Photo Credit: Dave J Hogan/Getty Images Christopher Nolan and Tom Hardy’s mind-bending sci-fi film will not be a part of HBO Max’s library from next month. The Oscar-winning film is often considered one of the most unique sci-fi films of modern times, which not only received critical acclaim but also had an incredible box office run. Inception is leaving HBO Max this month HBO Max will bid farewell to Inception on Friday, May 1, 2026.

The film centers on Cobb, a highly skilled thief who extracts information from his target’s subconscious using a dream-sharing technology. Soon, a powerful businessman named Saito promises to clear Cobb’s criminal record and allow him to return home to his kids. In exchange, Cobb must implant an idea into Saito’s rival, Robert Fischer’s, subconscious.

Desperate to return home, Cobb accepts the risky job and hires a team of talented people to complete the mission. Christopher Nolan wrote and directed the film. He reportedly originated the idea in the early 2000s and wrote an 80-page treatment about dream stealers.

He later pitched the idea to Warner Bros. in 2001. Eventually, Nolan believed he needed more experience to handle a film of that scale and shelved it (via The Telegraph). Following the success of The Dark Knight, he picked up the Inception script, after intermittently working on it for 10 years, as his next project.

The film’s cast features Tom Hardy as Eames, Leonardo DiCaprio as Cobb, Ken Watanabe as Saito, Cillian Murphy as Robert, Joseph Gordon-Levitt as Arthur, Michael Caine as Stephen, Marion Cotillard as Mal, and Dileep Rao as Yusuf, among others. Inception was unanimously loved since its worldwide release on July 16, 2010. It currently stands tall with an impressive user score of 91% and a critic approval rating of 87% on Rotten Tomatoes.

By the end of its initial theatrical run, the film grossed $828.2 million at the global box office. Over the years, it had several re-releases, bringing the worldwide total to $839.7 million. Furthermore, the film won four awards at the 2011 Oscars.