A massive variety of new series and movies are coming to HBO Max in 2022. Since the streaming service’s inception, HBO Max has housed blockbuster films and prestige television series. While HBO Max features other WarnerMedia titles, HBO Max is primarily home to its original content.
HBO Max doesn’t let the previous successes of HBO limit what future content it produces. Many series do piggyback off the services’ previous shows; a prequel to HBO’s signature series Game of Thrones comes out this year, as do a few shows expanding WarnerMedia’s DC Entertainment Universe. However, HBO Max is also reviving and continuing older series, such as Gossip Girl. Purely original content is on the docket for 2022, too, ranging from pandemic-era thrillers to restaurant-hopping reality shows.
Some HBO content has been featured on the service, but most hasn’t been officially HBO Max original content. The Harry Potter 20th Anniversary special, Euphoria, and Peacemaker all hit the screen in early 2022, setting the standard for HBO Max as well as every other streaming service for the year to come. Here’s the HBO Max Original shows and movies releasing in 2022.
The Batman – Streaming April 18th
Robert Pattinson stars as the newest version of DC’s Dark Knight in the feature superhero film The Batman. Taking inspiration from a plethora of landmark Batman comics, the film takes place in Batman’s second year of crime-fighting, in which the hero uncovers both plots by the serial killer The Riddler and city-wide corruption tracing back to Batman’s own family. An all-star cast supports Pattinson, featuring Paul Dano as The Riddler, Zoë Kravitz as Catwoman, and Jeffrey Wright as police lieutenant James Gordon.
The Batman has been described as moody, violent, and highly psychological, essentially a superhero take on the neo-noir genre. While The Batman is not directly a part of DCEU canon, it has been announced to take place on Earth-2 in the DCEU multiverse. This individualized story aims to bring new depth to Batman, a similar approach as the also non-canon DC film Joker, although the potential for future sequels to The Batman are excitingly possible.
House of the Dragon – Unannounced
Based on George R. R. Martin’s novel Fire & Blood, House of the Dragon is a fantasy drama series and prequel to the Game of Thrones series. Depicting the fall from power of the dragonriding House Targaryen, the series takes place 200 years before Game of Thrones and will include the Targaryen’s civil war for control of the Seven Kingdoms of Westeros. The cast features Paddy Considine as King Viserys I Targaryen, Olivia Cooke of Bates Motel as Lady Alicent Hightower, and Matt Smith of Doctor Who as Prince Daemon Targaryen.
Picking up the directors of some of the best Game of Thrones episodes, including the “Battle of the Bastards,” House of the Dragon poises itself to rival the grandeur and gripping violence of its precursor. Considine, who is known for his emotional portrayals of antiheroes, seems perfect to oppose the equally compelling Matt Smith in a struggle over the fantasy continent. It may appear a risk for a spin-off of Game of Thrones to not include any of its former stars, but House of the Dragon promises a new, bold vision setting up the original series.
Batgirl – Unannounced
Another deviation from the DCEU canon, Batgirl is a superhero movie featuring Leslie Grace Martinez of In The Heights as Barbara Gordon, the young counterpart to Batman. Presumably, Batgirl will combat the sociopathic pyromaniac Firefly while dodging the suspicions of her father, police commissioner James Gordon. Brendan Fraser has been selected to play Firefly and J. K. Simmons appears as Commissioner Gordon. Additionally, Michael Keaton reprises his role as Bruce Wayne and Batman, confirmed as the exact same character from his Batman films of the 1980s.
Batgirl was originally going to appear in the Birds of Prey movie, but, ultimately, an individual showcase of the character was selected. Utilizing similar sets to those seen in The Flash, which will partially share continuity with Batgirl’s canon, the film has established itself as an entirely new way to view Gotham City. In union with The Batman’s fresh approach, Batgirl seems to herald a revitalization of DC’s movies.
Take Out With Lisa Ling – January 27th
Journalist Lisa Ling uses her investigative talents to celebrate Asian American culture in Take Out with Lisa Ling. Ling explores a variety of Asian restaurants across the United States to reconnect with the often suppressed histories behind the foods and people. While Take Out with Lisa Ling may be a reality show, Ling elevates the content through her deliberate journey for more meaning behind her cultural roots.
Búnker – January 27th
One of the first original Latin American productions on HBO Max, Búnker is a wild, spiraling comedy series. In the show, a father who has lost all respect of his wife and children finds solace in his basement’s fallout shelter from his crumbling world. Bruno Bichir, recognizable from appearances on Ozark, Season 4, and Titans, stars in Búnker.
Raised by Wolves – February 3rd
As Raised By Wolves enters its second season, two parental androids struggle to keep their isolated group of human children alive in a new colony. The sci-fi series stars Amanda Collin and Abubakar Salim as the androids and features Ridley Scott as one of its producers. Bordering between horror and sci-fi, Raised by Wolves keeps building its intense momentum through 2022.
Kimi – February 10th
Stephen Soderbergh and David Koepp’s thriller movie Kimi stars Zoë Kravitz as a tech worker with a fear of the outside. Set during the Covid-19 pandemic, Kravitz’s character must venture out into her increasingly disturbed society in order to bring justice to a violent crime she uncovered. Kimi is a gripping, relevant story, bound to be an excellent showcase for Kravitz’s talent.
Moonshot – March 24th
The science-fiction romantic comedy movie Moonshot features Cole Sprouse alongside Lana Condor, star of the To All the Boys franchise. The pair play two college students who sneak aboard a space shuttle in order to reunite with their partners on newly terraformed Mars. Zach Braff of Scrubs also appears in the film, rounding out Moonshot’s comedically talented cast.
The Flight Attendant, Season 2 – Spring
Kaley Cuoco reprises her lead role in the second season of the comedy thriller The Flight Attendant. The second season finds the titular flight attendant attempting to remedy her image and alcohol problem, still dealing with being mixed up in an international murder case. A solid mix of hair-raising tension and snarky comedy, The Flight Attendant promises to push Cuoco's character in a more introspective, personable direction.
Gossip Girl, Season 2 – July 8th
A continuation of the original series, Joshua Safran’s Gossip Girl enters its second season. Still featuring Kristen Bell as the anonymous and eponymous blogger, a new set of teens navigate life, love, and the toxicity of social media. The revival of Gossip Girl finds fresh ground with attention given to diverse and LGBTQ stories, certainly explored further in the show’s second season.
Other 2022 HBO Max Series and Movies (Confirmed and Likely)
Hacks, Season 2: A legendary stand-up comedienne pairs with an up-and-comer to revitalize their acts.
Doom Patrol, Season 4: An oddball team of superpowered outcasts combat weird threats to the world.
Pretty Little Liars: Original Sin: The daughters of the original series characters are tormented by another unknown entity.
The Sex Lives of College Girls: A group of college freshman girls explore life, love, and the struggles of school.
Gremlins: Secrets of the Mogwai: A young boy journeys to return Gizmo the Mogwai home, encountering monsters and evil.
DMZ: A medic searches for her son in dystopian Manhattan during the Second American Civil War.
Father of the Bride: A Latin adaptation of the story of a father reluctant to let his daughter get married.
Evil Dead Rise: The Evil Dead universe continues as a young mother of three discovers a nightmarish book.
Legendary, Season 3: The LGBT reality competition continues to explore ball culture.
House Party: A remake of the 1990 film of a high school sneaking out to a wild party.
Julia: A biopic series based on the life of television chef Julia Child.
Love and Death: A crime drama recounting a Texas housewife’s axe murder of her friend in the 1980s.
Our Flag Means Death: A period drama in which a wealthy British aristocrat becomes a pirate.
The Staircase: A crime novelist is accused of murdering his wife when she is found dead at the bottom of their home’s staircase.
