In A Stunningly Dumb Move, (HBO) Max Has Cancelled One Of Their Best Shows & Let Netflix Pick It Up

(Deadline) Warrior won’t be returning for a fourth season on Max.

However, the existing three seasons of the martial arts crime drama are set to find additional audiences as Netflix has picked up the series’ library in a co-exclusive deal with Max in Warner Bros. Discovery streamer’s markets.

Warrior is expected to debut on Netflix in February 2024. If it does well, Netflix could presumably order a new season of the drama based on an original concept and treatment by Bruce Lee, sources tell Deadline exclusively.

If you've read any of my streaming reccomendation blogs, there is about a 50/50 chance that you've seen me suggest 'Warrior' before. To me, it is one of the best currently airing shows for a couple reasons.

1. The action. This is a series created by Bruce Lee before he passed and produced by his daughter. It stars: 

- Andrew Koji (Former stuntman that competed in Taekwondo and Shaolin kung fu) 
- Joe Taslim (Former Judo competitor, starred in 'The Raid' and other great Indonesian action movies) 
- Kieran Bew (Former fight choreographer, championship fencer)
- Dustin Nguyen (Practitioner of Muay Thai, Tae Kwon Do, Eskrima, and Jeet Kune Do)
- Rich Ting (1st degree Rich Ting Taekwondo blackbelt, trained in Jeet Kune Do  and Wing Chun)
- Olivia Cheng (Trained in Wushu, swordfighting and more)
- Dean Jagger (Former X-Games skater trained in Boxing and MMA)
- Mark Dacascos (Championship winning blackbelt in Wup Hop Kuen Do, trained in Muay Thai, Capoeira, and Wushu)
- Michael Bisping (HoF UFC fighter (small but very good fighting role))

These are actors that were fighters first, and that shows in the incredible fight sequences throughout. And the fights aren't just limited to hand-to-hand eastern martial arts. There is boxing, fencing, knife fights, sword fights, gunfights, staffs, spears, nunchaku and more. Sometimes all combined at once! And the fights look incredible. Limited shaky cam and tons of long sequences similar to what you would find in something like 'John Wick'. 

2. The story. At it's core, it's a serial western. There is a main underlying story but each episode has it's own self-contained story as well. There are tons of old west/samurai movie style standoffs, badass dialogue and a cool soundtrack that combines old-timey western twangs and newer stuff. 

With Netflix taking over, there is still some hope that the series gets the chance to finish up. There is just such a bigger audience of new viewers to watch and, if it does well enough, they will hopefully renew. 

David Zaslav (Warner Brothers Discovery CEO), you've shown yet again that you cannot be trusted with anything.