HBO Max no longer has “whatever it takes” to revive a brand new version of WildBrain Studio’s award-winning youth franchise, Degrassi, as the reboot has reportedly been canceled, according to the Wall Street Journal. At the beginning of 2022, an hour-long 10-episode series was ordered by the streaming service, with production set to begin in Toronto this past summer.
Lara Azzopardi (The Bold Type, Mary Kills People) and Julia Cohen (Riverdale, A Million Little Things) were set as showrunners of the would-be reboot. “What excites us maybe the most about reviving this beloved franchise is turning it into a truly serialized one-hour drama,” Lara Azzopardi and Julia Cohenand said in a previous statement. “We’re honored to be given the opportunity to lead this evolution and bring this iconic series back into people’s homes.”
This new Degrassi was previously described as “a reprise of the original teen drama” and “a character-driven series about the high school experience and the thrilling, often painful journey of self-discovery. Set in Toronto, the new series explores a group of teenagers and school faculty living in the shadow of events that both bind them together and tear them apart. The show travels deep into the hearts and homes of diverse, complicated characters as they struggle to find their new normal, reaching for hope, redemption, and love.”
As Warner Bros. Discovery CEO David Zaslav continues to restructure the company following its AT&T merger, projects aimed at children and teens for HBO Max have been canceled. This includes a Charlotte’s Web co-production with Sesame Workshop and Degrassi, a co-production with WildBrain.
This new Degrassi would have been the latest in the franchise that, in addition to The Next Generation, includes The Kids of Degrassi Street (1979-1986), Degrassi Junior High (1987-1989), Degrassi High (1989-1991), and Degrassi: Next Class (2016-2017).