25 Must-See Movies This Fall 2025 — Zootopia 2, Frankenstein, Two Stephen King Adaptations, and More
Fall 2025 brings a packed slate of movies across genres — big studio sequels, original horrors, literary adaptations, and a few surprises. Below you’ll find a concise guide to 25 titles releasing between Sept. 1 and Nov. 30, with trailers and source links where available.
- The Long Walk (Sept. 12)
- Traumatika (Sept. 12)
- HIM (Sept. 19)
- One Battle After Another (Sept. 26)
- The Smashing Machine (Oct. 3)
- Shelby Oaks (Oct. 3)
- Good Boy (Oct. 3)
- Bone Lake (Oct. 3)
- Deathstalker (Oct. 3)
- Tron: Ares (Oct. 10)
- Frankenstein (Oct. 17)
- Black Phone 2 (Oct. 17)
- Good Fortune (Oct. 17)
- Bugonia (Oct. 24)
- A House of Dynamite (Oct. 24)
- Baahubali: The Epic (Oct. 31)
- Predator: Badlands (Nov. 7)
- The Running Man (Nov. 7)
- Arco (Nov. 14)
- Now You See Me: Now You Don’t (Nov. 14)
- Wicked: For Good (Nov. 21)
- Zootopia 2 (Nov. 21)
- Sisu: Road to Revenge (Nov. 21)
The Conjuring: Last Rites (Sept. 5)
The Conjuring: Last Rites returns Vera Farmiga and Patrick Wilson as Ed and Lorraine Warren. The film was directed by Michael Chaves, who also directed 2021’s The Conjuring: The Devil Made Me Do It.
The story draws on claims from the Smurl family in Pennsylvania and is billed as “one last case” for the Warrens. For background on those claims, see this page.
The Legend of Hei 2 (Sept. 5)
The Legend of Hei 2 continues the animated story of Luo Xiaohei, a shapeshifting cat-spirit, and was released in China in July before its U.S. window. The sequel is directed by MTJJ and Jie Gu and follows Hei as he takes on missions and investigates a conspiracy affecting both the spirit world and the human realm.
For details on the source material and related comics, see the series page on the Luo Xiaohei wiki.
The Long Walk (Sept. 12)
The Long Walk adapts Stephen King’s 1979 novel written under his Richard Bachman pseudonym. The novel’s core premise includes the directive: “Walk until only one of you is left.”
Francis Lawrence directed the film. Cooper Hoffman stars as the point-of-view character, with Judy Greer and Mark Hamill in supporting roles. For context about King’s pseudonym, see this article, and for the Pynchon-related book that inspired some discussion around another director’s work, see the book page for Vineland.
Traumatika (Sept. 12)
Traumatika comes from director Pierre Tsigaridis and stars Ranen Navat and Rebekah Kennedy. The film centers on a child whose night terrors escalate after his mother becomes possessed.
Tsigaridis previously made films such as Two Witches. For reference, here is the director’s related clip:
HIM (Sept. 19)
HIM is a sports-horror movie from director Justin Tipping with Jordan Peele as a producer. It follows a rising-star quarterback, Cameron (Tyriq Withers), whose career and brain health are affected after an attack. Marlon Wayans plays a retired quarterback who mentors him. The film explores the question: “How much would you sacrifice for fame and the love of the game?”
One Battle After Another (Sept. 26)
One Battle After Another is a new film from Paul Thomas Anderson starring Leonardo DiCaprio. Anderson has said the film is only loosely inspired by the vibe of Thomas Pynchon’s Vineland, while DiCaprio referenced other influences in interviews.
For the director-star interview, see the Esquire discussion here.
The Smashing Machine (Oct. 3)
The Smashing Machine was directed by Bennie Safdie and stars Dwayne Johnson as UFC champion Mark Kerr. The film focuses on Kerr’s struggles with substance abuse and his family life, with Emma Blunt playing his wife, Dawn Staples.
For context on a related split between filmmaking siblings mentioned in coverage, see the Rotten Tomatoes note about Honey Don’t.
Shelby Oaks (Oct. 3)
Shelby Oaks is the directorial debut of YouTuber Chris Stuckmann and stars Camille Sullivan, Brendan Sexton III, Michael Beach, Robin Bartlett, and Keith David. The plot follows a documentarian whose search for a long-lost sister leads into an obsession around a childhood imaginary demon.
https://www.youtube.com/@chrisstuckmann
Good Boy (Oct. 3)
Good Boy is a horror film told from a dog’s perspective. Director Ben Leonberg cast his own dog, Indy, in the lead role. The story follows the dog trying to protect its human from invisible forces after moving into a creepy house.
Bone Lake (Oct. 3)
Bone Lake is an erotic horror thriller directed by Mercedes Bryce Morgan. The film centers on a lakeside getaway that turns dangerous when a second couple arrives and manipulates the first, with themes of desire and betrayal.
Deathstalker (Oct. 3)
Deathstalker revives the 1980s sword-and-sorcery series with director Steven Kostanski and stuntman Daniel Bernhardt in the lead role. Patton Oswalt provides the voice of a wizard named Doodad, and Slash is an executive producer.
Tron: Ares (Oct. 10)
Tron: Ares continues the visual tradition of the Tron franchise. The film follows Ares (Jared Leto), a combat program transported into the physical world, and includes scenes of a Recognizer descending on a city.
Frankenstein (Oct. 17)
Frankenstein is Guillermo del Toro’s adaptation of Mary Shelley’s novel. Oscar Isaac plays Victor Frankenstein and Jacob Elordi plays the creation. Del Toro called the film “as personal as anything” at the 2025 Cannes Film Festival.
The film receives a limited awards-qualifying theatrical run starting Oct. 17 before streaming on Netflix on Nov. 7.
Black Phone 2 (Oct. 17)
Black Phone 2 continues the story from Joe Hill’s original film. The new film follows Finn, now 17, as he rebuilds his life, while his sister experiences dreamlike calls from the black phone and visions connected to a remote winter camp called Alpine Lake.
Good Fortune (Oct. 17)
Good Fortune is a fantasy-comedy directed by Aziz Ansari in his feature debut. Keanu Reeves plays an angel named Gabriel. The story involves a magical life swap between gig worker Arj (Aziz Ansari) and his wealthy friend Jeff (Seth Rogen), with Sandra Oh also in the cast.
Bugonia (Oct. 24)
Bugonia is a remake of the South Korean film Save the Green Planet!, adapted by writer Will Tracy and director Yorgos Lanthimos. Emma Stone and Jesse Plemons star in the film.
A recent, related music video collaboration between Lanthimos and Stone is available here:
A House of Dynamite (Oct. 24)
A House of Dynamite is directed by Kathryn Bigelow and imagines the U.S. military racing to identify who fired an unattributed missile at the country. The cast includes Idris Elba, Rebecca Ferguson, and Jared Harris.
Baahubali: The Epic (Oct. 31)
Baahubali: The Epic is a four-hour re-edit of S.S. Rajamouli’s two-part epic, assembled by the director from Baahubali: The Beginning (2015) and Baahubali 2: The Conclusion (2017). The re-edit is intended to present the full saga in a single theatrical experience.
Predator: Badlands (Nov. 7)
Predator: Badlands is directed by Dan Trachtenberg and follows a young Predator on a far-flung planet. The film pairs the Predator with a Weyland-Yutani robot played by Elle Fanning and functions as a Predator–Alien crossover in its setting.
The Running Man (Nov. 7)
The Running Man is Edgar Wright’s adaptation of Stephen King’s 1982 novel (distinct from the 1987 Paul Michael Glaser film). The novel’s version features ordinary people hunted for sport; Glen Powell stars as a father who joins the hunt for financial reasons.
Arco (Nov. 14)
Arco is a 2D animated film directed by Ugo Bienvenu in his feature debut. The story follows a boy who uses rainbows to travel through time, traveling from an idyllic future to the year 2075. The English voice cast includes Will Ferrell, America Ferrera, Flea, Natalie Portman, Mark Ruffalo, and Andy Samberg.
Now You See Me: Now You Don’t (Nov. 14)
Now You See Me: Now You Don’t reunites the Four Horsemen — Jesse Eisenberg, Woody Harrelson, Isla Fisher, and Dave Franco — for another heist. Ruben Fleischer directs, replacing Jon M. Chu, and new cast members include Justice Smith, Dominic Sessa, and Ariana Greenblatt.
For industry coverage of the series and future plans, see Variety’s reporting here.
Wicked: For Good (Nov. 21)
Wicked: For Good is the second film in John M. Chu’s two-part adaptation of the Broadway musical. Cynthia Erivo returns as Elphaba and Ariana Grande returns as Glinda. Jeff Goldblum plays the Wizard of Oz, and Dorothy Gale has a larger role in the second film; industry reporting on Dorothy’s expanded part is available at Deadline.
Zootopia 2 (Nov. 21)
Zootopia 2 reunites co-writer Jared Bush and co-director Byron Howard. Ginnifer Goodwin and Jason Bateman return as Judy Hopps and Nick Wilde, and Ke Huy Quan joins as a pit viper character introduced in the sequel’s plot.
Sisu: Road to Revenge (Nov. 21)
Sisu: Road to Revenge brings back Jorma Tommila as Aatami Korpi. The sequel continues shortly after the first film and centers on Korpi’s conflict with a Red Army commander played by Stephen Lang.
