known as HBO Max— relaunched itself with the new branding on Wednesday. In a curious move, the credits to various TV shows and movies on Max drop the usual director and writer titles.
The credits for the film Goodfellas as listed by Max.Instead, Max uses the vague term “creator,” which is normally reserved for those on social media. This includes using the creator label to describe legendary Hollywood film directors such as Martin Scorsese, Steven Spielberg, and Clint Eastwood.
Warner Bros. Discovery’s decision to switch to the creator labeling ticked off both the Directors Guild of America and the Writers Guild of America, which are concerned about Hollywood studios devaluing creative work. Writers in Hollywood are currently striking to demand higher compensation while calling for regulations to rein in AI-authored script writing.
“Warner Bros has lumped writers, directors and producers into an invented, diminishing category they call Creators. This is a credits violation for starters. But worse, it is disrespectful and insulting to the artists that make the films and TV shows that make their corporation billions,” the Writers Guild of America West said in a statement.
Warner Bros. Discovery apologized for the controversy and says it will revert the credits back to their traditional form. “We agree that the talent behind the content on Max deserve their work to be properly recognized. We will correct the credits, which were altered due to an oversight in the technical transition from HBO Max to Max,” the company told The Hollywood Reporter.
In the meantime, Warner Bros. Discovery is also facing a rocky rollout for Max, which some users were unable to access on Wednesday. Affected users have reported receiving error messages that say Max is “not available in your region yet.” The company has yet to release information on a fix.
