Netflix Adding Two Critically Acclaimed HBO Max Originals in December
The licensing pipeline between Warner Bros. Discovery and Netflix is flowing once again. After the massive success of HBO titles like Ballers, Insecure, Six Feet Under, and Band of Brothers on the service, we can now confirm that two high-profile true crime limited series—Love & Death and The Staircase—are scheduled to hit Netflix in the United States on December 1st.
HBO Max Originals (or just HBO Originals) have surprisingly not been rare on Netflix in recent years, despite Warner Bros. Television never licensing its titles to other parties throughout much of Netflix’s streaming existence. That shifted mid-2023 with a bunch of HBO arriving on Netflix in the US and later internationally. Some Max Originals, like Close Enough and Hacks, were only available internationally on Netflix, but Netflix US added Scavengers Reign and, most recently, Love Life.
Will the addition impact these shows’ availability on HBO Max? The answer appears to be no. While there’s no press release covering HBO Max departures, a Redditor haslisted all the confirmed removals here, and these two are not currently amongst the titles set to leave.
Love & Death (Limited Series)
If you enjoyed Jessica Biel’s Candy on Hulu, you’re going to want to check out HBO’s take on the same bone-chilling true story. Written by industry giant David E. Kelley (Big Little Lies, The Lincoln Lawyer) and directed by Lesli Linka Glatter, Love & Death picked up plenty of great reviews upon its original release in addition to a Primetime Emmy nomination.
Set in Wylie, Texas, in the late 1970s, the series follows Candy Montgomery (played by a mesmerizing Elizabeth Olsen), a churchgoing housewife who seems to have it all. However, boredom and dissatisfaction lead her into an affair with her neighbor, Allan Gore (Jesse Plemons). What starts as a calculated, “safe” fling spirals into a gruesome axe murderer that shocks the nation.
The Staircase (Limited Series)
Important Note: Do not confuse this with the 2004 documentary series of the same name (created by Jean-Xavier de Lestrade), which has been streaming on Netflix for years. This is the scripted dramatization of those events.
Based on the aforementioned documentary, The Staircase dramatizes the life of Michael Peterson (Colin Firth), a crime novelist accused of killing his wife, Kathleen Peterson (Toni Collette), after she is found dead at the bottom of the staircase in their North Carolina home.
The series is fascinating because it doesn’t just cover the trial; it covers the making of the documentary itself, adding a meta-layer that true crime fans will love. It explores fractured family dynamics, legal battles, and the “Owl Theory,” which has been debated on Reddit threads for decades.
Will these shows stay on Netflix forever?
Likely not. As with previous Warner Bros. Discovery licensed titles (like Insecure or Dune), these come with a window of usually 12 to 18 months. They are “co-exclusive,” meaning they will remain available on Max while streaming on Netflix.
Are you planning to binge Love & Death or The Staircase when they drop on December 1st? Let us know in the comments.