New seasons of The Last of Us, Hacks, and The Rehearsal are coming
The most exciting premieres on HBO and Max in April — and they’re huge shows, continuing the recent strong showing from The Pitt and The White Lotus — don’t start arriving until the month is in full swing, but at least it gives us plenty to look forward to. The fourth season of Hacks, premiering April 10, kicks off the trio of returning shows, with the highly anticipated second season of The Last of Us premiering a few days later on April 13, and the second season of Nathan Fielder’s surreal The Rehearsal beginning on April 20. And for the anime fans out there, the latest from Cowboy Bebop creator Shinichirō Watanabe, Lazarus, hits Max starting April 6 after it premieres on Adult Swim.
April also continues A24’s partnership with Max. Nicole Kidman’s buzzy erotic thriller Babygirl and the Kyle Mooney-directed horror comedy Y2K will be available to stream on the platform. The Warner Bros. film Companion, about an intimacy robot that causes issues during a romantic getaway, also hits the service on April 18.
Below, we pulled together our picks for the month, plus a list of everything coming to HBO and Max in April.
The best new HBO and Max movies and shows in April
Max streams all HBO shows and movies when they debut on HBO. But not all shows and movies on Max make it to HBO. We’ll designate Max exclusives where appropriate.
Hacks Season 4 (April 10, Max)
The third season of Hacks ended with a thrilling mic drop — “Wouldn’t you?” — as Ava (Hannah Einbinder) stole back her dream job as Deborah’s (Jean Smart) head writer by blackmailing her. Season 4 promises to dig into the fallout of that ruthless power play, following the two as they try to get their act together for Deborah’s history-making late night show. The buzz and the accolades are at an all-time high for Hacks — no pressure. -Kelly Connolly [Trailer]
The Last of Us Season 2 (April 13, HBO)
HBO’s hit adaptation of the Naughty Dog video game is returning, and the Infected should be the least of Joel (Pedro Pascal) and Ellie’s (Bella Ramsey) worries. The Last of Us Season 2 takes place five years after the events of Season 1 — including the massacre in the hospital — and adapts a part of the game’s sequel, The Last of Us Part II. Stars joining the upcoming chapter include Kaitlyn Dever, who will play Abby; Young Mazino, who will play Jesse; Isabela Merced, who will play Dina; and Jeffrey Wright, who will play Isaac, the role he voiced in the game. Catherine O’Hara has also joined the Season 2 cast. -Kat Moon [Teaser] [Everything to know about Season 2]
The Rehearsal Season 2 (April 20, HBO)
For a very specific type of person, The Rehearsal was the biggest show of 2022. Nathan Fielder’s surreal dark comedy purported to help people prepare for life’s biggest moments via elaborate simulations but, as Fielder’s projects usually do, ended up spiraling into something a lot bigger and weirder. It’s returning for a second season, as teased by a short clip that shows Fielder wearing his laptop harness from Season 1 as he supervises the construction of a set. As expected, the details are minimal, but per HBO, in Season 2 “the urgency of Fielder’s project grows as he decides to put his resources toward an issue that affects us all.” Sounds about right! -Allison Picurro [Teaser]
