‘It’ returns, ‘Empire’ winds down, and 134 other September movies, TV shows, albums, and books to check out

Fast Company

Get ready to go back to Derry with ‘It: Chapter Two’, witness the end of an ‘Empire,’ and dance to Charli XCX. Here’s your creative calendar for September.

‘It’ returns, ‘Empire’ winds down, and 134 other September movies, TV shows, albums, and books to check out

There goes summer 2019 into history’s dustbin. So long, you big weirdo! You were filled with superhero movies (one of which was the highest-grossing film of all time), Disney live-action films, failed comedies, and decent horror movies—all of which were overall kind of unsatisfying. (Thanks for Once Upon a Time . . . in Hollywood and The Farewell, though!)

As most of the summer’s worst entertainment impulses (looking at you, Men in Black: International) recede into the rearview, it is time to welcome with open arms the most creatively fruitful time of year. Autumn is when the Oscar contenders begin to sprout, when network TV returns with a suddenly awakened fury, and when an unwieldy number of must-listen albums drop.

In order to cut through the clutter, have a look at Fast Company’s guide to the most promising movies, shows, albums, and books coming your way in September. If you somehow manage to get bored with all these options, well, frankly that’s impressive.

MOVIES IN THEATERS

MOVIES TO WATCH AT HOME

MUSIC

TV

BOOKS

  • Stories Behind the Images: Lessons from a Life in Adventure Photography by Corey Rich, September 1
  • After the Flood by Kassandra Montag, September 3
  • Bill Cunningham: On the Street: Five Decades of Iconic Photography by the New York Times, September 3
  • Dominicana: A Novel by Angie Cruz, September 3
  • Quichotte by Salman Rushdie, September 3
  • The Testaments by Margaret Atwood, September 10
  • Autoportrait by Samuel Fosso, September 17
  • Drag: The Complete Story by Simon Doonan, September 17
  • Dublin by Evelyn Hofer, September 17
  • Muhammad Ali by Gordon Parks, September 17
  • Red at the Bone by Jacqueline Woodson, September 17
  • Sontag by Benjamin Moser, September 17
  • Ukraine – Stop Tanks with Books by Mark Neville, September 17
  • Brooklyn, The City Within by Alex Webb and Rebecca Norris Webb, September 24
  • The Dutch House by Ann Patchett, September 24
  • The Water Dancer by Ta-Nehisi Coates, September 24
  • Year of the Monkey by Patti Smith, September 24

[Photo Illustration: Samir Abady; Hustlers: Barbara Nitke/STXfilms; 21 Bridges: Matt Kennedy/STXfilms; Ad Astra: Francois Duhamel/Twentieth Century Fox; Downton Abbey: Jaap Buitendijk/Focus Features; The Goldfinch: Macall Polay/Warner Bros. Entertainment; Judy: David Hindley/LD Entertainment and Roadside Attractions; Rambo: Last Blood: Yana Blajeva/Lionsgate; Wu Tang: An American Saga: courtesy of Hulu; The Deuce: Paul Schiraldi/HBO; Unbelievable: Beth Dubber/Netflix; Sunnyside: Colleen Hayes/NBC; Carol’s Second Act: Sonja Flemming/CBS; EVIL: Jeff Neumann/CBS; The Politician: courtesy of Netflix; Mayans M.C.: Prashant Gupta/FX]