Creator Owen Dennis shares his upset and confusion over the unexpected removal of Infinity Train from HBO Max. Last Wednesday, fans were shocked to discover that several Cartoon Network and HBO original shows were removed from HBO Max. OKKO, Summer Camp Island, and The Fungies were among over 30 animated titles that were all deleted from the streaming platform. However, this didn’t end with just the removal from the streaming service as the company continues to sever its connections to Infinity Train.
The Infinity Train soundtracks were also removed from all streaming services, and clips were deleted from their official YouTube channels. As if to further rub salt in the wound, all references to Infinity Train were soon after removed from both HBO Max and Cartoon Network’s social media, with some of their other animated shows getting a similar treatment. This is a result of WarnerMedia's merger with Discovery Inc, which has seen the loss of several shows and the high-profile cancellation of Batgirl as CEO David Zaslav attempts to cut costs and make back $3 billion.
In a newsletter, Dennis reveals that even after days of searching for answers, he, and the others in his position, are being told nothing about the chaotic HBO Max situation. Dennis is searching for answers, but as he explains, it has not been an easy process. The creator goes on to express his understandable frustration. Read Dennis' quote below:
I had no idea it was coming, neither did any other show creator I’ve talked with, nor any of their representatives. People have been working behind the scenes for days now trying to figure out what’s going on. A thousand phone calls, texts, and emails have been sent, but the problem is that the entirety of Warner and Discovery is undergoing a merger. This means that people who you would normally talk to have been fired, moved, or quit, so no one has any idea how to get the information they need right now.
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I think the way that Discovery went about this is incredibly unprofessional, rude, and just straight up slimy. I think most everyone who makes anything feels this way. Across the industry, talent is mad, agents are mad, lawyers and managers are mad, even execs at these companies are mad. I can’t think of a single person who works in animation and entertainment that, when you bring this all up, doesn’t say “What the fuck are they doing? How do they plan to have anyone ever want to work with them again?”
Because why would we? What is the point of making something, spending years working on it, putting in nights and weekends doing their terrible notes, losing sleep and not seeing our families, if it’s just going to be taken away and shot in the backyard? It’s so incredibly discouraging and they’re definitely not going to be getting their best work out of whoever decides to stay.
We’re working at the intersection of art and commerce, but the people in charge have clearly forgotten that they’ll have no commerce without the art.
While they are still very much in the dark, Dennis reveals that it’s generally believed that the HBO Max purging was done to avoid paying ongoing residuals to animators, artists, musicians, and actors. As cited in the newsletter, CNBS estimates that this will save Discovery tens of millions of dollars, which Dennis states is a meager amount of the $3 billion that Zaslav intends to save by next year at the expense of creatives. Cartoon Network apparently cautioned HBO Max and Discovery against the unexpected removal, warning that this would severely harm relationships with creators and talent, and it looks to have done just that.
Although this dismissal must feel like a complete slap in the face to the creators, this whole HBO Max situation has also provided some new publicity. While Infinity Train was always well-liked, it has seen a resurgence of support since its removal as it trends on Twitter and makes it to the iTunes charts (one of the few places It's still available for viewing). It has been a dour few days for Infinity Train, but this attention brings about newfound hope for the show's continuation after it was canceled last year. Additionally, now that Dennis has made such public statements on the matter, perhaps he will finally get some answers. This doesn't reflect well on Warner Bros. Discovery's new management, and one can only hope this troubling trend comes to an end soon.