A new HBO Max “Coming Soon” trailer has shed light on the streaming service’s upcoming slate of TV shows for the remainder of 2022 and beyond. And streaming rival Netflix should be worried by the quality on display.
The trailer starts by previewing several shows still set to come to HBO Max in the last few months of 2022, including We’re Here season 3 and a new four-part documentary focused on basketball icon Shaquille O’Neal, aptly named Shaq.
There’s also a fresh look at The White Lotus season 2 which is scheduled to debut on October 30. The comedy-drama anthology series was a hit for HBO Max in 2021 and its first season won 10 Emmy awards. Its sophomore season is likely to generate significant interest when it premieres in just a couple of weeks.
The preview also looks ahead to HBO Max’s range of upcoming TV shows for 2023. First up is another peek at The Last of Us, the hotly anticipated adaptation of the critically acclaimed video game. There’s no new footage on show here, but we already got a meaty first trailer last month that was very well-received by gamers overall.
Next up are quick previews of The White House Plumbers, a new mini-series with an impressive cast list. The politics-themed show will star Justin Theroux, Lena Headey, Woody Harrelson and Domhnall Gleeson. Next up is a glimpser at The Idol, a glittery drama starring Lily-Rose Depp and created by Abel Tesfaye aka The Weeknd.
The trailer also flashes through footage from Somebody, Somewhere season 2 and Barry season 4, as well as other returning favorites such as The Righteous Gemstones, Last Week Tonight, Curb Your Enthusiasm, Real Time with Bill Maher, A Black Lady Sketch Show and The Gilded Age.
The trailer builds to a short, but plenty sweet, sneak peek at Succession season 4. Viewers are no doubt eager to see the fallout of last season’s bombshell finale, and while this trailer doesn’t give much away we do get to enjoy a rousing speech from Brian Cox’s Logan Roy who declares “we’re killing the opposition” and “I love it here. I f**king love it here.” There is no firm release date for Succession season 4 as of yet, but it’s likely that many HBO Max subscribers are eagerly awaiting the show’s return.
The back-half of the trailer showcases a handful new series set to hit HBO Max in 2023 including Love & Death, which stars Elizabeth Olsen, Krysten Ritter and Jesse Plemons. There's also Full Circle and The Climb. Plus, there brief glimpses of even more returning shows such as Our Flag Means Death, Julia, Titans, Doom Patrol, Gossip Girl, The Sex Life of College Girls, Hacks and Tokyo Vice. That's an awful lots of TV to look forward to in 2023.
Netflix should take notes from HBO Max
The inclusion of a speech from Logan Roy that focuses on crushing the opposition and building something “better, faster, leaner, wilder” feels very deliberate — it’s almost certainly a tongue-in-cheek warning to HBO Max’s streaming rivals such as Netflix.
While the HBO Max and Discovery Plus merger earlier this year cast some doubt on the future of HBO's streaming service, this trailer sends a very clear message that the platform is still alive and kicking. And, what an upcoming lineup to be able to boast about as well.
While Netflix feels the heat for its perpetual habit of canceling shows after just a single season and takes its first step into the world of ad-supported streaming, HBO Max’s schedule is crammed full of must-watch television, including new shows and returning favorites.
There’s no denying that when it comes to sheer quantity of content, Netflix is the king of streaming. However, HBO Max has always taken a quality-first approach, and that’s why we rank it as the best streaming service currently available. This preview trailer is more evidence that when it comes to churning out critically acclaimed hits, HBO Max is pretty much unrivaled.
Netflix, and other streaming platforms such as Prime Video and Disney Plus, will no doubt have worthwhile content to offer in the coming months but as this trailer demonstrates beating HBO Max is going to be a tall order. We can’t see the streamer being knocked off its perch anytime soon and this trailer is all the evidence needed as to why.
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