2026 Holiday Movie Preview
Here's your calendar to the best movies debuting this holiday season, from Wild Horse Nine and I Play Rocky to Avengers: Doomsday, Dune: Part Three, Artificial, and more.
By RT Staff , Maggie Kwan | Updated November 1, 2026

As the year finishes, studios are releasing long-anticipated features in hopes of generating award buzz going into the new year. Thankfully, there’s tons of movies to check out, from epic superhero stories to animated family movies, new installments of iconic franchises, and more. As the weather gets colder, we’ve got a list of every major movie release to look for to keep your watchlist full.
November
November 6
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Synopsis: Meet the Cat in the Hat you don’t know! In the wonderfully whimsical tradition of Dr. Seuss, The Cat in the Hat comes to the… View Full Synopsis
Starring: Bill Hader, Xochitl Gómez, Matt Berry, Quinta Brunson
Directed By: Alessandro Carloni, Erica Rivinoja
100%
Synopsis: A hard-partying New York City club promoter sees his whirlwind lifestyle upended by the arrival of the 10-year-old son he never knew he had.
Starring: Jordan Firstman, Cara Delevingne, Diego Calva, Kirby
Directed By: Jordan Firstman, Jordan Firstman
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Synopsis: As America’s fight for independence begins, a young drummer boy, an enslaved woman, and a divided family each search for freedom in a world built… View Full Synopsis
Starring: Joel David Smallbone, Lucas Leach, Beth Easdown, India Brown
Directed By: Ben Smallbone, Joel David Smallbone
93%
Synopsis: War reduced Japan to zero, and Godzilla plunged it into minus. Two years have passed since then, and the country has faced agonizing struggles to… View Full Synopsis
Starring: Ryûnosuke Kamiki, Minami Hamabe, Yuki Yamada, Kuranosuke Sasaki
Directed By: Takashi Yamazaki
87%
Synopsis: The film is an electrifying true story about an unknown actor with an unshakable belief that he wasn’t just meant to write Rocky–he was meant… View Full Synopsis
Starring: Anthony Ippolito, Matt Dillon, AnnaSophia Robb, P.J. Byrne
Directed By: Peter Farrelly
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Synopsis: An ancient epic follows a young prince and princess whose marriage and subsequent exile mark the beginning of a legendary journey. Their story of love,… View Full Synopsis
Starring: Ranbir Kapoor, Yash, Sai Pallavi, Ravi Dubey
Directed By: Nitesh Tiwari, Jitendra Kulkarni
93%
Synopsis: Shortly before the 1973 Chilean coup, CIA agents Chris (John Malkovich) and Lee (Sam Rockwell) are dispatched from Santiago to Easter island by their bureau… View Full Synopsis
Starring: John Malkovich, Sam Rockwell, Steve Buscemi, Tom Waits
Directed By: Martin McDonagh
November 13
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Synopsis: Haunted by three spirits on Christmas Eve, miserly businessman Ebenezer Scrooge confronts his past, present and future for one final chance to change his ways… View Full Synopsis
Starring: Johnny Depp, Rupert Grint, Andrea Riseborough, Sam Claflin
Directed By: Ti West, David Reid, Adam Bohling, Stephen Deuters
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Synopsis: In HOW TO ROB A BANK, a crew of social media-savvy bank robbers broadcasts their daring heists, unaware that their growing viral fame has put… View Full Synopsis
Starring: Nicholas Hoult, Zoë Kravitz, Anna Sawai, Rhenzy Feliz
Directed By: David Leitch, Ben Ormand, Mark Bianculli
86%
Synopsis: In 1986 New York, a naive engineer accepts a seemingly lucrative business proposition from his brother, a former cop. But when one of them witnesses… View Full Synopsis
Starring: Adam Driver, Scarlett Johansson, Miles Teller, Michael Alix
Directed By: James Gray, Lee Broda, Jeff Rice, Riccardo Maddalosso
80%
Critics Consensus: An enjoyably blood-soaked lark that thrives on Maika Monroe’s ferocious lead performance, Victorian Psycho delivers plenty of wicked fun and literary wit.
Synopsis: In the Year of our Lord 1858, an unusual governess named Winifred Notty arrives at the gothic manor known as Ensor House. Winifred’s responsibilities include… View Full Synopsis
Starring: Maika Monroe, Jason Isaacs, Thomasin McKenzie, Ruth Wilson
Directed By: Zachary Wigon
November 18
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Synopsis: Inspired by the life of a beloved American icon, MADDEN chronicles John Madden’s incredible journey alongside best friend and true original Al Davis — from… View Full Synopsis
Starring: Nicolas Cage, Christian Bale, Kathryn Hahn, Sienna Miller
Directed By: David O. Russell, David J. Bloomfield, Constance Schwartz, Michael Strahan
November 20
88%
Synopsis: The deeply emotional and inspirational true story of Ian Charleson, a gifted actor whose greatest challenge becomes his greatest triumph. Facing his own mortality with… View Full Synopsis
Starring: Andrew Scott, Olivia Colman, Billie Piper, Johnny Flynn
Directed By: Simon Stone
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Synopsis: THE HUNGER GAMES: SUNRISE ON THE REAPING revisits the world of Panem 24 years before the events of The Hunger Games, starting on the morning… View Full Synopsis
Starring: Joseph Zada, Elle Fanning, Jesse Plemons, Mckenna Grace
Directed By: Francis Lawrence, Cameron MacConomy
96%
Critics Consensus: Navigating disturbing material with a remarkably deft touch, Beth De Araújo’s Josephine is a masterful drama that explores the ripple effects of trauma with empathy and outstanding performances.
Synopsis: Based on writer/director/producer Beth de Araújo’s own lived experiences, the film JOSEPHINE follows the psychological fallout after eight-year-old Josephine (Mason Reeves) witnesses a crime in… View Full Synopsis
Starring: Mason Reeves, Channing Tatum, Gemma Chan, Philip Ettinger
Directed By: Beth de Araújo
98%
Synopsis: Intrigue, corruption, betrayal, survival: the walls of the maze are closing in. The latest from Academy Award® nominated writer-director Andrey Zvyagintsev (Loveless, Leviathan), Cannes Grand… View Full Synopsis
Starring: Iris Lebedeva, Dmitriy Mazurov, Boris Koudrine, Yuriy Zavalnyouk
Directed By: Andrey Zvyagintsev
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Synopsis: Think you know Cinderella’s “evil” stepsisters? Think again. Sick of living in Cinderella’s shadow, Lilith (Ali Wong) steals the Fairy Godmother (Bette Midler)’s magic wand… View Full Synopsis
Starring: Ali Wong, Amanda Seyfried, Stephanie Hsu, Nikki Glaser
Directed By: Alyce Tzue, John Ripa
November 25
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Synopsis: Greg Focker’s son, Henry, brings his girlfriend, a trained FBI hostage negotiator, home to meet the family. Greg soon gets worried when Henry tells everyone… View Full Synopsis
Starring: Robert De Niro, Ben Stiller, Ariana Grande, Owen Wilson
Directed By: John Hamburg
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Synopsis: In Walt Disney Animation Studios’ all-new magical coming-of-age saga, “Hexed,” an impulsive and unconventional teenage girl named Billie discovers secret magical abilities which, once unleashed,… View Full Synopsis
Starring: Hailee Steinfeld, Rashida Jones, Tracey Ullman, Stephen Fry
Directed By: Fawn Veerasunthorn, Jason Hand
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Synopsis: Former stuntman Cliff Booth becomes a Hollywood studio fixer in 1977 Los Angeles.
Starring: Brad Pitt, Timothy Olyphant, Elizabeth Debicki, Scott Caan
Directed By: David Fincher
December
December 4
86%
Synopsis: A gifted cellist, Alex Serian (Pedro Pascal), returns home to Los Angeles after 20 years on the road. Music, which has been the constant, all-consuming… View Full Synopsis
Starring: Pedro Pascal, Olivia Wilde, Eva Victor, Matthew Lillard
Directed By: Tony Gilroy
54%
Synopsis: Set against the glittering excess of Art Basel Miami, The Gallerist follows an ambitious gallery owner (Natalie Portman) clinging to the edge of elite society… View Full Synopsis
Starring: Jenna Ortega, Natalie Portman, Sterling K. Brown, Catherine Zeta-Jones
Directed By: Cathy Yan, Jenna Ortega, Roberto Malerba, James Pedersen
94%
Synopsis: In Metropia, a gigantic city in an alternate future as seen from 1939, private eye Raymond Gunn is drawn into a case involving aliens, murder,… View Full Synopsis
Starring: Sam Rockwell, Scarlett Johansson, Tom Waits, Alan Tudyk
Directed By: Brad Bird
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Synopsis: In 2022’s bare-knuckle holiday sensation, Violent Night, an embittered Santa, armed with lethal combat skills, took out a team of mercenaries to rescue a girl… View Full Synopsis
Starring: David Harbour, Jared Harris, Kristen Bell, Joe Pantoliano
Directed By: Tommy Wirkola
December 11
91%
Critics Consensus: Wryly teasing the self-seriousness of community theater while still recognizing the transformative power of the stage, The Debut is an acerbic gem from Jesse Eisenberg, enlivened by Julianne Moore and Paul Giamatti at the peak of their powers.
Synopsis: When Mona Friedman is cast in a bit part at a small community theater, she transforms from a shy, unassuming housewife into a zealous method… View Full Synopsis
Starring: Julianne Moore, Paul Giamatti, Halle Bailey, Jesse Eisenberg
Directed By: Jesse Eisenberg, Ryan Heller
December 18
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Synopsis: Universes collide and the Multiverse Saga begins its final chapter in Marvel Studios’ Avengers: Doomsday. Beloved heroes from three distinct universes will be set on… View Full Synopsis
Starring: Robert Downey Jr., Pedro Pascal, Chris Hemsworth, Vanessa Kirby
Directed By: Anthony Russo, Joe Russo
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Synopsis: Dune: Part Three is set nearly two decades after Paul Atreides seized control of the Imperium. Now a ruthless Emperor, Paul must face the consequences… View Full Synopsis
Starring: Timothée Chalamet, Zendaya, Jason Momoa, Florence Pugh
Directed By: Denis Villeneuve, Joshua Grode, Thomas Tull, Herb Gains
December 23
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Synopsis: This holiday season, one angry bird will face his greatest challenge yet, surviving fatherhood… while saving the world!
Starring: Jason Sudeikis, Josh Gad, Rachel Bloom, Danny McBride
Directed By: John Rice, Thurop Van Orman, Toru Nakahara
December 25
95%
Synopsis: Follows the confusing firing and rehiring cycle of Sam Altman at OpenAI where the board gained control of the company and removed him and Altman… View Full Synopsis
Starring: Andrew Garfield, Billie Lourd, Monica Barbaro, Yura Borisov
Directed By: Luca Guadagnino
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Synopsis: Our heroes have escaped the ever-changing jungles of Jumanji before, but this time the game comes to us — as Jumanji breaks free of its… View Full Synopsis
Starring: Dwayne Johnson, Kevin Hart, Jack Black, Karen Gillan
Directed By: Jake Kasdan, Barry H. Waldman, Melvin Mar, William Teitler
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Synopsis: Witness Robert Eggers’ most visceral and haunting experience yet. Focus Features presents WERWULF, a harrowing tale of devotion, damnation and the devil within.
Starring: Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Willem Dafoe, Lily-Rose Depp, Ralph Ineson
Directed By: Robert Eggers, Chris Columbus, Eleanor Columbus, Bernard Bellew
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Synopsis: Mr. Irrelevant is the inspiring true story of John Tuggle (David Corenswet), the last player selected in the last round of the 1983 NFL draft… View Full Synopsis
Starring: David Corenswet, Isabel May, David Krumholtz, Tuwaine Barrett
Directed By: Jonathan Levine, Jesse Sisgold, Jason Reed, Sandino Moya-Smith





