17 Sep Movies to see these Spring school holidays
Looking for something to do on a rainy day — or simply an excuse for popcorn? Australian cinemas have a good line-up of family movies for the Spring school holidays, with dinosaurs, sheep, whales, monsters and some classic Looney Tunes chaos.
PAW Patrol: The Dino Movie
In cinemas: 10 September 2026
Rating: G
Running time: 88 minutes
The PAW Patrol pups are back, this time with dinosaurs.
After their ship is caught in a mysterious storm, Ryder and the pups crash-land on an uncharted tropical island populated by dinosaurs. There they meet Rex, a pup who knows his way around the prehistoric residents.
But when Mayor Humdinger’s plans cause a dormant volcano to erupt, the pups face one of their biggest rescue missions yet.
Australian classification advice notes very mild scary scenes, violence and coarse language.
Shaun the Sheep: The Beast of Mossy Bottom
In cinemas: 17 September 2026
Rating: G
Running time: 81 minutes
Shaun and the flock return for another stop-motion adventure from Aardman.
Mossy Bottom Farm is preparing for Halloween when the Farmer manages to destroy the flock’s pumpkin patch. Shaun decides some mad science might solve the problem — but instead creates even more trouble.
Soon the Farmer is missing and a mysterious beast is roaming the woods around Mossingham.
It has all the familiar Shaun ingredients: visual comedy, chaos and plenty for adults to enjoy alongside younger viewers. The film is rated G in Australia.
Forgotten Island
In cinemas: 17 September 2026
Rating: PG
Running time: around 109 minutes
DreamWorks Animation’s Forgotten Island follows lifelong best friends Jo and Raissa, who are preparing to take very different paths after finishing high school.
On their last night together they stumble through a portal into Nakali, a fantastical island filled with creatures drawn from Filipino mythology.
There’s a catch: the longer they remain on the island, the more their memories begin to disappear. To find their way home, Jo and Raissa must face some frightening creatures — and fight to hold on to the friendship they are in danger of forgetting.
The Australian PG classification advises mild themes, crude humour, violence, coarse language and scary scenes.
Coyote vs. Acme
In cinemas: 17 September 2026
Rating: PG
Running time: around 103 minutes
After decades of explosions, falling anvils, malfunctioning rockets and other disastrous ACME products, Wile E. Coyote finally decides he’s had enough.
Instead of chasing the Road Runner, he hires a lawyer and takes the ACME Corporation to court.
The live-action/animation comedy stars Will Forte as Wile E.’s lawyer and John Cena as ACME’s formidable legal representative, with plenty of traditional Looney Tunes slapstick along the way.
It’s an unusual premise for a family movie — part courtroom comedy, part classic cartoon mayhem — and a good option for older primary-school children and tweens who enjoy Looney Tunes humour. Australian cinema listings currently give the film a PG rating.
The Last Whale Singer
In cinemas: 24 September 2026
Rating: PG
Running time: around 99 minutes
Teenage humpback whale Vincent is the son of the last Whale Singer, whose magical song once protected the oceans.
When a dangerous creature escapes from a melting iceberg, Vincent is expected to find the song that can save the ocean. The problem is that he doesn’t believe he can do it.
Joined by his friends, including brave deaf orca Darya, Vincent heads into the deepest parts of the sea in a story about courage, grief and discovering your own strengths.
Current Australian distributor and cinema listings rate the film PG.
Stitch Head
In cinemas: 8 October 2026
Rating: PG
Running time: 91 minutes
High above the town of Grubbers Nubbin sits a castle where a Mad Professor is constantly creating strange new monsters — and then promptly forgetting about them.
His first creation, Stitch Head, has quietly taken responsibility for keeping the other monsters safe and making sure they don’t frighten the townspeople.
But when an outsider offers Stitch Head the chance to leave the castle and become a star, his carefully ordered world begins to change.
Based on Guy Bass’s children’s books, Stitch Head is a comic monster adventure rather than a scary horror movie. Its Australian PG classification carries the advice “mild themes”.
Tad and the Magic Lamp
In cinemas: 8 October 2026
Rating: CTC
Accidental archaeologist Tad is back for another animated adventure.
Tad and Sara are now parents to adventurous two-year-old Oli, while their old friend Mummy is feeling rather left out. When the group discovers a magical lamp, one poorly chosen wish sends them travelling back through history.
The resulting adventure takes the gang from Peru to Greece and into the world of Ali Baba and the Forty Thieves as they race to prevent the past from being changed permanently.
Australian cinema listings currently have the classification marked CTC, so check again closer to release.
Good to know: Not every film will screen at every cinema, and smaller releases may have fewer sessions. Check your local cinema for dates, session times and accessibility screenings before you go.
