The Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF) has unveiled the Primetime lineup for its 2026 edition, showcasing a slate of television series that includes Mike Flanagan’s Carrie, the Friday the 13th prequel Crystal Lake, Slow Horses, and several world premiere productions from Canada and around the globe.
Running from September 10 through September 20, the 2026 festival’s Primetime programme highlights acclaimed creators and star-studded casts, with appearances from performers including Gary Oldman, Jon Hamm, Linda Cardellini, Carrie-Anne Moss, François Arnaud, Bérénice Bejo, and Hudson Williams.
This year’s lineup places a particular emphasis on adaptations of established properties, with Carrie, Crystal Lake, and American Hostage among the headline premieres. The programme opens with Jesse McKeown’s Below, a six-episode thriller starring Mackenzie Davis, Charlie Heaton, and Josh Hartnett, while Mike Flanagan’s Carrie has been selected as the festival’s closing Primetime presentation.
TIFF’s Primetime programme gives audiences an early look at upcoming television series by screening one or two episodes, often accompanied by conversations with the casts and creative teams behind the shows.
The complete 2026 TIFF Primetime lineup
2.6 Seconds: Death in the Outback | Darren Dale | Australia
World Premiere
Alice | Virginie Verrier, Guillaume Lonergan | France, Canada
World Premiere
American Hostage | Shawn Ryan, Eileen Myers, Adam Arkin | USA
World Premiere
Below | Jesse McKeown | Canada
World Premiere
Opening series
Blindspot Berlin | David Nawrath | Germany
World Premiere
Carrie | Mike Flanagan | Canada, USA
World Premiere
Closing series
Crystal Lake | Brad Caleb Kane, Michael Lennox | USA
World Premiere
Oxygen Masks Will (Not) Drop Automatically | Marcelo Gomes, Carol Minêm | Brazil
North American Premiere
Slow Horses | Will Smith, Adam Randall | United Kingdom, USA
International Premiere
YAGA | Kat Sandler, Rachel Talalay, David Frazee | Canada
World Premiere
Geoff Macnaughton serves as lead programmer for TIFF’s Primetime section. The 51st Toronto International Film Festival runs September 10–20, 2026, with additional programming announcements set to continue during TIFF Takeover on August 4.
Which series are you most looking forward to seeing premiere at TIFF? Let us know in the comments below. Crystal Lake has my attention above all else, but I’m also very curious to see what Mike Flanagan’s Carrie will be like.
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