AS WE APPROACH the end of the year, the quality of new content coming to streaming services is only improving. With the Emmys done and dusted, television has a clean slate and a new range of prestige offerings are imminent. As for films, the year’s fourth quarter is when the big awards contenders start trickling out, so as to be fresh in the minds of critics when awards season comes around early next year. Being October, all the big streamers are also updating their horror catalogues in time for Halloween.
October will include new episodes of hugely popular series, including The Diplomat season four and Nobody Wants This season three on Netflix. Lanterns has its season finale on HBO Max, as does Ted Lasso on Apple TV. As for brand new series, keep an eye on VisionQuest over on Disney+, and Netflix’s East of Eden. For films, October will see the streaming debuts of The Invite, Tenzing and Animals.
Clearly, it’s a good time to have a streaming subscription. But the new content is arriving in such quantities that choosing what to watch becomes its own challenge. That’s where we come in. To help you find what’s worth streaming in October, we’ve rounded up the best new pieces of content coming to every major platform.
The best new series and films streaming in October
We get it. Time is thin and the streaming commitments are coming thick and fast. To ensure you’re keeping up with what everyone’s talking about, this is our list of recommended must-watch films and series.
- War, HBO Max, October 1st
- Lanterns, HBO Max, season finale on October 4th
- Ted Lasso season 4, Apple TV, season finale on October 7th
- East of Eden, Netflix, October 1st
- Animals, Netflix, October 9th
- The Diplomat season 4, Netflix, October 15th
- VisionQuest, Disney Plus, October 15th
- Tenzing, Apple TV, October 16th
- The Terminal List: Season 2, Amazon Prime Video, October 21st
- Nobody Wants This season 3, Netflix, October 22nd
- The Invite, HBO Max, October 23rd
What’s new on Netflix Australia, October 2026
October Netflix Highlight – East of Eden
Based on John Steinbeck’s celebrated, biblically-inspired, generational saga, Netflix’s new series East of Eden pivots the focus to the story’s villain, Cathy, expanding her background with so much trauma you can almost take her side. Florence Pugh takes on the leading role, with Mike Faist and Christopher Abbott playing brothers Charles and Adam. Rising Australian star Joseph Zada is Cal, a character once brought to life by James Dean, while Joe Anders is his brother, Aron.
Elsewhere, acclaimed political drama The Diplomat is returning for a fourth season on October 15th. The series was recently ranked in the New York Times’ list of the top 100 TV shows of the 21st century – a list that, notably, did not include The Sopranos. Another popular series that’s getting a new season is Nobody Wants This, with the show’s third season premiering on October 22nd.
The biggest film coming to Netflix in October is Animals, which is directed by and stars Ben Affleck. Given that Affleck’s directorial track record includes Argo, which won Best Picture in 2012, we expect some quality here. It features Affleck as a Los Angeles mayoral candidate whose son is kidnapped, forcing him and his wife into a ransom hunt.
What new series are coming to Netflix in October 2026?
October 1
East of Eden
October 2
The Ramparts of Ice: Season 2
#Love
October 4
Wish
Blue Box: Season 2
Ramni ½: Season 3
October 5
Super BOOM!
October 6
Love Village: Season 3
Mojo Brookzz: I Know You Lying
October 7
Real Men: Season 2
Inside the Circle
October 8
Below
Unicorn Academy: Secrets Revealed: Chapter 2
October 9
Take Charge of My Heart
is It Cake? Halloween: Season 2
Haunted Hotel: Season 2
October 11
100 Days of Deception
WWE Money in the Bank: Season 17: 2026
October 12
Fire Spike
October 13
The Trap
TYSON
October 14
Love Is Blind: Season 11: Boston
October 15
The Diplomat: Season 4
Hollywood Arts
October 16
Money Trap: The Karun Treasure
October 20
Cyberpunk: Edgerunners 2
October 21
The Mothers of Penguins: Season 2
The New Stanford Prison Experiment
October 22
Nobody Wants This: Season 3
Did Someone Happen to Mention Me?
Six Kings Slam: Season 2
October 23
Lupin: Part 4
Fading Grandeur
October 26
Minimum Wage
October 27
The One About Matthew Perry
October 28
The Gift of Deceit
October 29
You, Me, Us
October 30
Akka
How to Ruin Diwali: Meet the Parents
A Couple of Lies
SCTV: The Greatest Show You’ve Never Heard Of
What new movies are coming to Netflix Australia in October 2026?
October 1
The Silence of the Lambs
Nirvanna – The Band – The Show – The Movie
Crazy Rich, Incredibly Broke
October 2
Doing Life
Schumacher ’94 — The Birth of a Legend
October 4
Ice Age
October 7
Less of a Stranger
Who Is Martin Mull?
October 9
Animals
October 11
How to Train Your Dragon
October 12
Free Leonard Peltier
October 15
It
It Chapter Two
A Quiet Place
Orphan
Memoir of a Snail
The Storm
October 16
Seriously Single Too
Therapy Done Right
Norm: The Tale of Norm Macdonald
The Disciple
October 23
The Addams Family
Surviving Hurricane Otis
Paralyzed by Hope: The Maria Bamford Story
October 28
The Nun
The Conjuring
Annabelle
October 29
You, Me, Us
October 30
The Birthday Gift
Collision Course
October 31
Beat Luke Littler
What’s new on Disney+ Australia, October 2026
October Disney+ Highlight – VisionQuest
That’s right, fans of the MCU have more homework to do before the release of Avengers: Doomsday in December. VisionQuest is rumoured to feature a crucial narrative bridge to the film, with a resurrected Vision living in hiding as he attempts to rediscover who he is while evading pursuers. The premise sounds fairly straightforward (and hardly deep enough to warrant a full season of television), which is why fans are theorising the story will shift from Vision’s internal identity crisis to a potential connection with Doctor Doom.
What new series are coming to Disney+ in October 2026?
October 1
Scrubs: Season 2 – Two-Episode Premiere
Mickey Mouse Clubhouse+: Season 2
October 2
Cars: Spooky Halloween Adventure
Pupstruction: Season 3
Coven Academy
October 3
Tokyo Revengers: War of the Three Titans Arc
Africa Earth’s Wild Home
The Walking Dead
Chibi Tiny Tales: Shorts: Season 7
October 5
Between Steps
Gachiakuta
October 6
Reasonable Doubt: Season 4
October 7
Jamie Foxx: Take Care of Yourself
Vampirina: Teenage Vampire: Season 2
Merry Berry Love
October 8
The Kardashians: Season 8 Premiere
Red Light Elegy
To Catch A Smuggler: Seized at Sea
October 9
Benefits with Friends
Playdate with Winnie the Pooh: Shorts: Season 3
October 14
VisionQuest
October 15
The Lowdown: Season 2
October 16
PLAVE Asia Tour [DASH: Quantum Leap]
City of Blood
Unexpected Loves
October 18
Super Scam Me
October 21
CoComelon: The Melon Patch
October 25
Marvel’s Spidey and the Avengers: Halloween Team-Up!
October 26
The Mob
October 30
Deadly Tag
What new movies are coming to Disney+ in October 2026?
October 1
Scooby-Doo
Scooby-Doo 2: Monsters Unleashed
Mickey Mouse Clubhouse+: Season 2
October 12
Clown Panic
October 16
KATSEYE: WILD HEARTS
What’s new on Amazon Prime Video Australia, October 2026
October Amazon Prime Video Highlight – The Terminal List season 2
More than fours years after the release of its first season, The Terminal List will return on October 21st for its second run. Chris Pratt is back in the main role, with Luke Hemsworth, Gabriel Luna, Tom Hopper and Constance Wu supporting. The new season will see Pratt’s Navy SEAL commander James Reece uncover a new conspiracy that stretches from Moscow to Washington DC and ties into his own family history.
What new series are coming to Amazon Prime in October?
October 1
Tank Chair
October 2
Red Queen: Season 2
Prefiero la Muerte
October 4
Chucky: Seasons 1-3
The Seven Knights of the Marronnier Kingdom
October 7
Carrie
October 14
Helluva Boss: Season 3
October 16
Friends, Sex And Games
October 20
Love in Disguise
October 21
The Terminal List: Season 2
October 23
Last One Laughing: Halloween
October 24
Final Table
October 30
Last One Laughing Philippines: Season 2
What new movies are coming to Amazon Prime in October?
October 1
Don’t F**k With Ghosts
October 6
The Wolf of Wall Street
October 13
Rumour Has It
A Simple Favour
October 14
Love of Your Life
October 15
The Holiday
Ocean’s Thirteen
October 16
Masterplan
October 20
Muriel’s Wedding
October 26
The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring
The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers
The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King
October 27
Miss Congeniality
October 28
Drive – The Pretenders
October 31
Apocalypse Z: New World
What’s new on Apple TV, October 2026
October Apple TV Highlight – Tenzing
Tenzing Norgay and Edmund Hillary were the first climbers to reach the summit of Mount Everest. Hillary, a New Zealander, has been the subject of many films and biographies, and released several memoirs. Norgay’s story is lesser known. Directed by award-winning Australian filmmaker Jennifer Peedom, Tenzing will chronicle the Tibetan-Nepalese climber’s journey from outcast to history maker. Tibetan actor Genden Phuntsok plays Norgay, while Tom Hiddleston brings Hillary to life and Willem Dafoe channels expedition leader John Hunt.
In his new Men’s Health UK cover story, Hiddleston waxed lyrical about Norgay’s grit. “Tenzing and Hillary were the first men to summit Everest, and his [Norgay’s] whole story is one of incredible spiritual strength, physical discipline and self-determination,” he said, “but it’s also a story about courage, friendship and fellowship. Tenzing and Hillary made the impossible possible.”
What new series and movies are coming to Apple TV in October 2026?
October 2
The Last First: Winter K2
The Sisters Grimm
October 7
Small Prophets
October 9
Matchbox The Movie
October 16
Tenzing
October 21
Where’s Wanda?: Season 2
October 30
Nocturne
What’s new on HBO Max, October 2026
October HBO Max Highlight – War
While War is not about an actual war, its title isn’t entirely deceiving. It follows a high profile couple (a tech founder and a famous actress) going through a break up that’s less than amicable. The pair are battling over divorce proceedings, each with an army of lawyers, and a grudge against the other. Dominic West and Sienna Miller star. (Small parenthesis here: the trailer for War currently has 117 million views… what’s going on there? It’s a big release, sure. But those are Avengers numbers).
Also on HBO Max in October is The Invite, which is making its streaming debut. A word of mouth hit from earlier this year, Olivia Wilde directs and stars in the dinner party dramedy in which she trades barbs with Seth Rogen, Edward Norton and Penélope Cruz. Wilde and Rogen play a tightly wound couple who can’t seem to agree on anything. When they invite their more free-spirited neighbours (Cruz and Norton) around for dinner, their apartment seems set to blow.
What new shows are coming to HBO Max in October 2026?
October 1
War
October 2
Batwheels: Season 3
Maine Cabin Masters: Season 13
Strange: Junji Ito’s Tales for Sleepless Nights
The Torment
October 3
Impractical Jokers: Season 13A
Gold Rush: Season 17
October 4
Be My Guest with Ina Garten: Season 8
Get Jiro
October 5
90 Day Fiance: The Other Way: Season 8
Sister Wives: Season 21
October 6
90 Day: Hunt for Love: Season 2
Sweet Deceit
“Nepal’s Deadly Floods” with Anderson Cooper, The Whole Story with Anderson Cooper
October 7
The Serial Killer Connection
October 8
Sin City Rehab: Season 2
Top of the World
October 9
House Hunters International: Volume 10, Season 217
Rage: Season 2
October 11
Regular Show: The Lost Tapes: Season 1B
Renovation Island: The Adventure Continues
The Pet Cemetery Murders: A Ghost Story
October 13
120 Hours Behind Bars: Season 2
October 14
High Value Target: The Hunt for Saddam
October 15
Corregidora: The Darkest Night in Mexican Soccer
Untold Stories of the ER: Season 14
October 16
Kate Berlant: Parmesan
October 22
The Flores Massacre
October 23
House Hunters: Volume 11, Season 263
October 27
Kordell Stewart: Slash & Burn
“30 Days Inside: Hospitals and the Immigrant Workforce” with Ed Lavandera, The Whole Story with Anderson Cooper
October 29
Cannibal Poet
What new movies are coming to HBO Max in October 2026?
October 1
Anatomy of a Fall
A Nightmare on Elm Street (1984)
A Nightmare on Elm Street (2010)
A Nightmare on Elm Street 2: Freddy’s Revenge
A Nightmare on Elm Street 3: Dream Warriors
A Nightmare on Elm Street 4: The Dream Master
A Nightmare on Elm Street 5: The Dream Child
A Very Harold & Kumar 3-D Christmas
A Very Harold & Kumar 3-D Christmas, A: Extra Dope Edition
Born on the Fourth of July
Coraline
Double Wedding
Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde
Dr. Seuss’ The Cat in the Hat
Final Destination 3
Freaks
Freddy vs. Jason
Friday the 13th
From Hell It Came
House Of Wax
House On Haunted Hill (1959)
I’ll See You In My Dreams
Indestructible Man
Isle of the Dead
It Happened in Brooklyn
Kubo and the Two Strings
Little Shop of Horrors
Love Crazy
Macabre
Masterminds
Objective, Burma!
Ocean’s 11 (1960)
Ocean’s Eleven (2001)
Ocean’s Thirteen
Ocean’s Twelve
ParaNorman
Poltergeist
Scooby-Doo
Scooby-Doo 2: Monsters Unleashed
Screaming Eagles
Shadow of the Thin Man
Song of the Thin Man
Space Jam
Space Jam: A New Legacy
Teen Titans Go! See Space Jam
The Black Scorpion
The Boxtrolls
The Cyclops
The Departed
The Exorcist
The Hangover Part II
The Internship
The Leopard Man
The Mummy (1959)
The Mystery of the Wax Museum
The Post
The Return of Doctor X
The Royal Tenenbaums
The Seventh Victim
The Shining
The Thin Man Goes Home
The Walking Dead
Thirteen Women
Tim Burton’s Corpse Bride
Trick ‘r Treat
Trouble Along the Way
Wife vs. Secretary
October 6
Crazy Rich Asians
October 9
The Housemaid
October 16
The Death of Robin Hood
October 17
The Amateur
October 20
Anyone But You
October 23
The Invite
