Skip To...
2023 has already seen the release of many great movies, including Oppenheimer, Barbie, Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One, The Super Mario Bros. Movie, Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3, Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse, Scream VI, John Wick: Chapter 4, and many more. But that doesn’t mean that there aren’t still some fantastic movies to look forward to in the second half of the year. In fact, there are eight highly anticipated movies you can put on your calendar for September alone.
Saw X
Releasing on September 29, 2023, Saw X, the 10th installment of the Saw franchise, is creeping up on the scary season. It marks the return to the Roman numeral numbering of the films abandoned in 2010 with the release of the “last” film in the franchise, Saw 3D or Saw: The Final Chapter. While there have been two releases since that movie – Jigsaw and Spiral – this will be the first mainline title released in over a decade.
If you are a horror fan and haven’t watched any of the films in the franchise, you don’t necessarily have to binge the previous nine entries. Saw X is a direct sequel to the original 2004 film, taking place between Saw and Saw II. The movie will also see the return of series favorites John Kramer (Tobin Bell) and Amanda Young (Shawnee Smith), supposedly as the main characters, so there’s plenty for fans to get excited about.
The Creator
One of the only anticipated films coming out in September that isn’t a sequel or something based on another IP is The Creator. The science fiction film is written and directed by Gareth Edwards, whose name you might recognize because he also directed Rogue One: A Star Wars Story and Godzilla (2014). The film stars John David Washington, Gemma Chan, Ken Watanabe, Allison Janney, and Ralph Ineson.
The Creator follows Joshua (Washington), a mercenary hired to take down the creator of an advanced AI. However, he comes into conflict with his objective once he discovers that the AI is a child. There has been a drought for big-budget, original science fiction movies, so you can’t help but look forward to The Creator, which is set to release on September 29, 2023. If it is like Rogue One regarding quality, we should be in for a treat.
Dumb Money
Dumb Money is a biopic that will follow the events surrounding the subreddit r/WallStreetBets and the investment into GameStop stock that occurred in 2021. The movie is a comedy-drama and will be released on September 22, 2023. If the story isn’t getting you excited, Dumb Money is set to have a stacked cast that will surely get you to the theater. Paul Dano, Pete Davidson, America Ferrera, Vincent D’Onofrio, Shailene Woodley, and Seth Rogen will all be starring in the film. Dumb Money is directed by Craig Gillespie, who also directed Cruella and I, Tonya.
The story for the movie is based on the book, The Antisocial Network, written by Ben Mezrich. Mezrich also wrote The Accidental Billionaires: The Founding of Facebook, A Tale of Sex, Money, Genius, and Betrayal, the basis for The Social Network. Hopefully, Dumb Money has a little more levity.
Expend4bles
Did you know that a fourth Expendables movie was coming out this year? Titled Expend4bles, it is directed by Scott Waugh, who also directed Need for Speed, and it will be released on September 22, 2023. Franchise regulars Jason Statham, Sylvester Stallone, Dolph Lundgren, and Randy Couture will be returning in the fourth installment. Joining them are Curtis “50 Cent” Jackson, Megan Fox, Iko Uwais, and Andy García.
While Stallone will be in Expend4bles, this film will pass the torch over to Statham, with Stallone in more of a background role in what will probably be his last appearance as Barney Ross. All of the films in the action franchise have done well at the box office, and with this movie returning to an R rating, it’s more than likely that Expend4bles won’t be the last entry.
A Haunting in Venice
Everyone’s favorite detective is back, as A Haunting in Venice is set to release on September 15, 2023. This is the third entry in Kenneth Branagh’s Hercule Poirot-led franchise based on the works of Agatha Christie, preceded by Murder on the Orient Express (2017) and Death on the Nile (2022). Unlike the other two films, A Haunting in Venice is more of a supernatural thriller with horror elements rather than just a mystery movie.
The film is based on Christie’s Hallowe’en Party, and we will see a retired Poirot solve a murder at a séance. Kenneth Branagh is returning as Poirot and in the director’s chair, with Kyle Allen, Jamie Dornan, Tina Fey, Michelle Yeoh, and Camille Cottin joining the cast. Death on the Nile wasn’t well received by most critics, earning a 62% rating on Rotten Tomatoes, and it’s unknown if this entry will be the last.
The Nun II
Horror fans will have a fabulous time in September, with The Nun II releasing on September 8, 2023. It is a sequel to the original movie, with Taissa Farmiga returning as Sister Irene and Bonnie Aarons returning as Valak. Michael Chaves, the director of the film, previously directed The Curse of La Llorona and The Conjuring: The Devil Made Me Do It, so this will be his third film set in The Conjuring Universe.
The sequel is set four years after the original, when Sister Irene meets Valak again, this time in a boarding school in France. In addition to Farmiga and Aarons, Jonas Bloquet will also be returning alongside franchise newcomers Anna Popplewell and Storm Reid. Don’t worry; The Nun II won’t be the last entry in the franchise either, as at least another The Conjuring film is planned.
The Equalizer 3
Denzel Washington is back to kill more nameless goons, as The Equalizer 3 is set to come to movie theaters on September 1, 2023. Set after the second film in The Equalizer franchise, The Equalizer 3 sees Robert McCall (Washington) move to Italy for some peace and quiet before the Mafia cramps his style, bringing him out of retirement. Dakota Fanning will be starring in the film, marking the first time Washington and Fanning have acted together since Man on Fire (2004).
Antonie Fuqua is directing this entry, just like the previous two. He also directed Training Day, Shooter, and Southpaw. The Equalizer 3 will be Washington’s last entry in the franchise; however, that doesn’t necessarily mean this will be the last one. For instance, it could be pretty interesting to cast his son, John David Washington, as a young McCall in a prequel series.
The Kill Room
Coming to theaters on September 28, 2023, is a comedy crime thriller movie called The Kill Room. It follows a money-laundering hitman who uses an art gallery as a front, turning him into a mysterious painter known as the Bagman. Directed by Nicol Paone, the film stars Samuel L. Jackson, Joe Manganiello, Uma Thurman, and Maya Hawke. This marks the first collaboration for the mother and daughter pair, Thurman and Hawke. It also marks the third collaboration between Thurman and Jackson, after Kill Bill Vol. 2 and Pulp Fiction.
Any of these release dates could move around by the time they actually get released. As of writing, SAG-AFTRA and the WGA are still striking, so some of the release dates might move around. They will continue to strike until they and the AMPTP work out a deal, so until SAG-AFTRA and the WGA are paid fairly.
