Batman Series, Urkel Holiday Movie Among Animated Projects Not Moving Forward at HBO Max, Will Be Shopped

Batman: Caped Crusader, which 15 months ago received a series order from HBO Max and Cartoon Network, is among six animated projects  that are no longer

being produced for HBO Max, sources confirm for TVLine.

More from TVLine

• TVLine Items: Carbonell Joins Medical Drama, XO, Kitty Castings and More

• Clipped Trailer: Laurence Fishburne and Ed O'Neill Go One-on-One in Hulu's Take on L.A. Clippers Scandal

• Mayor of Kingstown Season 3 Trailer Promises 'Next Level' Drama for Mike & Co. - Watch

TVLine hears that all six projects, mostly from Warner Bros. Animation, will continue production while they are shopped to other outlets.

This news of course comes amid numerous programming changes at an in-transition HBO Max, where some projects are being nixed and others that already stream on the service are being (not-so-)quietly removed.

And as TVLine previously reported, there will be no fifth season of Young Justice, since HBO Max had only ordered one season of the superhero team-up series and that original plan remains unchanged.

Batman: Caped Crusader is an animated reimagining of the Batman mythology by way of Batman: The Animated Series‘ own Bruce Timm, with J.J. Abrams, Matt Reeves and Ed Brubaker also serving as EPs. Reeves of course directed The Batman, the big screen’s most recent live-action take on the Dark Knight (now played by Robert Pattinson), while Abrams — in addition to of course numerous Star Trek and Star Wars projects, plus TV’s Lost and Alias — is an EP on HBO Max’s still-in-development Justice League Dark series.

Utilizing state-of-the-art animation techniques and technologies, the creative partnership between WB Animation and the EPs promises to “reinvent Batman and his iconic rogue’s gallery with sophisticated storytelling, nuanced characters and intense action sequences all set in a visually striking world.”

What other animated offerings are no longer bound for HBO Max, but will hopefully land elsewhere upon completion? Read below:

MERRY LITTLE BATMAN

In this animated family action comedy, when a six-year-old Damian Wayne finds himself alone in Wayne Manor, he must transform into “Little Batman” in order to defend his home and Gotham City from the crooks and super-villains intent on destroying Christmas.  Mike Roth executive-produces and directs, from a screenplay by Morgan Evans.

THE DAY THE EARTH BLEW UP: A LOONEY TUNES MOVIE

In this animated movie penned by Kevin Costello, odd couple Porky and Daffy become unlikely heroes when their antics at a local bubble gum factory uncover a secret alien mind-control plot. Against all odds, the two grow determined to save their town — and the world. Pete Browngardt serves as executive producer.

BYE BYE BUNNY: A LOONEY TUNES MUSICAL

The first-ever Looney Tunes Original animated movie musical boasts a screenplay and lyrics by Emmy Award winner Ariel Dumas, a head writer on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert (and a huge Looney Tunes fan). The premise: After starring in a long-running Looney Tunes Broadway production, an exhausted Bugs Bunny decides it’s time to trade in sold-out shows for life as a regular rabbit. That opens the door for the attention-craving Daffy Duck to bid for the lead role  — until he is kidnapped by an obsessive fan who has sinister plans for her favorite stage duck.

DID I DO THAT TO THE HOLIDAYS: A STEVE URKEL STORY

This animated musical holiday special, written and executive-produced by Wyatt Cenec, and announced in September 2021, finds Jaleel White reprising his legendary nerd character for the first time only the second time since Family Matters ended in 1998.

THE AMAZING WORLD OF GUMBALL: THE MOVIE (working title)

Series creator Ben Bocquelet is directing and executive-producing this movie, which features a script written by Shane Mack and is designed to serve as a bridge between the original cult animated fantasy series (which ran six seasons on Cartoon Network, from 2011-2019) and the new one, which is titled The Amazing World of Gumball: The Series (and is also still happening).

The yet-to-be titled movie begins when Gumball’s biggest fan finds the series’ “missing episode” and accidentally opens a portal connecting his world to Gumball’s cartoon world.

Sam Register, Vanessa Brookman and Sarah Fell will also serve as executive producers on the first original production to be ordered from Register and Brookman’s Hanna-Barbera Studios Europe.

Want scoop on any TV show? Email InsideLine@tvline.com and your question may be answered via Matt’s Inside Line.

Best of TVLine

• 'Missing' Shows, Found! The Latest on Snowpiercer, Severance, '90s Show, Rings of Power, 61st Street and Others

• Summer TV Calendar: Your Guide to 85+ Season and Series Premieres

• Yellowjackets Mysteries: An Up-to-Date List of the Showtime Series' Biggest Questions (and Answers?)

Get more from TVLine.com: Follow us on Twitter, Facebook, Newsletter