Halloween is on the horizon, and Sky and NOW are getting into the spirit this October. Crystal Lake revisits one of horror’s most recognisable families, while YAGA brings a missing-person mystery with a supernatural twist.
Away from the scares, WAR pits two London law firms against each other over a high-profile divorce, and Rob and Romesh return for more out-of-their-depth adventures. Meanwhile, Sky Cinema’s October highlights include Scream 7, Glen Powell’s inheritance plot in How to Make a Killing, and the musical fantasy of Kiss of the Spider Woman.
Here’s what to watch on Sky and NOW in October 2026.
‘WAR’
London’s most powerful lawyers are going to war, and a celebrity divorce is about to become their battleground. Created by George Kay, whose credits include Lupin and Hijack, WAR is a new Sky Original legal drama following rival firms Cathcarts & Sons and Taylor & Byrne.
The first season centres on the split between British tech entrepreneur Morgan Henderson (Dominic West) and international film star Carla Duval (Sienna Miller). Caught up in the fight is ambitious young lawyer Jonathan “Johnny” Warren (Archie Renaux), who enters a world where loyalty is negotiable and neither side intends to lose.
‘Crystal Lake’
Before the hockey mask, there was Pam Voorhees. Linda Cardellini leads Crystal Lake, a prequel to the Friday the 13th franchise that puts Jason’s mother at the centre of the story.
Nearly a year after her young son drowned in the town lake, Pam is still struggling with her grief. When two strangers turn up at her door asking about her past, their arrival sets off a disturbing series of events. William Catlett, Devin Kessler, Cameron Scoggins and Gwendolyn Sundstrom also star in a series combining psychological suspense with the mythology of the long-running horror franchise.
‘Rob & Romesh Vs’ Series 9
Rob Beckett and Romesh Ranganathan are back for another round of unfamiliar territory and questionable competence. Rob & Romesh Vs returns for a four-episode ninth series, sending the comedians into a fresh set of experiences.
Previous adventures have taken them from Bollywood and mixed martial arts to heavy metal, K-pop and Shakespeare.
The Sky Arts Awards 2026
Sir Grayson Perry and Rebecca Lucy Taylor, better known as Self Esteem, join forces to host The Sky Arts Awards 2026. The ceremony returns to London’s Roundhouse on October 13, celebrating artists, performers and storytellers from across the UK and Ireland.
Now in its third year, the awards recognise achievement across classical music, comedy, dance, film, literature, opera, poetry, popular music, television, theatre and visual arts.
‘YAGA’
A missing heir, a coastal town and ancient magic form the starting point for YAGA. Noah Reid plays private investigator Rapp, who arrives to investigate the disappearance of Henry Park (Hudson Williams), the young heir to a powerful fishery.
His search brings him into conflict with local detective Carson (Clark Backo) and university professor Katherine (Carrie-Anne Moss). As Rapp works through a growing collection of suspects and hidden lives, the mystery takes a supernatural turn.
Take a closer look at YAGA in Popped’s first-look coverage.
‘Portrait Artist of the Year’ 2026
Portrait Artist of the Year returns for its thirteenth series with an entirely new judging panel for the first time in the programme’s history.
Host Stephen Mangan is joined by portrait painter Jonathan Yeo, Frieze London director Eva Langret, and art historian and broadcaster Katy Hessel. With a fresh line-up of celebrity sitters, the three judges will assess the artists competing for the 2026 title.
‘Baby Doe’
Baby Doe examines the case of Gail Ritchey, whose life changes when DNA evidence connects her to the decades-old death of a newborn known as “Geauga’s Child”.
The documentary follows Ritchey and her family as she faces a murder charge and maintains that the baby was stillborn. It explores the role of religious stigma, community judgement and long-buried shame alongside the case itself.
What’s Coming to Sky Cinema in October 2026?
‘How to Make a Killing’
Glen Powell plays Becket Redfellow in How to Make a Killing, a man determined to claim the fortune his wealthy family denied him.
Disowned at birth and raised outside their privileged world, Becket decides to reclaim his inheritance. The relatives standing between him and the money are about to become a problem he intends to solve.
‘One Last Shot’
Scott Adkins and Dolph Lundgren star in One Last Shot, an action thriller following a veteran Navy SEAL on a mission into enemy territory.
His target is a former comrade who has become a domestic terrorist and is attempting to take control of the US missile defence network.
‘Scream 7’
Ghostface is back, and Sidney’s family is in the killer’s sights. In Scream 7, a new murderer emerges in the quiet town where she has tried to build a fresh start.
When her daughter becomes the next target, Sidney must confront the violence of her past to protect the life she has built.
‘Mother’s Pride’
From the team behind Finding Your Feet and Fisherman’s Friends, Mother’s Pride follows the Harley family as they try to move forward after losing their matriarch.
With their pub and village in need of help, the family turn to beer-brewing, finding a shared purpose as they work to keep their community together.
‘Splitsville’
When Ashley (Adria Arjona) asks for a divorce, Carey (Kyle Marvin) turns to his friends Julie (Dakota Johnson) and Paul (Michael Angelo Covino) for support.
Their apparently happy relationship comes with a surprise: they have an open marriage. Carey’s discovery soon leads to crossed boundaries and escalating chaos in Splitsville.
‘Kiss of the Spider Woman’
Bill Condon, director of Dreamgirls and Beauty and the Beast, returns to the musical with Kiss of the Spider Woman, adapted from the Tony Award-winning Broadway show.
Political prisoner Valentín (Diego Luna) shares a cell with Molina (Tonatiuh), a window dresser convicted of public indecency. They begin to form a bond as Molina recounts a Hollywood musical starring his favourite screen diva, Ingrid Luna (Jennifer Lopez), bringing a world of colour and fantasy into their confinement.
Halloween Films to Watch on Sky This October
Beyond the new arrivals, Sky’s on-demand Halloween selection brings together recent horror films and older favourites. The collection includes Sinners, 28 Years Later, Weapons, Lee Cronin’s The Mummy, Bring Her Back and Primate.
For a return to the classics, there is The Shining, The Evil Dead and Evil Dead II, alongside From Dusk Till Dawn and Event Horizon. These are seasonal on-demand highlights rather than a separate list of October premieres.
Family Films for Halloween
For something a little less frightening, Sky’s family selection includes the first three Hotel Transylvania films and Shaun the Sheep: Farmageddon.
There are more animated adventures with The Pirates! In an Adventure with Scientists!, Wallace & Gromit: The Curse of the Were-Rabbit and Tim Burton’s Corpse Bride, offering plenty of options for a Halloween film night with younger viewers.
For more viewing ideas, revisit what arrived on Sky and NOW in September, or look ahead to what’s coming to Sky and NOW in November 2026.
