Demimonde will not be moving forward at HBO Max.
The streamer has canceled the J.J. Abrams series ahead of production.
There was a lot of interest in the project, largely because it was the first original series created by Abrams since Fringe in 2008.
The project snagged a series order in 2018 after a bidding war with Apple, setting the stage for the series to be produced and aired on the Warner. Bros Discovery-owned streamer.
According to The Hollywood Reporter, Abrams made a last-ditch plea to HBO/HBO Max boss Casey Bloys to keep the drama alive.
However, the budget is said to have been too much, with Abrams looking at a number north of $200 million to bring the first season to fruition.
News of the cancellation of the project comes as Warner Bros. Discovery is in cost-cut mode following the merger of the two media conglomerates.
According to reports, CEO David Zaslav has been tasked with trimming $3 billion from the company.
It’s unclear whether Demimonde will move to another network, or if Abrams will move on to other projects.
Fringe was a big success in the sci-fi space when it launched, so there would have been plenty of interest in Demimonde.
Speaking of cost-cutting at Warner Bros. Discovery, HBO Max canceled the sprawling sci-fi series Raised by Wolves last week after two seasons.
The series had a third season mapped out, but it sounds like the streamer did not want to invest in a third because of the budget.
That show’s stars are urging fans to help find a new home for the show.
It’s unclear whether Abrams will remain under the Warner Bros. Discovery banner or if he will branch out to other destinations.
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Paul Dailly is the Associate Editor for TV Fanatic. Follow him on Twitter.