13 franchises on HBO Max to watch for your next movie marathon

What it's about: Based on the beloved children's series of the same name, the "Harry Potter" films tell the story of Harry, a young boy who discovers that he's a wizard and trains at a magical boarding school called Hogwarts. Soon, he and his friends must team up to fight the evil wizard Voldemort, who killed Harry's parents and threatens the Wizarding World as a whole.

Marathon length: 19 hours, 45 minutes

Movies included on HBO Max:

• "Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone"
• "Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets"
• "Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban"
• "Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire"
• "Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix"
• "Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince"
• "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows"

What it's about: Often held up as one of the best fantasy series, the entire "Lord of the Rings" trilogy is available to stream on HBO Max.

Set in the fictional world of Middle-earth, the three films follow the Hobbit Frodo Baggins (Elijah Wood), as he and his friends set off on a quest to destroy the One Ring, an object that could give its maker (the evil Dark Lord Sauron) near-infinite power.

Marathon length: 9 hours, 20 minutes

Movies included on HBO Max:

• "The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring"
• "The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers"
• "The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King"

What it's about: Originally adapted from the 1932 film "What Price Hollywood?," each iteration of "A Star Is Born" tracks the ill-fated romance that builds between an aspiring female artist and the troubled male star who helps her find success.

Each version of the story depicts the unique issues and moral quandaries surrounding stardom at the time the movie was made — the 1937 and 1954 versions tackle the Hollywood industrial complex and actors, while the 1976 and 2018 films explore the music industry.

Marathon length: 9 hours, 28 minutes

Movies included on HBO Max:

• "A Star Is Born" (1937 version)
• "A Star Is Born" (1954 version)
• "A Star Is Born" (1976 version)
• "A Star Is Born" (2018 version)

What it's about: In the "Alien" films, science fiction, horror, and action intermingle as warrant officer Ellen Ripley (Sigourney Weaver) fights to protect herself and other humans from dangerous extraterrestrial lifeforms.

With its spine-tingling twists and innovative visuals, the original "Alien" movie is often hailed as one of the best and most influential sci-fi movies ever made.

Marathon length: 7 hours, 59 minutes

Movies included on HBO Max:

• "Alien"
• "Aliens"
• "Alien 3"
• "Alien Resurrection"

What it's about: The beloved "Scooby-Doo" animated series was brought to life in the early 2000s with "Scooby-Doo" and "Scooby-Doo: Monsters Unleashed."

Like the show, the "Scooby-Doo" films follow the Mystery Incorporated team and lovable dog Scooby-Doo as they investigate supernatural occurrences.

Marathon length: 3 hours

Movies included on HBO Max:

• "Scooby-Doo"
• "Scooby-Doo: Monsters Unleashed"

What it's about: The "Babe" films' sweet, heartwarming stories center on a pig who breaks farmyard conventions with the support of his talking animal friends, making them a great option for a family-friendly movie night.

Marathon length: 3 hours, 7 minutes

Movies included on HBO Max:

• "Babe"
• "Babe: Pig in the City"

What it's about: Tim Burton's "Batman" movies invented the modern-day superhero blockbuster by making superhero movies dark, self-serious, and merchandisable.

Michael Keaton stars as Bruce Wayne, a wealthy man who moonlights as Batman to protect Gotham City from foes like Joker, Catwoman, and The Penguin.

Marathon length: 4 hours, 14 minutes

Movies included on HBO Max:

• "Batman"
• "Batman Returns"

What it's about: The recurring villain in the "A Nightmare on Elm Street" slasher series is Freddy Krueger (Jackie Earle Haley), the spirit of a serial killer who uses a gloved hand with razors to kill victims in their dreams, causing them to die in real life as well.

The original "Nightmare on Elm Street" reinvented the slasher genre by introducing a supernatural element, making Freddy an incredibly memorable horror character.

Marathon length: 14 hours, 16 minutes

Movies included on HBO Max:

• "A Nightmare on Elm Street"
• "A Nightmare on Elm Street 2: Freddy's Revenge"
• "A Nightmare on Elm Street 3: Dream Warriors"
• "A Nightmare on Elm Street 4: The Dream Master"
• "A Nightmare on Elm Street 5: The Dream Child"
• "Freddy's Dead: The Final Nightmare"
• "Freddy vs. Jason"
• "Wes Craven's New Nightmare"
• "A Nightmare on Elm Street" (2010 remake)

What it's about: Inspired by the enduring popularity of LEGO, the "Lego" movies are animated comedies that tell original stories within worlds entirely populated by the company's iconic plastic bricks. Both "The Lego Movie" and "The Lego Movie 2: The Second Part" follow Emmet (Chris Pratt), an ordinary LEGO figurine who joins a quest to stop a villain from gluing the LEGO universe into eternal stasis.

Batman, who appeared in the other "Lego" movies, also got his own standalone film: "The Lego Batman Movie."

Marathon length: 5 hours, 14 minutes

Movies included on HBO Max:

• "The Lego Movie"
• "The Lego Movie 2: The Second Part"
• "The Lego Batman Movie"

What it's about: Following the success of the "Lord of the Rings" movies, Peter Jackson adapted "The Hobbit" — a prequel to the series that follows Frodo's uncle, Bilbo Baggins (Martin Freeman), as he helps a group of dwarves reclaim their home mountain from a dangerous dragon.

Marathon length: 7 hours, 57 minutes

Movies included on HBO Max:

• "The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey"
• "The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug"
• "The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies"

What it's about: Having appeared in over 30 movies, Godzilla is easily one of the most recognizable movie monsters in history.

He first popped up in the 1954 Japanese film "Godzilla" (which had an anti-nuclear warfare moral) and went on to face off against other giant creatures, like Mothra and Megalon.

Marathon length: 15 hours, 11 minutes

Movies included on HBO Max:

• "Godzilla"
• "Godzilla: King of Monsters"
• "Godzilla vs. Mechagodzilla"
• "Godzilla vs. Megalon"
• "Godzilla vs. Gigan"
• "Mothra vs. Godzilla"
• "Godzilla Raids Again"
• "Godzilla vs. Hedorah"
• "Son of Godzilla"
• "Godzilla, King of Monsters!"

What it's about: Even if you've never seen the original "Jaws," you've almost definitely heard its pulse-raising theme music. Director Steven Spielberg's original 1975 film about a great white shark terrorizing a beachside town is an iconic summer horror blockbuster and went on to be nominated for best picture at the Oscars.

"Jaws'" three sequels often lack a fair amount of its gravitas and effective suspense, but still make for good scary movie entertainment.

Marathon length: 7 hours, 11 minutes

Movies included on HBO Max:

• "Jaws"
• "Jaws 2"
• "Jaws 3"
• "Jaws the Revenge"

What it's about: Macaulay Culkin starred in the first two "Home Alone" movies, playing a Chicago boy who is accidentally left behind by his family and uses his wits to outsmart a few dim-witted burglars. The original film (which debuted in 1990) is a particularly enduring family movie and is already a Christmas classic.

Two more sequels have been made, this time featuring different kids, but similar setups.

Marathon length: 8 hours, 22 minutes

Movies included on HBO Max:

• "Home Alone"
• "Home Alone 2: Lost in New York"
• "Home Alone 3"
• "Home Alone 4"

These franchises are available to watch as part of an HBO Max subscription. You can sign up here for $14.99 per month. (When you subscribe to a service through our links, we may earn money from our affiliate partners.)