HBO takes much of the credit for the rise of prestige TV. Shows like The Sopranos, The Wire, Sex and the City and Game of Thrones were appointment television, and that tradition lives on with newer series like Industry, House of the Dragon, Euphoria, and more. Its streaming service, HBO Max, is also the home of tons of great movies, including new A24 releases, Studio Ghibli animation and the great Music Box series of music documentaries.
This April, two of the brand’s biggest shows of the past decade are premiering new seasons on HBO Max. Hacks’ fifth and final season arrives on April 9, and the long-awaited third season of Euphoria debuts April 12. Here’s a look at all of the buzziest titles arriving on HBO Max this April.
TV Shows
April 9
It’s the final season of the Emmy award-winning comedy Hacks, starring Jean Smart and Hannah Einbinder. After legendary comedian Deborah Vance (Smart) has tried tirelessly to keep her career alive, false news spreads that she herself has died. In the aftermath, she and her head writer Ava Daniels (Einbinder) return to Las Vegas to make sure Deborah’s legacy remains intact. This season, Leslie Bibb, Cherry Jones and Ann Dowd all join the cast. The 10-episode season premieres on April 9 with new episodes arriving weekly.
April 12
Euphoria returns with Zendaya, Sydney Sweeney, Jacob Elordi and Maude Apatow as high schoolers dealing with sex, drugs and anxiety in the California town. After a four-year break, the show is back for season 3 (it will pick up four years after the events of season two), though several original cast members, including Barbie Ferreira, Algee Smith and Nika King, are not returning. Expect to see big names like Rosalia and Marshawn Lynch appearing in the new season, however. Season 3 debuts April 12 with new episodes arriving weekly.
April 14
If Free Solo made your palms sweat, The Dark Wizard takes that anxiety to a whole new level. Dean Potter is one of the world’s most daring extreme athletes; he’s a rock climber, a BASE jumper, and a highline walker, performing dangerous feats that most people wouldn’t dare. This four-part docuseries takes a look at some of his most dangerous stunts, as well as exploring the personal history that led him to such an extreme way of living. The series premieres April 14.
April 23
Half Man is the newest series from Baby Reindeer creator Richard Gadd. The limited series co-stars Gadd and Jamie Bell as Niall and Ruben, childhood best friends whose relationship has been through some wild times. The six-episode series time jumps from their childhoods to adulthood, when Ruben unexpectedly crashes Niall’s wedding. The show premieres April 23, and new episodes arrive weekly on Thursdays.
Movies
April 1
- Alien
- Aliens
- Alien 3
- Alien vs. Predator
- Alien vs. Predator: Requiem
- Alien Resurrection
April 3
Cailee Spaeny, David Jonsson, Archie Renaux and Isabela Merced co-star in the latest film in the Alien franchise, Alien: Romulus, as a group of space colonizers who encounter the terrifying and deadly alien while exploring an old space station. The film is set between the events of 1979’s Alien and it’s 1986 sequel, Aliens, which are also available on the platform as of April 1. Alien: Romulus arrives on HBO Max on April 3.
Sydney Sweeney got some flack for her portrayal of boxer Christy Martin, but Martin’s story is truly remarkable no matter what you think of Sweeney’s performance. After getting married to her trainer, Jim (Ben Foster), Martin became one of the biggest names in women’s boxing in the 1990s, adopting a fiery attitude and formidable presence in the ring. But when Jim’s abuse threatens Christy’s life, she leaves him, eventually marrying her biggest adversary. Christy premieres on April 10.
In the Bryan Fuller-directed action-fantasy Dust Bunny, a 10-year-old girl (Sophie Sloan) hires her next-door-neighbor, a hitman (Mads Mikkelsen) to protect her from the monster she claims lives under her bed. She believes it killed her parents. The film co-stars Sigourney Weaver, Sheila Atim and David Dastmalchian. It premieres on April 17.
Timothée Chalamet earned an Oscar nomination for his portrayal as table tennis master Marty Mauser in Marty Supreme. As Marty pursues his lifelong dream to become a renowned player, he travels the world (and the tri-state area) to make a name for himself, all while dealing with non-stop wild and dangerous situations. Gwyneth Paltrow, Odessa A’zion, Kevin O’Leary, Tyler Okonma, Abel Ferrara and Fran Drescher round out the ensemble cast of this A24 film that arrives on HBO Max on April 24.
Sports
April 4 & 6
Final Four & NCAA National Championship
Every game of March Madness has led up to this: Final Four and the National Championship games. The men’s college basketball tournament semifinals and final game all air on TBS, and will stream simultaneously on HBO Max this year. The Final Four games will stream on April 4 at 6 p.m. (UConn vs. Illinois) and 8:45 pm ET (Michigan vs. Arizona), and the Championship final airs on Monday, March 6 at 8:30 p.m. ET.
Stephan is the sports journalist for the Maple Grove Report.
