Even though we still have quite the long wait ahead for the best sci-fi and fantasy titles like House of the Dragon season 3 and Dune: Prophecy season 2 to come to HBO Max, there's plenty of great options to fill our watch lists in September 2025. As summer quickly comes to an end with the long Labor Day weekend and fall makes its highly anticipated arrival, HBO Max has exactly when sci-fi and fantasy fans want for an exciting movie night or binge-watch.
While there aren't many new science fiction and fantasy movies and shows coming to HBO Max in September, the four new releases coming at the top of the month are definitely must-watches. Looking for the most recent season of a fan-favorite adult animated comedy series? Ready for a rewatch of Ridley Scott's iconic sci-fi-horror movie? Needing a double feature of throwback Japanese anime movies? Check out what's coming to HBO Max in September!
Prometheus
Coming to HBO Max on Sept. 1. Perhaps the most obvious sci-fi movie to add to your HBO Max watch list in September, Ridley Scott's 2012 Alien prequel film Prometheus arrives right at the top of the month. It's the perfect time to give the movie a rewatch (or even watch it for the first time!) since the FX on Hulu series Alien: Earth has recently become a new hit.
Starring Noomi Rapace, Michael Fassbender, Guy Pearce, Idris Elba, Logan Marshall-Green, and Charlize Theron, the film takes place in the late 21st century and centers on the crew of the titular spaceship as they explore a strange world and battle an unexpected threat that poses fatal danger to humanity. Prometheus earned mostly positive reception from critics and fans upon release and was a modest box office success, spawning the 2017 sequel Alien: Covenant.
Rick and Morty season 8
Coming to HBO Max on Sept. 1. If you didn't get a chance to watch the most recent season of the Adult Swim hit series Rick and Morty, then here's your chance! The eighth season makes its streaming debut on HBO Max on the first of September, and the show's diehard fans surely will not waste a minute to begin their re-binge the second the episodes are available.
Rick and Morty season 8 features 10 brand-new episodes, and these are the second set of episodes not to feature co-creator and voice actor Justin Roiland following his dismissal for sexual assault allegations. The sci-fi cartoon remains witty and wild, and fans are surely ecstatic that Adult Swim has already renewed the series through season 12. Get to bingeing in September!
The Place Promised in Our Early Days
Coming to HBO Max on Sept. 1. The first of two must-watch Japanese animated movies coming to HBO Max in September, The Place Promised in Our Early Days should be on anyone's watch list who loves anime. Even if you have watched the 2004 movie over and over again, it's never too soon to rewatch the movie or show it to someone who maybe hasn't had the chance to watch.
The Place Promised in Our Early Days is a dystopian drama that imagines an alternate history in which the Soviet Union occupation of the island of Hokkaido caused the division of Japan. In the movie, separated childhood friends reunited to find their friend who went missing and could help save the world. It's an intriguing premise that keeps you on the edge of your seat!
Your Name
Coming to HBO Max on Sept. 1. Last but certainly not least, the second Japanese animated film coming to HBO Max in September 2025 is the 2016 romantic fantasy Your Name. Like the previous movie, this one's definitely a can't-miss titles that's just as perfect of a rewatch as it is a first-time watch. And why not double up for a double feature anime movie night?
Your Name follows the curious happenings of Taki Tachibana and Mitsuha Miyamizu as they somehow start to swap bodies even though they have never met. This isn't exactly a Freaky Friday situation. The chaos brought into their lives by the swap brings them together. There's a reason it's such an adored movie, and you can find out why by watching it on HBO Max!