September 25, 2026 Movie Guide: Forgotten Island, Heart of the Beast, and Every Major Family Release

Some weekends the release calendar is a desert. This one is a buffet, and I’m a little annoyed about it, because I can’t clone myself. On September 25, 2026, we get a Filipino-mythology animated adventure, a Brad Pitt survival thriller, a Marvel re-release with a sneak peek attached, a Netflix true-crime drama, and an A24 oddity. Here’s how I’d rank them, and why.

Forgotten Island: The One I’m Most Curious About

DreamWorks has spent the last few years quietly changing what its movies look like. Puss in Boots: The Last Wish was the turning point for me, that painterly, almost comic-panel style that made every frame look like it belonged on a wall. The same directing duo, Joel Crawford and Januel Mercado, is back for Forgotten Island, and honestly, that’s most of my sales pitch already.

But the more interesting part is the story. After a long run of sequels, DreamWorks is going original, and it’s rooted in Filipino mythology, which Hollywood animation has barely touched. Western audiences know Greek gods and Norse hammers inside out. Ask them about the Philippines’ folklore and you’ll get a blank stare. That alone makes this feel like a genuine event.

The setup: it’s the 1990s, and two inseparable best friends, Jo (voiced by H.E.R.) and Raissa (voiced by Liza Soberano), slip across a boundary into a hidden realm called Nakali. Beautiful, strange, and dangerous, Nakali runs on one nasty rule: the island feeds on human memories. The longer the girls stay, the more of their own past they lose, including each other.

That’s the hook that gets me. A monster you can punch is easy. A place that slowly erases your friendship is much scarier, and it’s the kind of premise animation can handle with real emotional weight. If DreamWorks lands it, expect a few wet eyes in the theater, and not only from the kids.

The voice cast is stacked: Dave Franco, Manny Jacinto, Jenny Slate, Lea Salonga, Dolly de Leon, Jo Koy, and Ronny Chieng. Salonga and de Leon are the names that tell me this isn’t just a jokes-and-chase-scenes movie. It’s rated PG and runs 1 hour 49 minutes, a very reasonable length for a family outing.

My expectation: the visuals will be gorgeous, the emotional core will carry it, and the comedy cast will keep the pace up. My one worry is the “kid learns friendship matters” formula getting too predictable. But with this team, I’m optimistic.

Heart of the Beast: Brad Pitt, a Dog, and a Lot of Snow

Let me be upfront: I’m a sucker for survival movies. Give me a plane crash, frozen wilderness, and a character with nothing but grit, and I’m in.

Heart of the Beast comes from David Ayer, the guy behind Fury and End of Watch, so you know it won’t be soft. The script is by Cameron Alexander, and Brad Pitt stars and produces through Plan B. He plays James Belmont, a former Special Forces officer who survives a crash in the Alaskan wilderness alongside his military dog, Odin. No comms, no rescue, hundreds of miles from anyone, with brutal cold and predators for company.

The runtime is a lean 101 minutes, which I love. Survival stories go sour when they overstay their welcome. People are already comparing it to The Grey and The Revenant, but the angle I care about is the bond between a veteran and his dog. Ayer is usually known for loud, gritty ensemble stories, so seeing him go intimate could be a nice surprise. J.K. Simmons and Anna Lambe round out the cast.

One warning for parents: this is not the same kind of “family movie” as Forgotten Island. It’s for older kids and teens at best, and if your dog-loving child gets emotional easily, maybe check a parental guide first.

Avengers: Endgame – Encore: Yes, I’m Going Again

I know, I know. It’s a re-release. But I’ve watched a lot of Marvel fans argue about this one, and I think the pushback misses something. Endgame in a packed theater in 2019 was one of the great collective movie experiences, and being able to do that again is a gift, not a cash grab. (Okay, it’s a little of both.)

The Encore edition runs 185 minutes and adds roughly four minutes of extra material. And here’s the part that will get people in seats: it comes with an exclusive sneak peek at Avengers: Doomsday, which is set for December 2026, with the Russo brothers returning and Robert Downey Jr. back in a new role. Disney is pushing it hard in IMAX and other premium formats.

Is a few minutes of bonus footage worth the ticket? On its own, no. Is a teaser for the biggest crossover in years, on the biggest screen you can find, worth it? For me, absolutely.

The Rest of the Weekend at a Glance

Stay-Home and Arthouse Options

If you’d rather skip the theater, Netflix’s Unabomber drops the same day. It’s directed by Janus Metz and follows Ted Kaczynski from Harvard prodigy to notorious criminal, with Jacob Tremblay, Russell Crowe, Shailene Woodley, and Annabelle Wallis in the cast. It’s clearly not for kids, but the lineup alone has me interested. Tremblay playing someone this dark should be something to see.

And then there’s A24’s Primetime, which stars Robert Pattinson alongside Merritt Wever and Skyler Gisondo. It digs into the murky side of early television and media ambition. Pattinson has spent years picking strange, committed roles, so I’ll show up for this one on his name alone.

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So What Should You Actually Do?

Here’s how I’d split the weekend:

• Bringing kids, or just want something with heart? Go with Forgotten Island. It’s the freshest idea of the lot.
• Want tension and a good cry over a dog? Heart of the Beast is your pick.
• Marvel person who’s been waiting for the Doomsday hype train? Buy the IMAX ticket for Encore.
• Staying in? Put on Unabomber and lock your doors afterward.
• Feeling artsy? Primetime is your ticket.

If I could only pick one, I’d choose Forgotten Island. Big studios rarely take a swing on a story this specific, and when they do, it deserves an audience. Even if it turns out to be merely good rather than great, a Filipino-mythology animated film with this cast and this directing team is worth supporting on opening weekend.

Also worth remembering: September’s family slate wasn’t empty before this. Aardman’s Shaun the Sheep: The Beast of Mossy Bottom arrived on September 18, so if you missed it, that’s a solid warm-up.

I’ll be in a theater seat by Friday evening. The only real question is whether I’m crying over a memory-eating island or a very good dog.