Horror movies set for release in 2026

Summer’s almost dead. Horror season is very much alive.

If you’ve been patiently waiting out the superhero sequels and animated family films of summer, congratulations — your reward is a fall horror slate that actually looks worth getting excited about. From long-awaited franchise returns to some genuinely wild-sounding originals, the stretch from late August through Halloween is shaping up to be a legitimately great few months for people who enjoy being scared out of their minds in a dark room surrounded by strangers.

Here’s everything coming your way, broken down so you can start planning your calendar — and your therapy sessions — accordingly.

August

“Insidious: Out of the Further” — Aug. 21 (Wide)

The “Insidious” franchise has had its ups and downs, but let’s be honest — the moment you hear that opening sting, you’re already tense. “Out of the Further” brings us back to the franchise’s signature supernatural dimension, and the title alone suggests this installment is going all-in on the mythology that made the original so unsettling. Consider this the horror season’s official starter pistol.

“Colony” — Aug. 28 (Wide)

A crowded release date, but “Colony” is one of the more intriguing question marks of the fall. Details have been tight, which either means the studio is building smart suspense or they’re nervous about reactions. Either way, late August is a solid window to grab audiences before the bigger titles crowd the multiplex.

“The Dog Stars” — Aug. 28 (Wide)

Based on Peter Heller’s haunting post-apocalyptic novel, “The Dog Stars” follows a man surviving in a world gutted by pandemic and violence, with nothing but his plane, his dog and a rifle-toting neighbor keeping him going. It’s more dread than jump scares, but that slow-burn existential horror hits different. This one could be a serious awards conversation film wrapped in an end-of-the-world shell.

“Buddy” — Aug. 28 (Wide)

Three wide releases on the same weekend is a bold move by Hollywood, and “Buddy” rounds out a genuinely stacked Aug. 28. The title is deceptively friendly, which — if history has taught us anything about horror movies with cheerful names — should make you deeply suspicious.

September

“Fall 2: Deadpoint” — Sept. 2 (Wide)

The first “Fall” gave audiences legitimate vertigo with its two-women-stranded-on-a-TV-tower premise. Sequels to high-concept survival horror are a tricky proposition, but “Deadpoint” sounds like it’s doubling down on the elevation-based nightmare fuel. If you have a fear of heights, go ahead and start dreading this one now.

“Onslaught” — Sept. 4 (Wide)

The name promises exactly what it delivers, presumably. “Onslaught” opens the first full weekend of September and positions itself as something loud, aggressive and unrelenting. Sometimes that’s exactly what the doctor ordered.

“Hope” — Sept. 9 (Limited)

The lone limited release on this list, “Hope” has a title that feels almost cruelly ironic for a horror film. Limited releases in this window often signal something more artistic and unsettling than your standard mainstream scares — the kind of film that stays with you for days whether you want it to or not.

“Practical Magic 2” — Sept. 11 (Wide)

OK, let’s talk about this one. The original “Practical Magic” is a legitimate cult classic that has spent nearly 30 years being rewatched by people who absolutely should have been watching it all along. A sequel is either a dream or a disaster — there is no in-between with legacy IP like this. The Sept. 11 release date puts it right in the sweet spot of fall, and if they managed to get the right creative team behind it, this could be the nostalgia hit of the season. Cautious optimism feels appropriate here.

“Resident Evil” — Sept. 18 (Wide)

Hollywood has tried to crack “Resident Evil” on the big screen multiple times with… mixed results, to put it generously. A fresh adaptation dropping in fall 2026 gets another shot at doing justice to one of the greatest horror game franchises ever made. The source material is genuinely terrifying. The question, as always, is whether the film remembers that.

October

“Other Mommy” — Oct. 9 (Wide)

The title tells you everything and nothing at the same time. Impostor-parent horror is a deeply effective subgenre — there’s something primal about the idea that the person who’s supposed to be your safe harbor is fundamentally wrong. “Other Mommy” arrives early in October to set the Halloween-season mood.

“Whalefall” — Oct. 16 (Wide)

Possibly the most uniquely terrifying premise of the entire fall lineup. Based on Daniel Kraus’s novel, “Whalefall” puts its protagonist inside the stomach of a living sperm whale — a scenario that is somehow both scientifically grounded and completely the stuff of nightmares. Claustrophobia, ocean horror and pure biological dread all wrapped into one. This is the film that’s going to make people genuinely uncomfortable in ways they didn’t expect.

“The Devils” (Re-Release) — Oct. 16 (Limited)

Ken Russell’s 1971 masterpiece of religious hysteria and transgressive horror is exactly the kind of film that deserves a theatrical re-release around Halloween. If you’ve never seen “The Devils,” it is not a casual watch — it is an experience. Catch it in limited release if you can, because seeing this one on a big screen is the kind of thing you’ll talk about for years.

“Clayface” — Oct. 23 (Wide)

The DC villain known for body horror and shapeshifting gets his own film just before Halloween, and honestly? The timing is perfect. Clayface as a horror-forward character is genuinely underexplored, and there’s real potential here for something that leans into the grotesque rather than the superhero blockbuster formula. Fingers crossed.

“Wildwood” — Oct. 23 (Wide)

Closing out the list alongside “Clayface,” “Wildwood” rounds out a final October weekend that gives audiences options. The name evokes deep-forest dread and whatever is lurking in it — a fitting way to close out the fall horror calendar right before Halloween swallows the culture whole.

Fall 2026 is not messing around. Between franchise installments, long-awaited sequels, prestige horror and some genuinely original concepts, there’s something in this lineup for every kind of horror fan — whether you’re there for the lore, the scares, the atmosphere or just to watch “Practical Magic 2” and cry a little while also being frightened.

Mark your calendars. Stock up on whatever snack helps you cope. And maybe don’t watch “Whalefall” on a full stomach.

Release dates are subject to change because Hollywood loves to ruin plans.