Max Will Change Film Credit Listings to Break Out Directors and Writers After Backlash Over ‘Creators’ Heading

variety.com:

Todd Spangler NY Digital Editor Warner Bros. Discovery’s newly launched Max lumped film directors and writers under a single “creators” heading — a change that prompted a backlash from filmmakers and Hollywood’s directors and writers guilds.

Now the company is changing the listings back, blaming the issue on a technical “oversight.” “We agree that the talent behind the content on Max deserve their work to be properly recognized,” a Max spokesperson said in a statement to Variety. “We will correct the credits, which were altered due to an oversight in the technical transition from HBO Max to Max and we apologize for this mistake.” The move drew ire amid the ongoing Writers Guild of America strike, in which the union is seeking to reach a new contract with major studios.

The Max change was called out in a widely viewed tweet by John Frankensteiner, who wrote, “The new HBO Max (MAX) has eliminated writer/director credits in their interface in favor of a vague ‘Creators,'” , posting a screenshot of the listing page on the service for “Raging Bull.” He added, “It’s so fucking over.”The new HBO Max (MAX) has eliminated writer/director credits in their interface in favor of a vague "Creators." This is what Raging Bull currently looks like.

It's so fucking over. pic.twitter.com/gPveQ469GB Currently, Max’s details page of “Raging Bull” includes this item: “Creators: Peter Savage, Martin Scorsese, Mardik Martin, Robert Chartoff, Paul Schrader, Jake La Motta, Irwin Winkler, Joseph Carter.” Previously, the listing for “Raging Bull” on HBO Max — and other films — had distinguished between directors and writers.