September 2026 is shaping up to be a particularly varied month for cinema. Horror, historical drama, fantasy, documentary projects and large-scale adventures are all arriving within a few weeks.

Some filmmakers are returning to familiar franchises, while others are presenting completely new stories inspired by real events, culture and history.

Resident Evil

Zach Cregger offers a fresh take on the famous universe. The story follows Bryan, played by Austin Abrams, a medical courier who must deliver an important package to a hospital in Raccoon City just as a zombie outbreak begins to overwhelm the area.

Instead of focusing on an experienced action hero, the film places an ordinary person at the centre of a rapidly escalating disaster.

Primetime

Robert Pattinson takes on one of September’s more serious roles in a drama inspired by the American television programme To Catch a Predator.

He plays journalist Chris Hansen, while the film explores not only the work behind televised sting operations but also the ethical questions raised when real investigations become mass entertainment.

The Weight

This thriller starring Ethan Hawke is set during the Great Depression. His character is unfairly sent to a labour camp and receives a chance to change his fate by joining other prisoners on a dangerous journey involving stolen gold.

Russell Crowe plays the intimidating camp supervisor, while the story focuses on survival, difficult choices and personal endurance.

Practical Magic 2

Nearly three decades later, Nicole Kidman and Sandra Bullock return as Gillian and Sally. The sequel once again draws inspiration from Alice Hoffman’s books. Stockard Channing and Dianne Wiest also return, while Joey King and Maisie Williams join the cast.

This time, a younger generation of the Owens family must confront the mysterious curse that has followed them for years.

Forgotten Island

DreamWorks Animation turns to Filipino folklore for a new fantasy adventure. Two friends pass through a mysterious portal into a magical world filled with strange creatures and unfamiliar dangers. Gradually, they discover that staying there too long could cause them to lose their memories of one another.

That emotional idea gives the story more depth than a conventional fantasy journey.

Onslaught

Adam Wingard combines science fiction, horror and fast-paced action in this new project.

Adria Arjona plays a mother living with her child in a remote desert community. Their quiet life suddenly changes when dangerous genetically altered people escape from a nearby research facility.

The heroine’s past experience unexpectedly becomes essential as she tries to survive the crisis.

Heart of the Beast

Brad Pitt stars as a man stranded in a remote part of Alaska after a plane crash.

His only companion is a dog named Odin. Together, they must move through harsh wilderness, deal with injuries and cope with almost complete isolation.

David Ayer’s film combines survival adventure with a more emotional story about trust between a person and an animal.

The Salman Rushdie Story

Alex Gibney’s new documentary project focuses on writer Salman Rushdie and the events of 2022 that dramatically changed his life.

The film includes personal footage recorded by Rushdie’s wife, Rachel Eliza Griffiths. It also revisits his career, ideas and the years of pressure that followed the publication of The Satanic Verses.

The Uprising

Paul Greengrass brings the English Peasants’ Revolt of 1381 to the screen.

Andrew Garfield plays a poor farmer who becomes one of the leaders of a wider resistance movement after experiencing a devastating personal tragedy.

Rather than centring the story on rulers and elites, the film follows ordinary people challenging the system around them.

Hope

Na Hong-jin’s Hope may be the most unusual release of the month.

The story begins in a small coastal town in South Korea, where a giant unknown creature suddenly appears. From there, the film develops into a mixture of horror, science fiction, western influences and dark comedy.

With a running time of around two and a half hours, it promises chases, large-scale set pieces and plenty of unexpected shifts in tone.

September stands out because of its variety. Familiar stories return in new forms, major actors step into unexpected roles, and real events sit alongside fantasy, horror and historical drama. For film fans, the month looks packed with very different reasons to return to the cinema.