7 new shows and movies streaming on HBO Max in August
The arrival of August means that HBO Max has announced its lineup of new shows and movies coming to the platform. Subscribers have a hearty selection of new content to choose from, but first, the month kicks off with a new original docuseries from the director of Tiger King that’s both shadowy and gripping.
The highlight of the month is no doubt the debut of the highly anticipated DC series Lanterns, followed closely by the streaming debut of Bob Odenkirk’s newest dark comedy crime-thriller packed with action. Rounding out the list are a new comedy special, the return of Conan O’Brien’s riotously funny travel series, movie streaming premieres, and more.
7
Whitmer Thomas: Terminal Crew of Dudes
A mixed bag of laughs, childhood antics, stories, and music
Comedian, musician, and actor Whitmer Thomas returns in his second HBO stand-up special, Terminal Crew of Dudes, for a deeply personal tribute to the people and experiences that helped shape him.
Quiz
Name the Iconic HBO legacy TV shows
Trivia challenge
From mob bosses to fantasy kingdoms — can you name these legendary HBO
series from their clues?
DramaCharactersCreatorsPremieresSettings
Which HBO show features a New Jersey mob boss who sees a psychiatrist to deal with
panic attacks and family stress?
Correct! The Sopranos follows Tony Soprano, played by James Gandolfini,
as he balances running a crime family with his personal anxieties. The show ran from 1999 to 2007 and is
widely considered one of the greatest TV dramas ever made.
Not quite — the answer is The Sopranos. Tony Soprano’s therapy sessions
with Dr. Melfi became one of the show’s most iconic elements, blending dark comedy with raw drama across
six acclaimed seasons.
Which HBO series is set primarily in the fictional city of Baltimore and explores
the drug trade, politics, and law enforcement?
Correct! The Wire, created by David Simon, used Baltimore as a canvas to
dissect American institutions across five seasons. Each season focused on a different facet of the city,
from the docks to the school system.
Not quite — the answer is The Wire. David Simon drew on his experience
as a Baltimore journalist to craft one of the most realistic and socially conscious dramas in television
history.
Which HBO show was the first major prestige drama to depict life inside a maximum
security prison from the inmates’ perspective?
Correct! Oz premiered in 1997, making it HBO’s first one-hour dramatic
series. Set in the fictional Oswald State Correctional Facility, it was groundbreaking for its
unflinching depiction of prison violence, race, and redemption.
Not quite — the answer is Oz. Premiering in 1997, Oz broke new ground
for cable television and paved the way for the prestige drama era that followed with shows like The
Sopranos and The Wire.
Which legendary HBO fantasy series was based on George R.R. Martin’s book series ‘A
Song of Ice and Fire’?
Correct! Game of Thrones adapted Martin’s sprawling fantasy novels
beginning in 2011, running for eight seasons. The show became a global cultural phenomenon, though its
final season proved divisive among fans.
Not quite — the answer is Game of Thrones. Showrunners David Benioff and
D.B. Weiss adapted George R.R. Martin’s books into one of the most-watched TV series of all time before
the story outpaced the source novels.
Which HBO dramedy, premiering in 1998, follows the lives of four female friends
navigating love and relationships in New York City?
Correct! Sex and the City, based on Candace Bushnell’s columns and book,
starred Sarah Jessica Parker as Carrie Bradshaw. It ran for six seasons and became a defining pop
culture touchstone of the late 1990s and 2000s.
Not quite — the answer is Sex and the City. The show launched in 1998
and revolutionized how women’s stories were told on television, spawning two theatrical films and a
later revival series called And Just Like That.
In which HBO series does a funeral home family, the Fishers, confront mortality both
professionally and in their personal lives?
Correct! Six Feet Under, created by Alan Ball, ran from 2001 to 2005 and
opened each episode with a death that set the tone for that week’s story. It is remembered for one of
the most acclaimed series finales in television history.
Not quite — the answer is Six Feet Under. Creator Alan Ball previously
wrote American Beauty, and he brought the same meditative examination of death and family dysfunction to
this acclaimed HBO drama.
Which HBO Western series is set in a lawless South Dakota gold rush town and stars
Timothy Olyphant as a newly appointed sheriff?
Correct! Deadwood, created by David Milch, aired from 2004 to 2006 and
is famed for its rich language, complex characters, and historical authenticity. A wrap-up film,
Deadwood: The Movie, was released in 2019.
Not quite — the answer is Deadwood. Set in the real historical town of
Deadwood in the Dakota Territory, the show blended fact and fiction to portray the raw, brutal birth of
civilization on the American frontier.
Which HBO series, set in ancient Rome, follows two soldiers — Lucius Vorenus and
Titus Pullo — amid the fall of the Republic?
Correct! Rome, a co-production between HBO and the BBC, aired from 2005
to 2007. Its massive production budget and lavish recreation of ancient Roman life made it one of the
most expensive television series ever made at the time.
Not quite — the answer is Rome. The show was a joint venture between HBO
and the BBC, and its enormous production costs led to its cancellation after just two seasons despite
critical acclaim and a devoted fanbase.
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In his ongoing quest to be cool, Thomas digs into his small-town Alabama upbringing, sharing irreverent and heartfelt stories from his self-described chaotic adolescence, from pranks and skateboarding to ruining a Benihana birthday party. He’ll be joined onstage by his bandmates and closest friends—Jeremy Ritchie, Clay Tatum, Budd Diaz, and his brother, Johnny McCann.
Whitmer Thomas: Terminal Crew of Dudes debuts on August 14.
6
The Strangers: Chapter 2
Scarecrow, Pin-Up Girl, and Dollface return
The masked strangers are back, and this time, they’re more brutal and relentless than ever. After learning that one of their victims, Maya (Madelaine Petsch), survived their last attack, they return to finish the job.
Picking up directly after the first film, The Strangers: Chapter 2 finds Maya recovering from her knife wounds in a local hospital, then struggling to survive an extended chase from the psychopathic killers Scarecrow, Pin-Up Girl, and Dollface. Our setting shifts from a traditional home invasion into a prolonged game of cat-and-mouse where Maya is unable to tell who in town she can trust.
The Strangers: Chapter 2 debuts on August 7.
5
Mother Mary
A musical drama with surreal, supernatural elements
From A24 and director David Lowery (The Green Knight) comes the 2025 musical psychological drama Mother Mary. Anne Hathaway (The Devil Wears Prada) and Michaela Coel (I May Destroy You) star.
Following a traumatic on-stage accident, pop superstar Mother Mary (Hathaway) steps away from the spotlight. Now, on the eve of her big comeback performance, she reunites with her estranged best friend and former costume designer (Coel), reigniting long-buried wounds that force her to confront her past. Expect a hard shift into trippy, psychological horror territory in this movie.
Mother Mary debuts on August 21.
Mother Mary
- Release Date
-
April 16, 2026
- Runtime
-
112 minutes
- Director
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David Lowery
4
Conan O’Brien Must Go season 3
To Amsterdam, the Netherlands, and India he goes
The new season of Conan O’Brien Must Go is back with four unseen episodes of the comedian and talk show host’s riotously funny travel show. Season three follows O’Brien as he travels across the globe to meet fans from his podcast, with confirmed international stops in locations like Amsterdam, the Netherlands, and India, among others.
The fast-paced series, which is one of HBO Max’s funniest shows, features chaotic cultural explorations, local cuisine, and more unscripted laughs than you can stand.
Conan O’Brien Must Go season 3 debuts on August 21. New episodes will drop weekly on Fridays.
3
Monsters of God
A look at the gonzo underworld of exotic animal smuggling
Tiger King filmmaker Eric Goode takes us deeper into his love for reptiles in the five-part HBO Original docuseries Monsters of God. The series explores his love of the creatures before diving into the dark underworld of smuggling exotic animals. In this global network, everyone is chasing the ultimate prize, whether it be owning the rarest of species, claiming the biggest fortune, or taking down the most elusive criminals.
The billion-dollar enterprise is fueled by an extreme obsession with reptiles, driving many to push the boundaries of laws and environmental ethics. The deeper he digs, the more Goode uncovers a labyrinth of outlaw traffickers, bombastic collectors, and the dogged law enforcement agents on their trails. Through unprecedented access to traffickers, collectors, and law enforcement officials, Monsters of God chronicles decades of illegal wildlife trafficking, exposing the fierce rivalries, criminal networks, and obsession with rare species that have pushed countless reptiles toward the brink of extinction.
Monsters of God debuts on August 6. New episodes will drop weekly on Thursdays.
Monsters of God
- Release Date
-
2026 – 2026-00-00
- Network
-
HBO
- Directors
-
Eric Goode
2
Normal
Kinetic neo-Western crime thriller
Bob Odenkirk (Better Call Saul), Henry Winkler (Barry), and Lena Headey (Game of Thrones) star in Normal, the latest collaboration between the Emmy Award-winning actor and the creators of John Wick and Nobody. The Odenkirk movie follows an unassuming substitute sheriff with a troubled past.
In the wake of his marital woes and moral injuries suffered in the line of duty, Sheriff Ulysses (Odenkirk) takes a provisional posting in the quaint Midwestern town of Normal, Minnesota. What was supposed to be a welcome respite soon turns into a nightmare when he uncovers dark secrets while investigating a botched bank robbery. Expect plenty of action, thrills, and over-the-top carnage.
Normal debuts on August 14.
1
Lanterns
Intergalactic cops pulled into a dark, Earth-based mystery
HBO Max’s new sci-fi detective series Lanterns is based on the mythos of the DC comic Green Lantern. The story follows two intergalactic cops as they investigate a murder with cosmic ties in the American heartland.
Our main characters are human members of the Green Lantern Corps, a peacekeeping force. Kyle Chandler (Friday Night Lights) stars as cocky test pilot Hal Jordan, and Aaron Pierre (The Underground Railroad) stars as rookie John Stewart. While Jordan attempts to train the newcomer in the ways of the Corps and the use of his Power Ring, the two find themselves drawn into an Earth-based mystery involving the deep-seated secrets of a small community. Fans of the comic can expect a fresh live-action take on the popular universe and its characters.
Lanterns debuts on August 16. New episodes will drop weekly through October 4.
The full lineup
These aren’t the only new additions hitting the streamer this month. Be sure to check out HBO Max’s complete August lineup for more details.
- Subscription with ads
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Yes, $10.99/month
- Simultaneous streams
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2 or 4
