A new hand at the controls of Star Wars, a dance-floor reunion with Hollywood history and an umbrella opening over television: this weekend’s developments look to familiar names for fresh possibilities. Our 25–28 September film and TV roundup leads with Jon Watts’ reported move into Simon Kinberg’s trilogy, alongside the Fred Astaire biopic’s expanding cast, a new Mary Poppins adaptation, a horror sequel and a major win for Mike Leigh.
The Weekend’s Film and TV Stories
Star Wars: Jon Watts Reportedly Takes the Trilogy’s First Film
- Development reported: 26 September 2026.
- Creative team: Jon Watts to direct; Simon Kinberg writing and producing the new trilogy.
- Studio: Lucasfilm; the company declined to comment on the report.
- US/UK release: No date announced for this film.
Jon Watts is reportedly set to direct the opening film in Simon Kinberg’s new Star Wars trilogy. The filmmaker behind the first three Tom Holland Spider-Man films already has experience in this galaxy through Skeleton Crew, making this a move from television adventure to a much larger cinematic assignment.
The project’s precise relationship to the Skywalker saga remains unsettled in the reporting. It would be premature to sell it as a definitively titled Episode X, to promise returning characters or to assume Watts will direct all three films. Lucasfilm has not supplied an on-record confirmation of his appointment.
For viewers, the attraction is the prospect of a sustained story with an experienced director establishing its tone. Our interest is in what a new trilogy can build across several films; a reported appointment offers something to follow, but there is still no release date or story to judge.
Fred Astaire Biopic: Sabrina Carpenter and Margaret Qualley Join Tom Holland
- Casting reported: 25 September 2026.
- Cast: Tom Holland as Fred Astaire, Margaret Qualley as Adele Astaire and Sabrina Carpenter as Ginger Rogers.
- Director: Paul King; screenplay by Steven Levenson and King.
- Studio: Sony Pictures; final title and US/UK release dates not announced.
Sony’s Fred Astaire film has added two important partners to Tom Holland’s leading man. Margaret Qualley will play Fred’s sister and original dance partner, Adele, while Sabrina Carpenter will portray Ginger Rogers. Paul King, whose films include Paddington and Wonka, is directing.
The film draws on Kathleen Riley’s The Astaires: Fred & Adele. That focus matters: the brother-and-sister partnership preceded Fred’s celebrated screen work with Rogers, giving the project a story beyond a parade of familiar film routines. King has highlighted the challenge of bringing Adele’s dancing to life when no footage of it survives.
This is the weekend’s most appealing casting development for us. The central question is how the film will express those different creative partnerships through movement and performance. The cast gives that ambition a compelling shape, although choreography, finished performances and a cinema date remain ahead of us.
Mary Poppins: Television Looks Back to the Books
- Development reported: 25 September 2026.
- Producer: Tom Winchester, through Pure Fiction Television.
- Source material: P. L. Travers’ eight Mary Poppins books; rights optioned from the estate’s trustees.
- Status: In development; cast, broadcaster and US/UK premiere dates unannounced.
A live-action Mary Poppins television adaptation is being developed by Tom Winchester’s Pure Fiction Television. The project is intended to draw on P. L. Travers’ books, opening up material beyond the story familiar from the Disney musical. It is not being described as a remake of the 1964 film.
Early discussions with Disney have been reported, but those talks do not establish a Disney+ commission or a confirmed home for the series. A rights option is an opportunity to develop an adaptation; it does not guarantee that a completed programme will reach the screen.
The creative possibility is a Mary Poppins with more of the books’ strangeness and unpredictability. That could give television room to explore a different tone without simply repeating the songs and imagery audiences already know. Casting will be crucial, and no performer has yet been announced for the title role.
Don’t Breathe 3: A Script and a Proposed Reunion
- Development announced: At the 26 September Beyond Fest anniversary screening; reported on 27 September.
- Writer: Fede Álvarez says he has written a screenplay.
- Returning stars reported: Jane Levy and Stephen Lang.
- US/UK release: No date announced; no director for the third film established by this announcement.
Fede Álvarez used the original Don’t Breathe film’s tenth-anniversary screening to reveal that a third instalment is in the works. He said he has written a script, with Jane Levy and Stephen Lang returning. The announcement came during Beyond Fest at the Aero Theatre in Santa Monica.
Levy’s involvement is the particularly interesting development. She led the first film but did not appear in the second, so the proposed reunion points back towards the original cast dynamic. Beyond that, the new story is still under wraps, and there is no reason to spoil either earlier film while discussing the news.
A completed screenplay is encouraging progress for fans of the series’ pressure-cooker tension. It is not a filming schedule, a finished sequel or a release announcement. Álvarez’s involvement as writer also should not be treated as confirmation that he will direct this instalment.
Tender Loving Care: Mike Leigh Wins San Sebastián’s Golden Shell
- Awards announced: 26 September 2026, at the 74th San Sebastián Film Festival.
- Honours: Golden Shell for best film; screenplay prize for Mike Leigh; joint leading-performance Silver Shell for Kate O’Flynn.
- Cast: Kate O’Flynn, Alice Bailey Johnson, Marion Bailey and Paul Jesson.
- Viewing: New York Film Festival screenings begin on 28 September. These are festival engagements, not a general US or UK release.
Mike Leigh’s Tender Loving Care took San Sebastián’s top prize on Saturday, alongside the screenplay award. Kate O’Flynn shared the leading-performance Silver Shell with Asta Kamma August, recognised for Growth of the Soil. It is a substantial festival endorsement of Leigh’s latest ensemble drama.
The film follows a social worker whose professional responsibilities overlap with pressures in her own family and friendships. O’Flynn is joined by Alice Bailey Johnson, Marion Bailey and Paul Jesson in a story concerned with the people who give care and the support they need themselves.
For audiences looking beyond franchise announcements, this is the weekend’s strongest reason to add a film to the watchlist. Festival recognition does not substitute for seeing the work, but it makes the performances and writing especially intriguing. New York festival screenings are a specific opportunity to see it; they should not be confused with a nationwide US opening or a UK release.
Movieversalfilm Takeaway
The biggest headline belongs to Star Wars, but the Fred Astaire biopic offers the clearest new picture of the performers at its centre. Mary Poppins and Don’t Breathe 3 are projects to follow as they develop; Tender Loving Care arrives with a completed film and major festival recognition. Our pick to keep closest is Leigh’s drama, while the Astaire casting supplies the most enticing promise of spectacle still to come.
Which has you most curious: Jon Watts’ Star Wars film, the Fred Astaire biopic or a new television take on Mary Poppins?