I write about documentaries on streaming services a lot, and it’s no surprise that the lion’s share of them are on Netflix these days. But consider this a stern reminder that HBO was the king of compelling, premium documentaries since before Netflix was stuffing DVDs in the mail. From 1996’s Paradise Lost: The Child Murders at Robin Hood Hills to the more recent surfing stunner, 100 Foot Wave series (both Emmy winners), you can still find a truckload of excellent docs on HBO Max.

But before delving into the deep back catalog, if you’re looking for a few new titles this weekend, how about a quick look behind the scenes of the new Harry Potter series, a haunting reminder of the tragic Fukushima disaster, and a portrait of a controversial climber.

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Finding Harry: The Craft Behind the Magic (2026)

A sneak-peek behind-the-scenes of the next generation of Potter

Christmas is a long time to wait for HBO Max’s upcoming new Harry Potter series, which is set to see all seven of J.K. Rowling’s beloved books re-imagined for a new generation as a seven-season series. With casting complete—including fresh new faces as Harry, Ron, and Hermione, as well as John Lithgow (Dumbledore), Nick Frost (Hagrid), and Slow Horses‘ Janet McTeer (Minerva McGonagall) among those on board—and the production well underway, HBO has thrown fans a snack-sized bone with the 25-minute doc, Finding Harry: The Craft Behind the Magic.

The behind-the-scenes special (released on April 5) details everything from the production’s exhaustive search for its cast of the wizarding world’s kids (they stopped counting at 40,000 submissions for Harry), professors, villains, and muggles, to the mind-blowing practical and digital design involved in bringing Hogwarts back to life for another kick at the cauldron. Narrated by Nick Frost (Hot Fuzz, Shaun of the Dead), Finding Harry features interviews with key cast members like Lithgow, McTeer, and Paapa Essiedu, who plays Severus Snape, as well as casting directors, production designers, creature effects artists, costume designers, and more.

Potter fans will pour over all the glimpses of iconic set pieces like the Great Hall at Hogwarts, Platform 9 3/4 at King’s Cross Station, and its famous train, the Quidditch pitch, and many more. It’s a quick watch, but if you can’t wait for December, it might just tide you over till then.

Operating System

tvOS

Resolution

4K

Audio codecs

Dolby Atmos

RAM/storage

64GB or 128GB

Immerse yourself in stunning 4K HDR with Apple TV 4K. Stream your favorite content with exceptional clarity and color, powered by the A15 Bionic chip. Enjoy seamless access to apps, games, and Apple Originals, all with the convenience of Siri voice control and personalized recommendations.

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Fukushima: A Nuclear Nightmare (2026)

The horror and the heroes of the 2011 disaster

On March 11, 2011, a 9.0-magnitude earthquake, the strongest ever recorded in Japan, triggered a massive tsunami that laid waste to more than 1,200 miles of the country’s Pacific coastline, cities, and towns, killing nearly 20,000 people. The natural disaster itself was devastating enough, but it didn’t end there. At the nearby coastal-situated Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant, the 14-meter tsunami waves breached the facility’s protective seawalls, flooding the power generators, leading to a total station blackout. Without power, the water necessary to cool the nuclear fuel in Fukushima’s reactors could not be pumped in, leading to several core meltdowns, massive explosions, and potential country-wide devastation.

That’s a lot to take in, I know, but Director James Jones’ (Chernobyl: The Lost Tapes) new documentary on HBO Max, Fukushima: A Nuclear Nightmare, the filmmaker reconstructs the harrowing disaster in stunning and stark detail. Using some jaw-dropping and chilling footage, the opening sequences detail the power and destruction of the quake and massive water surge inland. The doc then shifts focus to the situation at Fukushima and, most importantly, the emergency crews, engineers, and government officials working to prevent a total nuclear meltdown.

It’s the interviews with the people who risked their lives to remain inside the plant that make this documentary worth watching. Known as the Fukushima 50 (there were actually more than that), they believed they were on a suicide mission. Their emotional testimony and detail of just how dire the situation was cranks the intensity of this film to the limit. I couldn’t stop watching.

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The Dark Wizard (2026)

A portrait of one of climbing’s most enigmatic figures

Fans of extreme-sport documentaries and series such as Free Solo, 100 Foot Wave, and Meru will undoubtedly be interested in this nail-biting new extreme-sport docuseries, currently streaming weekly on HBO Max. The Dark Wizard is an intense four-part portrait of Dean Potter, who was one of the climbing world’s most enigmatic and controversial figures.

A pioneer of free-solo climbing (and massive influence on its current posterboy, Alex Honnold), highlining, and wingsuit BASE jumping, over his 20-plus-year career Potter built a reputation as both a master of his sport and a badboy, often clashing with authorities and causing trouble in Yosemite, where he was a local fixture. The first episode of the series introduces Potter, with his winning smile and playful demeanor adding to his charm. But he also had a dark, intense streak, which earned him the titular “Dark Wizard” nickname, and some of his climbing peers viewed him as reckless.

Using some breathtaking and intense climbing footage and interviews from members of Potter’s tight-knit crew known as the Stone Monkeys, The Dark Wizard is similar to Free Solo in that it’s a character study of Potter and is as much an exploration of psychology, relationships, and obsession as it is about climbing. I can’t wait to see where this story goes.

The Dark Wizard

Release Date

April 14, 2026

Network

HBO Max

Directors

Peter Mortimer, Nick Rosen

Don’t sleep on HBO Max as a destination for documentaries—Netflix may have the quantity, but it still can’t compete with the premium-level storytelling and production value of many of the docs and series of this stalwart entertainment provider.

Subscription with ads

Yes, $10.99/month

Simultaneous streams

2 or 4

HBO Max is a subscription-based streaming service offering content from HBO, Warner Bros., DC, and more. In 2025, the service re-branded itself as HBO Max after having previously cut “HBO” from its name.