Image Credit: BBC/Sony Pictures Television
From a new sci-fi chiller produced by the Duffer Brothers to a highly anticipated debut Lord of the FliesNetflix has a powerhouse slate of must-watch series coming in May 2026.
As we look towards May, the streamer is leaning towards iconic adaptations and high-octane dramas from some of the industry’s most successful creators. We are looking at new projects with the back mind stranger things, PowerAnd adolescenceWith the return of fan favorite hits. Which upcoming series is on your watchlist? Here is our curated summary of the biggest highlights for May 2026.
(You can also check out our comprehensive first look at everything coming to Netflix in May 2026 here.)
Lord of the Flies
Netflix Release Date: May 4 (US only)
William Golding’s definitive tale of survival and the fragility of civilization has finally arrived on Netflix US. Developed by Jack Thorne (Netflix) adolescence, enola holmes) and created by the team behind sex educationThis four-episode limited series follows a group of schoolchildren stranded on a remote island. What begins as a quest for order soon turns into a brutal struggle for power. The series is directed by Mark Munden and features an incredible score by renowned composer Hans Zimmer.
Look forward to David McKenna’s standout performance as Piggy. Netflix executives should be paying close attention to him, as McKenna is already set to star as Diggory in Netflix’s big upcoming movie. The Chronicles of Narnia A reboot from Greta Gerwig later this year.
fables
Netflix Release Date: 7th May
Inspired by a remarkable, previously unknown true story from the 1990s, this gripping six-part British crime drama thrusts a team of customs officers into a world of intense espionage. Untrained but determined, they must create new identities (their own “legends”) in the criminal underworld to infiltrate Britain’s most dangerous drug gangs and dismantle an empire from the inside out. Produced by Neil Forsyth (gold), the series stars royalty Steve Coogan alongside Tom Burke and Tom Hughes.
Devil May Cry (season 2)
Netflix Release Date: 12 may
After a huge start with over 5.3 million views in its first week, the animated adaptation of the iconic Capcom franchise is back. Season 2 sees professional demon hunter Dante (voiced by Johnny Young Bosch) face his most personal threat yet: his estranged older twin brother, Virgil, who has embraced his demonic heritage to lead an attacking force into the human world. Expect the same breathtaking action and gorgeous animation that earned Season 1 its nearly 96% score on Rotten Tomatoes.
slavery
Netflix Release Date: 14 may
Courtney A. Kemp, the acclaimed creator behind Vishal Power Universe returns to the crime thriller genre slavery. This eight-episode psychological drama subverts the heist genre to explore what happens when an unstoppable force meets an immovable object. The series stars Ylan as Noel Coltrane Wilder, an elite criminal whose ambitions lead him on a collision course with a brilliant and uncompromising police detective, Isaiah Stiles (Matthew Law). This is an explosive, high-stakes rivalry where both men’s morals will be tested to their fullest extent.
wonderful
Netflix Release Date: 15th May
Continuing Netflix’s string of top-tier Korean content, wonderful is a subversive superhero comedy set in 1999. A group of ordinary citizens suddenly gain extraordinary powers such as telekinesis and teleportation, but lack the maturity to handle them. As the horror of the apocalypse looms around the turn of the century, they must learn to work together to stop the rising evil.
borough
Netflix Release Date: 21 may
Executive produced by the Duffer Brothers (stranger things), this eight-episode sci-fi horror series proves that danger doesn’t just hide in Hawkins. Set in a picturesque retirement community, a group of unlikely heroes must band together to stop a supernatural threat from stealing their time. The veteran cast includes Geena Davis, Alfred Molina, Alfre Woodard and Bill Pullman.
mating season
Netflix Release Date: 22 may
creator of big mouth Bring their signature humor to the animal kingdom. mating season is an off-the-wall animated comedy that explores love and relationships through the eyes of bears, foxes, and raccoons. The voice cast is led by Nick Kroll, June Dianne Raphael, and Zach Woods.
A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder (season 2)
Netflix Release Date: 27th May
A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder: Season 2. Emma Myers as Pip Fitz-Amobie in A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder: Season 2. Ten million. Netflix © 2026
Emma Myers (Wednesday) returns as the indefatigable Pip Fitz-Amoby. Based on the sequel novel by Holly Jackson good girl, bad bloodSeason 2 sees Pip deal with the fallout from his first investigation while beginning the search for a missing friend. After dominating the global top 10 in the first season, Jackson promised that this next chapter would be “bigger and badder”.
Which of these series are you most excited about? Let us know in the comments below!
