SXSW 2026: 15 Film and TV Premieres We’re Psyched to See in Austin

Mar 12, 2026 8:15am PT SXSW 2026: 15 Film and TV Premieres We’re Psyched to See in Austin By Kate Aurthur , Brent Lang , Selome Hailu , Emily Longeretta It’s that time of year again, when Hollywood descends upon Austin for a week of exciting new film and television projects. This year’s SXSW lineup includes eccentric comedies with a genre twist, like “Sorry to Bother You” director Boots Riley’s follow-up about a ragtag group of shoplifters, “I Love Boosters” — as well as Jorma Taccone’s “Over Your Dead Body” and the bloody “Ready or Not” sequel “Here I Come.” Plus, there are documentaries that will stay with you long after you leave Texas, such as “#WhileBlack,” a human tale about the intersection of social media and police brutality, and “#SkyKing,” the tragic story of a man who stole an airplane and crashed it into the ground, killing himself. On the television front, Lisa Kudrow returns as the hilariously delusional and desperate actress Valerie Cherish in Season 3 of “The Comeback,” Elle Fanning starts an OnlyFans to support herself after an unexpected pregnancy in “Margo’s Got Money Troubles” and Jonathan Glatzer sends up the egos of Silicon Valley in “The Audacity.” Below are 15 of Variety ’s most anticipated film and TV premieres this week in Austin. The Comeback Hello, hello, hello! Valerie Cherish — the iconic creation of Michael Patrick King and its star Lisa Kudrow — is returning to HBO for a third season later this month, like a beautiful comet that only occasionally circles the Earth. (We refuse to call it the final season, regardless of what the network says.) But first, it will have its Season 3 premiere at SXSW. “The Comeback” has run for two glorious stints, one in 2005, the second in 2014 — and in its third season, try-hard sitcom actress Valerie, who in the Season 2 finale actually won an Emmy, will star in comedy written by AI. Valerie, we do want to see that.