HBO Max Signs Overall Deal with Lisa Ling

As part of a newly signed overall deal with Lisa Ling, HBO Max has greenlit the travel docuseries Birth, Wedding, Funeral.

Each episode of the series will bring viewers to a different country to reveal their cultures through the lens of the three universal rituals: births, weddings and funerals.

The HBO Max deal marks an expansion of Ling’s relationship with WarnerMedia, as she is the host of the CNN original series This is Life with Lisa Ling, currently airing its sixth season. As part of her overall deal, HBO Max will have a first look at new projects she will continue to develop for the streamer.

“We are living in a deeply polarized world and I am elated for the opportunity to bring us closer to one another through stories about the most defining moments in people’s lives: their births, weddings and funerals,” said Ling.

“As part of the CNN family, Lisa has carved out a unique space for herself using her style of gritty, investigative journalism to drive at the heart of every human story she tells,” said Jennifer O’Connell, executive VP of original content at HBO Max. “Birth, Wedding, Funeral takes audiences on a global journey through a range of societies, exploring the rituals around three critical life events and we are eager to bring this illuminating storytelling to our HBO Max audience.”