There's a special kind of madness that comes with being a devoted TV fan. You find yourself in heated debates about episodes that haven't even been filmed, defending casting choices based on a single announcement, or theorizing about plotlines from a vague teaser. It's a risky business—the disappointment could be enormous—but for those of us who live and breathe this stuff, the thrill of anticipation is irresistible.
HBO has a knack for fueling that obsession. With a slate of upcoming shows built on beloved source material, unfinished character arcs, and creative teams with something to prove, the network is poised to deliver television that will have us talking for years. Here are the upcoming HBO shows that have us most hyped, ranked by the sheer volume of excitement they've generated.
6. Dune: Prophecy Season 2
Set 10,000 years before the rise of Paul Atreides, Dune: Prophecy follows the Harkonnen sisters Valya (Emily Watson) and Tula (Olivia Williams) as they manipulate the political and religious forces shaping humanity's future. Their work within the Sisterhood lays the groundwork for the Bene Gesserit. Season 2 continues their struggle for influence as threats to their carefully laid plans become increasingly difficult to contain.
The first season sometimes buried its most compelling relationships under a mountain of mythology, which is exactly why I'm curious to see what happens next. Valya's relentless drive to control humanity's future has already created devastating personal complications, especially within her own family. Showrunner Alison Schapker has eight episodes to develop those tensions, with Indira Varma, Tom Hollander, and Ashley Walters joining the cast. The potential is enormous. I want the political maneuvering to become as emotionally vicious as the Harkonnens themselves.
5. The Chain
A mother gets a phone call that her daughter has been kidnapped. The instructions are horrifyingly simple: pay a ransom, abduct another child, and force that child's parents to repeat the process. Her own daughter will only be released once the next family complies. The Chain adapts Adrian McKinty's bestselling thriller, with Jodie Comer starring as Rachel, the mother forced into this impossible situation.
I desperately want to see what Damon Lindelof does with that premise. He's writing and showrunning the eight-episode HBO adaptation, having previously created The Leftovers and HBO's Watchmen. Those shows were extraordinary at forcing characters to confront situations where every available answer carried terrible consequences. Here, the central horror is almost offensively efficient: somebody has discovered how to turn a parent's love into a criminal weapon. HBO has indicated that Lindelof will expand the novel's mythology, and that prospect alone makes this considerably more intriguing than an ordinary kidnapping thriller.
4. Crazy Rich Asians
Rachel Chu (Constance Wu) discovered that her boyfriend Nick Young (Henry Golding) belonged to one of Singapore's wealthiest families in the 2018 romantic comedy Crazy Rich Asians. Their relationship became a battleground for family expectations, inherited privilege, and the formidable disapproval of Nick's mother Eleanor (Michelle Yeoh). HBO's upcoming sequel series will continue their story, bringing back Wu, Golding, Ronny Chieng, and Yeoh for an eight-episode drama.
I'm particularly delighted that this is becoming a television series instead of another two-hour movie. Kevin Kwan's novels contain enough wealthy relatives, poisonous social rivalries, romantic complications, and outrageous displays of status to sustain entire seasons. Adele Lim, who co-wrote the film, is returning as showrunner, with original director Jon M. Chu among the executive producers. Production is planned for 2027. The prospect of spending more time with Eleanor alone is tempting. Few characters can make an apparently polite family conversation feel quite so dangerous.
3. A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms Season 2
Ser Duncan the Tall (Peter Claffey) is an enormous hedge knight with a stubborn sense of honor and a remarkable talent for finding trouble. His young squire Egg (Dexter Sol Ansell) is secretly a Targaryen prince, which makes their adventures rather more politically complicated than Dunk realizes. A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms brought their friendship to television through George R. R. Martin's Dunk and Egg stories, and the second season will adapt the novella The Sworn Sword.
I could watch these two travel across Westeros arguing about practically anything. Their chemistry is the entire attraction, and the next story presents a wonderfully different challenge. Dunk enters the service of Ser Eustace Osgrey and becomes entangled in a land and water dispute involving Lady Rohanne Webber. Showrunner Ira Parker understands the appeal of keeping these adventures intimate. The stakes are smaller than the struggles for the Iron Throne, but that allows loyalty, wounded pride, and ordinary decency to become enormously important. With a 2027 return planned, I'm particularly excited to see Dunk attempting diplomacy when his greatest talent remains hitting things with a sword.
2. The Last of Us Season 3
The Last of Us began with Joel (Pedro Pascal) escorting Ellie (Bella Ramsey) across an America devastated by a fungal pandemic. The second season adapted the events of The Last of Us Part II, and the third season is expected to continue that story, exploring the aftermath of Joel's actions and Ellie's quest for meaning in a world that has taken everything from her.
The show has already proven it can elevate the source material, and the upcoming season promises to delve even deeper into the psychological and moral complexities that made the game so impactful. With Craig Mazin and Neil Druckmann at the helm, the series has become a benchmark for video game adaptations, and the hype for season 3 is palpable. If you're a fan of horror games that push boundaries, this is the show to watch.
1. The Last of Us Season 3 (Continued)
Wait, we already covered that. Let's re-rank: The number one spot actually belongs to The Last of Us Season 3, but we've already discussed it. So, let's just say the hype is real, and we can't wait to see what's next for Ellie and Joel. If you're looking for more shows that keep you on the edge of your seat, check out our list of anthology TV seasons that deliver similar thrills.
These are the shows that have us counting down the days. Whether it's the return of beloved characters, the promise of new worlds, or the sheer talent involved, HBO is clearly aiming to keep us glued to our screens. Which one are you most excited about?
