The most anticipated films coming to cinemas in 2026

It has once again been a rollercoaster year for Hollywood.

Film fans flocked to the cinema in 2025, with Ne Zha 2, Zootopia 2, Lilo & Stitch and A Minecraft Movie dominating the worldwide box office.

Wicked: For Good bowed out with a bang despite the musical being received less enthusiastically than its predecessor.

The sequel surpassed the first film to earn the highest opening weekend for a Broadway adaptation but left critics less spellbound amid complaints of messy pacing, weak new songs, a lack of colour and inconsistent lighting.

We said goodbye to Tom Cruise’s Ethan Hunt in Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning as we welcomed David Corenswet’s Clark Kent in Superman.

It was a fantastic year for horror with Sinners and Weapons at the front of the pack.

A number of Marvel Studios pictures that would normally reap billion-dollar rewards had disappointing box office runs, including Thunderbolts*, Captain America: Brave New World, and The Fantastic Four: First Steps.

Jurassic World Rebirth was deemed a box office success – stomping past $800m worldwide – but received mixed reviews from audiences.

Meanwhile, Snow White, M3GAN 2.0, and Tron: Ares completely flopped despite high expectations.

As we head into 2026, here are some of the pictures that will be aiming to entice film lovers to the cinema this year.

Dune: Part Three

Denis Villeneuve’s epic science fiction space opera will come to a close with this third and final instalment in his Dune film trilogy.

Based on Frank Herbert’s 1969 novel Dune Messiah, it will continue the journey of Paul Atreides/Muad’dib (Timothee Chalamet) as he rules as emperor but finds himself burdened by the devastating consequences of his holy war.

The film – which already boasted a stacked cast including Zendaya (Chani), Rebecca Ferguson (Lady Jessica), Josh Brolin (Gurney Halleck), Florence Pugh (Princess Irulan) and Anya Taylor-Joy (Alia Atreides) – has added Robert Pattinson to the bill.

And although previously playing coy, it would be surprising if Javier Bardem (Stilgar) failed to return as the Fremen leader as his character appears in the book.

Dune: Part Three is scheduled for release in December.

The Odyssey

A number of blockbusters are set to duke it out in a bid to be crowned champion of the summer box office.

Oscar-winning director Sir Christopher Nolan will be looking to emulate the success of Oppenheimer with his adaptation of the classic Greek myth, The Odyssey.

Written and directed by Nolan, the action fantasy film is based on Homer’s ancient epic.

The story follows Odysseus, legendary king of Ithica, on his long and perilous journey home after the Trojan War.

During his dangerous voyage, the hero encounters a number of mythical creatures – including the Cyclops Polyphemus, the Sirens, and witch-goddess Circe.

Nolan loves an ensemble cast and The Odyssey does not disappoint with the likes of Matt Damon, Tom Holland, Anne Hathaway, Zendaya, Lupita Nyong’o, Robert Pattinson, Charlize Theron, Mia Goth, Jon Bernthal, Elliot Page and Samantha Morton just a few names on the star-studded bill.

The Odyssey is scheduled for release in July.

Spider-Man: Brand New Day

Tom Holland has once again suited up to play Marvel’s friendly neighbourhood Spider-Man.

Spider-Man: Brand New Day is the 38th film in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) and the fourth in the MCU Spider-Man series.

The story will pick up after the events of Spider-Man: No Way Home, where Peter Parker made the ultimate sacrifice to stop the multiverse from collapsing.

The former Avenger lost his Aunt May (Marisa Tomei), as well as his friends, and went back to fighting street-level crime as opposed to world-ending events.

The solitary hero doesn’t look like he’ll be on his own for long, however, with violent vigilante Frank Castle/Punisher (Jon Bernthal) set to join him.

Zendaya and Jacob Batalon will reprise their roles as Michelle “MJ” Jones-Watson and Ned Leeds respectively, with Mark Ruffalo also expected to appear as Bruce Banner/Hulk.

Stranger Things star Sadie Sink is a new addition to the cast, but the powers that be are yet to confirm what character she’ll be playing.

Some fans have speculated that she could be May “Mayday” Parker, Mary Jane Watson, Gwen Stacy, or indeed X-Men mutant Jean Grey.

Filming took place across the UK, including at Brookwood Cemetery in Surrey, Pinewood Studios in Buckinghamshire, and at Battersea Park in London.

In Glasgow city centre, streets were transformed into New York as crowds lined up to watch one of the film’s action set pieces.

Spider-Man: Brand New Day is scheduled for release in July.

Avengers: Doomsday

Avengers: Doomsday is the 39th film in the MCU and the fifth in the Avengers series.

It is set to follow on from the events of Thunderbolts* and will see the Avengers, Wakandans, Fantastic Four, New Avengers and X-Men team up to take on Doctor Doom.

It would be quicker to list those not in the sequel – with directors Anthony and Joe Russo securing an all-star cast of previously seen superheroes.

Chris Evans will return as Steve Rogers, with Chris Hemsworth also set to reappear as Thor.

Most notably, Robert Downey Jr will be playing supervillain Victor von Doom/Doctor Doom.

Although he last stepped out in the MCU as Tony Stark/Iron Man, it’s not unusual for actors to reappear in another Marvel role.

Among multiple others, Evans was Johnny Storm/Human Torch before he was Steve Rogers/Captain America, Ryan Reynolds was Hannibal King before becoming Wade Wilson/Deadpool, and Jon Favreau was Franklin “Foggy” Nelson before Harold “Happy” Hogan.

Alternatively, the Russo brothers could explain Doom’s appearance by way of a darker Iron Man variant from the multiverse, or even that the villain is manipulating his looks to resemble the fallen Avenger.

The casting has been criticised by some as nostalgia-baiting.

And again, while not unusual, it was reported the filmmakers were shooting without a finalised script, which has sparked concerns the production could end up a hot mess.

The critical and commercial success of the MCU did taper off following Avengers: Endgame.

Doomsday has the potential to bring that shine back, but fans will be expecting more than green screen overuse.

At the moment, it’s set to go head-to-head with Dune: Part Three – so we have another potential Barbenheimer (the simultaneous theatrical release of Barbie and Oppenheimer).

However, don’t be surprised if one of the competing studios buckle and move their release date to avoid the blockbusters from cannibalising each other at the box office.

Avengers: Doomsday is scheduled for release in December.

Michael

The life and career of Michael Jackson is being brought to the big screen by acclaimed director Antoine Fuqua (Training Day, The Equalizer trilogy).

Written by John Logan (Gladiator, The Aviator), the film will tell the tale of the King of Pop from his time with The Jackson 5 as a child to becoming a global icon in the years that followed.

If the timeline charts Jackson’s life right up to his death in 2009, it will be interesting to see how the filmmakers approach the highly publicised child sexual abuse allegations levelled against the late American singer-songwriter.

It was due to be released in 2025, but the troubled production suffered delays and reshoots.

Jackson’s daughter, Paris, has distanced herself from the biopic, claiming she had “0% involvement” in the film.

However, there is certainly appetite for the film.

The teaser trailer was viewed 116.2 million times within its first 24 hours – breaking a Lionsgate record and making it the most-viewed music biopic or concert trailer of all time, surpassing the 96.1 million for Taylor Swift: The Eras Tour.

Jackson is being played by his own nephew, Jaafar Jackson, alongside a cast that also includes Miles Teller as entertainment lawyer John Branca, Colman Domingo as Joe Jackson, and Nia Long as Katherine Jackson.

Michael is scheduled for release in April.

Psycho Killer

2026 is gearing up to be another great year for horror – with Psycho Killer at the top of that list.

The film revolves around a Kansas highway patrol officer (Georgina Campbell) who sets out on a journey to track down her husband’s murderer.

As the hunt progresses, she comes to realise the man responsible (James Preston Rogers) is a sadistic serial killer with a sinister agenda more twisted than anyone could have imagined.

Writer Andrew Kevin Walker also penned David Fincher’s Seven and Joel Schumacher’s 8mm – with both crime thrillers leaving a long-lasting impression on audiences.

Gavin Polone, who produced 8mm, is making his directorial debut with the satanic panic-themed production.

Expect creepy jump-scares and an ending that will most likely leave you bruised.

Psycho Killer is scheduled for release in February.

Scream 7

The Scream series has been scaring audiences for 30 years.

However, the departure of Melissa Barrera (Sam Carpenter) from the franchise caused a devastating split in the fanbase.

The Mexican actress was fired from the slasher sequel after her pro-Palestinian social media posts were deemed “antisemitic” by production company Spyglass Media Group.

Wednesday star Jenna Ortega (Tara Carpenter) subsequently left the project, which most likely has brought an end to the Carpenter sisters’ storyline.

Given the controversy, disgruntled fans have been sharing potential spoilers online and have vowed a boycott.

As part of filmmaker efforts to win over unhappy cinemagoers, Scream 7 welcomes back original final girl Neve Campbell as Sidney Prescott.

Campbell returns to the series after being absent from Scream VI.

This time round, the frightening game of cat-and-mouse sees killer Ghostface target Sidney’s daughter, Tatum (Isabel May) – aptly named in honour of Rose McGowan’s best friend character from the first film.

Courteney Cox will return as Gale Weathers, with Jasmin Savoy Brown and Mason Gooding additionally reprising their roles as twins Mindy and Chad Meeks-Martin.

Anna Camp, Mckenna Grace, Michelle Randolph, Asa Germann and Joel McHale join the franchise.

Scream 7 is scheduled for release in February.

The Mandalorian And Grogu

Star War series The Mandalorian has been a hit for streaming service Disney+.

Director Jon Favreau created the show, which revolves around a lone bounty hunter who protects a mysterious and powerful Force-sensitive infant of the same species as Yoda.

Favreau and co-writer Dave Filoni had initially written a fourth season, but production was delayed by the 2023 Hollywood labour disputes.

Lucasfilm re-evaluated its plans for the franchise and instead decided on a film over a series.

In this exciting new adventure, the Galactic Empire has fallen, and Imperial warlords remain scattered throughout the galaxy.

As the fledgling New Republic works to protect everything the Rebellion fought for, legendary Mandalorian Din Djarin (Pedro Pascal) and young apprentice Grogu are enlisted to help in the epic battle of good versus evil.

The Mandalorian And Grogu is scheduled for release in May.

Supergirl

Supergirl is the second film in the DC Universe (DCU) and is part of the media franchise’s Chapter One: Gods And Monsters phase.

We got our first sighting of Kara Zor-El/Supergirl (Milly Alcock) in James Gunn’s Superman.

Her character drunkenly thundered in, which is a great introduction as audiences join her on her transformation from hot mess to superhero.

It’s based on Supergirl: Woman Of Tomorrow, a comic book miniseries by writer Tom King and artist Bilquis Evely.

Directed by Craig Gillespie and written by Ana Nogueira, the film will follow Kara as she battles her own personal demons while travelling across the galaxy with her mischievous dog Krypto.

Along the way, she meets young Ruthye Marye Knoll (Eve Ridley) and encounters a tragedy that leads her on a murderous quest for revenge against Krem of the Yellow Hills (Matthias Schoenaerts).

Supergirl is scheduled for release in June.

Project Hail Mary

Hollywood heartthrob Ryan Gosling takes the lead in this sci-fi adventure based on Andy Weir’s 2021 novel.

Project Hail Mary revolves around Dr Ryland Grace – the sole survivor of a space crew sent to the Tau Ceti solar system in search of a solution to a catastrophic event on Earth.

In his hunt for answers, the teacher-turned-astronaut must rely on his vast array of scientific knowledge, sheer ingenuity and human will – but as it turns out, he may not have to search alone.

Project Hail Mary is scheduled for release in March.

Focker In-Law

Focker In-Law is the fourth film in the Meet The Parents franchise.

The comedy will mirror the original, but this time round Gaylord “Greg” Focker (Ben Stiller) is now the parent.

Expect similar in-law mishaps and chaos as Greg’s son Henry (Skyler Gisondo) announces his intention to marry Olivia Jones (Ariana Grande), a strong-willed woman who appears to be his complete mismatch.

Most of the original cast are set to reunite, including Robert De Niro (Jack Byrnes), Blythe Danner (Dina Byrnes), Owen Wilson (Kevin Rawley) and Teri Polo (Pam Byrnes Focker).

Focker In-Law is scheduled for release in November.

Minions 3

Minions 3 is the seventh film in the Despicable Me franchise.

Universal Pictures has remained tight-lipped on the plot, but the mischievous yellow creatures will no doubt be getting up to more comical hijinks.

Minions 3 is scheduled for release in July.

Moana

Disney has given its 2016 animation Moana a live-action makeover.

The action-packed voyage follows adventurous teenager Moana as she sets sail on a daring mission to save the people of Motunui.

Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson is returning as shape-shifting demigod Maui, with Catherine Laga’aia replacing Auli’I Cravalho in the titular role.

Cravalho is still part of the production, but this time serving as an executive producer.

The adaptation has attracted criticism, with some believing it too soon for a remake and others taking umbrage at the CGI-laden trailer.

It’s set to be a summer release so will either sink or swim at the box office.

Moana is scheduled for release in July.