Fall movie preview: Highlights from September to December

LOS ANGELES -- There's something for everyone in movie theaters this fall. The calendar is jam-packed with romance, spectacle and jaw-dropping true-life stories.

Some of our most familiar franchises take bold leaps into undiscovered areas of their universes: Marvel sidesteps into the metaphysical with the Benedict Cumberbatch-led "Doctor Strange" on Nov. 4, J.K. Rowling's Harry Potter world gets new life in "Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them" on Nov. 18, and we find out just how those rebels stole the Death Star plans in "Rogue One: A Star Wars Story" on Dec. 16.

A monthly rundown of fall highlights:

September

"Sully" (now playing) -- Director Clint Eastwood takes audiences behind the scenes of the investigation around the Miracle on the Hudson, with Tom Hanks as Capt. Chesley Sullenberger.

"The Magnificent Seven" (Sept. 23) -- Denzel Washington and Chris Pratt head to the old West in Antoine Fuqua's remake of the John Sturges film, itself a remake of "Seven Samurai."

"Deepwater Horizon" (Sept. 30) -- Discover the true story of what happened to the men and women on the oil rig that caused the catastrophic Gulf of Mexico oil spill. Mark Wahlberg, Kurt Russell and Gina Rodriguez star.

"American Honey" (Sept. 30) -- Go on an atmospheric road trip through the Midwest with some drifting teens, including a revelatory Shia LaBeouf.

October

Nate Parker as Nat Turner, left, and Aja Naomi King as Cherry in a scene from "The Birth of a Nation," in theaters Oct. 7.Fox Searchlight Pictures via AP

"The Birth of a Nation" (Oct. 7) -- Controversy surrounding writer, director and star Nate Parker aside, his film tells the fascinating story of Nat Turner's 1831 slave rebellion.

"The Girl on the Train" (Oct. 7) -- Emily Blunt stars in this adaptation of Paula Hawkins' best-selling thriller about a divorced woman who becomes entangled in the mysterious disappearance of a woman she'd watched from afar.

Anna Kendrick, left, and Ben Affleck in a scene from "The Accountant," in theaters Oct. 14.Chuck Zlotnick ~ Warner Bros. Pictures via AP

"The Accountant" (Oct. 14) -- Who said accounting was boring? A math whiz with some dangerous clients gets in over his head in the new Gavin O'Connor thriller. Ben Affleck, Anna Kendrick and J.K. Simmons star.

Tom Hanks, left, and Felicity Jones in a scene from "Inferno," in theaters Oct. 28.Jonathan Prime ~ Columbia Pictures -- Sony Pictures via AP

"Moonlight" (Oct. 21) -- Director Barry Jenkins tells a lyrical coming of age story set in the underbelly of Miami's drug scene with the help of Naomie Harris and Janelle Monae.

"Inferno" (Oct. 28) -- Tom Hanks reprises his role as symbologist Robert Langdon in the Dan Brown series.

November

From left, Katherine Waterston, Eddie Redmayne, Alison Sudol and Dan Folger in a scene from "Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them," scheduled for release Nov. 18.Jaap Buitendijk ~ Warner Bros. Pictures via AP

"Billy Lynn's Long Halftime Walk" (Nov. 11) -- A young Iraq veteran returns home for a victory tour in Ang Lee's adaptation of Ben Fountain's acclaimed novel.

"Arrival" (Nov. 11) -- Amy Adams and Jeremy Renner star in director Denis Villeneuve's mind-bendingly intelligent alien encounter drama.

"Manchester by the Sea" (Nov. 18) -- Kenneth Lonergan spins a poetic tale of family and tragedy in a film that's been pegged as an Oscar contender since January. Casey Affleck, Michelle Williams and Kyle Chandler star.

"Moana" (Nov. 23) -- Disney Animation takes us back thousands of years to the South Pacific for a story about a young woman who sets sail for a fabled island. Dwayne Johnson voices a demigod, of course.

Lily Collins in a scene from "Rules Don't Apply," in theaters Nov. 23.Francois Duhamel ~ Twentieth Century Fox via AP

"Rules Don't Apply" (Nov. 23) -- After a 15-year hiatus from films, Warren Beatty returns to the form with an ode to 1950s Hollywood and riff on prudish mores with Lily Collins and Alden Ehrenreich. Beatty plays Howard Hughes.

December

Ryan Gosling, right, and Emma Stone in a scene from "La La Land," in theaters Dec. 2.Dale Robinette ~ Summit Entertainment via AP

"La La Land" (Dec. 2) -- A moody musician (Ryan Gosling) and an aspiring actress (Emma Stone) fall in love while pursuing their dreams in this musical dreamscape from "Whiplash" writer-director Damien Chazelle.

"Fences" (Dec. 16) -- Denzel Washington directs himself and Viola Davis reprising their Tony-winning roles in this August Wilson adaptation.

"Passengers" (Dec. 21) -- Jennifer Lawrence and Chris Pratt are jolted out of hypersleep 60 years early in a spacecraft traveling to a distant planet.

"A Monster Calls" (Dec. 23) -- Get transported away from life's hardships to a land of monsters and magic in director J.A. Bayona's fantastical adaptation of Patrick Ness's children's novel, with Liam Neeson as the tree monster.

Chiwetel Ejiofor in Marvel's "Doctor Strange," in theaters Nov. 4.Disney/Marvel via AP