‘One Battle After Another’

P.T. Anderson doesn’t flop. He’s an incredible director who knows how to elicit remarkable performances from his leads. He’s sure to do so once more with very accomplished names like Leonardo DiCaprio, Benicio del Toro and Sean Penn. In theaters Sept. 26.

‘Steve’

Cillian Murphy leads a dramedy about mental health in a school for troubled teens. Netflix is hit or miss, but in Murphy we must trust. Streaming on Netflix Oct. 3.

‘Tron: Ares’

This is a toothless proposition since most folks don’t care about this film. In theaters Oct. 10.

‘Good Fortune’

Aziz Ansari’s directorial debut (well, sophomore release, if you count his first attempt that was undone by complaints against Bill Murray’s onset behavior) seems like a charming, slightly sacrilegious outing, featuring Keanu Reeves as a meddling angel in the lives of a couple folks. Starring Ansari, Seth Rogen, Sandra Oh and Keke Palmer, it appears to be a solid outing. In theaters Oct. 17.

‘The Black Phone 2’

How many times have horror sequels arrived with a new director at the helm? And how often does that coincide with a lackluster experience? That’s not the case here. Scott Derrickson returns, along with Mason Thames and Ethan Hawke as a vengeful ghost version of his Grabber in the first film. If you dug the first one, the second is sure to land. In theaters Oct. 17.

‘Springsteen: Deliver Me From Nowhere’

Mad love for Bruce Springsteen. But musician biopics are often tedious and paceless, trying to cram an entire life’s story into two hours. Early reviews are great, but this entire genre is DOA. Sorry, but hard pass. In theaters Oct. 24.

‘Ballad of a Small Player’

A psychological thriller as a follow-up to 2022’s “All Quiet on the Western Front,” starring Colin Farrell. Hard yes. Streaming on Netflix Oct. 29.

‘Predator: Badlands’

“Prey” was an incredible film that revived the dying “Predator” saga, and an animated anthology film continued that streak. “Badlands” once more takes these viscous hunters to a new locale. These stories are in exceptional hands. In theaters Nov. 7.

‘The Running Man’

Don’t call this a remake. It’s a proper adaptation of Stephen King’s novel. Edgar Wright directing and Glen Powell in the lead – that’s quite the combo. In theaters Nov. 7.

‘Frankenstein’

Guillermo del Toro is one of the most creative and inventive filmmakers right now. But he does miss on occasion. Hopefully, his take on “Frankenstein” lands, but early reviews are unforgiving. In theaters Oct. 17, and streaming on Netflix Nov. 7.

‘Now You See Me: Now You Don’t’

Don’t. Just don’t. In theaters  Nov. 14.

‘Eternity’

In 2025, the rom-com has failed us. Maybe a cute afterlife romance, starring Elizabeth Olsen and Miles Teller, can do the trick. But it’s hard to believe anything can save a genre that feels like a decades-old relic. In theaters Nov. 14.

‘Keeper’

Osgood Perkins’ (“Longlegs,” “The Monkey”) second film of 2025 tackles an old-fashioned haunted house. But in anything Perkins, expect things to get really, really weird, for better or worse. In theaters Nov. 14.

‘Wicked: For Good’

Does anyone really think this won’t be good? Trolls tried to drag the first one. It still slayed in 2024. It’ll repeat that trend this year. In theaters Nov. 21.

‘Sisu: Road to Revenge’

At some points, folks might finally admit cult film “Sisu” was fine, not great. Certainly, the sequel will deliver plenty of over-the-top Nazi killing, which is always needed catharsis. Reaching U.S. cinemas Nov. 21.

‘Zootopia 2’

“Zootopia” was incredible, an original and clever story. Then Disney slept on it for years, only permitting a bland Disney+ series to fill in the long gap. Maybe the new one will be a hit, but the magic has somewhat diminished after so many years of waiting around. In theaters Nov. 26.

‘Wake Up Dead Man’

Rian Johnson is sure to add “Knives Out” to the honorable list of perfect trilogies. There’s no chance this one misses. In theaters Nov. 26, and streaming on Netflix Dec. 12.

‘Ella McCay’

So the “As Good as It Gets” director (who also co-created “The Simpsons” and “Taxi”) returns in a film featuring Jamie Lee Curtis, Woody Harrelson, Albert Brooks and Kumail Nanjiani with Emma Mackey in the lead. A thousand times, yes. In theaters Dec. 12.

‘Is this Thing On?’

Auteur Bradley Cooper is back. This time, Will Arnet (also a co-writer here) plays a man at a crossroad who takes up a unique hobby to ease his emotional burden. It’s hard to say if this will work or not, but Cooper is a truly memorable director whose work is becoming more and more narratively original. In theaters Dec. 19.