7 new movies and TV shows on Netflix, Max, Disney Plus and more this weekend (May 26)
If you haven’t already heard the news, HBO Max officially rebranded to Max this week, with the shiny new service combining the content libraries of Discovery Plus with Warner Bros. Discovery’s former flagship streamer.
You can get the low-down on the switchover in our seven things HBO Max fans need to know about Max guide elsewhere on TechRadar, but normal service resumes here in our weekly guide to the best new movies and TV shows to stream this weekend.
Below, we’ve picked out seven of the biggest new arrivals worth catching on the likes of Netflix, Max and Apple TV Plus over the next few days.
FUBAR (Netflix)
Arnold Schwarzenegger returns to ass-kicking action this weekend in new Netflix comedy series FUBAR (caps intended).
In this eight-episode adventure, the Terminator star plays a forced-out-of-retirement CIA operative who discovers that his daughter (Top Gun: Maverick‘s Monica Barbaro) is, in fact, also working for America’s foreign intelligence service. Forced to team up as partners, the pair quickly become embroiled in a globe-trotting mission to save the world (of course!).
When you’re done with FUBAR – which comes from Reacher writer Nick Santora – check out our roundup of 6 more action comedies available to stream on Netflix, Prime Video and more.
Now available to stream on Netflix.
Clone High (Max)
Arriving with surprisingly little fanfare this weekend (for what is essentially a Max launch title) is Clone High, a new adult animated comedy series from Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse writers Phil Lord and Christopher Miller.
Well, we say ‘new’, but Clone High – which follows a group of high school teens who also happen to be clones of famous historical figures – actually ran for 13 episodes back in 2002 before being unceremoniously canceled by MTV. Since then, the series has earned a cult following, and this rebooted version arrives on Max with many of its original voice actors.
Critics have described Clone High as “blissfully silly”, suggesting Lord and Miller – along with co-writer Bill Lawrence – have crafted one of the best Max shows for comedy fans. There’s been no word yet on when the series might debut in the UK.
Now available to stream on Max.
Platonic (Apple TV Plus)
Apple has enlisted the services of Neighbors co-stars Seth Rogen and Rose Byrne for its latest foray into comedy drama, Platonic.
From the minds of Friends From College creators Nick Stoller and Francesca Delbanco, this 10-episode series centers on a pair of one-time childhood best friends (Rogen and Byrne) who attempt to rekindle their friendship in adulthood following a dramatic falling out.
Reviews for Platonic have called the series “the perfect modern buddy comedy,” so this one could be a sure bet for a place on our list of the best Apple TV Plus shows in 2023.
Now available to stream on Apple TV Plus.
Gremlins: Secrets of the Mogwai (Max)
Who saw this coming? Arriving alongside Clone High this weekend as another animated Max launch title is Gremlins: Secrets of the Mogwai.
This series spin-off from the Gremlins film franchise serves as a prequel to Joe Dante’s 1984 original movie and follows a young Sam Wing as he first encounters Gizmo in 1920s Shanghai. Ming-Na Wen, BD Wong, James Wong and Matthew Rhys head the voice cast, which also includes the likes of Sandra Oh and George Takei.
The first two episodes of Gremlins: Secrets of the Mogwai are now available to stream on HBO Max, with the remaining eight instalments set to arrive weekly every Tuesday. UK viewers will likely find the series streaming on Sky and NOW in the coming months.
Now available to stream on Max.
American Born Chinese (Disney Plus)
Hot on the heels of their respective Oscar wins, Everything Everywhere All at Once stars Michelle Yeoh, Ke Huy Quan and Stephanie Hsu reunite for new Disney Plus action-comedy series American Born Chinese.
Adapted from the graphic novel of the same name by Kelvin Yu and directed by Shang-Chi helmer Destin Daniel Cretton, this eight-episode drama follows an American high school student whose encounter with a foreign exchange student lands him in a war between Chinese mythological gods
Ben Wang and Poppy Liu also star in American Born Chinese, which critics have described as “the unofficial encore to Everything Everywhere all at Once.” Make of that what you will.
Now available to stream on Disney Plus.
The Clearing (Hulu, Disney Plus)
If you’re in the mood for a fright this weekend, look no further than The Clearing, which is now streaming on Hulu in the US and Disney Plus in the UK.
This eight-part Australian crime thriller – adapted from J.P. Pomare’s novel In the Clearing – centers on the mysterious Freya, whose dark past may hold the key to preventing a religious cult from gathering children and coercing them into executing their grand master plan. Cheery stuff!
Teresa Palmer, Miranda Otto and Guy Pearce all star in The Clearing, which has earned plaudits for its performances and storytelling. Here’s hoping the series is one of the best Hulu shows for some time.
Now available to stream on Hulu in the US and Disney Plus in the UK.
Prehistoric Planet season 2 (Apple TV Plus)
This week’s documentary pick is Prehistoric Planet season 2, which is now streaming in its entirety on Apple TV Plus.
In what is essentially a CGI-enabled version of popular BBC series Planet Earth (if the latter were set 66 million years ago), this follow-up season to last year’s Prehistoric Planet promises another a guided tour of various prehistoric habitats and their respective dino dwellers.
This time around, the giant Hatzegopteryx, the old Pachycephalosaurus and the world’s largest predator – the Mosasaurus – count among the critters taking center stage.
Now available to stream on Apple TV Plus.
Check out our guides for more new Netflix movies, new Disney Plus movies, new Prime Video movies and new HBO Max movies.