Witches, thrillers and dystopias: The best film releases coming later this year
image via @verityfilm/instagram
words by daisy henry
The best films coming in 2026.
It’s only September and 2026 has already treated us to an unbeatable lineup of film releases. To refresh your memory, the year started with the release of Emerald Fennell’s much-anticipated Wuthering Heights, Charli XCX’s The Moment and, of course, The Devil Wears Prada sequel.
Then came Marty Supreme and Timothée Chalamet’s never-ending press circuit (including those ballet and opera comments), followed by record-breaking horror films, Backrooms and Obsession, plus the cinematic feat that was The Odyssey. In short, the first half of 2026 is pretty hard to beat.
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Yet looking ahead, the second half of the year doesn’t look half-bad. On the cards are several movie sequels, taking us from Panem to Arrakis, plus several book-to-film adaptations and films based on real-life events.
Practical Magic 2
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Australian release date: September 10
It really is the season of the witch. Almost 30 years after its original release, Practical Magic is back. Nicole Kidman and Sandra Bullock are reprising their roles as two witchy sisters, with Maisie Williams and Joey King joining the cast. This sequel will see the Owens women try to undo the curse that’s threatened their family for generations.
Watch the trailer here.
Verity
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Australian release date: October 1
Verity is the latest book-to-movie adaptation from author Colleen Hoover. Starring the dream team, Anne Hathaway and Dakota Johnson, the plot follows a struggling writer who is tasked with ghostwriting and finishing the remaining books in a bestselling series. If the trailer is anything to go by, expect a few jump scares.
Watch the trailer here.
The Social Reckoning
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Australian release date: October 8
Described as a ‘companion’ to The Social Network, The Social Reckoning is based on the true story of Frances Haugen, a young Facebook engineer, who leaked tens of thousands of internal documents to The Wall Street Journal in 2021. Its all-star cast features Mikey Madison, Jeremy Strong and Jeremy Allen White.
Watch the trailer here.
Sense and Sensibility
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Australian release date: October 15
Director Georgia Oakley is bringing Jane Austen’s beloved novel to the big screen, with a screenplay by Australian novelist Diana Reid, and Daisy Edgar-Jones and Esmé Creed-Miles starring as the eldest Dashwood sisters. Expect swoon-worthy empire-waisted gowns and lots of bonnets.
Watch the trailer here.
Klara and the Sun
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Australian release date: October 22
Klara and the Sun is a film adaptation of Nobel Prize-winning writer Kazuo Ishiguro’s novel of the same name. Directed by Taika Waititi and starring Jenna Ortega, the film follows Klara, an Artificial Friend, who is waiting desperately in the store to be chosen.
Watch the trailer here.
Primetime
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Australian release date: October 29
Starring Robert Pattinson as host Chris Hansen, Primetime follows the making of the show To Catch a Predator. Based on true events, the show was infamous for its sting operations to catch suspected child predators. The film will likely explore the moral complexities of the original show and has already had rave reviews.
Watch the trailer here.
The Hunger Games: Sunrise on the Reaping
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Australian release date: November 19
Sunrise on the Reaping is the latest film release from the Panem universe, this time taking us back in time to the 50th Hunger Games (also known as the Second Quarter Quell). Set 24 years before the events of The Hunger Games, it follows a young Haymitch Abernathy as he competes in the arena.
It also has an all-star cast, with Jesse Plemons starring as a young Plutarch Heavensbee, Elle Fanning as Effie Trinket, Kieran Culkin as Caesar Flickerman and Ralph Fiennes as President Coriolanus Snow.
Watch the trailer here.
Dune: Part Three
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Australian release date: November 19
Directed by Denis Villeneuve, Dune: Part Three is set almost two decades after the events of Dune: Part Two. It follows Emperor Paul Atreides as he faces the fallout from his ascension to power. Favourites Timothée Chalamet, Zendaya, Javier Bardem, Rebecca Ferguson and Jason Momoa will be reprising their roles, with Robert Pattinson and Anya Taylor-Joy joining the Dune universe.
Watch the trailer here.
Misty Green
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Australian release date: TBA
Written and directed by Chris Rock, A24’s Misty Green follows an actress fighting for her comeback after her career stalls. Starring Rosalind Eleazar, Daniel Kaluuya, Anna Kendrick and Adam Driver, it’s tender and funny in a way only Chris Rock can nail.
Watch the trailer here.
You Can See Everything
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Australian release date: TBA
Directed by Nathan Fielder and Lance Oppenheim, A24 has just announced You Can See Everything. Labelled a documentary, it’s set 34 days before notorious Silicon Valley founder Elizabeth Holmes is sent to prison. There’s no release date set for Australia, but it’s looking like an October U.S. release.
Watch the trailer here.
For the best films of 2026 so far, try this.
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