Top 10 Must See Anticipated Releases of October 2016

Tom Hanks and director Ron Howard reunite for this sequel to “The Da Vinci Code” and “Angels & Demons”. “Infero” follows everyone’s favorite symbologist, who must unravel another mystery upon awakening with memory loss. The previous two Robert Langdon films were both huge hits with audiences, although they admittedly didn’t win over every critic. Nevertheless, Dan Brown’s 2013 novel was the definition of a page-turner, guaranteeing we’ll line up for this film adaption. Plus, who can resist anything starring Felicity Jones?

#9: “The Birth of a Nation” Release Date: October 7, 2016 [U.S.]

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No, don’t worry; Hollywood doesn’t plan to remake D.W. Griffith’s highly controversial 1915 film anytime soon. Instead, first-time director Nate Parker brings us a biopic of Nat Turner: an enslaved African-American who led a violent uprising against slave owners in 1831. “The Birth of a Nation” has a fair bit of hype behind it, as it was sold at the Sundance Film Festival for a whopping $17.5 million – a record deal in the history of the festival – and received a standing ovation at the Toronto International Film Festival in early September. That being said, the film doesn’t come without controversy, as past sexual assault accusations against Parker have threatened to overshadow the film’s already bleak subject matter.

#8: “Jack Reacher: Never Go Back” Release Date: October 21, 2016 [U.S.]

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2012’s “Jack Reacher” was a pleasant surprise thanks to Tom Cruise’s magnetic performance. Since the film wasn’t the biggest domestic hit, however, a sequel initially seemed unlikely. After gaining financial success internationally, though, Jack Reacher’s return was given the green light. “Never Go Back” finds Reacher and Susan Turner, played by Cobie Smulders, at the center of a government conspiracy. Accused of homicide, Reacher sets out to prove his innocence. Our titular hero has no limits, which hopefully means this sequel will up the ante and outdo its badass predecessor.

The latest installment in this third-person shooter series picks up 25 years after Marcus Fenix’s journey came to an end. Marcus will play a significant role here, but the primary focus shifts to his son, JD Fenix, who must face a new nightmare. Although The Coalition has taken over development duties for Epic Games, Rod Fergusson of the original trilogy will still oversee “Gears of War 4.” With Fergusson as director, we have every confidence that the future holds great things for this franchise.

#6: “The Girl on the Train” Release Date: October 7, 2016 [U.S.]

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Paula Hawkins’ breakthrough novel reined atop the New York Times Best Seller list for 13 weeks in a row. So it was only a matter of time until we got a big screen adaptation. Director Tate Taylor’s take on the mystery novel stars Emily Blunt as Rachel Watson, a divorced woman who becomes wrapped up in the disappearance of Megan Hipwell. With echoes of “The Lady Vanishes” and “Gone Girl”, “The Girl on the Train” seemingly has all the makings of a first-rate psychological thriller.

Fresh off a Golden Globe win for American Horror Story: Hotel, and a platinum-certified jazz album with Tony Bennett, modern pop icon Lady Gaga is looking to reinvent herself yet again on Joanne. This certainly doesn’t sound like your typical Gaga record, as the singer has enlisted the help of a few unexpected musicians to help her write for the album, including Kevin Parker of Tame Impala, and Beck Hansen of…well, Beck. But if that fact hasn't convinced you that Gaga is back and better than ever, then just take a listen to “Perfect Illusion”.

Set in a western-themed amusement park occupied by androids, this science fiction series is overflowing with talent. For starters, it’s based on a 1973 film written and directed by Michael Crichton, who gave us “Jurassic Park”. Jonathan Nolan and Lisa Joy Nolan developed the show with J.J. Abrams acting as an executive producer. While the A-list cast including Anthony Hopkins, Ed Harris, Evan Rachel Wood certainly has us intrigued, we hope Westworld’s storytelling can stand up amongst the rest of HBO’s legendary pre-existing library.

Even after two and a half decades, the “Civilization” franchise continues to inspire the explorers, the inventors, and the architects of change. “Civilization VI” will reportedly bring several new innovations to the table, improving upon the research system and artificial intelligence. Perhaps the most notable addition is the city unstacking feature, which will allow players to break up cities into multiple districts. Honored as the Best PC Game and Best Strategy Game at E3 2016, “Civilization VI” just might build a better tomorrow.

“Battlefield 1” is the fourteenth entry in this first-person shooter series, but it’ll take players all the way back to World War I. Fans were blown away by the reveal trailer for “Battlefield 1,” becoming YouTube’s most liked trailer ever. The game itself has also received promising feedback, winning Best Action Game at the 2016 Game Critics Awards. Even if “Battlefield 1” falls short of expectations, Electronic Arts is still predicting the game will sell at least 14 million copies within one year.

#1: “The Walking Dead” – Season 7 Release Date: October 23, 2016

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The Season 6 finale of “The Walking Dead” was arguably the show’s most notorious hour ever. The episode concluded with Negan mercilessly beating a member of Rick’s group to death. The victim’s identity remained a mystery, however, practically causing the Internet to explode. Audiences were beyond frustrated that they had to wait several months to learn who died. Since this cliffhanger left us all desperate for closure, though, there’s little doubt that we’ll tune in for Season 7’s big reveal. Let’s just hope it’s not Daryl… Do you agree with our list? What release has you the most pumped up for October? For more entertaining Top 10s published every day, be sure to subscribe to WatchMojo.com.