All the projects coming to HBO Max, WarnerMedia's new streaming service
As the streaming wars continue to rage, WarnerMedia has launched its own service called HBO Max to compete with services like Netflix, Hulu, Amazon Prime Video, and Disney+.
Now live on assorted apps and devices, the streaming platform is set to be stacked with programming from Warner Bros., New Line, DC Entertainment, CNN, TNT, TBS, truTV, the CW, Turner Classic Movies, Cartoon Network, Adult Swim, Crunchyroll, Rooster Teeth, Looney Tunes, and more.
In addition, HBO Max will feature original programming that includes shows produced by Ellen DeGeneres, films produced by Reese Witherspoon and Greg Berlanti (under the newly minted production arm Warner Max), and a whole lot more. Plus, YouTubeTV subscribers will receive a free membership upon the service’s launch.
Read on for a roundup of the projects coming to the streaming service.
[This article was originally published July 9, 2019, and most recently updated May 27, 2020.]
Movies
Justice League: The Synder Cut: The fans have been heard, and HBO Max will be bringing director Zack Snyder's cut of the 2017 DC Comics film Justice League. (2021)
Let Them All Talk: This original Steven Soderbergh-directed film stars Meryl Streep as a celebrated author who goes on a therapeutic road trip with her friends, played by Dianne Wiest and Candice Bergen. Her nephew (Lucas Hedges) tags along and becomes involved with her literary agent (Gemma Chan). (Fall 2020)
Charm City Kings: The Sundance breakout, which was stars rapper Meek Mill, tells the story of a black Baltimore teenager named Mouse who falls in with a group of urban dirt bike riders, but feels pressure that his new passion may lead him into the gang life that led to his brother's death. The film is produced by Baltimore native Jada Pinkett Smith, and her husband Will Smith. (TBD)
UNpregnant: As part of executive producer Greg Berlanti’s deal, one of the first films from WarnerMedia’s streaming service tackles the hot-button topic of abortion. Haley Lu Richardson and Barbie Ferreira star as two teens going on a road trip to New Mexico for Richardson’s character to make a decision about terminating her pregnancy before college. The YA novel adaptation will be directed by Rachel Lee Goldenberg. (Fall 2020)
Superintelligence: Melissa McCarthy stars in this comedy as a woman whose phone, TV, and microwave start talking to her. It turns out the world’s first superintelligence — A.I. with an attitude — has decided to take over her life before taking over the world. Bobby Cannavale, Brian Tyree Henry, Jean Smart, and James Corden are also starring. (Fall 2020)
Bobbie Sue: Starring Gina Rodriguez in the title role, this film tells the tale of a scrappy, headstrong young lawyer who thinks she’s landed her big break with a case at an upper-crust law firm. She quickly realizes she’s been hired “for optics and not her expertise,” but decides to take the firm head-on when she discovers her powerful client is covering up her company’s exploitation of its workers. (TBD)
An American Pickle: HBO Max is getting a double dose of Seth Rogen in this Simon Rich adaptation. The Long Shot actor stars as Herschel Greenbaum, a 1920s immigrant who falls into a vat of pickle brine and emerges 100 years later perfectly preserved. When he goes to meet his great-grandson (also played by Rogen) he find his new reality even more difficult to understand. (Aug. 6)
Expecting Amy: This “unfiltered” documentary follows Amy Schumer over the course of her difficult pregnancy and comedy tour leading up to the birth of her first child. (July 9)
15 Minutes of Shame: Monica Lewinsky and MTV’s Catfish developer-star Max Joseph have partnered for a documentary focusing on our culture’s “public shaming epidemic.” (TBD)
Bourdain: Won’t You Be My Neighbor? director Morgan Neville will helm a doc exploring the life of the late chef and TV host. (TBD)
On The Record: Acquired by HBO Max at the 2020 Sundance Film Festival, this documentary profiles Drew Dixon and other women who have accused music mogul Russell Simmons of sexual misconduct. (He has denied the allegations.) (May 27)
The Scoop: This CNN Films documentary follows the network’s female political reporters as they cover the 2020 presidential campaign, with “unprecedented access” to the campaign press corps. (TBD)
Persona: This documentary, another CNN production, delves into America’s fascination with personality tests, from dating apps to job applications, with the aim of revealing how these tests have impacted our world. (TBD)
Scripted Series
Search Party: The critically acclaimed comedy-noir hybrid is moving from TBS to the streaming platform for its third and fourth seasons. (June 25)
Doom Patrol: Season 2 of DC's strangest heroes will be on both HBO Max and DC Universe saving the world with members like Negative Man (Matt Bomer) and The Chief (Timothy Dalton). (June 25)
Americanah: Executive producer Lupita Nyong’o has recruited Black Panther costar (and Tony-nominated playwright) Danai Gurira to adapt Nigerian author Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie’s epic novel about the experiences of a Nigerian woman who immigrates to America. Nyong’o will play the protagonist, Ifemelu, in the 10-episode limited series. (TBD)
Grease: Rydell High: This spin-off of the popular 1978 movie musical will still take place in the 1950s and feature new and old characters dealing with high school problems in 20th-century small-town USA. (TBD)
Gossip Girl: The original creative team of Josh Schwartz and Stephanie Savage have tapped showrunner Josh Safran (Smash) to reboot the iconic CW series based on Cecily von Ziegesar’s YA novels. The show will spend 10 episodes centering on a new group of elite private school teens in New York City, and track how things have changed since the last iteration of the show. (TBD)
The Flight Attendant: Kaley Cuoco produces and stars in this hourlong thriller series based on Chris Bohjalian’s 2018 novel about a flight attendant who wakes up hungover next to a dead body. Berlanti will also serve as executive producer. (Fall 2020)
Station Eleven: Patrick Somerville, of Maniac fame, is adapting Emily St. John Mandel’s post-apocalyptic novel that follows survivors of a devastating flu as they recover and rebuild society. Hiro Murai will direct and executive-produce the 10-episode limited series. (TBD)
Made for Love: Also from showrunner Somerville, this 10 episode half-hour series is an adaptation of the gonzo sci-fi comedy novel written by Alisa Nutting; S.J. Clarkson (Jessica Jones) will direct and executive-produce. (TBD)
Raised by Wolves: Legendary filmmaker Ridley Scott will produce and direct a sci-fi series centered around two androids raising human children on a mysterious virgin planet, as religious differences among the humans threaten the burgeoning colony. (Fall 2020)
Overlook: Reuniting Stephen King, WBTV, and Bad Robot, the producers of Hulu's Castle Rock, J.J. Abrams is creating a horror-thriller that once again brings audiences back into the world of King's book The Shining. Set at the author's famous Overlook Hotel, the series will explore previously untold but continuously terrifying stories from the haunted destination. (TBD)
Duster: Producer J.J. Abrams teams up with veteran writer LaToya Morgan to create a show about a getaway driver in the 1970s Southwest who's life working for a growing crime syndicate becomes more and more awful. (TBD)
Justice League Dark: While little is known about the series, it will include characters from DC Comics' Justice League Dark universe, meaning John Constantine, Zatanna, and more are fair game. (TBD)
Sesame Street: The famed children’s series and its multiple spin-offs are moving from HBO to HBO Max for the next five seasons. (Fall 2020)
Dune: The Sisterhood: From the mind of Denis Villeneuve, who is currently directing a film version of the initial book in Frank Herbert’s Dune series, this show will serve as a sequel series based on the book by Brian Herbert and Kevin Anderson that’s set in the same universe. (TBD)
Tokyo Vice: Ansel Elgort will play an American reporter on the Tokyo Metropolitan Police beat. The drama series is based on the firsthand nonfiction account by Jake Adelstein. (TBD)
Love Life: Paul Feig has teamed up with Anna Kendrick to create this half-hour rom-com anthology series. (May 27)
Circe: Madeline Miller’s best-selling 2018 novel, a retelling of Greek mythology through a modern lens, is being adapted into an eight-episode series by Jurassic World writers Rick Jaffa and Amanda Silver. (TBD)
Starstruck: Made in partnership with BBC Three, this six-part comedy written, created by, and starring U.K. comedian Rose Matafeo centers on a burnt-out twenty-something whose world turns upside down after she accidentally sleeps with a celebrity. (TBD)
DC Super Hero High: Elizabeth Banks will executive-produce a comedy series following a group of students as they navigate adolescence at a boarding school for gifted kids, unaware that they’re on their way to becoming legendary DC heroes. (TBD)
Rap Sh*t: In this comedy series from EP Issa Rae, a female rap group from outside Miami struggles to make it in the music industry. (TBD)
College Girls: The latest comedy series from creator Mindy Kaling, College Girls follows three freshman roommates at Vermont’s Evermore College, all “a bundle of contradictions and hormones.” Misadventures are sure to ensue. (TBD)
Strange Adventures: In addition to his YA-targeted films, producer Greg Berlanti will bring this DC anthology series to HBO Max, exploring “close-ended morality tales” about the lives of mortals and superhumans, and featuring various DC characters from across the canon. (TBD)
Green Lantern: Producer Greg Berlanti is diving into the expansive, intergalactic universe of DC Comic's Green Lantern, providing for one of his biggest shows ever. (TBD)
Boys: HBO Max will stream this British series from writer Russell T. Davies (A Very English Scandal), the story of five friends facing the rise of AIDS in the 1980s. The main cast is mostly unknown actors, but also includes Neil Patrick Harris and Stephen Fry. (TBD)
Generation: Lena Dunham is an EP on this “dark yet playful” series, which sounds like a companion piece to Euphoria. Created by 18-year old Zelda Barnz and her father, Daniel, the show tells the tale of high school students whose exploration of modern sexuality tests their conservative community’s deeply entrenched beliefs about life, love and the nature of family. (TBD)
The Uninhabitable Earth: Director-producer Adam McKay (Succession, Vice) is adapting David Wallace-Wells’ nonfiction book of the same name into a scripted anthology series covering a wide range of genres and future scenarios stemming from climate change. (TBD)
Frayed: Set in 1989, this comedy follows wealthy London housewife Sammy Cooper as she's forced to return to her hometown of Newcastle, Australia and confront her past, and the events that lead her to leave when she was a teenager. (July 30)
White House Farm: A true crime drama told in six parts, this series stars Stephen Graham and Alfie Allen, and depicts the true story of an infamous 1985 murder of three generations of one family at an isolated farmhouse. (Fall 2020)
Untitled Aniello, Downs, Statsky project: Pitched as a dark comedy, the 10-episode series created by Broad City alums Lucia Aniello, Paul W. Downs, and Jen Statsky stars Jean Smart as a Las Vegas diva who begins mentoring an entitled 25-year-old outcast. Additionally, the show will be executive produced by The Good Place creator Mike Schur. (TBD)
The Not-Too-Late Show with Elmo: On the family-friendliest late night show, Sesame Street star Elmo will have a chat with some of his celebrity friends. (May 27)
Tooned Out: Executive Producer Robert Zemeckis is bringing back the hybrid live-action and animated format for this comedy series about a person named Mac who starts seeing iconic cartoon characters there to help him through a rough patch in life. (TBD)
Crime Farm: In a psychosexual love story, forensic homicide experts Selma and Richard Eikelenboom are a couple who's relationship thrives off of investigating the world's most notorious criminals, but one case throws off their paradigm. Nicole Kidman serves as an executive producer of the drama series.
The Prince: Longtime Family Guy writer Gary Janetti will voice young Prince George spilling the tea on royal family members like Harry and Meghan (voiced by Orlando Bloom and Condola Rashad). (TBD)
The Boondocks: Originally a comic strip, this animated television series won much acclaim during its run on Adult Swim before creator and showrunner Aaron McGruder left the project in season 4. McGruder returns to the suburban satire for two seasons, plus a special. (TBD)
Gremlins: The team behind the upcoming Animaniacs reboot is working with showrunner Tze Chun to make an animated prequel series to the 1984 comedy-horror movie Gremlins. It will depict young Sam Wing (the shop owner in the movie) meeting Gizmo and going on an adventure through Shanghai that puts them into contact with all sorts of monsters and spirits from Chinese folklore. (TBD)
Adventure Time: Distant Lands: Return to the mystical Land of Ooo with four new hourlong specials, each focusing on different characters, with Jake the Dog and Finn the Human reuniting for one more adventure. (June 25)
gen:LOCK: HBO Max will release the second season of Rooster Teeth’s dystopian animated series starring Michael B. Jordan, Maisie Williams, and David Tennant. (TBD)
Aquaman: King of Atlantis: Aquaman film director James Wan is producing this three-part animated miniseries following Arthur on his first day as King of Atlantis and beyond. (TBD)
Looney Tunes Cartoons: The beloved Looney Tunes shorts are getting an update and a new home on HBO Max. The 80 new 11-minute episodes will feature Bugs Bunny, Porky Pig, Daffy Duck, and even Yosemite Sam. (May 27)
Little Ellen: This 2D animated children’s show follows a 7-year-old DeGeneres on adventures around her hometown of New Orleans, taking in music and life lessons. (TBD)
Santa Inc.: In this eight-episode adult animated series, Seth Rogen voices a Santa Claus successor who is poached by Amazon, leaving room for elf leader Candy Smalls (Sarah Silverman) to possibly become the first female Santa Claus. (TBD)
Esme & Roy: The second season of the animated Sesame Workshop show continues tell the story of the best monstersitters in Monsterdale. (June 25)
Close Enough: Regular Show creator J.G. Quintel ventures into adult animation with a surreal look at the life of a millennial family that lives with roommates. (July 9)
Tig n' Seek: Produced by Cartoon Network Studios, this children's animated series introduces the audience to eccentric eight year old Tiggy, who lives in Wee-Gee City and works at the Department of Lost and Found. Joining him on his adventures is his cat Gweeseek, who seems normal, but is a master inventor ready to help her owner find the city's lost items. (July 23)
The Fungies!: In this prehistoric comedy, a young Fungietown Elementary student named Seth shares his exciting science discoveries with other Fungietown inhabitants, leading to trouble and surprises. (Summer 2020)
Jellystone: On this animated series, the town of Jellystone is home to a variety of Hanna-Barbera characters like Yogi Bear and Jabberjaw working, playing, living, and getting into trouble with each other. (TBD)
Mecha Builders: Imagine all the favorite Sesame Street characters as robot-animation heroes, and you have this Sesame Street spin-off series. (TBD)
Unscripted Series
Ellen’s Home Design Challenge: As eight designers are given challenges that push their creativity, DeGeneres will weigh in with color commentary. (TBD)
First Dates Hotel: Based on a U.K. format, this dating series features multiple generations of people get tailor-made romantic first dates. Contestants will decide at the end of there is a love connection, and can choose to stay one for a second date to ensure they’ve found a match. (TBD)
Finding Einstein: This docuseries will focus on finding and cultivating the next generation of Albert Einsteins. (TBD)
Wahl Street: Actor and entrepreneur Mark Wahlberg will star in a docuseries showing the side of his professional life that involves developing and/or investing in businesses like an activewear line, film and TV production companies, and even a car dealership. There will also be opportunities throughout the show's eight episodes for a variety of businesspeople to offer opportunities for Wahlberg to endorse or invest in their ideas. (TBD)
The Event: Master chef Wolfgang Puck is giving audiences an inside look at what goes in to catering some of the biggest events of the year like the official Oscars Party. Each one of the eight episodes of the docuseries will follow various members of Puck’s team as they push to surpass attendee’s expectations. (Fall 2020)
Craftopia: YouTube star Lauren Riihimaki, a.k.a. LaurDIY, will watch on as 9-to-15-year-old contestants gather materials to craft items for larger-than-life challenges. (May 27)
Karma: Sixteen contestants ages 12 to 15 must overcome puzzles and physical challenges set under the rules of karma, with host Michelle Khare, a popular YouTuber, crowning one of them Karma Champion. (June 18)
Full Bloom: This competition series will see 10 talented florists facing off to design and execute intricate displays. (Fall 2020)
Legendary: From the producers of Queer Eye, this 10-episode unscripted series will rotate around 10 vogueing houses as they compete in a themed ball each week. (May 27)
The Greatest Space: The producer behind The Amazing Race have conceived an epic reality competition where interior designers transform empty rooms around the world. Each win allows them to design bigger more unique spaces, eventually leading to a substantial cash prize. (TBD)
Brad & Gary Go To…: This six-episode reality series follows Fashion Police’s Brad Goreski and his husband, Gary Janetti, as they embark on a globetrotting “culinary adventure,” inspired by their Instagram stories. (TBD)
House of Ho: This docuseries, described as “in the spirit of Crazy Rich Asians,” follows multiple generations of the Ho family, whose patriarch built a multimillion-dollar empire in Houston after immigrating from Vietnam. (July 16)
Birth, Wedding, Funeral: CNN’s Lisa Ling will host this series exploring different countries’ cultures through the three titular rituals. (TBD)
12 Dates of Christmas: This dating series will follow a cast of singles as they step into a real-life romantic comedy, filled with such winter-wonderland traditions as ice skating, sleigh rides, and mistletoe kisses, all arranged to help them find love in time for the holidays. (TBD)
Heaven’s Gate: A CNN original series exploring the infamous religious movement, which culminated in the largest mass suicide ever on U.S. soil. (TBD)
Generation Hustle: CNN is also producing this 10-part series examining the lengths young people will go to for fame, fortune, and power. (TBD)
The Big Shot With Bethenny: From The Apprentice producer Mark Burnett and former The Apprentice: Martha Stewart contestant and Real Housewives of New York star Bethenny Frankel comes an eight-episode reality competition where contestants compete to be second-in-command of Frankel’s Skinnygirl empire. (TBD)
Hot Dog: In this 12 episode, half-hour reality competition show, three dog groomers will face off in themed challenges that recreate a dog's look from head to tail. The show is inspired by celebrity dog grooming expert Jess Rona, who will lead a judging panel that will include celebrity guests. (Fall 2020)
Untitled Cooking Project: Actress and singer Selena Gomez will produce and star in a 10-episode cooking series that finds her chatting with different master chefs over video chat to help figure out what meals to make while she is stuck as home in quarantine like the rest of the world in 2020. (TBD)
The Dog House: The UK-set reality show tracks dogs coming into a rural British rescue center to when those dogs meet their prospective owners for the very first time, showing the ins and outs of the human-dog courting experience. (July 30)
Equal: This 4-part limited docuseries show the origins of the LGBTQ+ movement, fighting for equality even before Stonewall riots. (Fall 2020)
Reisig & Taylor/NBC/NBCU Photo Bank
Comedy Specials
Friends Reunion Special: To go along with all 236 episodes of Friends the streaming service is getting upon launch, all six Friends leads are reuniting with creators Marta Kauffman, David Crane and executive producer Kevin Bright to celebrate their show that continues to be a juggernaut over fifteen years later. The Late Late Show with James Corden producer Ben Winston will direct. (Fall 2020)
Original stand-up specials: One-hour stand-up comedy specials are on the way from Tracy Morgan, Search Party‘s John Early, Rose Matafeo (who is also creating, writing, and starring in the comedy series Starstruck for the platform), and newcomer Ahir Shah. (TBD)
Team Coco comedy specials: Conan O’Brien will host two comedy specials featuring short sets from up-and-coming comics, and curate hourlong specials from three yet-to-be-announced comedians. O’Brien’s company Team Coco is also producing an hourlong special from comedian James Veitch. (TBD)
Chelsea Handler stand-up special: Comedian Chelsea Handler is returning to stand-up after a six year hiatus, fresh off the tour for her best-selling 2019 memoir Life Will Be The Death of Me.
The Monster at the End of This Story: Grover from Sesame Street stars in a new animated version of the acclaimed children's picture book of the same name. (Fall 2020)
Don't Let Pigeons Do Storytime!: Popular children's author Mo Willems is bringing his first live-action special to the streaming site. Directed by Bobcat Goldthwait, the special stars Willems and the "Story Time All Stars," a group of celebrities, comedians, and actors like Anthony Anderson, Cameron Esposito, and Natalie Morales, who will be doing sketch comedy and live readings inspired by Willems' work. (TBD)
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