The HBO Max August 2026 list of new arrivals indicates an explosive end to the summer. First up is the HBO original series Lanterns, based on the DC Comics Green Lantern IP. Created by Damon Lindelof, whose esteemed career in television includes Lost, The Leftovers, and HBO’s Watchmen, prolific comic book writer Tom King, and Chris Mundy, the show centers on the intergalactic peacekeeping organization known as the Green Lanterns. DC Studios and HBO’s Lanterns is a tad bit more grounded than that description might suggest, however.

Viewers will follow veteran Lantern Hal Jordan (Kyle Chander) as he takes new recruit John Stewart (Aaron Pierre) under his wing while investigating a small-town murder that could weave into a larger cosmic threat. Lanterns has already drawn considerable scrutiny for its deviations from the comic book designs as well as the intention to draw heavily from shows such as HBO’s own True Detective for stylistic inspiration. Nevertheless, DC Studios is betting big on Lanterns, especially after Supergirl bombed at the box office this summer. At the very least, the return of Nathan Fillion as Guy Gardner from James Gunn’s Superman raises an eyebrow for DC fans. Only time will tell when Lanterns premieres on August 16. 

Up next, Conan O’Brien Must Go Season 3 debuts on August 21, with new episodes releasing weekly after. HBO Max subscribers were delighted by the first two seasons, which saw the Late Night talk show legend visiting all sorts of cultures across the globe and having odd and hilarious interactions with his fans along the way. For this third season, people around the world have spotted Conan filming in Morocco, India, the Philippines, and the Netherlands, promising plenty of fun.

While there are no HBO Max original films in August 2026, there are other recent movies that are finally going to be available on the streamer. The first is Bob Odenkirk‘s action comedy Normal, not to be confused with his two Nobody films. Directed by Ben Wheatley, known for Kill List and Meg 2: The Trench, Normal follows an interim sheriff in the fictional small town of Normal, Minnesota, who gets wrapped up in a dark conspiracy after a failed bank robbery. Arriving on the HBO Max streaming service on August 14, Normal offers audiences another chance to see Odenkirk shine in a charming action flick. 

David Lowery’s Mother Mary then debuts on August 21. The surreal, psychological A24 drama involves a famous pop star (Anne Hathaway) and her former costume designer (Michaela Cole) reconnecting and healing their troubled friendship after years apart, leading to a shared supernatural experience. Other streaming recommendations for HBO Max in August 2026 include The Strangers Chapters 1 and 2. Horror fans wanting to keep the marathon going have Zach Cregger’s Barbarian, Drew Goddard’s The Cabin in the Woods, and Eli Roth’s Thanksgiving to choose from as well.

Discover more about our monthly recommendations below, then check out the list of every movie and TV show coming to the HBO Max streaming platform in August 2026. You can also find what’s new this month on streamers like Netflix, Prime Video, and Peacock right here on DiscussingFilm!

Our HBO Max August 2026 Streaming Recommendations Normal

Normal debuts on HBO Max on August 14, 2026!

Lanterns

Lanterns premieres on HBO and HBO Max on August 16, 2026!

Mother Mary

Mother Mary hits HBO Max on August 21, 2026!

Coming August 1

Amy
Barbarian
Bells Are Ringing
Billy Budd
Blockers
Epic
Flipper’s New Adventure
Great White Highway (Discovery)
Hall Pass
Hall Pass: Enlarged Edition
Happy Feet Two
It Comes At Night
Macao
Miss Sloane
Mojave
Murder on the Orient Express (2017)
Orphan
Practical Magic
Put A Ring On It: Cheat Hab (OWN)
Quo Vadis
Road House (1989)
Sicario
Smart Money
Stand by Me
Strike Up the Band
Taxi!
The Band Wagon
The Crimson Pirate
The Fighting 69th
The Kennel Murder Case
The Rain People
The Sea Chase
The Wonderful World of the Brothers Grimm
The Wrong Man
The Yearling
Thresher Shark: Stun to Kill (Discovery)
Tusk
Who’s That Knocking at My Door?
You Can’t Get Away with Murder

Coming August 3

Naked And Afraid: Shipwrecked, Season 1 (Discovery)

Coming August 4

Chopped: Volume 4, Season 64 (Food Network)
Hard Knocks: Training Camp with the Seattle Seahawks (HBO Original)

Coming August 6

Monsters of God (HBO Original)

Coming August 7

Georgie & Mandy’s First Marriage, Season 1
House Hunters International: Volume 9, Season 215 (HGTV)
House Hunters: Volume 11, Season 260 (HGTV)
The Invisible Guest
The Strangers: Chapter 2 (Lionsgate)

Coming August 8

Belle Collective, Season 8 (OWN)

Coming August 9

Heart & Hustle: Houston, Season 2 (OWN)

Coming August 10

Double Lives of Suburban Wives, Season 1 (TLC)

Coming August 11

The Salisbury Poisonings: A Spy Next Door (CNN Films)

Coming August 12

Signs of a Psychopath, Season 11 (ID)

Coming August 13

Building Giants, Season 5 (Science)
Faster With Newbern and Cotten, Season 3
Isadora Moon, Season 1D (Max Original)
Most Extreme Humans, Season 1 (TLC)

Coming August 14

Normal (Magnolia Pictures)
Whitmer Thomas: Terminal Crew of Dudes (HBO Original)

Coming August 16

Lanterns, Season 1 (DC Studios Drama Series)

Coming August 17

Thanksgiving (2023)

Coming August 20

ER: Caught On Camera, Season 1 (TLC)
Expedition X, Season 12 (Discovery)

Coming August 21

Conan O’Brien Must Go, Season 3 (HBO Original)
Mother Mary (A24)

Coming August 22

Abbott Elementary, Season 5

Coming August 24

Margarita: Make Your Story Count, Season 3 (Max Original)

Coming August 25

“Ben Sasse is Coming Home: Lessons in Life and Death” with Jake Tapper, The Whole Story with Anderson Cooper (CNN Originals)

Coming August 26

1000-lb Roomies, Season 2 (TLC)
Bobby’s Triple Threat, Season 5 (Food Network)
Homestead Rescue: Intervention, Season 1 (Discovery)

Coming August 27

Totally ’90s House, Season 1 (HGTV)

Coming August 28

House Hunters: Volume 11, Season 261 (HGTV)
The Producer, Season 1 (HBO Original)

Coming August 30

Enter Nowhere
Holla
Knock Knock
The Cabin in the Woods
The Strangers: Chapter 1
The Strangers: Prey at Night

Coming August 31

Big Burger Battle, Season 1 (Food Network)
The Robot Chicken Adult Swim Special (Adult Swim)

HBO Max August 2026: Full List of Live Sports

Live Sports are available only on select plans. Plan availability varies by subscription provider. Check with your subscription provider for details. Select games available, and blackouts may apply. Pre- and post-game programming will also be available to stream live, along with condensed replay highlights after each game. Please note that this list may not be comprehensive and is subject to change. All times are in ET.

MLB Coming August 4

LA Dodgers vs Chicago Cubs, 8 p.m.

Coming August 11

Seattle vs NY Yankees, 7 p.m.

Coming August 18

Chicago White Sox at Chicago Cubs, 8 p.m.

Coming August 25

LA Dodgers vs Atlanta, 7 p.m.

Savannah Banana’s Coming August 14

Clowns vs Bananas, 9 p.m.

Coming August 21

Clowns vs Tailgaters, 8 p.m.

Coming August 28

Bananas vs Coconuts, 7 p.m.

NASCAR Coming August 8

Newton, IA P&Q 2 p.m.

Coming August 14

Richmond, VA P&Q 3:30 p.m.

Coming August 22

Loudon, NH, 10:30 a.m.

Coming August 28

Daytona Qualifying, 5 p.m.

DUNKMAN Coming August 4

Qualifiers, 8 p.m.

Coming August 11

Qualifiers, 8 p.m.

Coming August 25

Championship, 8 p.m.

HBO Max August 2026: Full List of All Elite Wrestling (AEW)

An HBO Max subscription is required to purchase and view a pay-per-view event. Terms apply.

Coming August 5

AEW Dynamite: Grand Slam Mexico, 8 p.m.

Coming August 8

AEW Collision, 8 p.m.

Coming August 12

AEW Dynamite, 8 p.m.

Coming August 15

AEW Collision, 8 p.m.

Coming August 19

AEW Dynamite, 8 p.m.

Coming August 22

AEW Collision, 8 p.m.

Coming August 26

AEW Dynamite, 8 p.m.

Coming August 28

All Elite Wrestling content includes Dynamite, Collision, Rampage and Battle of the Belts episodes from 2024.

Coming August 29

AEW Collision, 8 p.m.

Coming August 30

AEW All In: London Buy In, 11:30 a.m.
AEW All In: London Pay-Per-View, 1 p.m.