Crowd Pleasers: The Biggest October Movies Coming to Theatres

In 2024, there will be many big movies to watch. You’ll see a lot of sequels and movies that are part of popular franchises at the theaters. But streaming services like Netflix, Apple TV, Disney Plus, and others also release films with famous actors and directors.

Some of the sequels you can look forward to are Indiana Jones, John Wick, The Expendables, and Fast and Furious. We want to know if any of these sequels will be as successful as Top Gun: Maverick and Avatar 2 from last year or if we’ll have another surprise hit like Everything Everywhere All at Once.

Here are the latest dates to mark on your calendar for big-screen releases and movies on streaming platforms in October 2024 and beyond. Scroll down to see the list of release dates in order, and get ready to book “movie theaters near me“!

1. The Exorcist: Believer

Get ready for more spine-tingling horror this October with a new “Exorcist” movie coming to theaters. Ellen Burstyn is back as Chris MacNeil from the original 1973 movie. In this new film, she helps a new father whose child is possessed by a demon.

The cast includes Ann Dowd, Leslie Odom Jr., Lidya Jewett, Olivia Marcum, and the fictional demon Pazuzu from previous “Exorcist” movies. David Gordon Green directs the film, and it is the first part of a planned trilogy. Green wrote the script with Peter Sattler.

The story concerns Victor Fielding, played by Leslie Odom Jr., who lost his pregnant wife in a Haitian earthquake 12 years ago. Since then, he’s been raising their daughter, Angela, on his own.

But when Angela and her friend Katherine, played by Olivia Marcum, disappear in the woods and return three days later with no memory of what happened, it sets off a series of scary events. Victor is forced to confront extreme evil, and in his fear and desperation, he seeks help from the only person who has dealt with something like this before: Chris MacNeil.

2. Anatomy of a Fall

When “Justine Triet’s Existential Procedural” premiered at Cannes, it was pretty clear it would win big, and it did, getting the Palme d’Or. As it’s about to open in the US, can it win over a wider audience? You can bet on it. This movie, filled with outstanding performances, is about a German academic suspected of murder in France after her husband dies in a strange fall.

It’s not just a deep exploration of uncertainty and innocence; it’s also an exciting courtroom drama. People in the middle of watching it often can’t help but clap during some of the intense moments.

And it’s not just because of the catchy cover of 50 Cent’s “PIMP” by the Hamburg-based Bacao Rhythm & Steel Band, which plays several times in the movie. (You can catch it in theaters starting Oct. 13.)

3. Killers of the Flower Moon

Already screened at Cannes to both critical acclaim and controversy, Martin Scorsese’s nearly four-hour adaptation of David Grann’s historical account of the Osage murders in the 1920s remains one of the most highly anticipated films of the year. This anticipation is partly due to the long-awaited pairing of Leonardo DiCaprio and Robert De Niro, two stalwart actors in Scorsese’s career, appearing together on screen for the first time.

However, the film itself defies easy categorization. It’s not a conventional true-crime mystery like the book it’s based on, nor can it be neatly labeled as a Western or a gangster movie.

Instead, it weaves a complex narrative that explores a marriage’s tragic, peculiar, and heart-wrenching dynamics. Amidst a talented ensemble cast, Lily Gladstone shines the brightest, bearing the emotional weight of the film’s core and poised to become a prominent star by year’s end.

4. Five Nights at Freddy’s

Adapted from the popular video game bearing the same title, “Five Nights at Freddy’s” is a chilling horror film featuring a cast that includes Josh Hutcherson, Elizabeth Lail, Piper Rubio, and Matthew Lillard.

Produced by Blumhouse, the movie unfolds the harrowing tale of Mike Schmidt’s desperate attempt to evade the menacing animatronic mascots at Freddy Fazbear’s Pizza.

You can look forward to catching this spine-tingling production when it premieres in both theaters and on streaming platforms this October. And like its eponymous film series, one can expect more chills and thrills with the latest installment.

5. Freelance

“Freelance” emerges as a burgeoning American action-comedy masterpiece, a brainchild of the visionary director Pierre Morel and the brilliant yet fledgling feature writer Jacob Lentz. In this cinematic odyssey, the cast ensemble reads like a who’s who of talent, featuring the larger-than-life John Cena, the effervescent Alison Brie, the enigmatic Juan Pablo Raba, and the ever-charismatic Christian Slater.

The narrative, a captivating web of intrigue and adventure, unfolds in the wake of Mason Pettits, a former Special Forces maverick, bidding farewell to his military days. His newfound mission: safeguarding the intrepid journalist Claire Wellington as she explores the psyche of Juan Venegas, the enigmatic president of Paldonia.

Little do they know that destiny has a twist in store for them. Amid their rendezvous, a military coup unravels with unforgiving intensity, thrusting these unlikely comrades into the unforgiving embrace of the jungle’s wild heart.

Noteworthy is that “Freelance” marks Jacob Lentz’s virgin foray into feature writing. The world first caught this cinematic revelation on October 6, 2021. Pierre Morel assumed the directorial helm, while John Cena, a colossus of talent, became the North Star of the project.

The budget, an eye-watering spectacle in its own right, reportedly soared beyond the $40 million milestone. As the wheels of production churned, January 2022 heralded a star-studded addition to the ensemble. Alongside Cena and Brie, the roster expanded to include luminaries such as Juan Pablo Raba, Alice Eve, Marton Csokas, and the indomitable Christian Slater.

In a land steeped in history and lush landscapes, Colombia set the stage for the filming extravaganza, commencing its celluloid journey on January 17, 2022, with the maestro of cinematography, Thierry Arbogast, orchestrating visual poetry.