Netflix’s release calendar for the rest of 2026 is stacked with true-crime thrillers, animated blockbusters, awards-season dramas, and a full slate of Christmas movies. Below is a complete, regularly-relevant guide to the top upcoming Netflix movies, with confirmed release dates and cast, so you know exactly what’s landing on your watchlist next and who’s starring in it.
Quick answer: The biggest upcoming Netflix movies include Unabomber (Sept 25), Animals (Oct 9), Sacrifice (Oct 16), Possible Love (Nov 6), Steps (Nov 20), Ray Gunn (Dec 18), and The Adventures of Cliff Booth (Dec 23) — spanning true crime, animation, and A-list ensemble thrillers.
How This List Was Put Together
This guide covers confirmed Netflix Original movies with official release dates, cast lists, and plot synopses, pulled from Netflix’s own release schedule and cross-checked against entertainment trade coverage. It’s organized chronologically so you can plan your watchlist month by month, starting with what’s landing this week.
Upcoming Netflix Movies in September–October 2026
Unabomber — September 25, 2026
Cast: Jacob Tremblay, Russell Crowe, Shailene Woodley, Annabelle Wallis, Alexander Ludwig, Marc Menchaca, Steven Ogg Director: Janus Metz
This R-rated true-crime psychological thriller digs into the formative years of Ted Kaczynski. Jacob Tremblay plays a teenage Kaczynski, a Harvard math prodigy subjected to controversial psychological experiments by Professor Henry Murray (Russell Crowe), while Shailene Woodley plays the FBI agent decades later who leads the manhunt that finally catches him. It’s a slow-burn character study rather than a bombing procedural, focused on how isolation and ambition combine to create a monster.
Mononoke the Movie: Chapter III — The Curse of the Serpent — September 29, 2026
Director: Tomoaki Koshida | Chief Director: Kenji Nakamura
The finale of the acclaimed anime trilogy that continues the cult-classic Mononoke TV series. This chapter centers on Midaidokoro, the highest-ranking woman in the Ōoku, as the mysterious Medicine Seller investigates a terrifying snake-god Mononoke born from grief and political conspiracy.
Tyler Perry’s Doing Life — October 2, 2026
Cast: Jay Reeves, Naomi Baker, Tamberla Perry, Karen Obilom, Danielle Moné Truitt Director: Tyler Perry
Tyler Perry’s second Netflix release of the fall trades his usual romantic-comedy tone for a grittier urban drama, following a struggling single mother and a reformed ex-con whose paths cross and forge an unexpected bond.
Animals — October 9, 2026
Cast: Ben Affleck, Gillian Anderson, Kerry Washington, Steven Yeun, Ray Fisher, Luis Gerardo Méndez Director: Ben Affleck
Produced by Affleck and Matt Damon’s Artists Equity, this R-rated political crime thriller follows a Los Angeles mayoral candidate and his wife whose lives unravel after their son is kidnapped. Also getting a limited theatrical release ahead of streaming, this is one of Netflix’s biggest prestige thrillers of the fall.
Sacrifice — October 16, 2026
Cast: Chris Evans, Anya Taylor-Joy, Vincent Cassel, Salma Hayek Pinault, John Malkovich, Ambika Mod Director: Romain Gavras
A gonzo, star-studded hostage thriller marking director Romain Gavras’s English-language debut. A movie star (Chris Evans) mid-existential-crisis is taken hostage at a celebrity charity gala by a radical warrior (Anya Taylor-Joy) and her followers, blurring the line between performance and belief as the night spirals into chaos.
Call My Agent! The Movie — September 10, 2026
Cast: Camille Cottin, Laure Calamy, Thibault de Montalembert, Grégory Montel, Nicolas Maury, Laetitia Casta Director: Emilie Noblet
The beloved French comedy series Call My Agent! returns as a feature film, with original creator Fanny Herrero penning the script. Five years after the ASK talent agency closed, Andréa Martel (Camille Cottin) is ready to direct her first feature — until a recasting crisis, on-set disasters, and a custody battle threaten to derail everything.
Best of the Best — September 18, 2026
Cast: Maitreyi Ramakrishnan, Priyanka Kedia, Hasan Minhaj, Lilly Singh, Janina Gavankar Director: Lena Khan
Produced by Patriot Act alums Hasan Minhaj and Prashanth Venkataramanujam, this Bollywood-fusion dance comedy follows two childhood best friends who join their university’s competitive dance team, only to find the road to the national championship far more cutthroat than expected.
The Hunchback, Soul of Paris — TBD, Fall 2026
Cast: Vincent Cassel, Karim Leklou, Daphné Patakia, Benjamin Voisin Director: Jean-François Richet
Previously known under the working title Quasimodo, this historical epic reimagines the life of the man said to have inspired Victor Hugo’s iconic character, set in Paris on the eve of the July Revolution of 1830 as a cholera epidemic sweeps the city.
Heartland — TBD, Fall 2026
Cast: Jessica Chastain, Garrett Hedlund, John Hawkes, Jennifer Nettles Director: Shana Feste
An R-rated Southern Gothic mystery thriller starring Jessica Chastain as a former country music superstar living in hiding, who is forced back into the spotlight — and into Nashville’s dangerous underbelly — when her niece goes missing.
Upcoming Netflix Movies in November 2026
Possible Love — November 6, 2026
Cast: Jeon Do-yeon, Seol Kyung-gu, Zo In-sung, Cho Yeo-jeong Director: Lee Chang-dong
Legendary South Korean director Lee Chang-dong (Burning) returns with this slow-burn Korean-French relationship drama, which premiered In Competition at the Venice Film Festival. It follows two very different married couples whose lives collide when a documentary filmmaker crosses paths with a laid-off worker and his spouse.
Gentle Monster — November 18, 2026 (North America, UK, Australia, New Zealand)
Cast: Léa Seydoux, Jella Haase, Laurence Rupp, Catherine Deneuve Director: Marie Kreutzer
A multilingual psychological thriller from Corsage director Marie Kreutzer. Léa Seydoux plays a concert pianist who relocates her family to the countryside to ease her husband’s burnout, only for a police visit to reveal a terrifying secret about what he may have done.
Steps — November 20, 2026
Voice Cast: Ali Wong, Stephanie Hsu, Amanda Seyfried, Bette Midler, Nikki Glaser, Daniel Radcliffe, Young Mazino, Peter Dinklage Directors: Alyce Tzue, John Ripa
This CGI-animated musical comedy retells Cinderella from the perspective of her misunderstood “evil” stepsisters. Produced by Amy Poehler’s Paper Kite Productions, it boasts one of the most stacked voice casts of the year, with Bette Midler as the Fairy Godmother and Daniel Radcliffe as the Prince.
The Mosquito Bowl — November 25, 2026
Cast: Nicholas Galitzine, Bill Skarsgård, Ray Nicholson, Tom Francis, Brent Comer Director: Peter Berg
Adapted from Buzz Bissinger’s nonfiction book, this WWII drama follows four college football stars who enlist in the Marines and organize a legendary football game on Guadalcanal before the brutal invasion of Okinawa. Timed for release over the Thanksgiving weekend.
The Adventures of Cliff Booth — December 23, 2026 (Limited theatrical: November 25)
Cast: Brad Pitt, Elizabeth Debicki, Yahya Abdul-Mateen II, Carla Gugino, Scott Caan, Peter Weller Director: David Fincher | Writer: Quentin Tarantino
A follow-up to Once Upon a Time… in Hollywood, with Tarantino writing the script and David Fincher directing. Brad Pitt reprises his Oscar-winning role as stuntman Cliff Booth in a new Los Angeles story, positioned as Netflix’s biggest Oscars-season play of the year.
Upcoming Netflix Movies in December 2026
The Black Ball (La Bola Negra) — December 2, 2026
Cast: Álvaro Lafuente, Miguel Bernardeau, Penélope Cruz, Glenn Close Directors: Javier Calvo, Javier Ambrossi
Netflix’s major international awards contender, from directing duo “Los Javis” with Pedro Almodóvar as associate producer. A decades-spanning Spanish drama about three men whose lives are bound by sexuality, desire, and legacy, drawing on unfinished work by poet Federico García Lorca.
Bad Day — December 11, 2026
Cast: Cameron Diaz, Rhenzy Feliz, Sam Richardson, Ben Schwartz, Mark Duplass, Rob Corddry Director: Jake Szymanski
Cameron Diaz returns for a broad, crowd-pleasing action-comedy about a single mother fighting to keep a promise to her daughter on the worst day of her life.
In Waves — December 11, 2026
Voice Cast: Lyna Khoudri, Rio Vega, Paul Kircher, Birane Ba Director: Phuong Mai Nguyen
A French-Belgian 2D animated romance based on AJ Dungo’s graphic novel, following two teenagers who fall in love through skateboarding and surfing before facing a devastating illness diagnosis.
Ray Gunn — December 18, 2026
Voice Cast: Sam Rockwell, Scarlett Johansson, Tom Waits Director: Brad Bird
A passion project decades in the making from The Incredibles director Brad Bird, this CGI sci-fi noir follows private investigator Raymond Gunn in a retro-futuristic 1939-inspired city, tangled in a case involving aliens, murder, and a pop star. One of Netflix’s biggest animated releases of the year.
Netflix Christmas Movies Coming in 2026
Netflix’s holiday slate this year is especially large. Key titles to add to your watchlist include:
- A Dog’s Perfect Christmas — starring Dennis Quaid and Milo Ventimiglia, told from the perspective of a senior basset hound as a family holds together after tragedy strikes before Christmas.
- Tyler Perry’s The Gospel of Christmas — starring Fantasia Barrino, Tank, and The Clark Sisters, a faith-and-music-driven Christmas drama about a struggling pastor rediscovering purpose.
- Guarding Stars — starring Leighton Meester and Jared Padalecki, a fake-dating holiday rom-com based on Katherine Center’s novel The Bodyguard.
- In a Holidaze — starring Maddie Ziegler and Rob Lowe, a Groundhog Day-style holiday time-loop romance based on the Christina Lauren novel.
What’s Coming to Netflix in Early 2027 (Worth Watching Now)
Ink — January 8, 2027 (Limited theatrical: December 11, 2026)
Cast: Guy Pearce, Jack O’Connell, Claire Foy Director: Danny Boyle
Opening the 83rd Venice Film Festival, this awards-season biographical drama from Danny Boyle follows a young Rupert Murdoch (Guy Pearce) as he transforms a struggling British tabloid into a media empire.
Most Anticipated Upcoming Netflix Movies, Ranked
If you only have time to track a handful of these releases, these are the titles generating the most buzz heading into the final months of 2026:
- The Adventures of Cliff Booth — a Tarantino-scripted, Fincher-directed sequel to a modern classic, with Brad Pitt reprising an Oscar-winning role.
- Ray Gunn — Brad Bird’s decades-in-the-making animated passion project, with Scarlett Johansson and Sam Rockwell leading the voice cast.
- Sacrifice — Chris Evans and Anya Taylor-Joy in a wild, satirical hostage thriller from an acclaimed international director.
- Unabomber — a stacked true-crime cast tackling one of America’s most infamous domestic terrorists from a fresh psychological angle.
- Animals — Ben Affleck directing an Artists Equity political thriller with Gillian Anderson and Kerry Washington.
- Ink — Danny Boyle’s Venice-opening awards contender about the young Rupert Murdoch, starring Guy Pearce.
- Steps — a starry animated Cinderella retelling perfect for the whole family this holiday season.
Netflix New Release Schedule: How to Keep Track
Netflix doesn’t publish one single master list in advance — titles are confirmed on a rolling basis and dates occasionally shift due to festival premieres or scheduling changes. The most reliable way to stay current is to check Netflix’s own Tudum editorial hub and cross-reference trade sources for confirmed dates, since some titles (like awards contenders) often get short limited theatrical runs before streaming.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the next big movie coming to Netflix?
As of late September 2026, the next major release is Unabomber on September 25, followed by Animals on October 9 and Sacrifice on October 16 — all three are high-profile star-driven titles.
What Netflix movies are releasing in December 2026?
December’s lineup includes The Black Ball, Bad Day, In Waves, Ray Gunn, and The Adventures of Cliff Booth, alongside Netflix’s expanded Christmas movie slate.
Is Ray Gunn a Netflix Original?
Yes. Ray Gunn is a Netflix Original animated feature directed by Brad Bird, releasing December 18, 2026, with Sam Rockwell and Scarlett Johansson voicing the lead roles.
Who stars in Netflix’s Unabomber movie?
Jacob Tremblay stars as a young Ted Kaczynski, alongside Russell Crowe as Professor Henry Murray and Shailene Woodley as the FBI agent leading the manhunt.
When does The Adventures of Cliff Booth come to Netflix?
The David Fincher-directed follow-up to Once Upon a Time… in Hollywood, starring Brad Pitt, streams on Netflix from December 23, 2026, after a limited Thanksgiving theatrical release.
What Christmas movies is Netflix releasing in 2026?
Major 2026 Netflix Christmas titles include A Dog’s Perfect Christmas, Tyler Perry’s The Gospel of Christmas, Guarding Stars, and In a Holidaze.
Netflix’s late-2026 movie slate is unusually stacked, mixing true-crime prestige dramas, a Tarantino-scripted sequel, major international awards contenders, and a heavyweight animated finale in Ray Gunn. Whether you’re tracking Oscar contenders like Ink and The Adventures of Cliff Booth, or just want a holiday rom-com queued up for December, this list covers every confirmed release date and cast so far — bookmark it and check back as more dates are locked in.
The Seecom is your trusted source for unbiased reviews, expert analysis, and comprehensive comparisons to help you choose with confidence.
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