HBO Max Signs Exclusive Multi-Year Deal with Beloved Children's Author Mo Willems and Stampede Ventures

HBO MAX SIGNS EXCLUSIVE MULTI-YEAR DEAL WITH BELOVED CHILDREN’S AUTHOR MO WILLEMS AND STAMPEDE VENTURES Emmy®-Award Winning Willems to be HBO Max’s First Ever Artist in Residence Deal Includes Streaming Rights to Willems’ First Live Action Special Don’t Let the Pigeon Do Storytime! Produced by Stampede Ventures and Willems Photo Courtesy of Ben Folds

LOS ANGELES – February 25, 2020 – Following a highly competitive negotiation, HBO Max has announced an exclusive, multi-year deal with beloved children’s author Mo Willems, an Emmy®-Award winning writer, New York Times best-selling author, and illustrator, establishing Willems as HBO Max’s very first artist in residence. As part of this two-year deal, HBO Max has acquired streaming rights to Willems’ first live-action special Don’t Let the Pigeon Do Storytime! from Greg Silverman’s media company Stampede Ventures who will produce all additional content under this deal. HBO Max has committed to additional live-action Storytime specials, as well as multiple animated specials based on Willems’ wildly popular children’s books. The first animated special will be based on New York Times Best Seller, Naked Mole Rat Gets Dressed. “Mo is a special talent with a profound ability to connect with children and families alike. We are so happy Mo and Stampede Ventures chose to partner with us at HBO Max,” says Kevin Reilly, chief content officer, HBO Max, president, TNT, TBS, and truTV.  “We are so lucky to be able to work with the multi-talented Mo Willems, whose work is authentic, inspiring and truly impactful,” adds Jennifer O’Connell, executive vice president of original non-fiction and kids programming, HBO Max. “HBO Max is the perfect home for me to work on fun and experimental ways to bring my book characters and theater work to the screen because we share the goal of creating exciting shows and series that bring families together,” says Willems. “My focus is making stuff that amuses, entertains and sparks creative play after the screen is powered down. Having the creative teams of HBO Max and Stampede Ventures with me means that we’ll get to create meaningful work and have fun doing it. We’re so excited we even created a new logo for the occasion. Banana!” Added Stampede Ventures’ Greg Silverman, “Stampede Ventures is honored to be Mo’s partner as he brings his vibrant world to life in media for the first time and we couldn’t ask for a better home than HBO Max. Mo’s characters are already beloved by millions of families — his books are often the first that many children ever read on their own — and we’re excited to help him bring these characters to life on screen.” Previously announced and directed by Bobcat Goldthwait, Don’t Let the Pigeon Do Storytime! is a premium, live-action family comedy special featuring Willems and the “Story Time All-Stars”, a group of celebrities, comedians and actors, performing live readings and sketch comedy inspired by Willems’ work, as well as a few surprise musical guests. Celebrity guests include Anthony Anderson (black-ish), Yvette Nicole Brown (Community), Rachel Dratch (Saturday Night Live), Cameron Esposito (Take My Wife), Tony Hale (Veep), Greta Lee (Russian Doll), Tom Lennon (The Odd Couple), Natalie Morales (Abby's) and Oscar Nunez (The Office). Shot over the summer at the prestigious Kennedy Center in Washington, DC., Don’t Let the Pigeon Do Storytime! is produced by Stampede Ventures, with Willems and Stampede’s Greg Silverman, Gideon Yu, Jay Judah and Chris Bosco serving as executive producers. Willems began his career as a writer and animator on Sesame Street, where he garnered six Emmy® Awards. Willems also created several animated projects for Cartoon Network and Nickelodeon. His New York Times bestselling books have been recognized with many awards around the world including three Caldecott Honors, two Theodor Geisel Medals and five Geisel Honors. Willems has written four musicals based on his books and is the most produced playwright for Theatre for Young Audiences in America. Willems currently serves as the inaugural Education Artist-in-Residence at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, collaborating with artists in Jazz, Classical, Dance, Theater, Opera and Comedy. The Willems deal with HBO Max was negotiated by Ellen Goldsmith-Vein of the Gotham Group, Marcia Wernick of Wernick & Pratt and Rick Ross of Eisner, LLP on behalf of Willems; Chris Bosco, Anna Pinar and CAA on behalf of Stampede Ventures; and spearheaded by Jay Judah. About HBO Max  HBO Max is WarnerMedia’s direct-to-consumer offering debuting in spring 2020. With 10,000 hours of curated premium content anticipated at launch, HBO Max will offer powerhouse programming for everyone in the home, bringing together HBO, a robust slate of new original series, key third-party licensed  programs and movies, and fan favorites from Warner Media’s rich library including  Warner Bros., New Line, DC, CNN, TNT, TBS, truTV, Turner Classic Movies, Cartoon Network, Adult Swim, Crunchyroll, Rooster Teeth, Looney Tunes and more. Sign up for updates at HBOMax.com. About WarnerMedia WarnerMedia is a leading media and entertainment company that creates and distributes premium and popular content from a diverse array of talented storytellers and journalists to global audiences through its consumer brands including: HBO, HBO Now, HBO Max, Warner Bros., TNT, TBS, truTV, CNN, DC, New Line, Cartoon Network, Adult Swim, Turner Classic Movies and others. WarnerMedia is part of AT&T Inc. (NYSE:T). About Stampede Ventures Stampede Ventures is an independent entertainment media company founded by Greg Silverman, the former President of Warner Bros. Pictures. The company’s lead investor and co-chairman is Gideon Yu, former CFO of Facebook and YouTube, and co-owner of the San Francisco 49ers. Additional investors include leaders from Silicon Valley, Asia, and the U.S. media space. Stampede Ventures is on the forefront of content creation across the divisions of film, television, international and alternative programming.

The One Where They Got Back Together

“THE ONE WHERE THEY GOT BACK TOGETHER” The Friends Cast Set to Reunite for Exclusive HBO Max Special Unscripted Cast Reunion Special, Along with All 236 episodes of the Emmy®-Winning Series, will be Available to Subscribers at the Launch of HBO Max

BURBANK, CA – FEBRUARY 21, 2020 – It’s official, Friends fans! After 15 years, nine months, and innumerable fan requests from around the globe, we now have the ‘brand-new information’ you’ve been waiting for. The Friends cast will be reuniting exclusively for an untitled unscripted special for HBO Max, WarnerMedia’s direct-to-consumer offering debuting in May 2020. Series stars Jennifer Aniston, Courteney Cox, Lisa Kudrow, Matt LeBlanc, Matthew Perry, and David Schwimmer will return to the iconic comedy’s original soundstage, Stage 24, on the Warner Bros. Studio lot in Burbank for a celebration of the beloved show. The unscripted cast reunion special, along with all 236 episodes of the Emmy®-winning series, will be available to subscribers at the launch of HBO Max. “Guess you could call this the one where they all got back together — we are reuniting with David, Jennifer, Courteney, Matt, Lisa, and Matthew for an HBO Max special that will be programmed alongside the entire Friends library,” said Kevin Reilly, chief content officer, HBO Max and president, TBS, TNT, and truTV. “I became aware of Friends when it was in the very early stages of development and then had the opportunity to work on the series many years later and have delighted in seeing it catch on with viewers generation after generation. It taps into an era when friends – and audiences – gathered together in real time and we think this reunion special will capture that spirit, uniting original and new fans.” Ben Winston will direct the special and will executive produce along with Friends executive producers Kevin Bright, Marta Kauffman, and David Crane. The special hails from Warner Bros. Unscripted & Alternative Television and Fulwell 73 Productions. Aniston, Cox, Kudrow, LeBlanc, Perry, and Schwimmer will also executive produce the special. Emma Conway and James Longman are co-executive producers. To get caught up on original Friends episodes, sister WarnerMedia network TBS recently announced that for the next four weeks every episode of Friends will air on TBS and livestream on the TBS app, weekdays from 10:00am – 4:00pm. Additionally, the network has curated an experience for fans offering the best of the series on their digital platforms.  About Friends Celebrating the 25th anniversary of its debut in 1994, Friends remains one of television’s most beloved series. One of the highest-rated shows on television in its original network run, the series still remains a perennial go-to in syndication and on streaming services, where it continues to be a smash hit worldwide. A favorite among critics and fans alike throughout its 10-season run, Friends not only won the Emmy® for Outstanding Comedy series, but also garnered Emmy® Awards for series stars Jennifer Aniston and Lisa Kudrow. From Warner Bros. Television, Friends follows the lives and loves of a close-knit group of friends living in New York City: siblings Ross (David Schwimmer) and Monica Geller (Courteney Cox), along with friends Chandler Bing (Matthew Perry), Phoebe Buffay (Lisa Kudrow), Joey Tribbiani (Matt LeBlanc) and Rachel Green (Jennifer Aniston). Friends was created by David Crane and Marta Kauffman, who executive produced the series with Kevin Bright through Bright/Kauffman/Crane Productions in association with Warner Bros. Television.   About HBO Max HBO Max is WarnerMedia’s direct-to-consumer offering debuting in spring 2020. With 10,000 hours of curated premium content anticipated at launch, HBO Max will offer powerhouse programming for everyone in the home, bringing together HBO, a robust slate of new original series, key third-party licensed programs and movies, and fan favorites from Warner Media’s rich library including Warner Bros., New Line, DC, CNN, TNT, TBS, truTV, Turner Classic Movies, Cartoon Network, Adult Swim, Crunchyroll, Rooster Teeth, Looney Tunes and more. Sign up for updates at HBOMax.com.   About Warner Bros. Unscripted & Alternative Television Warner Bros. Unscripted & Alternative Television is the leading producer of unscripted programming, with over 50 series totaling some 2,300 hours of programming annually across broadcast, cable, digital, streaming, and syndication. Led by Mike Darnell, President, the division operates Warner Horizon Unscripted Television, Telepictures, and Shed Media, and is responsible for all unscripted content for the Warner Bros. Television Group. The division also shares oversight of Ellen Digital Ventures, a joint venture between Ellen DeGeneres and Warner Bros. Digital Networks. Major franchises include the top reality shows on television, including  the long-running powerhouse Bachelor Nation franchise “The Bachelor,” “The Bachelorette,” “Bachelor in Paradise” and the upcoming new extensions “Bachelor Presents: Listen To Your Heart” and a touring version of the show “The Bachelor Live on Stage,” as well as the podcast extensions of the series; multiple Emmy®-winning “The Ellen DeGeneres Show,” “Ellen’s Game of Games” and the recently renewed “Ellen’s Greatest Night of Giveaways”; the multi-Emmy® winning blockbuster music competition “The Voice,” “Little Big Shots with Melissa McCarthy,” the Emmy®-winning “Who Do You Think You Are?,” “The Real Housewives of New York City,” “TMZ,” “Extra,” and “Huda Boss” for Facebook Watch.   About Fulwell 73 Fulwell 73 produces and creates top-quality commercial television, feature and digital productions. As producer of the multi Emmy and Critics Choice Award–winning The Late Late Show with James Corden, with CBS Studios, they have a show which has dominated the digital space with over 7 billion views since their launch in 2015. Other television productions include Drop the Mic for TBS, Carpool Karaoke: The Series for Apple, Sunderland ’Til I Die for Netflix, Game On for CBS, and in the UK, the highest rated show of the decade, Gavin & Stacey Christmas Special for BBC One. It was announced earlier this year that partner Ben Winston, and Fulwell 73, will be taking over the Grammys in 2021.     Fulwell 73 prides itself in making shows with some of the top music and sports talent in the world, making broadcast specials for Bruno Mars, Kacey Musgraves, and David Beckham. They also recently produced Hitsville: The Making of Motown for Showtime and Auschwitz Untold: In Colour for NatGeo. They were the producers of the most successful sports documentary of all time, The Class of 92 (Universal Pictures) and the huge box office hit One Direction 3D: This is Us (Sony/Columbia). Fulwell 73 also recently produced the Global Citizens live event from South Africa to celebrate Mandela 100, featuring many artists and hosts including Beyoncé, Jay-Z and Oprah Winfrey. They are currently in production on their first studio feature film: Cinderella, for Sony Pictures, starring Camila Cabello.

HBO Max Greenlights Bethenny Frankel Business Competition Series "The Big Shot with Bethenny" (wt) from Producer Mark Burnett & MGM Television

HBO MAX GREENLIGHTS BETHENNY FRANKEL BUSINESS COMPETITION SERIES THE BIG SHOT WITH BETHENNY (wt) FROM PRODUCER MARK BURNETT & MGM TELEVISION  Unscripted Series Gives Viewers Exclusive Access Inside the World of the Skinnygirl CEO as Contestants Compete for the Chance to Work at her Company. Photo Credit: Sasha Maslov LOS ANGELES, CA – FEBRUARY 19, 2020 – HBO Max has ordered eight episodes of The Big Shot with Bethenny (wt), a new competition series from MGM Television, Mark Burnett, and reality TV veteran and producer Bethenny Frankel and her B Real Productions. In each half-hour episode, the next generation of business moguls will compete for a chance to be second-in-command to business tycoon and Skinnygirl founder Frankel, and win a coveted position working on her executive team. In business and in life, Frankel never settles and only accepts excellence. Through a series of real-life tasks and challenges, each aspiring mogul will be tested to see how far they can push their creativity and determination to rise to the top. “I first met Bethenny when I put her on the first season of The Real Housewives of New York City and she’s always both impressed and entertained me,” says Jennifer O’Connell, executive vice president of original non-fiction and kids programming, HBO Max. “It’s incredible to see her empire continue to grow and I know that candidates will be clamoring to work for her.” “Bethenny is that rare talent whose creative instincts are equal to her business acumen and working with her to create this series has been an amazing collaboration,” said Barry Poznick, MGM’s President of Unscripted & Alternative Television and Orion Television. “We’re giving fans what they want, access inside Bethenny’s businesses so they can see how she runs her empire, all while offering one fan the chance of a lifetime to join her executive team. We’ve found the perfect home in HBO Max to bring this exclusive opportunity to viewers.” Added Frankel: “Aside from motherhood, what truly defines me as a person is being a driven, passionate and hard-working woman determined to make the impossible possible.  My mantra is to come from a place of ‘yes’ and to find and create the solution. I am an executor of visions, and I share and impart that information to those who work with me. MGM has been neck-in-neck with me with ideas and their execution. I couldn’t be more thrilled to continue my longstanding relationship with Mark Burnett on this series and pay this American Dream story forward.” Frankel is a self-made businesswoman, TV producer, multiple New York Times bestselling author, and mother. A frequent collaborator of MGM Worldwide Television Group Chairman Mark Burnett, Frankel appeared as a shark on two seasons of ABC’s critically acclaimed series “Shark Tank,” and was the series’ highest rated guest shark to-date. Frankel is the Founder & CEO of Skinnygirl, a lifestyle brand offering practical solutions to women, and former star of the popular Bravo series “The Real Housewives of New York City.” In 2011, she was named one of the Top 100 Most Powerful Celebrities by Forbes. The Big Shot with Bethenny (wt) is produced by MGM Television, B Real Productions and Big Fish Entertainment. Executive producers are Mark Burnett, Barry Poznick, Bethenny Frankel and Dan Cesareo. About HBO Max  HBO Max is WarnerMedia’s direct-to-consumer offering debuting in spring 2020. With 10,000 hours of curated premium content anticipated at launch, HBO Max will offer powerhouse programming for everyone in the home, bringing together HBO, a robust slate of new original series, key third-party licensed  programs and movies, and fan favorites from WarnerMedia’s rich library including  Warner Bros., New Line, DC, CNN, TNT, TBS, truTV, Turner Classic Movies, Cartoon Network, Adult Swim, Crunchyroll, Rooster Teeth, Looney Tunes and more. Sign up for updates at HBOMax.com. About WarnerMedia WarnerMedia is a leading media and entertainment company that creates and distributes premium and popular content from a diverse array of talented storytellers and journalists to global audiences through its consumer brands including: HBO, HBO Now, HBO Max, Warner Bros., TNT, TBS, truTV, CNN, DC, New Line, Cartoon Network, Adult Swim, Turner Classic Movies and others. WarnerMedia is part of AT&T Inc. (NYSE:T).  ABOUT MGM TELEVISION:  A multiple Emmy-winning leading producer and global distributor of premium content for television and digital platforms, with distribution rights to original productions and a robust catalogue of television episodes and feature film titles including such premiere entertainment franchises as James Bond, Rocky, Stargate and The Hobbit trilogy. Current scripted projects include Fargo (FX); Vikings (HISTORY); The Handmaid’s Tale (Hulu); Get Shorty (EPIX); and Condor (AT&T AUDIENCE Network). As part of their Spanish language joint venture with Gato Grande Productions, the studio also produces Luis Miguel: The Series (Netflix). Current unscripted projects include The Voice (NBC); Survivor (CBS); Shark Tank (ABC); Beat Shazam (FOX) and World’s Toughest Race: Eco Challenge (Amazon); and through its distribution entity, Orion TV Productions, the syndicated daytime courtroom series Lauren Lake’s Paternity Court, Couples Court with The Cutlers and  Personal Injury Court. In addition, MGM owns Evolution Media and Big Fish Entertainment, the prolific unscripted television producers who respectively produce The Real Housewives of Orange County, The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills, and Vanderpump Rules (Bravo); Botched and Meet The Frasers (E!); Live PD, Live Rescue, and America’s Top Dog (A&E); Love & Hip Hop: New York, Love & Hip Hop: Miami, Black Ink Crew: Chicago and Black Ink Crew: Chicago (VH1). MGM’s television programming airs in more than 100 countries worldwide. For more information, visit www.mgm.com. About Big Fish Entertainment Big Fish Entertainment, an MGM Company, is a full-service production company that creates multi-platform, visually driven content that compels and entertains audiences with the “unexpected.” Founded in 2006 by President Dan Cesareo, Big Fish has since produced more than 1000 hours of award-winning and top-rated programming in the live, unscripted reality, lifestyle and documentary space. Current Big Fish series include culinary docu-series Hustle & Soul for WE tv; #1 unscripted crime series Live PD, Live PD: Police Patrol and Live PD Presents: PD Cam for A&E; Live PD Presents: Women on Patrol for Lifetime; mega-hit franchise Black Ink Crew (New York and Chicago) and mental health special In Session Live With Dr. Jess for VH1; Chris Paul’s Chapter 3 for ESPN; Tattoo Girls for TLC; How Far Is Tattoo Far? for MTV and the upcoming Animal ER Live for Nat Geo WILD. With other credits including Bomb Patrol: Afghanistan and the Gates Foundation Reality PD public schools project, Big Fish captures and relates extraordinary worlds, characters and stories for such networks as Lifetime, A&E, VH1, WE tv, Discovery, TLC, MTV, E!, National Geographic, Oxygen, Travel Channel and Paramount Network. For more information, visit bigfishusa.com.

HBO MAX DROPS FIRST TEASER

HBO MAX DROPS FIRST TEASER Find More Valentine's Day Treats on the New HBO Max Instagram and a Love Poem on Twitter Featuring Cherry-Picked Titles Coming to the Streamer Follow @HBOMax to See What's Coming Up The full poem on Twitter: Roses are red, the TARDIS is blue, HBO Max brings the familiar and new. An offering so epic, starting with a Big Bang, As well as your faves, like that Central Perk gang. From Westworld to South Park to Silicon Valley, We’ll never forget When Harry Met Sally. They say in love and war, all is fair, Even pick-up lines from The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air. Classic romances with familiar refrains, “We’ll Always Have Paris,” “I’m Singin’ in the Rain...” Between all of these films and all of these shows, Nobody does relationships like Game of Thrones. In just a few months, give it a try, Get swept up in the drama with a Pretty Little Lie. A destination for all, where everyone can meet, Like Bert, Ernie, and Elmo from Sesame Street. A place with so much, where Godzilla saves the day, Sit back, stay tuned, it’s all coming in May. xoxo, HBO Max

WARNER BROS. PICTURES GROUP AND HBO MAX ANNOUNCE WARNER MAX, THE FEATURE FILM PRODUCTION ARM FOR THE NEW STREAMING SERVICE

WARNER BROS. PICTURES GROUP AND HBO MAX ANNOUNCE WARNER MAX, THE FEATURE FILM PRODUCTION ARM FOR THE NEW STREAMING SERVICE

LOS ANGELES – February 5, 2020 – The creation of Warner Max, a new film label that that will serve as the feature production arm of HBO Max, was announced today by Ann Sarnoff, Chair and CEO of Warner Bros., and Warner Media Entertainment and Direct-To-Consumer Chairman Robert Greenblatt. This unique joint venture between one of Hollywood’s most successful movie studios and its sister company HBO Max, which launches in May, will ensure that the new platform has a steady stream of high-quality and highly curated original films. With an initial target of  eight to 10 mid-budget movies per year, the new joint venture will be overseen by HBO Max’s Chief Content Officer Kevin Reilly and Chairman of Warner Bros. Pictures Group Toby Emmerich, who share greenlight responsibility for Warner Max films and will work in close collaboration with senior executives Carolyn Blackwood (COO, Warner Bros. Pictures Group) and Sarah Aubrey (Head of Original Content, HBO Max). Jessie Henderson, executive vice president of original feature films for HBO Max, will expand her role to serve as the day-to-day head of the label and liaison between HBO Max and Warner Bros. Pictures Group and jointly report to Aubrey and Blackwood. This new partnership will take advantage of the WarnerMedia organization’s vast feature film expertise, library, resources, and relationships, with Warner Max utilizing existing Warner Bros. Pictures infrastructure, including physical production.  Warner Bros. and New Line Cinema will continue to create mid-budget fare for traditional theatrical distribution, while Warner Max will create a new pipeline for filmmakers looking to make a particular type of film or connect with a specific audience that would be best reached in the streaming environment. The first Warner Max titles will premiere on the service in 2020, and Warner Bros. will be responsible for distribution of these titles in all other media and territories beyond the HBO Max SVOD window. “From the get-go we have been strategizing with Toby and Carolyn about HBO Max original films,” says Kevin Reilly, chief content officer, HBO Max and president, TNT, TBS, & truTV.  “We are going to deliver a collaborative and lean process for talent, make a range of quality films, and provide a platform for each of them to have cultural impact. Now, HBO Max will be home to a robust collection of the legendary Warner Bros. film library and a new slate of original WarnerMax films.” “Working with Kevin, Sarah, Jessie and their teams, we’re committed to creating dynamic and compelling films that draw on the depth and scope of the creative resources across WarnerMedia,” says Toby Emmerich, chairman, Warner Bros. Pictures Group.  “We’re excited to help make HBO Max a destination for both film-lovers and the creative community, while delivering a win across the entire WarnerMedia organization.” “Warner Bros. Pictures Group has long been the gold standard for filmmaker driven storytelling. We are proud to be in in the features business with them and continue that legacy on our SVOD platform,” Sarah Aubrey, head of original content, HBO Max. “Warner Max gives us a special opportunity to continue cultivating this style of rich and diverse storytelling and it couldn’t be in better hands than with our head of features, Jessie Henderson, who’s built her career in this space.” “It’s been great collaborating with our colleagues at HBO Max to take full advantage of our shared strategic advantages and creative expertise to make Warner Max a competitive player in the original SVOD film space from day one,” says Carolyn Blackwood, chief operating officer, Warner Bros. Pictures Group. About HBO Max HBO Max is WarnerMedia’s direct-to-consumer offering debuting in spring 2020. With 10,000 hours of curated premium content anticipated at launch, HBO Max will offer powerhouse programming for everyone in the home, bringing together HBO, a robust slate of new original series, key third-party licensed programs and movies, and fan favorites from WarnerMedia’s rich library including Warner Bros., New Line, DC, CNN, TNT, TBS, truTV, Turner Classic Movies, Cartoon Network, Adult Swim, Crunchyroll, Rooster Teeth, Looney Tunes and more. Sign up for updates at HBOMax.com. About Warner Bros. Pictures Group Warner Bros. Pictures Group has been at the forefront of the motion picture industry since its inception and continues to be a leading creative force in the industry. Warner Bros. Pictures and New Line Cinema produce and distribute a wide-ranging slate of some 18-22 films each year, employing a business paradigm that mitigates risk while maximizing productivity and capital.  Warner Bros. either fully finances or co-finances the films it produces and maintains worldwide distribution rights.  It further monetizes its distribution and marketing operations by distributing films that are totally financed and produced by others. About WarnerMedia WarnerMedia is a leading media and entertainment company that creates and distributes premium and popular content from a diverse array of talented storytellers and journalists to global audiences through its consumer brands including: HBO, HBO Now, HBO Max, Warner Bros., TNT, TBS, truTV, CNN, DC, New Line, Cartoon Network, Adult Swim, Turner Classic Movies and others. WarnerMedia is part of AT&T Inc. (NYSE:T).