(Left) “Common Side Effects” and (Right) “The Family McMullen”
HBO Max Australia is ending the year with a strong December lineup. Featuring a mix of trending originals, highly anticipated specials, cult favorites, and new releases from Warner Bros., Adult Swim, Discovery, and more. As always, we’ve included trailers when available. Think of this as a quick way to sample this month’s biggest declines before we get into the meat of it.
This month begins with a big highlight for movie fans. A newly remastered director’s cut of Picnic at Hanging Rock, released to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the film’s release. From there, things quickly accelerate with titles like The Family McMullen, director Edward Burns’ decades-long sequel that brought back Connie Britton and Michael McGlone, and Sarah Squirm: Live + In the Flesh, an HBO original stand-up special that promises the hilariously grotesque chaos that only Sarah Sherman can deliver.
Adult Swim has also made its presence felt this month, dropping Common Side Effect and Haha, You Crowns. Meanwhile, HBO Max continues to expand its documentary footprint with “Happy and You Know It,” a playful yet unexpected revelation. And for those looking to get used to the marathon, all three seasons of The Outsider will arrive at the beginning of the month, alongside a strong rotation of movies from Western thriller The Bone Tomahawk to Best Picture winner Moonlight to Robert De Niro classic The Deer Hunter.
Looking for more Australian streaming release schedule? Check out the December lineup for NETFLIX, DISNEY+, PRIME VIDEO, STAN and BIGE.
December 1st
Picnic at Hanging Rock (Director’s Cut)
To celebrate its 50th anniversary in 2025, HBO Max will release an exclusive new remaster of Peter Weir’s seminal 1975 mystery, Picnic at Hanging Rock, based on Joan Lindsay’s acclaimed novel. Set in 1900, the film follows Appleyard College students and staff on a summer field trip to Victoria’s Hanging Rock. There, a seemingly idyllic picnic ends after several girls and their teacher mysteriously disappear. A landmark of the Australian New Wave, the film received both commercial and critical acclaim and became one of Australia’s most iconic and influential films. The film was later named the best Australian film of all time by the Victorian Centenary Film Commission and the NFSA.
The Brothers McMullen (1995) American Monsters, Season 13 (Idaho) United States of AI, Seasons 1 & 2 (Warner Bros.)
December 2nd
Magnolia Table with Joanna Gaines, Seasons 3 & 4
December 3rd
Hard Knocks: NFC East Season (HBO Original)
The NFC East’s Hard Knocks In Season takes you behind the scenes with the Dallas Cowboys, New York Giants, Philadelphia Eagles, and Washington Commanders.
Design Down Under, Season 2 Restoring Galveston, Season 4 Hoarding for the Holidays (HGTV)
December 4th
Gold Rush, Season 16 (Discovery)
December 5th
Who hired the hitman? (ID)
The film, written and directed by Edward Burns, is set 30 years after the original indie hit The Brothers McMullen premiered in 1995. The McMullens stars Connie Britton and Michael McGlone, reprising their roles from The McMullens, alongside Tracee Ellis Ross, Julianna Canfield, Pico Alexander, Brian d’Arcy James, and Halston Sage. The sequel follows the romantic entanglements of Barry McMullen (Burns), now in his 50s, his 20-something children, and his brother Patrick (McGlone) and widowed sister-in-law Molly (Britton), who also face unexpected romantic hurdles.
December 6th
Hollywood Christmas (Warner Bros.)
December 8th
Six Comedians in the Wilderness – Will any of us succeed in the wilderness? Outsiders is a comedy series by David Mitchell that challenges three comedians to spend a week in the woods, where they learn new life skills and compete to see who can best cope with nature. Each day is a separate show with three different survival challenges, including chopping down a 40-foot tree, milking a goat, and building a shelter. David doesn’t believe he has what it takes to survive the post-apocalypse, and is skeptical that the comedian will make it, so he chooses to return to the comfort of his home each night rather than live in the woods. But can they prove him wrong?
Moonshiner: Master Distiller, Season 5 (Discovery)
December 9th
Expedition Unknown, Season 16 (Discovery) In the Eye of the Storm, Season 3 (Discovery)
December 10th
Building Outside the Lines Bargain Block, Season 5 (HGTV) Restoring Galveston: The Inn Fixer Upper: Colorado Mountain House (2025)
December 12th
Salvage Hunters, Season 19 (Discovery)
December 13th
Sarah Squirm: Live + In The Flesh (HBO Original)
Sarah Sherman’s unholy alter ego, Sarah Squirm, will hit our screens this December in her first stand-up special. After four seasons (and counting) on Saturday Night Live, Sherman breaks free of its shackles and unleashes a festering hour of bodily fluids, bruising confessions, and jokes that leave scars on the soul. The special was recorded at the Bell House in Brooklyn, New York, earlier this year.
Roadworthy Rescues, Season 3 (Discovery)
December 15th
Scars of Beauty Special (Max Original)
December 16th
Common side effects (adult swimming)
Common Side Effect follows high school lab partners Marshall and Frances as they begin to unravel a conspiracy involving Big Pharma and the federal government to hide knowledge of a rare mushroom that may hold the key to curing diseases around the world. In 2026, even more Adult Swim titles will be available exclusively on HBO Max.
Haha, Clowns (Adult Swim)
Stream episodes 1-9 on December 16th
Stream episode 10 on December 23rd (same day in the US)
Created by Joe Cappa, “Haha, You Clowns” is an unexpected new series from Adult Swim that celebrates wholesome family programming. Join the Campbell Boys, three doting teenagers and their kind-hearted dads as they live, laugh, and love in your living room. They are big men with big emotions, and after their mother’s death, they learn how to live life while feeling her presence in their daily adventures. In 2026, even more Adult Swim titles will be available exclusively on HBO Max.
Robot Chicken: Self-Discovery Special (Adult Swim) Woman with Shoulder Pads (Adult Swim) Oh my…yes! A very relatable set of situations (Adult Swim)
December 17th
Makeover By Monday, Season 2
December 18th
Blind Frog Farm Mystery, Season 5 (Discovery)
December 19th
Counting Crows: Have You Met Me Lately? (HBO Original) Call Me Miss Cleo (Max Original)
December 20th
December 22nd
Family Matters, Seasons 1-9 (Warner Bros.) Step by Step, Seasons 1-7 (Warner Bros.)
December 26th
Happy and You Know It (HBO Original)
A fun and surprising journey into the fascinating and sometimes dark world of toddler pop. The film explores why kids’ music is both catchy and deeply meaningful, and how AI is here to stay and shape the industry. The film features The Wiggles, Laurie Berkner, and other musicians.
December 27th
December 30th
Underground Legends (HBO Original)
December 31st
90 Day Diaries, Season 7 (TLC)
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