HBO has dozens of TV shows in development, but only some of them will premiere in 2019 and 2020. Most projects may never see the light of day, as many will fall before the finish line somewhere in development. To help make sense of the madness, we tracked down the TV shows set to land on HBO’s schedule within the next few years.
In 2018, HBO debuted several brand new shows, such as Barry, My Brilliant Friend, and Random Acts of Flyness, in addition, of course, to bringing back ongoing series such as Westworld and Silicon Valley. In 2019, even more shows are coming back after one or more years off the air, like True Detective and Game of Thrones. But it's going to be an even bigger year for new shows.
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This year, HBO plans on releasing several new shows, which explore different time periods, events, and even fantasy genres, with some of them being high profile releases. Of course, the network also has plans to release even more shows in 2020 and beyond. But, to keep things simple, we've only included shows that are - one - in active development and - two - will premiere within the next year or two.
Last updated: January 3, 2019
16. Chernobyl
The first joint effort between HBO and Sky, Chernobyl comes from writer Craig Mazin (The Hangover Part II, The Huntsman: Winter’s War) and director Johan Renck (Bloodline, The Last Panthers). Led by Jared Harris (Mad Men, The Crown), this five-part miniseries about the tragic 1986 nuclear disaster also reunites veterans Stellan Skarsgård and Emily Watson. Chernobyl began filming in April 2018 and will likely air by summer 2019.
15. Watchmen
Led by Damon Lindleof (Prometheus, The Leftovers), Watchmen ranks among HBO’s most high profile upcoming investments. Director Nicole Kassell (The Leftovers, The Americans) has been tapped to helm the pilot episode, which will feature an all-star cast consisting of Don Johnson, Jeremy Irons, Regina King, and more. Production got underway in summer 2018, and the series is expected to premiere sometime in 2019. And while the series is based on the Watchmen comic series, it appears to take place several years later, which allows the show to branch off onto its own.
Read More: HBO's Watchmen TV Show Is A Sequel (Sort Of)
14. Lovecraft Country
Coming off the success of Get Out and building off the anticipation of his upcoming film Us, Jordan Peele has found a new home at HBO. His much-anticipated series, Lovecraft Country, has been backed by J.J. Abrams’ Bad Robot and will be directed by Yann Demange (’71). Peele’s series is based on the novel of the same name by Matt Ruff (published in 2016), which follows young Atticus Black on a nightmarish and racially-charged road trip through 1950s middle America. Lovecraft Country stars Jonathan Majors as Atticus Black, Jurnee Smollett-Bell as Letitia "Leti" Dandridge, and Elizabeth Debicki as Christina Braithwhite, among others.
13. Demimonde
Along with Lovecraft Country, J.J. Abrams has a second project in development at HBO, which goes to show how successful his partnership with the television network has been in recent years (counting the success of Westworld). The sci-fi fantasy, Demimonde, comes straight from the mind of Abrams himself and was immediately picked up to series. Demimonde will be Abrams' first original series since NBC’s Undercovers. While little is known about the show, insider reviews have raved in favor of Abrams’ creative and moving Demimonde script.
12. The Undoing
Following the success of Big Little Lies, HBO has reunited actress Nicole Kidman and writer David E. Kelley for their adaptation of Jean Hanff Korelitz’s novel, You Should Have Known. The HBO series follows Grace Sachs (Kidman), an accomplished therapist and loving mother whose life is derailed by unexpected tragedy, with Hugh Grant co-starring as Jonathan Sachs and Donald Sutherland as Franklin Renner. HBO made the limited series order official in mid-March, so audiences can expect to see The Undoing in mid-2019. Furthermore, Bird Box director Susanne Bier had signed on in November to direct the miniseries in its entirety.
11. Gentleman Jack
A joint production between BBC One and HBO, Gentleman Jack has been on the map since the summer 2017. Starring Suranne Jones (Doctor Foster, Save Me), this eight-episode, 19th century true story hails from Sally Wainwright (Happy Valley, Last Tango in Halifax). Gentleman Jack is also set in Halifax (a town in West Yorkshire, England) and follows the dogged pursuits of Anne Lister (Jones) as she seeks to move up in society and renovate her family’s Tudor-era home, Shibden Hall. The miniseries went into production in 2018 and is scheduled to premiere on BBC One sometime in 2019 before airing on HBO in the United States.
10. The New Pope
Hot on the heels of The Young Pope, HBO and collaborator Paolo Sorrentino are reteaming for the sequel series, The New Pope. Casting is underway, with Sharon Stone rumored to lead the series alongside actor Javier Camara (Narcos, The Young Pope). Expected to begin filming in late 2018 or early 2019, The New Pope presents another joint production between HBO and Sky.
9. His Dark Materials
Yet another collaboration between HBO and BBC One is His Dark Materials, an upcoming series based on the novel series of the same name by Phillip Pullman. Led by Logan breakout actress Dafne Keen in the title role as Lyra, His Dark Materials features an impressive cast such as James McAvoy, Lin-Manuel Miranda, Ruth Wilson, and more. It comes more than a decade after The Golden Compass movie flopped at the box office and put all plans of future installments on hold. Production began in summer 2018 and had wrapped by December, which means the His Dark Materials TV show should air sometime in mid-to-late 2019. Furthermore, it has already been renewed for season 2.
Page 2 of 2: Even More Upcoming HBO Shows
8. Game of Thrones Spinoff
HBO commissioned multiple scripts for five potential Game of Thrones spinoff series, and they've since given one of those projects a pilot order. Starring Naomi Watts in the lead role, the Game of Thrones spinoff, which George R.R. Martin suggested it be titled The Long Night, will take place during the Age of Heroes, almost 10,000 years prior to the events of the main Game of Thrones series. While it will be far removed from the main series, it will still tie into the core events by featuring the founding of notable houses, such as House Lannister, and even possibly depict the White Walkers' first arrival in Westeros. Production has yet to begin, but it's possible that the Game of Thrones spinoff could air sometime in early 2020.
7. Euphoria
HBO is chock-full of adult dramas, fantasy shows, and comedy series, but it's missing young adult content - and the network plans on remedying that, to an extent, with Euphoria in 2019, which is based on the Israeli series of the same name. Starring Zendaya in the title role as Rue, Euphoria follows "a group of high school students as they navigate drugs, sex, identity, trauma, social media, love, and friendship." Euphoria features an ensemble cast consisting of A Wrinkle in Time's Storm Reid, Maude Apatow, Brian Bradley, Eric Dane, and more.
6. The Nevers
While HBO has been focused on developing American period dramas over the years, they're currently developing a new period piece that takes place in the Victorian era, titled The Nevers. While not much is known about The Nevers - aside from its story following "a gang of Victorian women who find themselves with unusual abilities, relentless enemies, and a mission that might change the world" - the series is officially being helmed by Joss Whedon, who is executive producing, writing, and directing, in addition to acting as the showrunner.
5. The Outsider
There are a number of Stephen King adaptations in the works, for various networks and movie studios, and one of them is landing at HBO, titled The Outsider. It's based on the horror novel of the same name, which was published in May 2018. It didn't take long for the novel to be optioned into a TV miniseries, which is being produced by Jack Bender and Marty Bowen, and will star Ben Mendelsohn, presumably in the title role.
4. The Time Traveler's Wife
One of the highest profile adaptations HBO currently has in the works is The Time Traveler's Wife, which is based on the novel of the same name by Audrey Niffenegger, who is executive producing the series along with Sue Vertue and Brian Minchin. The book was adapted into a movie in 2009, starring Eric Bana and Rachel McAdams, and now it has been given a straight-to-series order from HBO, with Sherlock and Doctor Who showrunner Steven Moffat writing the script for the adaptation. At the moment, no casting decisions or production details have been revealed, but it's a show that's still very much on HBO's radar. With that in mind, it may not premiere in 2019, but it could debut sometime in 2020.
3. Years & Years
A drama that has gone by relatively unnoticed by general audiences is Years and Years, which is a BBC One production that stars Emma Thompson, Rory Kinnear, and Maxim Baldry, and it's being written by Russell T. Davies, who's best known for creating Torchwood and writing episodes for Doctor Who. Precious little is known about the project at this time, but it's being eyed to premiere sometime in 2019 on BBC One, which means its U.S. debut on HBO should follow shortly thereafter.
2. I Know This Much Is True
HBO fast-tracked development on I Know This Much is True in 2017, and they recently gave the limited series the green light and will most likely premiere the show sometime in 2019, if not in early 2020. Starring Mark Ruffalo as identical twin brothers Dominick and Thomas Birdsey, I Know This Much is True is based on the 1998 novel of the same by Wally Lamb, which earned the author widespread acclaim as well as the distinction of being one of the greatest contemporary writers of our time.
1. Catherine The Great
Another project that has been in development for sometime and is of utmost importance to HBO is Catherine the Great, which stars Helen Mirren as the eponymous Empress of Russia, who ruled over the Russian Empire for most the latter half of the 18th century. The upcoming four-part miniseries, which was written by Nigel Williams and directed by Philip Martin, will primarily chronicle the final years of Empress Catherine's reign. It co-stars Jason Clarke, Rory Kinnear, Gina McKee, and many more. While a premiere date hasn't been set yet, HBO plans on airing the miniseries sometime in 2019.