On the occasion of HBO’s big Emmy night 2026, where HBO collected 21 statues, including Best Drama Series for The Pitt and Best Miniseries for DTF St. Louis, Deadline sat down with the head of content Casey Bloys for a chat about the network’s future and its streaming service, HBO Max, and, in particular, about the future of their TV series loved by audiences and of other innovations that could help them achieve another big result at the prestigious Television Academy awards next year. Here is what he said, series by series.
The Upcoming HBO TV Series: Casey Bloys’ Full Remarks
The White Lotus
The fourth season of the acclaimed Mike White–created anthology series will arrive on screens in the first half of 2027. Bloys also confirmed that there will be some surprises, including possible connections to previous seasons.
The Last of Us
When asked whether the third season of the post-apocalyptic drama will be the last, as rumors persist, Bloys replied: “I believe [co-creator and showrunner] Craig [Mazin] conceived it as the last season.” Is that how things will unfold, then? While the president avoided the language of a formal announcement, not presenting it as HBO’s definitive decision, it seems his stance is to respect Mazin’s creative plan. As for its premiere on screen, the answer was “in 2027.”
The Gilded Age
After calling the imminent fourth season “excellent,” Craig said that HBO is already discussing with the writers how an additional, fifth run of episodes could look. And regarding the availability of Morgan Spector, who meanwhile has signed on to star in another series—the Netflix adaptation of Dan Brown’s The Last Secret—he explained that they will try to fit the calendars.
True Detective
The development of the fifth season of the anthology crime drama is in a phase that still cannot provide more precise details about the cast and the release window. When asked to comment on rumors about Nicolas Cage joining as the lead, Mazin simply said: “Stay tuned.”
Big Little Lies
Craig confirmed that the return of the series with Nicole Kidman and Reese Witherspoon is one of the projects HBO is trying to restart after the stall in recent years. “There are many schedules to juggle, so I think everyone is doing their best,” he said. “The good news is we have many high-profile stars; the bad news is they have a lot on their plates, so we’re doing what we can to coordinate their schedules.” The news is that Francesca Sloane, co-creator of Mr. & Mrs. Smith, has been brought on to write the first script for season three.
Harry Potter
HBO is trying to shorten the interval between seasons as much as possible, but Bloys ruled out an annual cadence: production is too large. The president did not feel able to commit to a rigid 10-year plan, as had been stated earlier, saying that now they are thinking season by season, because each book constitutes a huge event. When asked whether JK Rowling’s opinions caused casting issues, he answered categorically “Not at all,” also confirming that the author is creatively involved in the series.
DC Series
Craig devoted a substantial portion of his speech to DC series, clarifying that, compared to the news and announcements that have followed in recent years about upcoming projects, “in development” does not mean “greenlit”: many ideas are being developed, but not all become series. The success of the recent Lanterns seems to create the conditions for imagining an increasingly flourishing franchise, but at the moment The People v. Gorilla Grodd is the only upcoming new project confirmed. The president said he is very happy with the project, which he regards as something different and fun. As for what comes next, HBO remains selective.
Heated Rivalry
Although this is not an original series but an acquisition, Craig also spoke about the Canadian romantic drama, calling it “the largest acquisition in television history.” The president said he has read the Season 2 scripts and is “excited,” adding that “we’ll have a big premiere in New York in the spring.” Then, when asked whether the new season could live up to the enormous success of the first, Craig replied that he has no doubt about the creator Jacob Tierney‘s abilities.
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