Top 10 Movies of September 2026: Box Office Earnings, Cast, Story & Trailers
September 2026 was a big month at the cinema. Horror fans, family audiences and Marvel lovers all had something to watch. Zach Cregger’s new Resident Evil took the top spot, and Practical Magic 2 brought Sandra Bullock and Nicole Kidman back together after 28 years.
In this post, we count down the top 10 movies of September 2026, ranked by their September box office earnings (data from Box Office Mojo). For each movie you get the story, cast, director, release date, earnings and trailer. Two of these are special re-releases of older hits, and we have marked them clearly.
Let’s start the countdown from number 10.
10. Hope
Hope is a sci-fi thriller set in a remote harbor town near the Korean border. It starts when a police chief and his officer investigate a mysterious creature attacking the village. The case slowly turns into something far bigger, and the whole town is pushed into a fight for survival. Michael Fassbender, Alicia Vikander and Taylor Russell play the alien characters.
Release date: September 9, 2026
Director: Na Hong-jin
Cast: Hwang Jung-min, Zo In-sung, Hoyeon, Michael Fassbender, Alicia Vikander, Taylor Russell, Cameron Britton
Distributor: Neon
September gross: $8.12 million
Total gross: $8.14 million (1,560 theaters)
Why watch it: Na Hong-jin directed The Wailing, and this is his first film in about ten years. It runs around 160 minutes and was shown in competition at Cannes 2026.
9. Cars (20th Anniversary Re-Release)
Lightning McQueen is a hotshot rookie race car who only cares about winning. He gets stuck in a sleepy Route 66 town called Radiator Springs, and there he learns that life is about the journey, not the finish line.
Release date: September 4, 2026
Director: John Lasseter
Voice cast: Owen Wilson, Paul Newman, Bonnie Hunt, Larry the Cable Guy
Distributor: Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures
September gross: $11.08 million
Total gross: $11.08 million (2,900 theaters)
Why watch it: This is the original 2006 Pixar hit, back on the big screen for its 20th anniversary. The re-release came out just before Lightning McQueen Day on September 5.
8. Runner
Hank Malone (Alan Ritchson) is a former soldier who now works as a “runner”, delivering sensitive cargo for clients. His new job is to carry a donated organ that can save a little girl’s life. A ruthless cartel attacks him, and he has to team up with an anxious organ courier (Owen Wilson) to finish the delivery in time.
Release date: September 11, 2026
Director: Scott Waugh
Cast: Alan Ritchson, Owen Wilson, Rodrigo Santoro, Leila George
Distributor: Angel Studios
September gross: $14.12 million
Total gross: $14.34 million (2,568 theaters)
Why watch it: It is a fast action thriller with some comedy, 1 hour 37 minutes long, and it is rated PG-13.
7. By Any Means
The film is set in Mississippi in 1966 and is loosely based on true events. A young Black FBI agent and a hardened mafia hitman (played by Mark Wahlberg) are forced to work together. Their job is to find the people responsible for the murders of civil rights leaders, and they uncover a deep conspiracy.
Release date: September 4, 2026
Director: Elegance Bratton
Cast: Yahya Abdul-Mateen II, Mark Wahlberg, Nicole Beharie, Giancarlo Esposito, Josh Lucas, David Strathairn
Distributor: Paramount Pictures
September gross: $15.76 million
Total gross: $15.76 million (2,903 theaters)
Why watch it: It is a period crime thriller. Wahlberg’s transformation into the real-life hitman Gregory Scarpa got a lot of attention, and Terence Blanchard composed the score.
6. Forgotten Island
Jo and Raissa are best friends who are about to go separate ways after graduation. On their last night together, they find a portal to the magical island of Nakali, full of creatures from Filipino folklore. To go home, they may have to give up all their memories of each other.
Release date: September 25, 2026
Directors: Joel Crawford and Januel Mercado
Voice cast: H.E.R., Liza Soberano, Dave Franco, Lea Salonga, Jenny Slate, Manny Jacinto, Dolly de Leon, Jo Koy, Ronny Chieng
Distributor: DreamWorks Animation / Universal Pictures
September gross: $15.87 million
Total gross: $16.43 million (3,555 theaters)
Why watch it: It is a colorful family adventure about friendship, from the team behind Puss in Boots: The Last Wish.
5. Primetime
It is 2006, and TV journalist Chris Hansen (Robert Pattinson) is the host of To Catch a Predator. He wants to turn the show into a huge primetime hit. As his ambition grows, the film asks whether the show is about public service or about ratings.
Release date: September 25, 2026 (after its Venice Film Festival premiere)
Director: Lance Oppenheim
Cast: Robert Pattinson, Merritt Wever, Skyler Gisondo, Phoebe Bridgers
Distributor: A24
September gross: $24.75 million
Total gross: $26.09 million (2,894 theaters)
Why watch it: Critics have praised Pattinson’s performance. It is a dark psychological drama, so it is for mature audiences.
4. Heart of the Beast
After a plane crash in the Alaskan wilderness, former Army Special Forces officer James Belmont (Brad Pitt) is stranded with his retired combat dog, Odin. The two have to face freezing weather, rivers, mountains and wild animals to get home alive.
Release date: September 25, 2026
Director: David Ayer
Cast: Brad Pitt, J.K. Simmons, Anna Lambe
Distributor: Paramount Pictures
September gross: $26.04 million
Total gross: $27.40 million (3,481 theaters)
Why watch it: It is a short, emotional survival film of about 100 minutes. It reunites Brad Pitt and David Ayer for the first time since Fury (2014).
3. Avengers: Endgame Encore (Re-Release)
After Thanos wipes out half of all life, the surviving Avengers make one last attempt to undo the damage and bring their friends back.
Release date: September 25, 2026
Directors: Anthony Russo and Joe Russo
Cast: Robert Downey Jr., Chris Evans, Scarlett Johansson, Chris Hemsworth, Mark Ruffalo, Brie Larson and more
Distributor: Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures
September gross: $31.13 million
Total gross: $36.23 million (3,060 theaters)
Why watch it: The Encore version adds about four minutes of new footage and a preview of Avengers: Doomsday, which comes out on December 18, 2026. The Russo brothers have called the re-release important viewing before Doomsday.
2. Practical Magic 2
Sally and Gillian Owens (Sandra Bullock and Nicole Kidman) are back. A dark family curse is threatening to destroy their family, and Sally’s daughter shows magical powers of her own. The family travels from Massachusetts to the United Kingdom to find the source of their magic. The story is based on Alice Hoffman’s novel The Book of Magic.
Release date: September 11, 2026
Director: Susanne Bier
Cast: Sandra Bullock, Nicole Kidman, Joey King, Lee Pace, Maisie Williams, Xolo Maridueña, Stockard Channing, Dianne Wiest
Distributor: Warner Bros. Pictures
September gross: $61.62 million
Total gross: $64.70 million (4,163 theaters)
Why watch it: The first film is a cult favorite, and this sequel arrives 28 years later with the original aunts, Stockard Channing and Dianne Wiest, returning too.
1. Resident Evil
This is a fresh, all-new story in the Resident Evil world, not a copy of the games. Bryan (Austin Abrams) is a medical courier whose normal delivery turns into a nightmare when an outbreak hits and monsters appear. Over one terrifying night, he has to fight to stay alive. Zach Cregger said the story takes place near the events of Resident Evil 2, but it follows new characters.
Release date: September 18, 2026
Director: Zach Cregger (co-written with Shay Hatten)
Cast: Austin Abrams, Zach Cherry, Kali Reis, Paul Walter Hauser
Distributor: Columbia Pictures (Sony), with Constantin Film
September gross: $110.61 million
Total gross: $112.39 million (3,684 theaters)
Why watch it: It is the biggest movie of the month by a clear margin. Cregger also made Barbarian and Weapons, so horror fans had high expectations.
Final Thoughts
September 2026 had a strong mix of horror, fantasy, action, drama and family movies. Resident Evil clearly won the month. Practical Magic 2 was a solid second, and the Avengers: Endgame re-release showed that old favorites still bring people to cinemas. If you missed any of these in theaters, keep them on your watchlist for when they arrive on streaming.
Which September movie was your favorite? Tell us in the comments, and check back for our next box office rankings. Note: Box office numbers are from Box Office Mojo and may change as the tracking updates.
