Sep 1, 2026 · 1h 32m

Fall movies turn the Oscar race into an open field

10 Movies We Can’t Wait to See This Fall

Sean Fennessey and Amanda Dobbins map the fall release calendar, its box-office bets, and the awards narratives already taking shape.

3 key takeaways

1The Odyssey has reshaped the prestige calendar, creating room for franchises, counterprogramming, and Dune: Part Three.
2The fall slate mixes major auteur projects, star vehicles, genre films, and mysterious contenders with sharply different levels of certainty.
3The hosts’ September Oscars game tests whether early favorites, blockbusters, and unconventional contenders can translate into nominations.

Don't miss

The hosts declare The Odyssey the early Best Picture favorite and explain how that judgment has cleared the awards-season board.

The brief

Sean Fennessey and Amanda Dobbins begin with the weekend box office, weighing Coyote vs. Acme, Spider-Man: Brand New Day, The Odyssey, Buddy, and The Dog Stars.

The hosts question whether audiences still support expensive, old-school star vehicles, contrasting Buddy’s limited-release strength with The Dog Stars’ disappointing results.

The Odyssey emerges as the early Best Picture favorite, shaping the prestige calendar while leaving space for franchise films, counterprogramming, and Dune: Part Three.

Their fall preview spans Whalefall, Making Marie Antoinette, Elsinore, Ink, Resident Evil, Verity, and The Further Misadventures of Cliff Booth.

The episode closes with recommendations, festival-season observations, and a September Oscars game that tests guaranteed nominations against riskier predictions.

Featuring