George and Josh Bate
As the leaves fall and the weather gets colder, this autumn is the perfect time to seek comfort with a good movie. While the summer offers plenty of big-budget spectacle to marvel at, the fall is often home to horror outings (fitting for Halloween) and a slew of movies seeking awards recognition. Collectively, this means that fall is typically a great time of year at the movies and it appears that Fall 2024 will be no exception.
Some films debuting this fall include the long-awaited sequel to a Tim Burton classic, a controversial epic from Francis Ford Coppola, Ridley Scott’s highly anticipated sequel to Gladiator, and the returns of Joker, Art the Clown, and Venom.
Technically, the fall season spans from September 22 to December 21, but, for the sake of this list, we are including anything that releases in September up until the Thanksgiving holiday.
Here are 20 films you should be excited for this fall.
Beetlejuice Beetlejuice (September 6)
Tim Burton returns to the dark and twisted world that put him on the map with the long-awaited sequel to Beetlejuice. This sequel, titled Beetlejuice Beetlejuice, follows three generations of the Deetz family (played by Catherine O’Hara, Winona Ryder, and Jenna Ortega) as they once again come face-to-face with the afterlife and everyone’s favorite bio-exorcist Betelgeuse.
Speak No Evil (September 13)
Blumhouse are producing a remake of one of the most disturbing films in recent years. The Danish film Speak No Evil shocked audiences with its shocking ending and fusion of cringe-worthiness and pure terror, and now audiences will have a chance to experience the film from a different set of creatives. James McAvoy, Mackenzie Davis, Aisling Franciosi, and Scoot McNairy star in this film about a dream holiday that becomes a psychological nightmare.
Never Let Go (September 20)
Alexandre Aja is no stranger to horror. After helming Crawl and the remake of The Hills Have Eyes, the French filmmaker will direct this new survival horror film starring Halle Berry. Produced by Shawn Levy, Never Let Go follows a mother and her twin sons, who live in solitude out of fear of a malicious spirit outside their home. When one of the boys starts to doubt the existence of the evil, the family’s bond is shattered and a desperate fight for survival ensues.
Transformers One (September 20)
This animated prequel film tells the origin stories of Optimus Prime and Megatron, when the two were known as Orion Pax and D-16 respectively. Transformers One is directed by Josh Cooley, who previously helmed Toy Story 4, and features an ensemble voice cast that includes Chris Hemsworth, Brian Tyree Henry, Scarlett Johansson, Keegan-Michael Key, Steve Buscemi, Laurence Fishburne, and Jon Hamm. The Transformers franchise first made its debut on the big screen in animated form with 1986’s classic The Transformers: The Movie. Now, the franchise returns to theatrical animation and the robots’ home planet of Cybertron for a prequel that hopes to inject a spark into this up-and-down film series.
Megalopolis (September 27)
Francis Ford Coppola began developing Megalopolis back in 1977, but was prevented from creating the film due to a myriad of factors, including financial troubles, box office failures directed by Coppola, and the September 11 attacks. This fall, the long-awaited dream project from Coppola finally hits theaters and it will likely be followed by lots of conversation and controversy. Megalopolis premiered at the Cannes Film Festival In May of this year, where it was met with a divisive response. The film is described as an epic sci-fi drama that borrows and references elements of Roman history. Adam Driver, Nathalie Emmanuel, Aubrey Plaza, Shia LaBeouf, and Giancarlo Esposito star.
The Wild Robot (September 27)
The Wild Robot book series by Peter Brown makes its way onto the big-screen with the help of writer/director Chris Sanders and DreamWorks Animation. Inspired by films of Hayao Miyazaki and Disney animated classics, The Wild Robot tells the story of ROZZUM unit 7134 (aka Roz). After finding herself shipwrecked on an uninhabited island, Roz (voiced by Lupita Nyong’o) must survive harsh surroundings and build relationships with animals on the island, while also becoming the adoptive parent of an orphaned gosling. The ensemble voice cast also includes Pedro Pascal, Kit Connor, Bill Nighy, Stephanie Hsu, Catherine O’Hara, and Mark Hamill.
Joker: Folie à Deux (October 4)
The highly anticipated sequel to 2019’s Joker is unleashed on theaters this fall after it made its world premiere at the Venice International Film Festival. Set two years after the events of its predecessor, Joker: Folie à Deux chronicles the blossoming love story between Joaquin Phoenix’s Arthur Fleck and Lady Gaga’s Harley Quinn. The film has received mixed reviews so far, but that won’t stop herds of movie goers from checking this one out. In a busy fall full of tons of interesting films, Joker: Folie à Deux will likely go down as one of the most watched and big-earners of the year.
Things Will Be Different (October 4)
We were amazed by this grounded sci-fi film when it premiered at South by Southwest earlier this year. Things Will Be Different follows two siblings, who, after completing a daring heist, seek refuge in an abandoned farmhouse that has the ability to transport them to another time. The film, which is written, directed, and co-produced by Michael Felker, mixes high-concept sci-fi with more grounded sensibilities, much like Rian Johnson did with Looper. What results is a fascinating movie, one that gets you thinking and captivates from beginning to end.
Terrifier 3 (October 11)
The award for fall’s bloodiest movie will likely go to Terrifier 3. This slasher sequel makes its world premiere at Fantastic Fest this September before it hits theaters in October. Despite its release being timed for the Halloween season, Terrifier 3 is actually a Christmas slasher, following in the footsteps of twisted holiday classics like Black Christmas. The film once again follows siblings Sienna and Jonathan (played by Lauren LaVera and Elliot Fullam respectively), who survived Art the Clown’s Halloween massacre in Terrifier 2. Trying to leave the horrors of the past behind, the siblings soon find themselves once again face-to-face with the menacing Art of the Clown, who turns the holiday season into a festive nightmare.
The Apprentice (October 11)
Timed to release just before this year’s presidential election in the U.S., The Apprentice stars Sebastian Stan as Donald Trump. Set during the early years of Trump’s business career, The Apprentice follows Trump and his relationship with Roy Cohn (played by Jeremy Strong). The film premiered at the Cannes Film Festival earlier this year and was warmly received. As conversations about who will be the next president heat up this autumn, The Apprentice seems to be perfect viewing.
Saturday Night (October 11)
Jason Reitman directs Saturday Night, a film that chronicles the premiere of NBC’s Saturday Night in 1975. The 90-minute film dramatically recreates the 90 minutes leading up to the moment Saturday Night premiered on NBC. The ensemble cast includes Gabriel LaBelle as Lorne Michaels, Rachel Sennott as Rosie Shuster, Cory Michael Smith as Chevy Chase, Dylan O’Brien as Dan Aykroyd, Nicholas Braun as Andy Kaufman, and Willem Dafoe as David Tebet.
Smile 2 (October 18)
Smile was an unexpected smash-hit when it creeped its way into theaters in 2022, and Smile 2 will look to replicate that success. This sequel stars Naomi Scott as Skye Riley, a pop singer who begins to experience disturbing events as she is able to go on tour. Smile 2 hits theaters in mid-October and, as such, will likely be the movie horror fans will going out to the theater to watch this Halloween season.
Venom: The Last Dance (October 25)
The third installment in Sony’s Venom film series also hits theaters this October. Tom Hardy returns as Eddie Brock and Venom, while Chiwetel Ejiofor, Juno Temple, and Rhys Ifans join the cast of the fifth film in Sony’s Spider-Man Universe (or SSU). Venom and Venom: Let There Be Charge were love-them-or-hate-them movies, and Venom: The Last Dance will likely be the same. For those looking for another Marvel outing after this summer’s smash hit Deadpool & Wolverine, or for those who marvel at Tom Hardy’s bonkers performance as this character, the third Venom film may be up your alley.
A Real Pain (November 1)
A Real Pain garnered universal acclaim when it premiered at Sundance Film Festival in January of this year. The film follows cousins David (played by Jesse Eisenberg) and Benji (played by Kieran Culkin), who go on a tour through Poland to honor their beloved grandmother. Described as powerful and emotionally resonant, A Real Pain is also written and directed by Jesse Eisenberg.
Conclave (November 8)
All Quiet on the Western Front director Edward Berger helms this upcoming religious political thriller. The film stars Ralph Fiennes as Cardinal Thomas Lawrence, whose task to find a successor to the deceased Pope becomes complicated when he discovers the former Pope’s dark secret. Stanley Tucci and John Lithgow co-star.
Heretic (November 15)
A24 and the directing/writing team of Scott Beck and Bryan Woods are beyond one of the more intriguing films debuting this autumn. Heretic tracks two Mormon missionaries (played by Sophie Thatcher and Chloe East), whose attempts to convert a man (played by Hugh Grant) becomes far more dangerous than they ever could have imagined.
Gladiator II (November 22)
Nearly a quarter of a century later and Ridley Scott returns to the world of Gladiator. One of the year’s most eagerly awaited films, Gladiator II serves as a sequel to Gladiator (2000) and stars Paul Mescal, Pedro Pascal, Joseph Quinn, Connie Nielsen, and Denzel Washington. Gladiator II tells the story of Lucius Verus (played by Paul Mescal), the grandson of Rome’s former emperor Marcus Aurelius. When he is forced into slavery, Lucius becomes inspired by the story of Maximus and vows to fight as a gladiator.
Wicked (November 22)
Another film with a long development history debuts in theaters this fall. Wicked is based on the iconic stage musical of the same name and tells a story from the wonderful world of Wizard of Oz. Jon M. Chu directs the film, which stars Cynthia Erivo as the woman who becomes the Wicked Witch of the West and Ariana Grande as the woman who later becomes Glinda the Good. With part 2 of this story slated to come out next November, Wicked will look to be the big movie-going event this Thanksgiving.
Moana 2 (November 27)
The sequel to Moana was originally envisioned as a Disney+ series, but it was eventually reworked into a sequel for the big screen. Moana 2 once again stars Auli’i Cravalho as Moana, who journeys in search of a hidden island that has the potential to break a curse on her people. Dwayne Johnson also returns as Maui, while Temuera Morrison, Nicole Scherzinger, and Alan Tudyk co-star.
Make sure to follow Film Obsessive’s coverage of these films and many more throughout the fall!
