Josh Safdie‘s wildlife show Monsters of God premieres on HBO Max today. The five-part documentary series is available to stream on the platform from August 6. The show will roll out one episode per week for five weeks.
Monsters of God is directed and created by the Primetime Emmy nominee Eric Goode. He also served as an executive producer for the series with Safdie.
The documentary series is a collaboration between Goode Films Production and A24 Production, in association with Central Pictures. Other executive producers include Jeremy McBride, Harry Go, Emily Osborne, Nicole Stott, Ronald Bronstein, Eli Bush, and Kevin Turen.
Earlier this March, the docuseries premiered at the 2026 South by Southwest Film & TV Festival, where it won the Audience Award in the TV Premiere section.
Goode is well-known for his other documentary series on wild animal ownership. Some of his most popular works include Tiger King on Netflix and Chimp Crazy on HBO. These earned him three Primetime Emmy nominations.
What to expect from Monsters of God?
Viewers can expect a true-crime approach to Monsters of God. The documentary will feature notorious figures like Anson Wong Keng Liang, a Malaysian wildlife smuggler who is dubbed the Lizard King or the Pablo Escobar of wildlife trafficking.
According to the series description, this crime documentary heavily explores the billion-dollar, bizarre underworld of the international exotic reptile trade, smuggling, and illegal wildlife trafficking.
The American conservationist filmmaker takes his love for reptiles and explores the wild network of dealers, obsessive collectors, and federal agents. Here, everyone is chasing the ultimate prize, which is owning the rarest species, claiming the biggest fortunes, or taking down the most elusive criminals.
As per the logline, “The billion-dollar criminal enterprise is fueled by extreme obsession for reptile creatures, driving many to push the boundaries of laws and environmental ethics. As he digs deeper, Goode uncovers a labyrinth of outlaw traffickers, bombastic collectors, and dogged law enforcement agents on their tails.”