As the summer blockbuster season winds down, European cinephiles are already turning their attention to the autumn slate. With a Venice Film Festival opener, a new take on a beloved horror franchise, and the year's biggest showdown scheduled for December, the next four months promise a rich harvest of cinematic offerings.
September: Venice and nostalgia
The month kicks off with the world premiere of Oasis: Don’t Look Back In Anger at the Venice Film Festival. This documentary, chronicling the band's 2025 reunion tour, is described as an "unapologetically uplifting account of the biggest musical event of 2025," capturing the experience and emotions of the band and their fans across the globe. It hits cinemas this month and will later stream exclusively on Disney+.
Nearly three decades after the original, Practical Magic 2 reunites Sandra Bullock and Nicole Kidman as the witchy Owens sisters. Alongside returning cast members Dianne Wiest and Stockard Channing, newcomers Joey King, Lee Pace, and Maisie Williams join the fray. The sequel, directed by the acclaimed Susanne Bier, tackles a multi-generational curse that haunts the family. Bier's track record—from Open Hearts to The Night Manager—suggests this could be a spellbinding return.
For fans of video game adaptations, Resident Evil gets a fresh start under the direction of Zach Cregger, the mind behind Barbarian and last year's Weapons. Cregger's indie horror sensibilities might just break the console-to-theatre curse that has plagued the franchise since 2002.
Robert Pattinson is having a banner year, and he caps it off with Primetime, a A24 drama directed by documentarian Lance Oppenheim. Pattinson plays Chris Hansen, the host of the controversial reality series To Catch a Predator. The film, which marks Oppenheim's narrative debut, has drawn comparisons to Nightcrawler and could earn Pattinson his first Oscar nomination.
October: Hathaway and Cruise take risks
Anne Hathaway continues her prolific 2026 with Verity, an adaptation of Colleen Hoover's bestselling novel. She stars as a famous author whose unfinished manuscript draws a struggling writer, played by Dakota Johnson, into her home and her marriage (Josh Hartnett). Described as a "gothic, psychosexual thriller in the vein of Rebecca and Gone Girl," the film is a departure from the trainwreck that was It Ends With Us. Hathaway's stellar year—including Mother Mary, The Devil Wears Prada 2, and The Odyssey—makes this one to watch.
Tom Cruise is chasing Oscar gold with Digger, directed by Alejandro González Iñárritu. The first trailer reveals Cruise in his most transformative role since Tropic Thunder, playing a Texas oil magnate who believes he can save humanity from the disaster he himself unleashed. The satirical tone, reminiscent of Dr. Strangelove, suggests Cruise is taking a bold swing away from his action-hero persona.
December: The clash of the titans
All roads lead to December 18, when two of the year's biggest blockbusters open simultaneously: Dune: Part Three and an as-yet-untitled Marvel sequel. The former, directed by Denis Villeneuve, concludes the epic adaptation of Frank Herbert's saga, with Timothée Chalamet, Zendaya, and a star-studded cast. The latter, expected to be a major MCU event, will likely dominate the global box office. European audiences will have to choose—or see both.
Beyond these, the autumn offers a diverse array of European productions, from French dramas to Nordic noir, ensuring that the continent's cinemas remain vibrant. As always, release dates vary across the EU, so check local listings.
For those concerned about media freedom in Europe, the recent ban on Euronews in Belarus is a stark reminder of the challenges facing independent journalism. The EU has backed Euronews in response, underscoring the importance of a free press.
So mark your calendars, book your tickets, and prepare for a season of cinematic excellence. From Venice to your local multiplex, autumn 2026 has something for every taste.
