From the post-apocalyptic The Last Of Us to The Weeknd’s TV debut in The Idol: What's new on HBO Max

Amid recent controversies surrounding the cancelling of many series in its roster, Warner Brothers Discovery streaming service HBO Max has released its catalogue of exciting titles coming to the platform over the next year. 

As the Game of Thrones prequel series House of the Dragon crashes servers upon its release today, HBO Max revealed an array of upcoming series in a short compilation video. Check it out:

Not giving much away, the short clip teases a few familiar recurring titles such as Succession, The White Lotus, Hacks and Barry, as well as a lineup of highly anticipated new productions coming soon to the platform. Here’s a list of the brand-new HBO Max series to look forward to,

The Last of Us

In what seems like the most awaited HBO production ever since its announcement in 2020, The Last Of Us is the live-action adaptation of the multi-award winning 2013 video game of the same name. 

The post-apocalyptic video game follows the story of the outbreak of a mutant Cordyceps fungus ravaged the United States, transforming its human hosts into aggressive creatures known as the Infected. Twenty years later, civilisation has been decimated by the infection. Survivors live in totalitarian quarantine zones, independent settlements, and nomadic groups, leaving buildings and houses deserted.

Within this setting, players follow Joel, a smuggler tasked with transporting a teenager, Ellie, across the United States. Pedro Pascal, of Mandalorian fame and Bella Ramsey, known for her role in Game of Thrones have been cast, respectively, as the two protagonists in the TV adaptation.

While over the past decade, talks for a live-action adaptation for the video game always fizzled out, game writer and creative director Neil Druckmann was finally recruited to write and produce the series under HBO. Craig Mazin, the Emmy-winning writer for HBO’s Chernobyl, has co-written the series along with Druckmann.  

With a reported production budget of $100 million, The Last of Us is said to be the largest television production in Canadian history, however, according to Forbes, the actual budget could be anywhere in the $150-$200 million range. 

HBO’s The Last of Us is set to release early 2023.

The Idol

Marking the television debut for pop icon The Weeknd, the American drama series, The Idol is co-created by the singer alongside Euphoria showrunner Sam Levinson and Reza Fahim.

Set against the backdrop of the music industry, the series will focus on a self-help guru and leader of a modern-day cult who enters into a complicated relationship with a rising pop idol.

Abel Makkonen Tesfaye, more popularly known as The Weeknd, will assume the lead role in his acting debut alongside co-lead, Lily-Rose Depp. The two make up the ensemble cast including Suzanna Son, Troye Sivan, Dan Levy, Eli Roth, Rachel Sennot, Hank Azaria and the final appearance of actress Anne Heche, who died shortly after the series concluded filming earlier this month. 

Created, executive produced and co-written by The Weeknd (who is currently wrapping up his After Hours Till Dark tour), the series found creative assistance from indie production house A24 and is ‘coming soon’ to HBO Max.

Love & Death

Elizabeth Olsen stars as the infamous Candy Montgomery in the American true-crime miniseries, Love & Death, based on the true story of Texan housewife Candy Montgomery brutal axe murder of her friend Betty Gore in 80s America. 

Directed by Lesli Linka Glatter and written by David E Kelley, the series also stars Jesse Plemons, Patrick Fugit, Lily Rabe, Krysten Ritter and Tom Pelphry. 

The series is inspired by the book Evidence of Love: A True Story of Passion and Death in the Suburbs and a collection of articles from Texas Monthly (Love & Death In Silicon Prairie, Part I & II).

Love & Death streams on HBO Max in 2023.

The White House Plumbers

Created and co-written by Alex Gregory and Peter Huyck, The White House Plumbers is HBO’s latest political drama series starring Woody Harrelson and Justin Theroux in the leading roles.

The series follows Watergate masterminds and President Richard Nixon's political mutineers E Howard Hunt and G Gordon Liddy, as they accidentally overturn the presidency they were trying to protect.

Based on the 2007 novel Integrity, by Egil Krogh and Matthew Krogh, the drama series is directed by David Mandel and also stars Domhnall Gleeson, Kiernan Shipka and Lena Headey.

The White House Plumbers streams on HBO Max in 2023.