2026 looks set to be a massive year for cinema, with upcoming releases that range from potentially century-defining blockbusters from some of the outstanding filmmakers of their time, to original gems waiting to be unearthed from exciting new auteurs. Here’s everything that should be on your radar over the next 12 months. (Dates subject to change and confirmation).
- 28 Years Later: The Bone Temple (Dir. Nia DaCosta)
The first major release of 2026 sees us return to the apocalyptic British Isles of 28 Years Later, just seven months on from Danny Boyle’s legacy sequel that wowed audiences with its boundary-pushing filmmaking techniques and devastating narrative that told a tale of love, loss, and coming of age.
This time around, director of The Marvels, Candyman, and Hedda, Nia DaCosta, takes the reins and shares with us her take on the series.
- Send Help (Dir. Sam Raimi)
Additionally, the beginning of the year sees the return of legendary horror and comic book filmmaker Sam Raimi, whose latest flick, Send Help, sees an ill-mannered boss and his defenceless employee (Rachel McAdams and Dylan O’Brien) stranded on a deserted island following a plane crash in which only they survived. Forced to overcome past differences and work together to make it out alive, the two embark on a horror-filled battle of wills that sees the power dynamic flipped on its head.
- The Rip (Dir. Joe Carnahan)
Every few years, Matt Damon and Ben Affleck reunite on screen, and we all say “Hell yeah” in unison. 2026 just so happens to be one of those years, as the two co-star in Joe Carnahan’s The Rip for Netflix, releasing January 16th.
Also starring the likes of Teyana Taylor, Steven Yeun, and Kyle Chandler, the movie depicts a team of Miami cops who discover millions in a derelict stash house, and with trust wearing thinner and thinner, nobody is to escape questioning.
- The Moment (Dir. Aidan Zamiri)
Charli XCX has popped up across multiple different projects over the past couple of years, but with her upcoming slate looking the way it does, 2026 is set to be her biggest year yet. A year that kicks off with Aidan Zamiri’s The Moment, which tells the story of a rising pop sensation who attempts to navigate her newfound fame ahead of her arena tour debut.
A role that the acclaimed singer-songwriter can no doubt pull much from her own experience in the musical world in order to pull off. Though after what happened with The Weeknd’s Hurry Up Tomorrow just last year, maybe it’s better to just be cautiously optimistic for the time being.
- Star Wars: The Mandalorian and Grogu (Dir. Jon Favreau)
For the first time since 2019, we have a Star Wars movie coming to cinemas, and that in itself is something worth being excited about.
It comes in the form of a theatrical adaptation of one of the franchise’s most successful modern experiments, as Pedro Pascal reprises his role as the Mandalorian three years on from the conclusion of the show’s third season.
- Digger (Dir. Alejandro González Iñárritu)
Two-time Academy Award Best Director winner Alejandro González Iñárritu returns with his first motion picture since BARDO, False Chronicle of a Handful of Truths, back in 2022.
Perhaps more potently, however, is that the film marks a return to original movies for one Tom Cruise, who last escaped franchise land all the way back in 2017 with Doug Liman’s American Made. And for as much as we love the Mission: Impossible series, seeing Cruise return to a way of filmmaking that he hasn’t done in oh so long is an intriguing prospect to say the least.
- Wuthering Heights (Dir. Emerald Fennel)
For as divisive as Emerald Fennel’s movies are, one thing that has never been in question is her eye for a beautiful shot, made all the more clear by the frankly stunning trailer for her latest effort, an adaptation of Emily Brontë’s Wuthering Heights.
A stacked cast that includes the likes of Margot Robbie, Jacob Elordi, Owen Cooper, and Alison Oliver, whilst being shot by the great Linus Sandgren, Wuthering Heights has all the pieces to make an entertaining puzzle that could define the year’s first quarter in movies.
- Remain (Dir. M. Night Shyamalan)
Described as a story about an architect (Jake Gylenhaal) who, whilst struggling with the loss of his family, moves into a historic home where he meets Wren, a mysterious young woman who challenges his perception of the world.
M. Night Shyamalan is one of our great working filmmakers, whose insistence on taking major swing after major swing can only be applauded. When paired with a talent who possesses the quality of Jake Gyllenhaal, the sky seems the limit for his upcoming feature.
- Spider-Man: Brand New Day (Dir. Destin Daniel Cretton)
The final stop en route to Avengers: Doomsday is New York City — specifically, Queens.
It’s been 5 years since we saw the multiversal crossover epic that was Spider-Man: No Way Home, and though Earth 616 may have forgotten Tom Holland’s Peter Parker, we certainly have not. Long overdue is the return of the webslinger, who this time is in the hands of Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings director, Destin Daniel Cretton. Also starring Sadie Sink, Zendeya, Jon Bernthal, Tramell Tillman, Mark Ruffalo, Jacob Batalon, Liza Colón-Zayas, Michael Mando, and Marvin Jones III.
- Evil Dead Burn (Dir. Sébastian Vaniček)
The sixth instalment in the Evil Dead franchise is set to release in the summer, with Sébastian Vaniček directing, and Hunter Doohan (Wednesday) starring alongside Souhelia Yacoub (Dune: Part Two)
- Artificial (Dir. Luca Guadagnino)
Though no official release date has yet been confirmed, having wrapped filming in September, we can likely expect Luca Guadagnino’s Artificial to arrive sometime this year.
The film is described as a comedic drama set in the world of artificial intelligence, around the period at OpenAI in 2023 that saw CEO Sam Altman fired and rehired in a matter of days. With Andrew Garfield in the lead, whilst the likes of Yura Borisov, Jason Schwartzman, Cooper Koch, Monica Barbaro, Billie Loud, and Cooper Hoffman make up the supporting cast.
- Mother Mary (Dir. David Lowery)
Director of The Green Knight and A Ghost Story, David Lowery, returns with a story of a pop star who reunites with her estranged best friend and former costume designer on the eve of her comeback performance.
Starring Anne Hathaway, Michaela Cole, Kaia Gerber, FKA Twigs, and Hunter Schafer.
- The Hunger Games: Sunrise on the Reaping (Dir. Francis Lawrence)
The internet continued to explode week after week as each casting announcement was released for the sixth instalment in the Hunger Games franchise, and it’s clear to see why.
The Hunger Games: Sunrise on the Reaping features a castlist for the ages, made up of McKenna Grace, Jesse Plemons, Ralph Fiennes, Glenn Close, Kieran Culkin, Elle Fanning, Maya Hawke, and newcomer Joseph Zada, amongst others.
- Flowervale Street (Dir. David Robert Mitchell)
Described as a story about a family in the ’80s who start to notice bizarre happenings in their neighbourhood, with rumours of time travel and dinosaurs being attached to the project.
Directed by David Robert Mitchell (It Follows, Under the Silver Lake), produced by J.J. Abrams, and starring Anne Hathaway and Ewan McGregor, this looks to be a fun one.
- I Want Your Sex (Dir. Gregg Araki)
The newest effort from filmmaker Gregg Araki stars Cooper Hoffman and Olivia Wilde in a sex odyssey that sees a fresh-faced young man dragged into a world more profound than he could ever have imagined. Charli XCX and Mason Gooding to star too.
- Primetime (Dir. Lance Oppenheim)
Though, as of now, unconfirmed to be a 2026 movie, Lance Oppenheim’s Primetime is one of the more exciting projects to keep an eye on as a potential late-year release.
Telling the story of a journalist (Robert Pattinson) who takes on an underworld of crime that changes television forever, with the narrative being inspired by the early 2000s television program To Catch a Predator, featuring Chris Hansen as host.
- Supergirl (Dir. Craig Gillespie)
The DCU’s follow-up to smash hit Superman comes in the form of Craig Gillespie’s Supergirl, starring Milly Alcock as the lead.
Expected to take heavy inspiration from beloved comic book Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow, the film not only has exceptional source material to pull from, but avoids much of what burdened James Gunn’s first entry into the DCU. Most notably, being afforded the opportunity to tell a definitive story for the character without having to worry about setting up an extended universe that audiences aren’t currently familiar with. Setting the stage for an action epic that solidifies DC’s place at the top of the comic book movie game.
- The Dog Stars (Dir. Ridley Scott)
Legendary British filmmaker Ridley Scott returns this year with an adaptation of Peter Heller’s novel, The Dog Stars.
The film, which stars Jacob Elordi, Margaret Qualley, Josh Brolin, Guy Pearce, and Benedict Wong, is to tell the story of a man who lives a lonesome existence in a Colorado aeroplane hangar with his dog and a stern gunman he has befriended following a pandemic that ravaged the world’s population. But when a mysterious transmission comes through on the radio, it sparks a hunt for the provenance of the sound.
- Zi (Dir. Kogonada)
Set against a beautiful Hong Kong backdrop, Kogonada’s follow-up to A Big Bold Beautiful Journey tells the story of a young woman haunted by visions of her future self. She then meets a stranger who changes the course of her night—and possibly her life.
- Resident Evil (Dir. Zach Cregger)
After giving us two of the most interesting breaths of fresh air into the horror genre with Weapons and Barbarian, Zach Cregger now sets his sights on an adaptation of popular video game series, Resident Evil.
Confirmed to be entirely separate from previous adaptations, the story promises to be an original story that remains faithful to the spirit of the early instalments in the beloved video game series. And with a mind like Zach Cregger’s, this could well end up being one of the great console-to-screen adaptations we’ve yet seen.
- The Bride! (Dir. Maggie Gyllenhaal)
We always knew that Maggie Gyllenhaal was a great actor, but back in 2021, we learnt that she happens to be a great director too. With her directorial debut, The Lost Daughter, one of the standouts of that year. Five years on, she now tackles The Bride!, with Oscar frontrunner Jessie Buckley in the titular role, whilst the likes of Christian Bale, Jake Gyllenhaal, Peter Sarsgaard, and Penélope Cruz make up the rest of the cast.
- Hokum (Dir. Damian McCarthy)
Director of Oddity, Damian McCarthy, returns with an all-new original horror movie that stars a fresh off the heels of Severeance season 2, Adam Scott. The story is one of a horror novelist who visits a remote Irish inn to spread his parents’ ashes, unaware that the place is rumoured to be haunted by a witch.
- The Drama (Dir. Kristoffer Borgli)
The first of three Zendaya and Robert Pattinson collaborations in 2026 comes in the form of Kristoffer Borgli’s fourth feature, The Drama.
The Drama cordially invites us to witness the tale of a happily engaged couple whose relationship is put to the test when an unexpected turn sends their wedding week off the rails.
With Borgli solidifying himself as one of the more unique working filmmakers over the past few years, giving him a talent list that extends beyond its two leads to the likes of Alana Haim and Mamoudou Athie is certainly cause for great anticipation.
- Clayface (Dir. James Watkins)
After Supergirl releases in the summer, the autumn is where we’re set to see the DCU’s third feature instalment in the form of the Mike Flanagan-written, James Watkins-directed, Clayface.
Described as a Hollywood horror tale centring on a B-movie actor who injects himself with a substance to keep himself relevant, only to find out that he can reshape his face and form, becoming a walking piece of clay.
Releasing a typical Hollywood, child-friendly blockbuster just mere months before an R-rated body horror is the kind of creative swing that we love to see major studios take. And if it’s any indication of where the DCU is headed going forward, there remains much to be excited about.
- How to Rob a Bank (Dir. David Leitch)
Director of The Fall Guy, Bullet Train and Deadpool 2, David Leitch, is set to release his sixth feature film later this year.
A heist thriller with a talent list that runs deep, starring the likes of Nicholas Hoult, Anna Sawai, Zoë Kravitz, John C. Reilly, Pete Davidson, Rhenzy Feliz, Michael Gandolfini, and Christian Slater.
- Narnia (Dir. Greta Gerwig)
The direction that Greta Gerwig would take after the major success of Barbie was certainly a topic of discussion. Would she return to her roots of Lady Bird with an original story? Or would she continue down her path of box office domination with another major IP? Well, what we’re getting, is actually a little more Little Women than either, with a modern retelling of C.S. Lewis’ The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe.
Planned to release on Netflix in December, we can only hope that we’re allowed to witness a spectacle such as this on the big screen, as if Gerwig’s previous work is anything to go by, we’re in for a treat.
- Behemoth! (Dir. Tony Gilroy)
Legendary screenwriter Tony Gilroy has been responsible for some of the 21st century's most significant stories. With the Andor creator also working on Rogue One: A Star Wars Story, the Bourne franchise, as well as writing and directing the 2008 best picture nominee, Michael Clayton.
Though not yet having a confirmed release date, where we can expect to see him next is with his fourth directorial effort, Behemoth!. A story about a musician from a family of musicians who returns to Los Angeles, starring Pedro Pascal, Will Arnett, Olivia Wilde, Eva Victor, and Matthew Lillard.
- Project Haily Mary (Dir. Phil Lord & Christopher Miller)
Phil Lord and Christopher Miller’s contributions to cinema have been major over the years, directing The Lego Movie, 21 and 22 Jump Street, and Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs, as well as writing and producing the Spider-Verse series. Their next project sees them team up with Ryan Gosling to adapt Andy Weir’s 2021 science fiction novel, Project Hail Mary.
As the story goes, an astronaut awakens on a spacecraft with no memory of himself or his mission, slowly deducing that he is the sole survivor of a crew sent to the Tau Ceti solar system in search of a solution to a catastrophic event on Earth. On his quest for answers, he encounters the wonders of outer space that go beyond what his scientific brain could have imagined.
- Backrooms (Dir. Kane Parsons)
20-year-old filmmaker Kane Parsons shot to prominence back in 2022 with his viral YouTube anthology series, The Backrooms, which currently sits at almost 200 million combined views. Four years on, and the young man is directing a feature-length adaptation, starring Chiwetel Ejiofor and Renate Reinsve for A24.
- Jack of Spades (Dir. Joel Coen)
Since creatively seperating from his brother Ethan, Joel Coen first went on to direct the Denzel Washington-starring The Tragedy of Macbeth, before setting his sights on Jack of Spades, a gothic mystery set in 1800s Scotland.
The film stars Josh O’Connor, who continues his excellent run of working with creative greats, as well as Damian Lewis, Lesley Manville, and three-time Academy Award winner for best actress, Frances McDormand.
- The Adventures of Cliff Booth (Dir. David Fincher)
Written by Quentin Tarantino and directed by David Fincher, this successor to Once Upon a Time in Hollywood, on paper, has all the makings to be one of the best that the year has to offer. Being a Netflix original, however, and given Fincher’s modern-day reputation, some uncertainty remains around this sequel to a movie so beloved, with obvious concern around its theatrical distribution and overall quality. To doubt those involved, however, seems silly given their bodies of work, and for that, this remains one to be excited for.
- Werwulf (Dir. Robert Eggers)
After the success of Nosferatu, Robert Eggers is bringing back a large chunk of the core cast for his next film, Werwulf. With Aaron Taylor-Johnson in the lead, whilst Lily-Rose Depp, Willem Dafoe, Ralph Ineson, and Simon McBurney return too.
The film is set in 13th-century England and focuses on local villagers who are stalked by a mysterious creature, and as the attacks continue, ancient folklore and superstition bleed into a terrifying reality.
- Toy Story 5 (Dir. Andrew Stanton)
The Toy Story series remains as popular as ever, with the most recent instalment going on to become the highest-grossing in the franchise yet. That gives little reason to believe that Toy Story 5 will be any different, with a story that wrestles with the rising percentage of children opting for technology over toys.
- The Way of the Wind (Dir. Terrence Malick)
After wrapping filming all the back in 2019, we can only hope that 2026 will be the year that we finally see Terrence Malick’s The Way of the Wind.
Set to be a dramatisation of several episodes in the life of Christ, Malick’s biblical epic has spent over 6 years now in post-production, with the filmmaker reportedly shooting some 3000 hours worth of footage.
Who knows if this’ll be the year, or if that year will ever even come, but with Géza Röhrig (Marty Supreme) playing Jesus and Mark Rylance as Satan, there’s no doubt it’ll be worth the wait.
- The Social Reckoning (Dir. Aaron Sorkin)
16 years on from the magnificent *The Social Network *comes its spiritual successor, The Social Reckoning.
Whilst none of the original cast are set to return, writer of The Social Network, Aaron Sorkin, will return not only as screenwriter, but as David Fincher’s replacement in the director’s chair. Jeremy Strong will take on the role of Mark Zuckerberg, whilst Mikey Madison, Jeremy Allen White, Bill Burr, and Wunmi Mosaku join the cast.
- Disclosure Day (Dir. Steven Spielberg)
An original Steven Spielberg summer blockbuster is exactly what the movies have been missing for quite some time now. But thankfully, in June of this year, we’ll be treated to Disclosure Day, an all-new Spielberg alien movie that stars Josh O’Connor, Emily Blunt, Colin Firth, Colman Domingo, and Wyatt Russell.
- The Devil Wears Prada 2 (Dir. David Frankel)
20 years on from the cultural phenomenon that was The Devil Wears Prada, the world of print media has continued to die a slow death, with even Amanda Priestly not immune to the new-age digital world.
This legacy sequel looks to explore the struggle of a dying industry, as Miranda attempts to navigate her career in the midst of its decline. Facing off against Emily Charlton (Emily Blunt), her one-time assistant, now a high-powered executive for a luxury group, with advertising dollars that Priestly desperately needs.
- Avengers: Doomsday (Dir. Joe & Anthony Russo)
This one feels like Marvel’s last chance to get back into the good graces of its audience, with one failure after another in the aftermath of Avengers: Endgame.
They’re pulling out all the stops, with Chris Evans, Robert Downey Jr. and even the Fox X-Men returning to the screen. It feels as if they can’t afford to get this one wrong, as if they do, they might not get a second chance.
- Dune: Part Three (Dir. Denis Villeneuve)
Denis Villeneuve’s Dune movies have felt like the pinnacle of modern blockbuster filmmaking, with massive scale set pieces, gorgeous cinematography, and world-class acting performances setting it apart from anything else. This December, we see his complete vision come to life, with the third instalment in the series set to conclude the arc of Paul Atreides, and allow Villeneuve to begin preparation on his upcoming venture into the world of James Bond.
- The Odyssey (Dir. Christopher Nolan)
Whenever Christopher Nolan releases a movie, chances are, it’s gonna be the biggest deal of the year. That especially runs true when he happens to be adapting one of the world’s most popular and oldest surviving works of literature.
The Odyssey seemingly can’t fail, with a cast full of some of Hollywood’s biggest stars, legendary source material, and one of the great contemporary filmmakers working with his largest budget yet. Unsurprising then, that tickets for 70mm IMAX screenings sold out a whole year in advance, demonstrating the power and influence that Nolan holds on the industry.