Key Takeaways

• Upcoming Releases: A variety of classic horror films are returning to theaters this October.
• Special Events: Evil Dead in Concert features a live musical score during its tour.
• Franchise Highlights: Iconic titles like A Nightmare on Elm Street and Friday the 13th are part of the lineup.
• Classic Remakes: Expect to see remakes and sequels of beloved horror films this Halloween season.

Halloween is almost here, and that means a whole bunch of classic horror movies are heading back to your local movie theater.

Here’s a list of 39 terrifying titles that are heading to North America’s major theater chains in October 2025. Make sure to also check the schedules for your neighborhood independent theaters, especially your local drive-ins, many of which are still open long into the haunting season.

Evil Dead in Concert (On Tour)

Sam Raimi and Bruce Campbell’s early ’80s horror classic is currently touring America with the help of a live ensemble performing the original musical score. You can find out when it’s visiting your town right here.

A Nightmare on Elm Street (Oct. 1 at AMC, Oct. 4 at Regal)

Wes Craven’s 1984 classic not only launched one of horror’s most enduring franchises, it marked the film debut of Johnny Depp. Too bad he didn’t listen to Nancy when she warned him to stay awake.

Candyman (Oct. 2 at Regal, Oct. 15 at AMC)

How does this guy keep coming back? Just don’t say his name FIVE times while standing in front of a mirror, how difficult is this?

Friday the 13th Part III (Oct. 3 at Regal)

In the ’80s, by law the third movie in any franchise had to be shot in 3-D. Friday the 13th Part III actually made pretty good use of the format, particularly with a memorable spear gun murder. This is also where Jason finally got his famous hockey mask.

Scream (Oct. 5 at Regal, Oct. 22 at AMC)

After previously revolutionizing the horror world with the Nightmare on Elm Street series, Wes Craven teamed up with writer Kevin Williamson for Scream. It’s a textbook example of having your cake and eating it too, as the duo skewer the cliches of the genre while delivering well-earned scares.

The Strangers (Oct. 6 at Regal)

It’s easy to understand how the hidden faces and unexplained motives of the menacing, murderous villains of the original The Strangers made the 2008 movie a cult classic. Why anybody thought the 2024 remake would be an improvement is the real mystery.

The Devil’s Rejects (Oct. 6 and 8 at Cinemark)

So far Rob Zombie’s second directorial effort stands as his cinematic high water mark, as the well-grounded story and your unavoidable sympathy for The Devil’s Rejects‘ undeniably evil protagonists giving each plot twist and murder extra depth and meaning.

Wes Craven’s New Nightmare (Oct. 7 at Regal)

After letting other directors handle the second through sixth installments of the Nightmare on Elm Street franchise, Wes Craven returns and flips the script in a very creative and meta way, imagining what would happen if Freddy Kreuger made the jump from joke-spewing fictional character to real-life murderous menace.

From Dusk till Dawn (Oct. 8 at Regal)

Riding high as the star of television’s ER, George Clooney made his first big-screen move by appearing in the Quentin Tarantino-written, Robert Rodriguez-directed From Dusk till Dawn, which shifts from a gritty criminal story to an outrageous life and death battle against vampires. And yes, they were vampires. Psychos do not explode when sunlight hits them.

Friday the 13th (Oct. 8 at AMC)

Two years after making his big-screen debut in Animal House, Kevin Bacon appeared in the first Friday the 13th movie, meaning there’s only one degree of separation between Jason Voorhees and John “Bluto” Blutarsky.

An American Werewolf in London (Oct. 9 at Regal)

In a nutshell: Two stupid Americans ignore simple, sound advice from friendly London pub-goers, get turned into werewolves and get lots of people killed. The message: Obey local customs!

It (Chapter One)(Oct. 10 at Regal)

Nearly three decades after Stephen King’s 1986 novel It was made into a successful 1990 TV miniseries, Pennywise the Clown made his big-screen debut a smashing (and biting) success in 2017.

Read More: The Best Reason to Watch Each ‘Halloween’ Movie

Army of Darkness(Oct. 11 at Regal)

Ash, the chainsaw-wielding kicker of undead butt, finds himself trapped in the middle ages in Bruce Campbell’s third (and over thirty years later we’re still saying hopefully not last) Evil Dead big screen adventure. Hail to the king, baby!