New on Netflix, Hulu, HBO Max and more: October 2026

New on Netflix, October 2026

The headline is East of Eden, arriving October 1. Zoe Kazan adapts the John Steinbeck novel across seven episodes, with Florence Pugh, Christopher Abbott and Mike Faist. Seven episodes is a generous runway for a novel this size.

October 9 brings Animals, directed and co-written by Ben Affleck, who also stars as a Los Angeles mayoral candidate whose son is kidnapped, with Kerry Washington as his wife. Earlier in the month, Doing Life lands October 2 and the documentary Who Is Martin Mull?, directed by the late Bob Saget and Neil Berkeley, arrives October 7, with Below following October 8.

Comedy and its complications run through the back half of the month. Judd Apatow directs Norm: The Tale of Norm Macdonald on October 16, then teams with Neil Berkeley for Paralyzed by Hope: The Maria Bamford Story on October 23. Mary Robertson's three-part The One About Matthew Perry arrives October 27, and Jason Hehir's SCTV: The Greatest Show You've Never Heard Of closes things out October 30. For Halloween, Haunted Hotel and Is It Cake? Halloween both land October 9.

Netflix's October page also names the hostage thriller Sacrifice with Chris Evans and Anya Taylor-Joy, the teen sitcom Hollywood Arts with Daniella Monet, and a new season of The Diplomat as October arrivals. We did not confirm their exact days, so check Netflix's New on Netflix page for the dates.

New on Hulu and Disney+, October 2026

Hulu front-loads the month with comfort television and a very deliberate horror stack. October 1 brings Scrubs Season 2 and Shark Tank Season 18, each with a two-episode premiere, plus FX's American Horror Story: 13, which opens with three episodes and finishes its final episodes October 29. The same day delivers a genuinely stacked library drop: four Die Hard films, three Ghostbusters films, Edward Scissorhands, Barbarian, the three Night at the Museum films, and Hotel Transylvania 1 and 2.

The scares keep coming. October 2 adds The Substance and Tokyo Revengers: War of the Three Titans Arc on Hulu, with Coven Academy Season 1 arriving on both Disney+ and Hulu. Hereditary and Midsommar follow October 3, Companion and Wolf Man land October 18, and all five Hunger Games films arrive October 14 alongside FX's The Lowdown Season 2.

Network staples anchor the middle of the month. Reasonable Doubt Season 4 opens with three episodes October 6, Abbott Elementary Season 6 returns October 8, and It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia reaches its Season 18 finale October 12. October 16 is a heavy night for returning dramas, with 9-1-1 Season 10, 9-1-1: Nashville Season 2 and Grey's Anatomy Season 23 all arriving.

On Disney+, Marvel Television's VisionQuest premieres October 14, Vampirina: Teenage Vampire Season 2 drops all episodes October 7, and Dancing with the Stars Season 35 streams live on Tuesdays at 8 p.m. ET. One live event spans both platforms: CMA Presents I Will Always Love You: A Celebration of Dolly Parton streams live on Disney+ and Hulu at 9 p.m. ET on October 21. Consult Disney+'s release calendar for the full slate.

New on HBO Max, October 2026

The marquee film is The Housemaid, arriving October 9, directed by Paul Feig with Sydney Sweeney, Amanda Seyfried and Brandon Sklenar. On the series side, War premieres October 1, an HBO and Sky drama about London's most powerful divorce lawyers created by George Kay, with Dominic West and Sienna Miller, rolling out across eight episodes weekly on Thursdays.

A24 lovers have two reasons to check in. The Death of Robin Hood, written and directed by Michael Sarnoski with Hugh Jackman, Jodie Comer and Bill Skarsgård, arrives October 16, and The Invite, directed by Olivia Wilde with Seth Rogen, Wilde, Penélope Cruz and Edward Norton, follows October 23. Elsewhere, The Torment Season 1 lands October 2, Rage (Furia) Season 2 begins October 9 across eight weekly Friday episodes, and the three-part documentary The Pet Cemetery Murders: A Ghost Story, about a 1985 Louisiana cold case, rolls out weekly on Sundays from October 11.

Comedy and documentary round out the originals: Kate Berlant: Parmesan on October 16 and Kordell Stewart: Slash & Burn on October 27. Films also arriving include The Amateur on October 17 and Anyone But You on October 20.

The October 1 library additions read like a Halloween syllabus. The Shining, The Exorcist, Poltergeist, Trick 'r Treat, Friday the 13th, Freddy vs. Jason and six A Nightmare on Elm Street films arrive together, with a gentler stop-motion run of Coraline, ParaNorman, Tim Burton's Corpse Bride, Kubo and the Two Strings and The Boxtrolls. For grown-up movie nights there are the four Ocean's films, The Departed, Anatomy of a Fall, The Royal Tenenbaums and both Space Jam films. On the live side, HBO Max carries MLB Division Series games from October 3, League Championship Series games from October 12 and NHL on TNT games from October 2. Warner Bros. Discovery notes its list may change and that live sports are available only on select plans, with availability varying by provider.

New on Apple TV and Prime Video, October 2026

Apple TV opens with Small Prophets on October 7, a six-episode comedy created, written and directed by Mackenzie Crook. Tenzing follows in select theaters October 9 and on Apple TV October 16, Jennifer Peedom's account of the first ascent of Mount Everest, with Genden Phuntsok as Tenzing Norgay, Tom Hiddleston as Edmund Hillary, and Willem Dafoe and Caitríona Balfe in support.

The back half of the month leans into mystery. Where's Wanda? Season 2 returns October 21, opening with one episode then going weekly through December 9. Nocturne premieres October 30, a crime drama with Liev Schreiber, Zazie Beetz and Stephen Graham about an ex-soldier turned homicide detective in a small Pennsylvania town, starting with two episodes then weekly on Fridays through December 25.

Prime Video's big swing is Carrie, arriving October 7 with all eight episodes of the first series adaptation of Stephen King's novel. Mike Flanagan runs the show, with Summer H. Howell as Carrie White alongside Samantha Sloyan, Amber Midthunder and Matthew Lillard.

Two more follow for different moods. Masterplan, directed by Thomas Vincent, lands October 16, with Stanley Tucci as a master thief recruiting his long-lost children to steal the Mona Lisa. The Terminal List Season 2 drops all eight episodes October 21, with Chris Pratt back as James Reece, this time based on Jack Carr's novel True Believer. See Amazon's own page and Apple TV Press for details.

One way to keep the apps in one place

October spreads its best titles across six services, which is where gathering some of them under one plan is worth pricing. HBO Max Basic With Ads and the Disney+ and Hulu bundle come included with Spectrum Stream TV Signature ($100/mo for 1 year; standard rates apply after), alongside 150+ live channels and its other included apps like ESPN Unlimited, Paramount+ Essential, Peacock Premium with Ads and FOX One. Spectrum Internet is required and sold separately; Internet 100 is $20/mo for 2 years with a Spectrum TV plan.

Netflix, Apple TV and Prime Video are not Spectrum apps, so you would still subscribe to those directly.

Our Switch Score calculator can help you weigh the total against what you already pay.

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