Fall 2026 is shaping up to be one of the busiest movie seasons in years. From the return of beloved franchises to ambitious original films from acclaimed directors, September through November offers an unusually varied lineup. Horror fans have Resident Evil and DC’s darker-than-usual Clayface. Franchise audiences get The Hunger Games: Sunrise on the Reaping. Sandra Bullock and Nicole Kidman reunite for Practical Magic 2, while Tom Cruise teams with Alejandro G. Iñárritu for Digger.
There are also video game adaptations, literary thrillers, animation, prestige dramas and several films that could become serious awards-season contenders. Here are 20 movies worth watching in fall 2026.
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| 20 MOVIES TO WATCH — FALL 2026 |
Source Note: Release dates and film details are based on current studio announcements and the Fall 2026 theatrical schedule. Release plans may change.
September 2026 Movies
1. Practical Magic 2
Release: September 2026
Nearly three decades after the original Practical Magic, Sandra Bullock and Nicole Kidman return as Sally and Gillian Owens.
The sequel takes audiences back into the supernatural world of the Owens family, where magic, family history and an inherited curse once again collide. Joey King, Maisie Williams, Lee Pace, Xolo Maridueña, Dianne Wiest and Stockard Channing are among the supporting cast.
Susanne Bier directs the sequel, which draws from Alice Hoffman’s The Book of Magic. The first movie grew into a cult favorite long after its 1998 release, meaning the sequel arrives with an audience that has waited years for another chapter.
2. Resident Evil
Release: September 18
The Resident Evil franchise is getting another major cinematic reinvention.
Zach Cregger, the filmmaker behind Barbarian and Weapons, directs the new adaptation, with Austin Abrams starring. Rather than simply continuing one of the previous movie timelines, the project represents another attempt to capture the survival-horror atmosphere that made Capcom’s games famous.
If the film leans heavily into horror instead of pure action, it could give longtime fans something very different from earlier adaptations.
3. By Any Means
Release: September 4
Mark Wahlberg and Yahya Abdul-Mateen II lead this crime thriller from director Elegance Bratton.
Set during the 1960s and inspired by a true story, By Any Means promises a combination of historical drama, crime and action.
4. Onslaught
Release: September 4
Adam Wingard returns with a new action thriller starring Adria Arjona.
The story follows an Army sniper attempting to protect her daughter from a rogue group of genetically engineered super soldiers. The premise suggests a blend of military action, science fiction and survival horror.
5. Hope
Release: September 9
South Korean filmmaker Na Hong-jin returns with an ambitious science-fiction project.
The cast brings together major Korean and international stars including Hwang Jung-min, Zo In-sung, Jung Ho-yeon, Taylor Russell, Alicia Vikander and Michael Fassbender.
Na Hong-jin previously directed The Wailing, so the prospect of him tackling a large-scale science-fiction story makes Hope one of the most intriguing international releases of the season.
6. Heart of the Beast
Release: September 25
Brad Pitt stars in a survival thriller from director David Ayer.
Pitt plays a former Army Special Forces soldier whose aircraft crashes in the Alaskan wilderness alongside his retired combat dog. The pair must survive the environment together, giving the movie a straightforward but potentially very effective survival premise.
October 2026 Movies
7. Digger
Release: October 2
Tom Cruise working with Alejandro G. Iñárritu is already enough to make Digger one of the year’s most fascinating movies.
Cruise plays Digger Rockwell, described as the most powerful man in the world. After unleashing a disaster, he begins a frantic effort to prove that he can still save humanity.
Riz Ahmed, John Goodman, Sandra Hüller, Michael Stuhlbarg and Jesse Plemons also star. Iñárritu developed the screenplay with Alexander Dinelaris, Nicolás Giacobone and Sabina Berman, with Emmanuel Lubezki serving as cinematographer.
This does not sound like a typical Tom Cruise blockbuster. That is precisely what makes it so interesting.
8. Verity
Release: October 2
Colleen Hoover’s bestselling psychological thriller reaches the big screen with an impressive cast.
Anne Hathaway, Dakota Johnson and Josh Hartnett star in the adaptation. The novel’s combination of romance, manipulation, disturbing revelations and unreliable storytelling gives the movie plenty of material for a dark mainstream thriller.
9. The Social Reckoning
Release: October 9
Aaron Sorkin returns to the world introduced in The Social Network.
Rather than simply recreating the first film, The Social Reckoning moves into a later era of Facebook’s history. Jeremy Strong plays Mark Zuckerberg, while Mikey Madison plays whistleblower Frances Haugen. Sorkin both writes and directs.
10. Other Mommy
Release: October 9
Jessica Chastain takes on dual roles in this supernatural horror movie.
She plays both the mother of an eight-year-old girl and the mysterious “Other Mommy,” a frightening presence emerging from the child’s closet. The premise is simple, creepy and perfectly timed for October.
11. Street Fighter
Release: October 16
Another major video game franchise returns to theaters.
The new Street Fighter movie is set during the 1990s and stars Andrew Koji and Noah Centineo, with Kitao Sakurai directing. Video game adaptations have improved dramatically in recent years, creating a much better environment for another attempt at bringing Capcom’s fighting series to live action.
12. Whalefall
Release: October 16
Few survival movies have a premise quite like this.
Whalefall follows a scuba diver, played by Austin Abrams, who is swallowed by a sperm whale. That immediately creates a claustrophobic survival scenario unlike the standard wilderness or ocean thriller.
13. Clayface
Release: October 23
DC Studios is taking a surprising approach to one of Batman’s classic villains.
Rather than presenting Clayface as a conventional superhero movie, the film is positioned as a horror thriller. Tom Rhys Harries stars in the title role, with James Watkins directing from a screenplay by Mike Flanagan and Hossein Amini.
The story follows a rising Hollywood actor whose transformation ultimately turns him into a revenge-driven monster, exploring identity, ambition and the darker side of scientific experimentation. Naomi Ackie, Max Minghella, Eddie Marsan and David Dencik also star.
If DC allows the filmmakers to fully embrace body horror, Clayface could become one of the most distinctive comic-book movies in years.
14. Klara and the Sun
Release: October 23
Taika Waititi directs this adaptation of Kazuo Ishiguro’s acclaimed novel.
The story revolves around Klara, an Artificial Friend who becomes involved with a troubled family. Amy Adams, Jenna Ortega and Natasha Lyonne are among the cast.
At a time when artificial intelligence has become an everyday subject, Ishiguro’s story about technology, loneliness, love and humanity may feel especially timely.
15. Wildwood
Release: October 23
LAIKA returns with another ambitious stop-motion fantasy.
Based on Colin Meloy’s novel, Wildwood follows a girl whose baby brother is taken by crows into a mysterious magical forest. LAIKA’s painstaking stop-motion craft makes any new film from the studio a visual event.
November 2026 Movies
16. Godzilla Minus Zero
Release: November 6
Takashi Yamazaki follows his Oscar-winning Godzilla Minus One with another chapter.
Godzilla Minus Zero continues in the aftermath of World War II. The biggest question is how the sequel can expand the story without losing the intimate qualities that made the previous film so effective.
17. The Cat in the Hat
Release: November 6
Dr. Seuss’ iconic character returns in a new animated feature.
Bill Hader provides the voice of the Cat. The property has remained recognizable across generations, and an animated approach could give the filmmakers more freedom to reproduce the exaggerated visual style of the original book.
18. Ebenezer: A Christmas Carol
Release: November 13
Johnny Depp takes on Ebenezer Scrooge in another adaptation of Charles Dickens’ classic.
The unexpected element is the director: Ti West, best known for horror films including the X trilogy. A darker interpretation could help the movie emphasize the ghost-story elements that have always existed inside Dickens’ Christmas tale.
19. How to Rob a Bank
Release: November 13
David Leitch directs this crime thriller starring Nicholas Hoult, Zoë Kravitz and Christian Slater.
The story centers on bank robbers who document their crimes through social media. Leitch’s action background suggests the movie could combine elaborate set pieces with a modern satire of online attention and celebrity.
20. The Hunger Games: Sunrise on the Reaping
Release: November 20
For many moviegoers, this is the biggest title of the entire fall season.
The Hunger Games: Sunrise on the Reaping takes audiences back to Panem decades before Katniss Everdeen. The story begins on the morning of the 50th Hunger Games — the Second Quarter Quell — and centers on a young Haymitch Abernathy.
Joseph Zada plays Haymitch, while the larger ensemble includes major names such as Ralph Fiennes, Jesse Plemons and Glenn Close.
Haymitch’s Games have long been an important piece of Hunger Games mythology. Fans already know that he survives, but knowing the outcome does not necessarily reduce the tension. In many ways, it makes the tragedy more interesting because audiences understand how deeply the experience will shape the man he eventually becomes.
It is easily one of the most anticipated movies of late 2026.
Which Fall 2026 Movie Could Be the Biggest?
There is no obvious single winner.
The Hunger Games: Sunrise on the Reaping has one of the strongest established franchises on this list. Practical Magic 2 has nostalgia on its side, along with the reunion of Sandra Bullock and Nicole Kidman.
Clayface may be the biggest wildcard. A Gotham-based DC movie presented as an actual horror thriller could reach audiences beyond traditional superhero fans.
Then there is Digger. Tom Cruise remains one of Hollywood’s most recognizable stars, but combining him with Alejandro G. Iñárritu makes the project harder to categorize than a standard action blockbuster.
The result is a fall calendar where major franchises do not completely dominate the conversation. Original and filmmaker-driven projects have a genuine chance to stand alongside them.
Final Thoughts
Fall 2026 offers something for almost every kind of movie fan.
September brings the return of Practical Magic and Resident Evil. October may be the most diverse month, with Digger, Verity, Street Fighter, Klara and the Sun and the horror-focused Clayface. November then delivers Godzilla Minus Zero and one of the year’s biggest franchise events with The Hunger Games: Sunrise on the Reaping.
Several of these movies will undoubtedly disappoint, while others may emerge as unexpected hits. But based on the current lineup, audiences are going to have plenty to talk about before 2026 comes to an end.
Reference Sources
Associated Press — Fall 2026 movie preview
DC — Clayface movie information
Lionsgate — The Hunger Games: Sunrise on the Reaping announcement
Warner Bros. — Practical Magic 2 and Digger official materials