HBO reptile smuggling docuseries Monsters of God

HBO Max premiered the five-episode documentary series ‘Monsters of God’ on August 6, 2026. Created by Eric Goode and Jeremy McBride, the project took approximately six years to produce, utilizing over 175 interviews and 1,500 hours of footage. Based on Bryan Christy’s book ‘The Lizard King’, the series investigates the multi-billion-dollar illegal exotic reptile trade, tracing its evolution from the 1960s to the present.

The series highlights the history of wildlife-crime enforcement, specifically focusing on Philadelphia smuggler Hank Molt and the Philadelphia Reptile Exchange. Molt’s landmark prison sentence is noted for helping shape the Endangered Species Act, the CITES treaty, and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service actions. McBride described the subjects' drive as an obsession ‘more intense than any of the other kind of animal people that we’ve met with,’ while Goode characterized the series as ‘investigative journalism’ intended to document the architects of the trade.

As the season progresses, the narrative expands from American smugglers to international operations. Previous episodes detailed the activities of German dealers Wolfgang Kloe and Frank Lehmeyer, who were allegedly involved in a ring poaching rare species from Madagascar to smuggle through Europe to North America. The season finale, ‘Head of the Snake’, is scheduled for release on September 3, focusing on Malaysian kingpin Anson Wong and the undercover efforts of U.S. Fish and Wildlife agent George Morrison to penetrate Wong’s network.