This month, it looks like HBO is taking a break from a holiday-centric cache of new titles for its November HBO Now list, opting instead for more routine fare. But that doesn't mean that a lack of Thanksgiving-themed specials or the first wave of holiday season staples means that there isn't a bevy of must-watch titles being added to the premium cable channel's streaming site.
With the ever-popular HBO originals Project Greenlight and Last Week Tonight with John Oliver consistently making headlines over the past year, it's more or less certain that their two respective season finales will be some of the most highly anticipated of the month. The cable channel's original documentary The Diplomat, which follows the life of ambassador Richard Holbrooke through the eyes of his son David, will also be available to stream on Nov. 2. The doc's much-awaited cable premiere comes months after it's lauded debut at the Tribeca Film Festival this past April, and will fall in concurrence with the 20th anniversary of the Dayton Agreement, which ended the Bosnian War in 1995, and which Holbrooke was instrumental in orchestrating.
On top of that, fans of Oscar winner Eddie Redmayne, who scored a Best Actor award as cosmologist Stephen Hawking in 2014's The Theory of Everything, will have a chance to take a look at the making of his latest prestige film, The Danish Girl. Directed by Tom Hooper, the historical and biographical drama follows the life of Lili Elbe (played by Redmayne), a trans woman and artist who became the first person in history to undergo sex reassignment surgery, and most importantly, a proto-advocate for trans visibility. The controversy surrounding the casting choices and narrative focus of the movie will be sure to arise some additional interest.
Fans of classic sci-fi might have some marathoning in store (which might come in handy for Thanksgiving after all—for avoiding family dysfunction brought on by close-quarters holiday frenzy): Planet of the Apes, Beneath the Planet of the Apes, and Battle for the Planet of the Apes will all become available on Nov. 1, the perfect line-up for a day spent on the couch (and/or avoiding your in-laws).
For some, however, a title that is little less highbrow and a little more below-the-belt might be the movie of choice for the colder weeks of late November: an unrated and uncut version of the BDSM blockbuster and critical flop Fifty Shades of Grey will also be available to stream this month.
And lastly, if you're in the mood for something that makes you feel young again, HBO Now might be the place to get your fix. For those who grew up on Nickelodeon cartoons and the more teen-oriented SNICK Saturday nights, Good Burger might be the ultimate '90s-themed go-to pick, starring the old school comedy duo Keenan and Kel from Nickelodeon's classic sketch comedy show All That. And for those who need a cure for their Halloween hangover, the satirical, slasher-happy Scream I might be just the thing to cure you of your post-season of the witch woes.
Here are the highlights of what you can expect from HBO Now in November.
New Original Programming:
Project Greenlight, Season Finale (11/1)
The Diplomat (11/2)
The Leisure Class (11/2)
Kareem: Minority of One (11/3)
Getting On, Season 3 Premiere (11/8)
U2: iNNOCENCE + eXPERIENCE Tour (11/14)
The Latin Explosion (11/16)
The Danish Girl: HBO First Look (11/18)
Real Time with Bill Maher, Fall Finale (11/21)*
Last Week Tonight with John Oliver, Fall Finale (11/23)*
3 1/2 Minutes, Ten Bullets (11/23)
*Added to HBO NOW the morning after HBO debut
Saturday Night Movies:
Unfinished Business, 2015 (11/7)
Run All Night, 2015 (11/14)
Fifty Shades of Grey, 2015 (11/21) (Original and Unrated cuts)
Kingsman: The Secret Service, 2014 (11/28)
Estrenos en Español:
Los ases del corrar, 2015 (11/1)
Muerte en Buenos Aires, 2014 (11/6)
No robarás, 2013 (11/13)
Notable Films New to HBO NOW:
(Available Nov. 1)
Battle for the Planet of the Apes, 1973
Beneath the Planet of the Apes, 1970
Don't Say a Word, 2011
Double Jeopardy, 1999
Dreamgirls, 2006
Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer, 2007
Field of Dreams, 1989
Good Burger, 1997
Once, 2006
Planet of the Apes, 1968
Ride Along, 2014
Satisfaction, 1988
Scream, 1996
The Last King of Scotland, 2006
The Thomas Crown Affair, 1968
The Waterboy, 1998
Throw Momma from the Train, 1987
Last Chance to Catch:
The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug, 2013 (ends 11/24)
Ending Nov. 30
Accepted, 2006
Austin Powers: International Man of Mystery, 1997
Dances with Wolves, 1990
Godzilla, 2014
Hannibal, 2001
Ice Age: The Meltdown, 2006
Jersey Boys, 2014
Let's Be Cops, 2014
Miami Vice, 2006
Neighbors, 2014
Rush Hour, 1998
Scooby-Doo, 2002
The Fly, 1986
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