HBO Max has scrapped plans for its Degrassi reboot, following earlier delays to its production, which was due to start in Toronto this summer. The streamer greenlit the new 10-episode teen drama, which was set to take place in the world of the long-running franchise, back in January.
Lara Azzopardi (The Bold Type) and Julia Cohen (Riverdale) were geared up to be the showrunners of the would-be reboot, which would've focused on a new group of teenagers and school faculty "living in the shadow of events that both bind them together and tear them apart."
"What excites us maybe the most about reviving this beloved franchise is turning it into a truly serialized one-hour drama," the twosome said in a statement at the time. "We're honored to be given the opportunity to lead this evolution and bring this iconic series back into people’s homes."
Created by Kit Hood and Linda Schuyler back in 1979, Degrassi has spawned six separate outings over the years; The Kids of Degrassi Street, which ran until 1986, Degrassi Junior High (1987-1989), Degrassi High (1989-1991), Degrassi: The Next Generation (2001-2015), and Degrassi: Next Class (2016-2017).
The new show isn't the only title that has been dropped since HBO Max merged with Warner Bros. Discovery, either. Batman: Caped Crusader, Strange Adventures, Gordita Chronicles, Wonder Twins, and, perhaps most controversially, Batgirl were axed by the platform, despite the latter movie having practically completed production.
Starring Michael Keaton, J K Simmons, Brendan Fraser, and In The Heights' Leslie Grace in the titular role, the superhero flick centered DC Comics character Barbara Gordon, and reportedly cost around $90 million to make.
"We're not going to launch [a] movie until it's ready. We're not going to launch a movie to make a quota. And we're not going to put a movie out unless we believe in it," WBD's President and CEO David Zaslav previously explained. "Particularly with DC, where we think we want to pivot and we want to elevate and we want to focus."
Gutted about Degrassi? Find something else to look forward to with our list of the most exciting new TV shows coming our way throughout the rest of 2022 and beyond.
