{"id":8251,"date":"2026-09-02T15:42:16","date_gmt":"2026-09-02T15:42:16","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/nextcitydigest.com\/?p=8251"},"modified":"2026-09-02T15:42:16","modified_gmt":"2026-09-02T15:42:16","slug":"fall-films-2026-plenty-of-cool-movies-coming-to-a-theater-near-you","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/nextcitydigest.com\/?p=8251","title":{"rendered":"Fall films 2026: Plenty of cool movies coming to a theater near you"},"content":{"rendered":"
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The box office exerted Herculean-force strength on the boisterous summer movie season with three major players \u2014 \u201cThe Odyssey,\u201d \u201cSpider-Man: Brand New Day\u201d and \u201cToy Story 5\u201d \u2014 leading the way to what has already been declared the biggest May-August take since COVID. The big three, along with such niche favorites as \u201cBackrooms\u201d and \u201cObsession\u201d brought movie fans to theaters in droves, often for second, even third, viewings.<\/p>\n

Read more Girls flag football: Freshman already stepping up big for Los Gatos<\/a><\/p>\n

There was also a an increased demand for IMAX showings.<\/p>\n

So given that the summer and its projected $4.5 billion box office sounded such an outrageously high note, how can the fall film season compete?<\/p>\n

It can\u2019t.<\/p>\n

But what it can do is get movie lovers pumped about the awards season, since it tends to be the time when contenders and posers start trickling in (the trickle becomes a flood around holiday time).<\/p>\n

We can\u2019t possibly project which fall films will drive the awards conversation or make the biggest splash at the box office. But we plucked out 35 of the more intriguing titles headed to theaters now through Nov. 20.<\/p>\n

Some will provoke thought, others will make you laugh, still others will freak you out. And a few will have the power to warm hearts and inspire (things we could all use around now).<\/p>\n

So let\u2019s not dawdle and just dig into what lies ahead.<\/p>\n

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Remember dates are subject to change.<\/p>\n

\u201cBy Any Means\u201d:<\/strong> A \u201860s Mississippi FBI agent (former Bay Area resident Yahya Abdul-Mateen II) probes civil-rights-related killings and gets racist hate thrown in his path. With the beefy assist of informant\/mob guy (a jacked Mark Wahlberg) he refuses to back down in director Elegance Bratton\u2019s fact-based feature. When & where:<\/strong> In theaters Sept. 4.<\/p>\n

\u201cOnslaught\u201d:<\/strong> Rogue AI-enhanced killing machines put a bead on a single mom who happens to be an Army sniper (Adria Arjona). Uh-oh. \u201cYou\u2019re Next\u201d and \u201cGodzilla vs. Kong\u201d director Adam Wingard\u2019s sci-fi thriller hums with a \u201cTerminator\u201d-like vibe. When & where:<\/strong> In theaters Sept. 4.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe Sun Never Sets\u201d:<\/strong> When Wendy\u2019s (Dakota Fanning) boyfriend Jack (Jake Johnson) hits the pause button on their relationship, she jaunts off to Alaska and smacks into a hunky ex (Cory Michael Smith). Uh-oh, part deux. It\u2019s the latest from indie fave Joe Swanberg. When & where:<\/strong> In theaters Sept. 4.<\/p>\n

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\u201cHope\u201d:<\/strong> In director Na (\u201cThe Wailing\u201d)\u00a0 Hong-jin\u2019s crazy creature feature, a fantastical entity preys on a South Korean village. An intrepid band vows to stomp it out. Question is: Can they? When & where:<\/strong> In theaters Sept. 9.<\/p>\n

\u201cPractical Magic 2\u201d:<\/strong> Nicole Kidman and Sandra Bullock conjure up additional hocus pocus as two gifted sisters battling a nasty curse that\u2019s affecting a new generation. When & where:<\/strong> In theaters Sept. 10.<\/p>\n