Oct 01, 2026 4:30pm IST
‘Digger,’ ‘Other Mommy,’ ‘Street Fighter’ And ‘Clayface’: The Biggest Hollywood Movies Releasing In October
October brings a varied Hollywood lineup, with the month moving from star-led dramas and psychological thrillers into horror, video game adaptations and superhero spectacle. With Halloween approaching, the genre slate gets increasingly darker as the weeks go by, while major stars including Tom Cruise, Jessica Chastain, Jeremy Strong and Anya Taylor-Joy headline films across theaters and streaming platforms.
From Cruise stepping outside his established action persona to Chastain leading a horror film, Sorkin returning to the social-media landscape and DC turning one of its villains into a horror protagonist, October 2026 offers a broad mix of films rather than a single defining Hollywood event.
“Digger”, "Verity" : October 2
The month begins with Tom Cruise’s “Digger,” which arrives in theaters on October 2. Directed by Alejandro G. Iñárritu, the film sees Cruise step away from the familiar action-hero territory of “Mission: Impossible” and “Top Gun” for a more unusual role. The film also stars Sandra Hüller, John Goodman and Jesse Plemons, giving Cruise an ensemble that places the project firmly in awards-season territory. “Digger” is among the first major theatrical releases of the month, setting the tone for an October that is not built around one dominant franchise.
Sharing the October 2 release date is ‘Verity’, the much-anticipated adaptation of Colleen Hoover’s bestselling psychological thriller. Directed by Michael Showalter, the film stars Anne Hathaway as celebrated author Verity Crawford, with Dakota Johnson playing Lowen Ashleigh, a struggling writer hired to ghostwrite for her. Josh Hartnett co-stars as Verity’s husband Jeremy. As Lowen begins uncovering disturbing material at the Crawford estate, the boundaries between truth, fiction and manipulation begin to blur.
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“Other Mommy,” “The Social Reckoning,” “Animals”: October 9
October 9 then brings one of the month’s biggest genre releases with “Other Mommy,” just as the Halloween season begins to gather momentum. Directed by Rob Savage and produced by James Wan, the horror film stars Jessica Chastain and is based on Josh Malerman’s novel “Incidents Around the House.” Its October release gives the month a major horror title alongside more conventional drama and thriller offerings.
The same weekend also sees the release of Aaron Sorkin’s “The Social Reckoning.” A follow-up to Sorkin’s exploration of Facebook in “The Social Network,” the new film turns its attention to the fallout surrounding Facebook whistleblower Frances Haugen. Jeremy Strong plays Mark Zuckerberg while Mikey Madison stars as Haugen. Unlike a traditional sequel, the film tells a new story with a new cast while returning to the world of social media and corporate power.
“Animals,” “Matchbox: The Movie” (OTT release): October 9
October 9 is also unusually busy beyond theaters. Ben Affleck’s “Animals” is scheduled for Netflix, giving the month another star-driven thriller. The film stars Affleck and Kerry Washington and follows a couple whose son is kidnapped, forcing them into increasingly desperate decisions. “Matchbox: The Movie,” based on the Mattel toy line, is also set for Apple TV on the same date.
“Street Fighter,” “Whalefall”: October 16
By October 16, the focus shifts towards established intellectual property and high-concept spectacle. “Street Fighter” brings Capcom’s fighting-game franchise back to theaters, with Kitao Sakurai directing and Andrew Koji and Noah Centineo among the cast. Sharing the weekend is “Whalefall”, a survival thriller based on Daniel Kraus’ novel. The film follows a diver who becomes trapped inside a sperm whale, turning a seemingly impossible situation into a race against time.
“Clayface,” “Klara and the Sun,” “Wildwood”: October 23
The month then moves into its most overtly comic-book-driven stretch with “Clayface”, arriving October 23. Directed by James Watkins, the DC Studios film takes the shape of a horror story rather than a conventional superhero adventure. Tom Rhys Harries stars as Matt Hagen, an actor whose attempt to restore his career leads to a disturbing transformation. With the film carrying an R rating in the US, “Clayface” represents one of the darker corners of the new DC Universe.
That weekend also brings “Klara and the Sun,” directed by Taika Waititi, and Laika’s animated fantasy “Wildwood,” giving audiences alternatives to the darker DC release.
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