Twenty highlights to watch out for in 2026

The last time we saw an epic Christopher Nolan release in 2023, Oppenheimer brought a huge audience to the cinema with Barbie. Could Nolan’s The Odyssey produce a similar result, along with one or two other 2026 releases?

The industry is hopeful that a number of highly anticipated projects such as Tom Holland’s fourth Spider-Man movie, the second Super Mario Brothers movie and The Devil Wears Prada 2 will create a bonanza at the box office. Not to mention Avengers: Doomsday and the third Dune movie.

With Oscar hopefuls like Hamnet, 2026 looks set to be a potentially big year for an industry still feeling the effects of the Covid lockdown. Here are 20 movies to watch out for in 2026.

Based on Maggie O’Farrell’s award-winning book, Hamnet follows the relationship between William Shakespeare (Paul Mescal) and his wife Agnes (Jessie Buckley). It explores the tragic events that engulfed the couple and inspired Shakespeare’s play Hamlet.

Publication date: 9 January

This fourth film of the series, which started in 2002, continues the events of 28 Years Later in 2025. Spike (Alfie Williams) becomes involved with a deadly group led by Jimmy Crystal (Jack O’Connell). Dr. Kelson (Ralph Fiennes) enters a new relationship that could have devastating consequences.

Publication date: 16 January

Inspired in part by the career of comedian John Bishop, Is This Thing On? It is the third film directed by Bradley Cooper, after A Star Is Born and Maestro. It tells the story of a comedian who unexpectedly tries stand-up comedy and discovers that he has the talent to make people laugh.

Publication date: 30 January

Amanda Seyfried plays Ann Lee, a real-life figure who was the leader of an 18th-century religious movement known as Shakerism. Originally a Quaker, the story follows him breaking away from that sect and crossing the Atlantic to America, where hundreds of people joined him on his religious journey.

Publication date: February 20

Kevin Williamson, who wrote the original Scream and its two sequels, has rejoined the Scream family, this time writing the script as well as directing. In front of the camera, original Courtney Cox, who plays Gale Weathers, and Neve Campbell, who plays Sidney Prescott, also return to confront a new Ghostface who threatens Prescott’s daughter.

Publication date: 27 February

Live action Super Mario Bros. Thirty years after the movie failed at the box office, Super Mario Bros. is an animated version of the adventures of the lively plumber. His film grossed more than a billion dollars at the box office. Based on the 2007 game in which Mario and Luigi set out to save Princess Peach, this sequel was inevitable.

Publication date: April 3

Meryl Streep’s wry wit as the editor of fashion magazine Runway and Anne Hathaway’s performance as naive Andy, a new arrival in the fashion world, made the original a must-see for millions. Twenty years later they both came back. Few details are known at this time, but fan-favorite Emily Blunt and Stanley Tucci are also returning as Emily and Nigel.

Publication date: May 1

more than three series, The Mandalorian It became Star Wars TV’s most successful spinoff. Now its creators are hoping its popularity, the franchise’s first film since 2019’s Star Wars episode IX The Rise of Skywalker, can help reinvigorate Star Wars on the big screen. Sigourney Weaver will also star in the movie.

Publication date: May 22

This latest Steven Spielberg project is shrouded in secrecy. Even the two-minute trailer doesn’t shed much light on the plot. However, it gives a strong clue that extraterrestrial visitors were announced to humanity with the following slogan: “If you learned that we were not alone, if someone showed you this, if someone proved it to you, would it scare you?”

Publication date: 12 June

The 2020s have not been an easy time for Pixar. Many films underperformed by their own super-high standards: Turning RedElio and spinoff lightyear. That’s why this fifth installment most successful TV seriesand the return of Tom Hanks to the role of Woody and Tim Allen to the role of Buzz could help smooth things out.

Publication date: 19 June

Milly Alcock’s brief introduction as Supergirl in Superman was one of the highlights of the film. The plot of his own movie could be about “an epic, interstellar journey of revenge and justice.” But this seems equally to do with his personality; The trailer shows her doing everything from fighting bad guys to dancing under a sparkly ball.

Publication date: 26 June

first animation Moana It was a big hit, more Moana 2 an even bigger movie that grossed more than a billion dollars at the box office. So hopes are high for this live-action remake of the original film, which tells the story of young Moana leaving her island home on a journey she hopes will save her people.

Publication date: 10 July

Oscar-winning director Sir Christopher Nolan generally doesn’t like audiences knowing too much about the plot of his films in advance. But in this case his pursuit 2023’s Oscar-winning Oppenheimer is based on Homer’s Greek epic about Odysseus (Matt Damon) heading home after the Trojan War.

Publication date: 17 July

At the end of the previous movie Spider-Man: No Way HomeA spell cast by Dr. Strange caused the entire world, including Peter Parker’s girlfriend MJ, to forget that Parker (Tom Holland) was Spider-Man or that Parker even existed. Many expect the film to explore how he deals with this lonely phase of being a superhero.

Publication date: 31 July

It is the fourth movie in the series that started with Meet The Parent. Ben Stiller, Robert De Niro, Teri Polo, Blythe Danner and Owen Wilson are back. However, there is a question mark about Dustin Hoffman and Barbara Streisand, who play Stiller’s parents. previous movies. One of the new names joining the cast is Ariana Grande.

Publication date: 25 November

This is another project currently shrouded in secrecy. Only one photo has been released so far, and confirmed details about the film’s plot are hard to come by. But we do know that Dwayne Johnson’s core cast is Jack Black. Karen Gillanand Kevin Hart returns. And this is being touted as the last Jumanji movie.

Publication date: 11 December

It was a quiet time for the once all-conquering Marvel Cinematic Universe. Marvel hopes Avengers: Doomsday will live up to expectations and break box office records. This movie sees Robert Downey Junior returnsbut as the villain Doctor Doom. Along with a huge community, including members of the X-Men.

Publication date: 18 December

Third film by director Denis Villeneuve epic space trilogy Dune will reportedly be based on his second novel, Dune: Messiah. The main cast, including Timothée Chalamet and Zendaya, will reprise their roles alongside newcomer Robert Pattinson. Villeneuve’s next project will be the next James Bond movie.

Publication date: 18 December