There's just something about the final months of the year that feel perfect for bundling up and heading to the movies, and this November, fans itching for new sci-fi or fantasy fare will have some excellent options to choose from. While shows like The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power and Percy Jackson and the Olympians make their debut on streaming services, theatrical spectacles such as the latest installment in The Hunger Games saga and a film based on one of humanity's oldest stories are set to hit the big screen, while another acclaimed sci-fi film series makes its grand return.
Pull up your movie ticketing app of choice or a calendar, and let's look ahead to the next few weeks in the SFF movie space.
1. Ramayana: Rise of a Legend — November 5
The Ramayana is widely considered the first epic poem, dating back in Indian culture to sometime between the 5th and 7th centuries BCE. However, despite the fact that it is one of the most enduring texts of all time, it has never been properly translated into a Hollywood epic. That changes this month with Ramayana: Rise of a Legend, which takes the many fantastic trappings of the poem and blows them up large enough to wow audiences on an IMAX screen.
Ramayana tells of the rise of a dreaded demon, named Ravana, and the incarnated prince Rama who must journey through various realms and face incredible odds to reunite with his wife and defeat this great evil. Just one look at the trailer above gives a great idea of the sort of visual spectacle on display in this new version of the story, which is helmed by Nitesh Tiwari, features music from Hans Zimmer and A.R. Rahman, and visual effects from DNEG, the same studio that worked on blockbusters like The Odyssey and the Dune films.
2. Godzilla Minus Zero — November 6
Toho's Godzilla Minus One took the genre world by storm when it premiered back in 2023, outperforming expectation at the movies and netting the long-running franchise its very first Oscar win, for Best Visual Effects. While it's never guaranteed that a Toho Godzilla film is going to get a direct sequel, the success of Godzilla Minus One insured that we'd get another installment from Takashi Yamazaki, who served as the film's writer, director, and visual effects supervisor.
That follow-up, Godzilla Minus Zero, is set to stomp into theaters this month. And if you enjoyed Minus One, do you really need me to tell you how epic this is probably going to be? Yamazaki said in a recent interview that he brought everything to the table for Godzilla Minus Zero, treating it as if it could be the final time he gets to play in this sandbox. I have a feeling the creator went just as wild as Godzilla does when he's on a rampage.
Godzilla Minus Zero also has the historic distinction of being the first Japanese film ever filmed for IMAX. November is a pretty excellent month for IMAX in general, actually. Speaking of...
3. Dune: Part One & Part Two double feature re-release — November 13
The next item on our list may not technically be a new release, but considering that the final movie in Denis Villeneuve's Dune trilogy comes out on December 18, this epic marathon re-release is on many a sci-fi nerd's itinerary. Starting on November 13, Dune: Part One and Dune: Part Two are returning to IMAX for one week only as a double feature, meaning you can binge watch both prior films on the biggest screen possible to prepare for Dune: Part Three. Sandworms as big as skyscrapers!
Considering how much has happened in the first two Dune movies, the refresher will certainly be a good idea before heading into Dune: Part Three, which takes place 19 years after the second movie and sees Paul Atreides (Timothée Chalamet) in the waning years of his reign as emperor of the known universe. It's a perfect time to remind ourselves of what his life was like in the first two films, before it all goes south in the big finale.
4. The Hunger Games: Sunrise on the Reaping — November 20
By far the most hyped sci-fi release of November is Sunrise on the Reaping, the fifth installment in Lionsgate's Hunger Games film franchise. Based on the second prequel written by Suzanne Collins for her iconic dystopian series, Sunrise on the Reaping is set roughly a quarter-century before the main series. It tells the story of Haymitch Abernathy, the roguish freedom fighter played by Woody Harrelson in the original films, where he served as a mentor to Katniss Everdeen (Jennifer Lawrence).
Here, Haymitch is played in his youth by Joseph Zada, when he's swept up into his own Hunger Games: the Second Quarter Quell, an especially dangerous iteration of the Hunger Games with more entrants, more traps, and more ways to die a horrible death. Readers of the novel know that the seeds for Katniss' eventual rebellion are planted during Haymitch's games, introducing a number of important elements that will resonate through the decades.
The Hunger Games in general has remained a box office powerhouse, and Sunrise on the Reaping is very likely going to continue that trend, especially considering how much more fans tend to enjoy this prequel compared to its predecessor, the President Snow-centric Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes. Strap in and get ready for another exciting yet thought-provoking trip to Panam!
5. Hexed — November 25
If you're looking for a more family-friendly option than the rest of our list, Disney's new fantasy movie Hexed is probably going to be the one that fits the bill. This movie follows an outcast teenager named Billie Doe who discovers she actually comes from a long line of witches, just before she's pulled through a portal into the witch world of Hexe. Once there, she finds herself chased by that realm's witch queen, who isn't about to let another powerful witch run lose on her turf. Good thing Billie has a few fun allies, like her overly cautious mother and a three-eyed, anthropomorphic cat to help her out on her journey to master her powers.
Hexed features a stacked voice cast led includes Hailee Steinfeld, Rashida Jones, Walton Goggins, and Jodie Foster. If you enjoy Disney movies or want an adventure with the kids, Hexed is definitely the biggest fantasy movie release to have on your radar for November.
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