Warner Bros. Discovery’s Max streaming service, formed from a recent merger, is still struggling with accurate attribution of writers, directors, and other contributors to its titles. While the contentious creators label, which minimized creative roles, was removed last month following widespread criticism, the aftermath reveals an array of new inaccuracies. Renowned WGA Captain Shawn Wines called out Max on Twitter, pointing to glaring errors on the platform, including missing writers, misplaced directors, and incorrect ratings.
Among the highlighted mistakes, Max fails to credit Barry Jenkins and Tarell Alvin McCraney, the writers of the Best Picture winner “Moonlight.” In fact, it lacks any writers’ label for the film altogether. Additionally, Max erroneously lists Bruce Hunt, the second unit director, as a co-director for “The Matrix,” alongside Lana and Lilly Wachowski. Furthermore, “Moneyball” neglects to credit director Bennett Miller and writers Steven Zaillian, Aaron Sorkin, and Stan Chervin. The 1933 classic “King Kong” is also missing a director credit and has an inaccurate TV-PG rating.
Though not as extensive as the previous creators label issue, these inaccuracies are still highly problematic, especially given the ongoing WGA strike. These are not minor oversights, but major missteps that misrepresent the titles and the talented individuals behind them. This further highlights the hasty and careless approach taken in building the new Max platform, where proper attribution seems overlooked, leaving content creators feeling disrespected. Max’s claims of taking time to correct the information title by title are unconvincing, as the recent errors continue to demonstrate.
Adding to Max’s woes are content removals, with “The Venture Bros.” being the latest victim. What’s particularly distressing is that Christopher McCulloch, the show’s co-creator, was not even informed of the removal and learned about it through Twitter. This behavior aligns with Warner Bros. Discovery’s history of unpopular content removals, which is particularly concerning during the ongoing WGA and SAG-AFTRA strike, where writers and actors are advocating for better pay and protection for their hard work. This situation reflects a major divide between the studios and creatives, and it’s unlikely to be resolved anytime soon if such actions persist.
As Max grapples with these attribution and content removal issues, we’ll keep a close eye on how the platform addresses them. For those interested in learning more about the WGA’s fight, FilmSweep’s Therese Lacson and Mike Muney have compiled a detailed write-up. Check out Hines’s Tweet below for a glimpse of the numerous inaccuracies on Max.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) about attribution
What issues are plaguing Warner Bros. Discovery’s Max streaming service?
Warner Bros. Discovery’s Max streaming service is facing two major issues. First, it struggles with proper attribution, leading to glaring inaccuracies in crediting writers, directors, and other contributors to its titles. The controversial creators label, which lumped every creative role under one term, has been removed, but new problems have emerged. Second, the platform has been removing content, such as “The Venture Bros.,” without informing the creators, which has sparked further tension in the industry, especially amid the ongoing WGA and SAG-AFTRA strike.
How accurate is Max’s attribution of writers and directors?
Max’s attribution of writers and directors has been riddled with inaccuracies. For instance, the Best Picture winner “Moonlight” lacks credits for its writers Barry Jenkins and Tarell Alvin McCraney. Similarly, “The Matrix” wrongly lists Bruce Hunt, the second unit director, as a co-director alongside Lana and Lilly Wachowski. “Moneyball” fails to credit director Bennett Miller and writers Steven Zaillian, Aaron Sorkin, and Stan Chervin, among other mistakes.
How significant are the errors left behind after removing the creators label?
While not as widespread as the previous creators label, the errors are still disastrous. They inaccurately represent titles and the individuals behind them, making it clear that proper attribution was not given sufficient thought during the creation of the Max platform.
How have content removals affected the industry and the creators?
Content removals, such as “The Venture Bros.,” have exacerbated the existing tension between studios and creatives, especially during the WGA and SAG-AFTRA strike. The lack of communication and respect for creators’ work has added to the discontent in the industry, hindering progress in negotiations for better pay and protection.
Is Max addressing the attribution and content removal issues?
While Max claims to be working on correcting attribution errors title by title, the recent mistakes indicate otherwise. As for content removals, the platform has yet to demonstrate a satisfactory resolution to prevent further tensions and disputes.
Where can I find more information about the ongoing WGA strike and its impact?
For more information about the ongoing WGA strike and its impact on writers and the industry, you can refer to the detailed write-up by FilmSweep’s Therese Lacson and Mike Muney.
More about attribution
- Warner Bros. Discovery
- WGA Captain Shawn Wines’ Twitter
- Moonlight – IMDb
- The Matrix – IMDb
- Moneyball – IMDb
- King Kong (1933) – IMDb
- The Venture Bros. – IMDb
- WGA – Writers Guild of America
- SAG-AFTRA – Screen Actors Guild – American Federation of Television and Radio Artists
- FilmSweep
