Next month is an awfully consequential one for HBO, which in May will: end two of its most acclaimed television offerings of the past decade; revive a decade-plus-old, cult-favorite series in the form of a new movie; and add a new batch of the sort of blockbuster films we’ve come to expect from the Home Box Office. Let’s get into it all, shall we?
One of foremost events in all of pop culture right now is the eighth and final season of Game of Thrones, two episodes of which have aired so far, so where else can we begin our May breakdown but with the juggernaut A Song of Ice and Fire adaptation’s finale? Next week’s episode may bring the mind-blowing climactic battle scene we’ve been waiting for, but no Game of Thrones episode could be as important as the series finale, which concludes the epic fantasy saga on May 19. HBO’s other key series coming to an end next month is Veep, the acclaimed political satire starring Julia Louis-Dreyfus as Vice President Selina Meyer. Though we’ve argued that the Armando Iannucci-created comedy has lost some steam over the course of its seven-season run (a criticism, to be fair, that we’ve also leveled at Game of Thrones), the D.C.-skewering series’ May 12 finale unquestionably marks the end of another HBO all-timer. Speaking of HBO classics, the pay-cabler is reviving David Milch’s nigh-Shakespearean Western-drama Deadwood in the form of a new film, airing (and streaming) on May 31. Fans of the show—one of HBO’s very best—have already waited over a decade for it to resurface in some fashion, so what’s a few more weeks? And don’t forget about the debut of darkly compelling miniseries Chernobyl (May 6), cringe-comedy podcast special My Dad Wrote a Porno (May 11), the season two finale of excellent Bill Hader hitman comedy Barry (May 19), Game of Thrones making-of documentary Game of Thrones: The Last Watch (May 26) and behind-the-scenes Beto O’Rourke doc Running with Beto (May 28).
Where feature films are concerned, HBO’s slate is solid, if considerably less exciting. The network’s theatrical premieres for the month of May mostly consist of middle-of-the-road 2018 blockbuster fare, including horror franchise entry Insidious: The Last Key (May 1), Shane Black’s star-studded The Predator (May 4) reboot-quel, Tiffany Haddish/Kevin Hart comedy Night School (May 11), animated adventure Smallfoot (May 18) (which famously features Zendaya as Meechee), Jerry Bruckheimer-produced war story 12 Strong (May 19) and David Gordon Green’s Halloween (May 25) reboot-quel (lots of those going around lately). Older films headed to HBO’s library next month include irresistible French rom-com Amelie (May 1), Sacha Baron Cohen’s Borat follow-up Brüno (May 1), Oscar-winning romantic drama The Danish Girl (May 1), the self-explanatory Deadpool 2 (Once Upon a Deadpool Extended Version) (May 1) and M. Night Shyamalan’s 2002 thriller Signs (May 6), among others.
Before you go, you’ll also want to glance at the list of titles leaving HBO in May, all of which fall into the feature film category. George A. Romero’s Land of the Dead gets the departure party started on May 28, followed on May 31 by The Devil Wears Prada, Game Night, The Hangover, Inception, The Post, The Book of Eli and more, so adjust your viewing queues accordingly.
See HBO Now’s May sizzle reel and slate below.
Theatrical Premieres:
Insidious: The Last Key, 2018 (5/1)
The Predator, 2018 (5/4)
Night School (Extended Version), 2018 (5/11)
Smallfoot, 2018 (5/18)
12 Strong, 2018 (5/19)
Halloween, 2018 (5/25)
Original Programming:
At the Heart of Gold: Inside the USA Gymnastics Scandal (5/3)
The Shop (5/4)
Foster (5/7)
My Dad Wrote a Porno (5/11)
What’s My Name | Muhammad Ali: Parts 1 and 2 (5/14)
Game of Thrones: The Last Watch (5/26)
Running with Beto (5/28)
Deadwood (5/31)
Series Premiere:
Blinded by the Lights, Premiere (5/1)
Chernobyl, Miniseries Premiere (5/6)
Series Finales:
Barry, Season 2 Finale (5/19)
Veep, Series Finale (5/12)
Game of Thrones, Series Finale (5/19)
Psi, Season 4 Finale (5/31)
2019 APA Visionaries Short Film Competition Finalists:
Halwa (5/6)
Moonwalk With Me (5/6)
Zoetic (5/6)
Estrenos:
La piel de ayer (AKA The Skin of Yesterday), 2019 (5/1)
Malabar, 2019 (5/1)
El Amparo, 2016 (5/8)
Make Love Great Again, 2019 (5/10)
Mi querida cofradia (AKA Hopelessly Devout), 2019 (5/24)
Starting May 1:
The Adventures of the Panda Warrior, 2019
Adventures of Tom Thumb and Thumbelina, 2019
Alpha and Omega: Dino Digs, 2019
Amelie, 2001
Arachnophobia, 1990
Away from Her, 2007
Bruno, 2009
Captivity, 2007
The Chronicles of Narnia: The Voyage of The Dawn Treader, 2010
Conan the Barbarian, 1982
Conan the Destroyer, 1984
The Danish Girl, 2015
Deadpool 2 (Once Upon a Deadpool Extended Version), 2018
Honey, 2003
In the Bedroom, 2001
The Jackal, 1997
The Little Penguin Pororo’s Racing Adventure, 2019
Meet the Fockers, 2004
My Dog Skip, 2000
Phantoms, 1998
Predators, 2010
Puss in Boots, 2011
The Shipping News, 2002
Skinwalkers, 2007
Spymate, 2019
The Stepford Wives, 2004
Tupac: Resurrection, 2003
Starting May 6:
Signs, 2002
Ending May 28:
George A. Romero’s Land of the Dead, 2005
Ending May 31:
Anywhere But Here, 1999
The Book of Eli, 2010
Bring It On, 2000
Bring It On Again, 2004
Bring It On: All or Nothing, 2006
Couples Retreat, 2009
The Descent (Extended Version), 2005
The Descent: Part 2, 2010
The Devil Wears Prada, 2006
The Devil’s Rejects (Director’s Cut), 2005
The Emperor’s Club, 2002
Firewall, 2006
Game Night, 2018
Get Him to the Greek (Unrated Version), 2010
Ghosts of Girlfriends Past, 2009
The Hangover, 2009
Hard Candy, 2006
He’s Just Not That Into You, 2009
Inception, 2010
Invincible, 2006
Lara Croft Tomb Raider: The Cradle of Life, 2003
Love Happens, 2009
Maze Runner: The Death Cure, 2018
Megamind, 2010
Phenomenon, 1996
The Post, 2017
Shine, 1996
Sorority Boys, 2002
Step Up, 2006
Tightrope, 1984
Tooth Fairy, 2010
Volcano, 1997
X2, 2003