The summer movie season is over, which means including the recently-started September, there are just four months worth of movies left in 2019. Fortunately, there’s no lack of cinematic entertainment to look forward to in those final months, from adaptations of existing stories to long-awaited sequels to even a few original films sprinkled in for good measure.
So as the countdown to 2019’s finish begins, and before you start looking ahead at what’s in store for 2020, we’ve gathered together all the biggest movies coming out for the rest of the year so you can plan your trips to the theater accordingly. Let’s kick off one that you can check out now!
IT Chapter Two
Release Date: September 6
Set 27 years after the events of the first IT movie, IT Chapter Two sees the members of the Losers’ Club reuniting in Derry, Maine to defeat Pennywise the Dancing Clown once and for all. Along with Bill Skarsgård reprising Pennywise and the actors who played the Losers’ Club members as kids, the main cast includes James McAvoy as Bill Denbrough, Bill Hader as Richie Tozier, Jessica Chastain as Beverly Marsh, Jay Ryan as Ben Hanscom, Isaiah Mustafa as Mike Hanlon, James Ransone as Eddie Kaspbrak and Andy Bean as Stan Uris.
The Goldfinch
Release Date: September 13
Based off the same-named 2013 novel, The Goldfinch follows Ansel Elgort’s Theo Decker, whose mother was killed in a bombing at the Metropolitan Museum of Art and who clings on to a painting of the eponymous that gives him one shred of hope from that terrible event. Nicole Kidman, Aneurin Barnard, Sarah Paulson, Luke Wilson, Jeffrey Wright and Ashleigh Cummings also star.
Downton Abbey
Release Date: September 20
It’s been four years since the Downton Abbey TV series concluded, but the denizens of the estate are back for a big screen tale that sees King George V and Queen Mary visiting them in 1927. Most of the main characters from the show are back for the movie, and among the new faces that fans should keep an eye out for include Simon Jones, Geraldine James, Tuppence Middleton and Stephen Campbell Moore, to name a few.
Ad Astra
Release Date: September 20
This James Gray-written and directed flick stars Brad Pitt as Roy McBride, an astronaut who embarks on a deep-space mission to find his missing father, Clifford, played by Tommy Lee Jones, and uncover a mystery that threatens humanity’s survival on Earth. Ad Astra also stars Ruth Nega, Liv Tyler, Donald Sutherland and Jamie Kennedy.
Rambo: Last Blood
Release Date: September 20
Contrary to what’s indicated in the title, it’s unclear if Rambo: Last Blood will indeed be the last outing for Sylvester Stallone’s iconic character. Regardless, this tale follows John Rambo traveling to Mexico to rescue his niece from a Mexican cartel, and Stallone is accompanied by Paz Vega, Sergio Peris-Mencheta, Adriana Barraza and Yvette Montreal.
Joker
Release Date: October 4
Rather than follow DC Extended Universe continuity, Joker is a standalone movie that doesn’t adhere closely to source material at all, opting with a fresh take to show how the Clown Prince of Crime came to be. Joaquin Phoenix stars as Arthur Fleck, a failed standup comedian who turns to crime after being disregarded by society, and he’s joined by Robert De Niro, Zazie Beetz and Frances Conroy, among others.
Gemini Man
Release Date: October 11
Director Ang Lee and Will Smith teamed up to bring us Gemini Man, which sees Smith playing a government assassin named Henry Brogan who finds himself being targeted by a younger clone of himself, dubbed Junior. In addition to Smith pulling double duty on the acting front, Gemini Man stars Mary Elizabeth Winstead, Clive Owen and Benedict Wong.
The Addams Family
Release Date: October 11
It’s been over 25 years since The Addams Family last graced the big screen, and instead of having them lead another live action joint, the creepy and kooky clan have embraced their roots and returned to animation for a story that sees them moving to New Jersey and dealing with a sinister reality TV host while simultaneously preparing for a family reunion. The lineup here includes Oscar Isaac as Gomez, Charlize Theron as Morticia, Nick Kroll as Uncle Fester, Chloë Grace Moretz as Wednesday, Finn Wolfhard as Pugsley, Bette Midler as Grandmama and Allison Janney as Margaux Needler.
Maleficent: Mistress Of Evil
Release Date: October 18
Rather than deliver a straightforward live-action remake of Sleeping Beauty, Disney opted to instead focus on the original tale’s central antagonist, and five years after Maleficent came out, we’re reuniting with Angelina Jolie’s character in Maleficent: Mistress of Evil. The sequel sees her clashing with Michelle Pfeiffer’s Queen Ingrith of Ulstead, who is using the marriage of Elle Fanning’s Princess Aurora and Harris Dickinson’s Prince Phillip as part of her plan to divide humans and fairies forever.
Zombieland: Double Tap
Release Date: October 18
In 2009, a year before The Walking Dead hit the airwaves, director Ruben Fleischer collaborated with Jesse Eisenberg, Emma Stone, Woody Harrelson and Abigail Breslin to deliver a comedic zombie story, something rarely seen in this genre. The result was the much-beloved Zombieland, and a decade later, these individuals have all reunited for Zombieland: Double Tap, which will follow this makeshift family dealing with evolved zombies and meeting more survivors as they continue traveling through the United States.
Doctor Sleep
Release Date: October 30
Like its literary predecessor, Doctor Sleep serves as a sequel to The Shining, although in the movie’s case, it’ll incorporate elements of both the Shining book and the Shining movie, which are quite different from one another. Ewan McGregor’s adult Danny Torrance has finally managed to find peace in his life and is using his abilities to help others, but that’s disrupted when a young woman named Abra, played by Kyliegh Curran, seeks his help against the True Knot organization, led by led by Rebecca Ferguson’s Rose the Hat, who want to use Abra’s powers for sinister purposes.
Terminator: Dark Fate
Release Date: November 1
Rather than follow-up on what went down in Terminator Genisys, Terminator: Dark Fate opted to ignore the last three Terminator movies and serve only as a sequel to the original two. James Cameron returned to the franchise and worked with director Tim Miller and others to craft a story involving Linda Hamilton’s Sarah Connor working with another Arnold Schwarzenegger-played T-800 and Mackenzie Davis’ Grace to protect Daniella Reyes’ Dani Ramos from the advanced Rev-9 Terminator, played by Gabriel Luna.
The Irishman
Release Date: November 1
Featuring an all-star cast that includes Robert De Niro, Al Pacino, Joe Pesci and Harvey Keitel, Martin Scorsese’s The Irishman tells the story of Frank Sheeran, who, in his last days, reflects on the key events that defined his career as a mob hitman, which include playing a role in Jimmy Hoffa’s disappearance. Although The Irishman will have a limited theatrical run starting at the beginning of the month, it will primarily be available on Netflix, dropping on the streaming platform November 27.
Charlie’s Angels
Release Date: November 15
Arriving 16 years after the last movie and eight years after the failed TV revival, Charlie’s Angels is back on our screens, this time in a cinematic reboot directed by Elizabeth Banks, who also plays one of the movie’s many Bosleys. Our trio of new heroines working for the Townsend Ageny are played by Kristen Stewart, Naomi Scott and Ella Balinska, and their main mission is to stop a dangerous piece of technology from being unleashed onto the world.
Ford V. Ferrari
Release Date: November 15
Directed by Logan’s James Mangold and starring Matt Damon and Christian Bale. Ford V. Ferrari chronicles the story of automotive designer Carroll Shelby and his team at Ford constructing the Ford GT40, a car driven by racer Ken Miles intended to beat the Ferrari racing team at the 1966 24 Hours of Le Mans. Ford V. Ferrari’s cast also includes Caitriona Balfe, Jon Bernthal, Tracy Letts and Josh Lucas, among many others.
Frozen II
Release Date: November 22
It’s not often you see a movie from Walt Disney Animation Studios get a theatrical sequel, but considering how critically and commercially successful 2013’s Frozen was, it’s hardly surprising that the Mouse House gave the green light to Frozen II and brought back Idina Menzel, Kristen Stewart, Jonathan Groff, Josh Gad and Satino Fontana to reprise their respective roles. Frozen II sees Elsa, Anna, Kristoff, Olaf and Sven embarking on a journey three years after the first movie to learn the origins of Elsa’s ice powers.
A Beautiful Day In The Neighborhood
Release Date: November 22
Many of you reading grew up watching, or at least hearing about, Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood, and rather than serve as a traditional biopic for its host, Fred Rogers, A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood spotlights the childhood icon in a different way. Based off the Esquire article “Can You Say… Hero?”, the movie sees Matthew Rhys’ Lloyd Vogel interviewing Tom Hanks’ Rogers for a profile and his perspective on life being transformed after meeting the man.
Knives Out
Release Date: November 27
Rather than jump straight back into the Star Wars universe after delivering The Last Jedi to the masses, Rian Johnson opted to tackle Knives Out, a modern whodunnit murder mystery where every family member who attended the 85th birthday party of a wealthy crime novelist is considered a suspect after he’s found dead. The members of this all-star cast include Daniel Craig, Chris Evans Jamie Lee Curtis, Toni Collette, Michael Shannon, Christopher Plummer, Ana de Armas, Don Johnson, Lakeith Stansfield and Katherine Langford.
Jumanji: The Next Level
Release Date: December 13
Just like its immediate predecessor, Jumanji: The Next Level involves the main characters being sucked into the world of the Jumanji video game, only this time there’s been some changes regarding who’s playing which character and brand-new quest to beat if they want to get out safely. Along with the majority of Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle’s main cast reprising their roles, The Next Level also features Danny DeVito, Danny Glover and Awkwafina.
Star Wars: The Rise Of Skywalker
Release Date: December 20
It’s the end of an era for the Star Wars franchise, as The Rise of Skywalker will conclude the Skywalker Saga, i.e. the main series of films that began with A New Hope over four decades ago. Besides bringing back most of the familiar Sequel Trilogy faces and introducing a few characters, The Rise of Skywalker will also feature Billy Dee Williams and Ian McDiarmid reprising Lando Calrissian and Emperor Palpatine, respectively, as well as utilize unused footage of Carrie Fisher from The Force Awakens and The Last Jedi so Leia Organa can be present.
Cats
Release Date: December 20
If for some reason you hadn’t heard about Cats as a long-running musical, you definitely learned about the movie when that trailer for the movie came out over the summer, which earned… a polarizing reception, to put it lightly. The Cats movie looks to be following the same story beats as its staged predecessor, and its lineup includes Judi Dench, James Corden, Jennifer Hudson, Ian McKellen, Idris Elba, Taylor Swift, Jason Derulo, Rebel Wilson and Francesca Hayward.
Little Women
Release Date: December 25
Over a century and a half after its publication, Louisa May Alcott’s Little Women remains one of the best known works of American literature, and now director Greta Gerwig is putting her stamp on the beloved story for the new film adaptation. The lineup of actors bringing the members of the March family and those around them to life include Saoirse Ronan, Emma Watson, Florence Pugh, Eliza Scanlen, Timothée Chalamet, Bob Odenkirk, Laura Dern and Meryl Streep.
While these may be the biggest movies left in 2019, they certainly aren’t the only ones left to look forward to for the rest of the year. Find out what else is on the way in our handy release schedule.
