The reboot of Degrassi will not be moving forward at HBO Max.
A new report from Wall Street Journal on Thursday revealed that the highly anticipated reboot had been shelved.
Warner Bros. Discovery has been in cost-cutting mode since the merger earlier this year.
Many projects have been canceled entirely before broadcast, including the Batgirl movie.
The company has been restructuring in its attempts to save money, and youth programming has largely been shut out.
While it sounds like the decision to end Degrassi was made a while ago, this is the first we’ve heard of it.
The series was ordered back in January.
Lara Azzopardi (The Bold Type, Mary Kills People) and Julia Cohen (Riverdale, A Million Little Things) are set as showrunners and executive producers of the latest offshoot.
Production was slated for the summer.
“Series after series, the Degrassi franchise continues to make an indelible impact on young viewers looking for trustworthy and authentic storytelling,” said HBO Max earlier this year.
“WildBrain continues to artfully capture high school life in a compelling format that can be experienced seamlessly on HBO Max.”
Said WildBrain CEO Eric Ellenbogen, “I’m delighted that our first-ever commission from HBO Max is for Degrassi, a truly venerable franchise with a highly devoted and passionate audience.”
“This is yet another evergreen property from our vast IP library that we are reviving with a fresh vision and creative-first approach.”
“What excites us maybe the most about reviving this beloved franchise is turning it into a truly serialized one-hour drama,” said Azzopardi and Cohen in a statement.
“We’re honored to be given the opportunity to lead this evolution and bring this iconic series back into people’s homes.”
The new Degrassi would have been the sixth installment in the Canadian franchise following The Kids of Degrassi Street (1979-1986), Degrassi Junior High (1987-1989), Degrassi High (1989-1991), Degrassi: The Next Generation (2001-2015) and Degrassi: Next Class (2016-2017).
Throughout the years, Degrassi featured Drake, Nina Dobrev, Shenae Grimes, Stacy Farber, and many more stars early in their careers.
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Paul Dailly is the Associate Editor for TV Fanatic. Follow him on Twitter.
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