Here Are the Most Anticipated Movies for September 2025

September brings a packed slate of franchise fare, literary adaptations, and long awaited returns to beloved worlds. The month moves from supernatural chills to prestige period drama, from a legendary mockumentary reunion to a Stephen King survival saga, with a few original thrillers and an IMAX event rounding things out.

Below you will find the key details for each title along with added background on the worlds, creators, and source material behind them. Dates refer to theatrical releases in September, so you can plan your cinema trips with confidence and keep an eye on formats like IMAX where noted.

‘The Conjuring: Last Rites’ (2025)

Ed and Lorraine Warren return in what is positioned as the final chapter of the mainline series. Opening in theaters on September 5, 2025, this installment is directed by Michael Chaves, who previously steered ‘The Conjuring: The Devil Made Me Do It’ and ‘The Nun II’, keeping the look and lore aligned with the wider Conjuring Universe. Vera Farmiga and Patrick Wilson are back as the Warrens, joined by Ben Hardy and Mia Tomlinson, as the story draws once more from the real life case files that have powered the franchise since its beginning.

Across the films and spin offs, the Conjuring saga has traced a continuum of demonic entities, cursed objects, and trials of faith tied to the Warrens’ investigations. ‘The Conjuring: Last Rites’ is expected to place the couple’s partnership and spiritual resolve at the center as they confront a final case that tests their methods and the boundaries of the universe they helped define. Expect ties to prior entries like ‘Annabelle’ and ‘The Nun’ to surface as this chapter closes the book on the Warrens’ cinematic journey.

‘Downton Abbey: The Grand Finale’ (2025)

The Crawley family returns to theaters on September 12, 2025 with a feature that follows the events after the passing of Violet Crawley, the Dowager Countess. Directed by Simon Curtis, who led the previous film, this finale brings back Hugh Bonneville, Elizabeth McGovern, Michelle Dockery, and many of the series regulars for a story that continues the household’s navigation of changing times, shifting fortunes, and new social realities. The film is written within the continuity created by Julian Fellowes, preserving the show’s period detail and ensemble focus.

Set against the elegant backdrop of the family estate and the village that sustains it, the narrative looks to address the transition in leadership and legacy after Violet’s absence while continuing threads involving the staff and the next generation. With the series having moved from the Edwardian era through the aftermath of the Great War and into the early thirties, ‘Downton Abbey: The Grand Finale’ is positioned to honor the characters’ arcs and provide resolution to storylines that have carried from television to two prior films.

‘Spinal Tap II: The End Continues’ (2025)

The loudest band in rock mockumentary history gets back together in theaters on September 12, 2025. Rob Reiner returns to direct and to play filmmaker Marty DiBergi, documenting a reunion show after a long hiatus for David St. Hubbins, Nigel Tufnel, and Derek Smalls. Michael McKean, Christopher Guest, and Harry Shearer step back into their roles, with appearances promised from music legends that underline how deeply the original film embedded itself in rock culture.

The new story follows the band as it prepares a grand finale concert, with the cameras once again capturing rehearsals, backstage chaos, and the creative sparks that made ‘This Is Spinal Tap’ a touchstone. Expect callbacks to the group’s storied fictional past, from onstage mishaps to studio lore, as the film blends concert footage with the deadpan observational style that defined the original. Theatrical release ensures the music and the jokes land where they started, on the big screen with an audience.

‘The Long Walk’ (2025)

Stephen King’s first written novel under the Richard Bachman name reaches theaters on September 12, 2025 with a psychological survival story set in a dystopian America. Directed by Francis Lawrence, known for event scale genre storytelling, the film centers on a brutal annual contest where teenage boys must maintain a set walking pace on open roads while receiving warnings for falling behind, with fatal consequences after the third warning. The participants are watched by the nation and by armed enforcers as the field diminishes mile by mile.

At the heart of the tale is a young competitor whose endurance is tested alongside his sense of self and his bonds with fellow walkers. The novel’s stark rules and relentless march create a framework for exploring power, spectacle, and the cost of winning under an authoritarian gaze. With Ben Wang leading a cast that includes Cooper Hoffman, David Jonsson, Garrett Wareing, Mark Hamill, and Judy Greer, the adaptation has the raw ingredients for a tense, character driven ordeal designed for theatrical immersion.

‘American Sweatshop’ (2025)

Hitting theaters on September 19, 2025, this thriller follows a social media moderator whose daily job is to remove graphic and offensive content from public view. When she encounters a clip that may depict a real crime, her need to understand what she saw pulls her away from the safety of a screen and into a maze of hidden networks, false identities, and real world danger. Uta Briesewitz directs Lili Reinhart in a role that sits at the intersection of technology and personal risk, with Daniela Melchior and Jeremy Ang Jones co starring.

The film digs into the unseen labor behind clean feeds and the psychological toll borne by workers who sift through the worst material uploaded each day. As the investigation widens, questions of accountability, evidence, and the ease of manipulation in online spaces come to the surface. The theatrical release positions ‘American Sweatshop’ as a contemporary mystery that uses a grounded premise to explore how digital platforms overlap with physical harm.

‘A Big Bold Beautiful Journey’ (2025)

Arriving in theaters on September 19, 2025, ‘A Big Bold Beautiful Journey’ pairs Margot Robbie and Colin Farrell in a romantic fantasy about two strangers whose lives change as they set out together on a path that does not obey ordinary rules. The film is the third feature from Kogonada following ‘Columbus’ and ‘After Yang’, with a supporting ensemble that includes Lily Rabe, Jodie Turner Smith, Phoebe Waller Bridge, and Billy Magnussen. The setup invites a story that blends intimate connection with ideas about memory and place.

Kogonada’s prior work balanced precise visuals with quietly transformative character beats, and this project extends that approach to a story that treats travel as an act of discovery between unlikely companions. The journey promises unfamiliar landscapes and moments where reality and imagination blur, using the big screen to emphasize scale while keeping focus on the two leads. With its cast and premise, the film is designed for a theatrical experience that lets audiences settle into a reflective and expansive tale.

‘HIM’ (2025)

Opening in theaters on September 19, 2025, ‘HIM’ follows a rising football prospect who accepts an invitation to train at the private compound of a legendary quarterback. What begins as access to elite mentorship quickly reveals a closed environment where control, image, and performance matter more than personal boundaries. Tyriq Withers stars alongside Marlon Wayans and Julia Fox in a story that uses an insular setting to examine ambition and the costs of chasing greatness.

Director Justin Tipping brings a grounded approach to a thriller premise, turning drills, schedules, and high pressure routines into opportunities for tension as the player navigates shifting loyalties and hidden agendas. The narrative traces how an athlete’s brand can become a cage and how success can be leveraged to demand more than anyone should give. The film uses the theatrical format to place viewers inside the compound’s intensity as the truth behind the invitation comes to light.

‘One Battle After Another’ (2025)

Paul Thomas Anderson’s tenth narrative feature arrives on September 26, 2025 with a rollout that includes IMAX alongside standard theaters. Written, directed, and produced by Anderson, the film features Leonardo DiCaprio, Sean Penn, Regina Hall, Teyana Taylor, Wood Harris, Alana Haim, and Chase Infiniti. The project is reportedly a modern update of Thomas Pynchon’s ‘Vineland’, bringing a new setting and a contemporary lens to themes of surveillance, subcultures, and personal reinvention.

Anderson’s first IMAX release points to large format imagery paired with character driven storytelling, a combination that suggests an expansive canvas for a tightly wound plot. The cast mixes frequent collaborators with first time partners for the filmmaker, promising intersecting storylines that move through California spaces and underground scenes. With its date set for late September, ‘One Battle After Another’ anchors the month as a major auteur title designed for premium theatrical presentation.

‘The Strangers: Chapter 2’ (2025)

The second entry in a planned standalone trilogy reaches theaters on September 26, 2025, continuing the story begun in ‘The Strangers: Chapter 1’. Director Renny Harlin returns for the follow up, with Madelaine Petsch back as Maya and new additions that expand the scope of the ordeal. The masked trio known as Dollface, Pin Up Girl, and the Man in the Mask remain the force of menace, using silence and familiarity to unsettle their targets.

The trilogy was shot consecutively to create a seamless narrative across all parts, so this chapter picks up threads without the usual wait between productions. Fans of the original ‘The Strangers’ and ‘The Strangers: Prey at Night’ will recognize the spare and relentless style, now reimagined for a new continuity. Theatrical release gives the film room for sound and space to work on nerves as the cat and mouse game deepens and the consequences of survival become clear.

Share which September release you are most excited to see in the comments so we can compare watch lists.