Hollywood could use a hero. After a forgettable summer at the box office, the movie industry is looking for an autumn resurgence in ticket sales. With the box office at $3.9 billion for summer 2019, Hollywood registered its second-worst season in theaters in 12 years. And coming back to match last year’s pace won’t be easy.

The film industry has less than four months to bring in about $3 billion in ticket sales if it hopes to tally more than $11 billion for 2019. For the past four years, movies in the U.S. have rung up at least $11 billion annually.

But that string is in jeopardy this year, even with the success of Avengers: Endgame, the highest-grossing film in Hollywood history. Endgame raked in $858 million in ticket sales, or more than a quarter of all summer ticket sales. And with no clear cinematic juggernaut on the horizon, studios will be  hard-pressed to keep its pace at the box office.

“Summer 2019 started off strong thanks to Avengers: Endgame hitting theaters in late April, but struggled thereafter, as tentpole after tentpole performed below expectations at the box office,” noted Sandy Schaefer of ScreenRant. “There were still a few hits along the way (John Wick 3, Spider-Man: Far From Home, The Lion King), but in general audiences seemed a bit underwhelmed by what Hollywood had on the menu. Studios are no doubt hoping for a better turnout over the next four months.”

To create one, studios are bringing several high-profile films to theaters for autumn, including:

Joker (Oct. 4)

Joaquin Phoenix plays wannabe stand-up comedian Arthur Fleck in this origins story about Batman’s perennial rival. Warner Bros. is serious about making Joker an awards contender (the studio screened it at this year’s Toronto and Venice’s film festivals ahead of its October release. Director Todd Phillips “is certainly a ways away from his Hangover trilogy days with this Scorseseian crime drama,” Schaefer says. ,”It’s anyone’s guess as to how comic book fans (or viewers in general) will respond to this one.”

Gemini Man (Oct. 11)

Will Smith play elite assassin Henry Brogan, who is preparing to retire, when he’s suddenly targeted and pursued by his deadliest opponent yet: his younger clone. “It’s the latest ambitious offering from director Ang Lee, whose previous ‘experiments’ have always been compelling, even when they’re only partly-successful,” Schaefer says. “That should remain the case here.”

Terminator: Dark Fate (Nov. 1)

Arnold Schwarzenegger, Linda Hamilton and Edward Furlong reteam in this tale of Sarah Connor joining forces with a soldier from the future to protect a young woman who’s being hunted by a time-traveling Terminator. “Terminator fans have already been burned by the promise of a fresh start for the series twice, but maybe – just maybe – third time will be the charm for this struggling property,” Schaefer posits.

Doctor Sleep (Nov. 8)

Set 40 years after his terrifying stay at the Overlook Hotel, Dan Torrance (Ewan McGregor) helps a teenager who’s targeted by a dangerous cult for her own “shining” abilities. Judging by the marketing, Doctor Sleep has the makings of an engaging continuation of (director Mike) Flanagan’s ongoing exploration of trauma and grief through the horror genre,” Schaefer says. “That it also salutes Stanley Kubrick’s Shining movie is just icing on the cake in some ways.”

Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker (Dec. 20)

he Skywalker Saga draws to a close as Rey, Finn, and Poe Dameron fight back against Kylo Ren and the forces of the First Order. “It’s the final chapter in the story of the Skywalker clan, and needs to leave audiences clamoring for more when the galaxy far, far away returns three years from now for its first ever post-Skywalker narrative,” Schaefer notes. She points out the movie is already “keeping fans busy as ever with their speculation in the meantime (especially where it concerns Palpatine’s unexpected return from the grave).”

While studios have fallen behind last year’s record-setting ticket sales, Schaefer believes there are enough big guns in the lineup to take up the slack. “October and November will be loaded with even more franchise offerings than usual, in addition to a number of director-driven films aiming to make some noise.” she says.  “Finally, December will round things out with the now-customary assortment of potential crowd-pleasers and prestige releases.”