A new series adaptation of John Steinbeck’s East of Eden, starring Florence Pugh, begins the new releases coming to Netflix in October. Followed by a movie directed, written and starring Ben Affleck, Animals, also starring Kerry Washington, and a docuseries about Matthew Perry.
Some favourites are also returning to Netflix in October. Notably, The Diplomat, starring Keri Russell and Rufus Sewell, is coming back for Season 4, and Nobody Wants ThisSeason 3, with Kristen Bell and Adam Brody.
There’s also an exciting Canadian title landing on Netflix in October, the series Below, set and filmed in Newfoundland, starring Josh Hartnett.
Looking at movies and shows being removed from Netflix Canada next month, Julia Roberts fans will be sad to learn that both Notting Hilland My Best Friend’s Wedding are leaving the streamer.
Two movies starring Jim Carrey, The Maskand Liar Liar, are also being removed, along with Sully and A Man Called Otto, both starring Tom Hanks.
Additionally, The Pursuit of Happyness with Will Smith, Ang Lee’s Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon, The Terminator starring Arnold Schwarzenegger, Primal Fear with Richard Gere and Edward Norton, Mr. & Mrs. Smith starring exes Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt, and Michael Jackson’s This Is It, are all leaving Netflix Canada.
What to watch on Netflix: New TV shows and movies
East of Eden — Oct. 1
Florence Pugh, Christopher Abbott and Mike Faist lead Zoe Kazan’s adaptation of John Steinbeck’s East of Eden,a Netflix series. Interestingly, Kazan’s grandfather, Elia, directed the 1955 adaptation, starring James Dean.
“What I felt was the whole epic story is an opportunity to explore, to fall in love with all these characters,” Kazan told Tudum.
“I really took that as my credo. It needs to be epic and intimate. It needs to be as personal for me as it was for him, even though he’s literally writing about his family.”
Kazan knew she wanted Pugh to lead this story, developing this project without a backup for the role of Cathy Ames.
“I don’t use this word lightly: I think she’s a genius. I watched her on set for five months. I have no more insight now as to how she works than I did before. I can see how hard she works, and I can see how much it means to her, but there’s no obvious preparation or process that is visible to me at least,” Kazan told Tudum.
Below — Oct. 8
Following its premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF) earlier this month, Jesse McKeown’s series Belowarrives on Netflix in October.
Josh Hartnett plays Calvin, a fisherman who lives in a Newfoundland town. While he now has kids of his own, he’s still haunted by the death of his father when he was young.
In tying to keep his community and family safe, Calvin teams up with a marine researcher, played by Mackenzie Davis, to investigate a mysterious creature, exposing secrets of the island.
“I read the first two scripts in less than an hour,” Hartnett told Tudum. “The voice was so clear, the concept was so engaging, and the character was fantastic. I’d never read anything like it before.”
“I had never read anything that was set in Newfoundland before. I didn’t understand the long history of Newfoundland being its own country and having its own dialect and its own very specific ancestry.”
Animals — Oct. 9
Ben Affleck and Kerry Washington star in Animals, a thriller directed and co- Mark Kimball (Affleck) is a politician, father and husband to Abigail (Washington), but his picture perfect life is upended when their son Denny (Christopher Woodley) is kidnapped
The cast also includes Steven Yeun, Adriana Paz and Luis Gerardo Méndez.
“I’m a big believer that the audience has expectations of me, of Kerry, of Steven, of everyone,” Affleck told Tudum. “You want to use that and then drift away from it in ways that help tell your story.”
The Diplomat, Season 4 — Oct. 15
Debora Cahn’s brilliant series The Diplomat is back for Season 4, with a season that dives deeper into the complex dynamics of its couples, specifically Kate Wyler (Keri Russell) and Hal (Rufus Sewell), and President Grace Penn (Allison Janney) and Todd (Bradley Whitford).
“We get to the end of a season and I always think, ‘Well, there’s no way that we can do this again.’ And then we dig back into it, and it’s like, ‘Oh my God, we have to keep going.'” Cahn told Tudum.
“[Fans] should be worried. There’s plenty to worry about. It can be pretty chilling when you see who takes power and get the sense that they may be horrifically misusing it.”
Allison Janney and Bradley Whitford are now series regulars, along with Nana Mensah, who plays White House Chief of Staff Billie Appiah.
Nobody Wants This, Season 3 — Oct. 22
Joanne (Kristen Bell) and Noah (Adam Brody) are coming back to Netflix in Nobody Wants This Season 3, as the show’s lead couple have now moved in together.
“We didn’t have to do any more ‘Will they, won’t they?'” co-showrunner and executive producer Jenni Konner told Tudum. “We know they are going to, and it was sort of, ‘How are they going to?'”
But Joanne has to deal with rumours about her spreading through Temple Chai, and proving that they’re still a “perfect match.”
“We feel like there are so many other ways to tell the story of a rom-com without pulling the rug out from under people and creating false obstacles for the couple,” creator and executive producer Erin Foster said. “We wanted this couple to be moving in a forward motion together and having all these big romantic moments you want to see.”
Meanwhile, Sasha (Timothy Simons) and his wife, Esther (Jackie Tohn) have separated, and we’ll see where the romantic tension we’ve seen between Sasha and Joanne’s sister, Morgan (Justine Lupe), goes.
The One About Matthew Perry — Oct. 27
Netflix is releasing a documentary about Canadian Friends star Matthew Perry next month, a three-part series that features never-before-heard testimonies from Perry’s sister, Mia Perry Bowick, and his best friends.
“Matthew Perry was one of the comedic geniuses of our time,” directed Mary Robertson told Tudum. “Through his many films, TV, and stage performances, and his unforgettable portrayal of Chandler Bing, he made millions of us laugh, connect, and feel a little less alone.”
“He also gave us so much more by bravely speaking about addiction. Yet the public only knew part of his story. That’s why we set out to make this series: to let the people who knew and loved Matthew reveal the person behind the public figure.”
“It’s taken time for me to feel ready to share these memories and what it was like to love Matthew through all the complexity of his life — to see him as a whole person, not just as Chandler, and not just as someone who struggled with addiction,” Bowick shared. “As his sister, he shaped who I am today, the person I strive to be, and the work to which I’ve devoted my life.”
“Matthew had a beautiful heart and a generous spirit, and even in his darkest moments, he could still make you laugh and feel loved. I hope this series gives everyone who loved him, whether personally or from afar, a deeper appreciation for who he truly was, and the legacy he leaves behind.”
Full list of TV shows and movies leaving Netflix Canada in October
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I Now Pronounce You Chuck and Larry
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Final Fantasy: The Spirits Within
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Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon
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Rita Moreno: Just a Girl Who Decided to Go for It
