HBO Max cancels Constantine TV Reboot and Madame X series

Keanu Reeves in Constantine
(Image credit: Warner Bros./DC)

HBO Max has canceled their planned Constantine TV reboot series, as well as their live-action series for DC character Madame X.

The news comes shortly after Warner Bros. announced that Keanu Reeves is set to return as John Constantine for a long overdue sequel. The Constantine TV reboot was first announced in 2021, with J.J. Abrams producing under his Bad Robot banner. The show was said to be dark in tone, with a diverse lead playing the titular hero. Guy Bolton was set to pen the screenplay, with a script reportedly already complete at the time of announcement. 

HBO Max has also pulled Madame X from production, a new series from filmmaker Angela Robinson that was set to focus on DC comics character Madame Xanadu. Bad Robot was also slated to produce.

J.J. Abrams is producing the new Constantine feature film under Bad Robot, so it's possible he traded one project for another – and that we could see the TV show eventually, perhaps even with Reeves involved.

Robinson is currently working on adapting LGBTQ+ graphic novel "Strangers in Paradise" for the big screen, and is directing a remake of 1983's erotic horror The Hunger – which starred Susan Sarandon, Catherine Deneuve, and David Bowie.

HBO Max has been in the news for several recent cancellations, most notably the nearly completed Batgirl movie. According to Variety, both Warner Bros. Television and Bad Robot "remain extremely high on both projects" and expect to "find a new home for them both." 

For more, check out our list of the best TV shows of all time.

TOPICS
Lauren Milici
Senior Writer, Tv & Film

Lauren Milici is a Senior Entertainment Writer for GamesRadar+ currently based in the Midwest. She previously reported on breaking news for The Independent's Indy100 and created TV and film listicles for Ranker. Her work has been published in Fandom, Nerdist, Paste Magazine, Vulture, PopSugar, Fangoria, and more.