The Most Anticipated Movies of 2026
The year is flush with the usual blockbuster franchise titles, but we've also got some thrilling genre fare and new projects from the likes of Steven Spielberg, Christopher Nolan, and Jordan Peele, among others.
Based on what we know so far, 2026 is shaping up to be pretty great, with a healthy mix of the expected blockbuster franchise titles, enticing genre films, and new projects from the likes of Steven Spielberg, Christopher Nolan, and Jordan Peele. With that in mind, here’s a handy calendar of some of the most noteworthy titles coming in 2026 so you can budget and plan accordingly.
- Recommended: The Best Movies of 2025
AUGUST
Release Date: August 14, 2026
Director: David Robert Mitchell
Starring: Anne Hathaway, Ewan McGreggor, Maisy Stella
From director David Robert Mitchell (It Follows) and producer J.J. Abrams comes a new sci-fi mystery starring Anne Hathaway, Ewan McGregor, Christian Convery, and Maisy Stella. The film was originally slated to release in 2025, but it was pushed back by almost a year after Final Destination: Bloodlines took over its original release date.
Release Date: August 14, 2026
Director: Cal Brunker
Starring: McKenna Grace, Fortune Feimster, Jennifer Hudson
The famous pups will be back for a third installment of Paw Patrol on the big screen. While the majority of the cast is not confirmed, McKenna Grace is reprising her role as Skye, and Joining her are Jennifer Hudson and Fortune Feimster, although their roles are currently undisclosed.
Release Date: August 14, 2026 (limited), August 21, 2026 (wide)
Director: Andrew Patterson
Starring: Matthew McConaughey, Angelina LookingGlass, Kurt Russell, Cole Sprouse, Tony Revolori, Rob Morgan
This crime thriller stars Matthew McConaughey as the owner of a honey-making operation in rural Oklahoma who unexpectedly reunites with his estranged foster daughter Kateri (Dark Winds’ Angelina LookingGlass), takes her in, and teaches her the skills to survive. When Amziah’s rivals threaten his operation, he and Kateri must utilize those skills to protect themselves and the business. The film premiered at South by Southwest and earned strong reviews.
Release Date: August 21, 2026
Director: Jacob Chase
Starring: Brandon Perea, Lin Shaye
Insidious franchise mainstay Lin Shaye returns in this sequel to Insidious: The Red Door, starring alongside Nope and Twisters star Brandon Perea. We don’t quite know what the film is about yet, but it replaces the spin-off Thread: An Insidious Tale, which was originally slated to release on this date.
Release Date: August 21, 2026
Director: Jean-Francois Richet
Starring: Jason Statham, Annabelle Wallis
The latest Jason Statham flick is here, with the perennial action star playing a man who is framed for the murder of his boss and sets out on a path to clear his name and exact vengeance. When he boards a cargo ship to carry out his plan, he discovers there’s more the story than he anticipated.
Release Date: August 21, 2026
Director: Jon Lucas, Scott Moore
Starring: Anna Faris, Isla Fisher, Leslie Mann, Michelle Buteau
Anna Faris, Leslie Mann, and Michelle Buteau star in this comedy as a trio of best friends who travel to Palm Springs for some R&R at a luxury spa, only for their unpredictable friend (Isla Fisher) to show up and wreak hilarious havoc on what was supposed to be a low-key, relaxing vacation.
Release Date: August 28, 2026
Director: Yeon Sang-ho
Starring: Jun Ji-hyun, Koo Kyo-hwan, Ji Chang-wook, Kim Sin-rok
Train to Busan director Yeon Sang-ho returns to the zombie genre with this South Korean action-thriller centered on an unemployed former professor as she struggles to survive the outbreak of a mutating virus that is unleashed during a biotech conference. The film didn’t quite get the same critical response as Train to Busan when it premiered at Cannes earlier this year, but fans of that film and Yeon Sang-ho should find plenty to like.
Release Date: August 28, 2026
Director: Dave Green
Starring: Will Forte, John Cena, Lana Condor
Famously shelved by Warner Bros. as a tax write-off in the wake of the WB-Discovery merger, this live-action/animation hybrid sees the titular Looney Tunes character suing the Acme Corporation for all of the faulty products he has bought from them over the years to help him capture the Roadrunner. Will Forte plays Wile E. Coyote’s lawyer, while John Cena takes on the role of Acme’s attorney.
Release Date: August 28, 2026
Director: Ridley Scott
Starring: Jacob Elordi, Josh Brolin, Margaret Qualley, Allison Janney, Benedict Wong
Ridley Scott’s latest is a post-apocalyptic sci-fi thriller based on the novel of the same name about a civilian pilot who teams up with a former marine to survive after a flu pandemic has wiped out most of the world’s population.
Release Date: August 28, 2026
Director: Macon Blair
Starring: Dave Franco, O’Shea Jackson Jr., Mason Thames, Kiernan Shipka, Nicholas Braun
Dave Franco and O’Shea Jackson Jr. star in this comedy as a couple of deadbeats who take on a job to escort a wealthy but troubled teen (Mason Thames) to rehab, only for their journey to spiral quickly out of control.
SEPTEMBER
Release Date: September 2, 2026
Director: Michael Spierig, Peter Spierig
Starring: Harriet Slater, Arsema Thomas
Reportedly set in the same world as 2022’s Fall, this sequel centers on a young woman mourning the death of her younger sister who travels to Thailand with her sister’s friend to conquer a perilous trail on the side of a sheer rock mountain, only for both of them to become trapped after a sudden rockslide.
Release Date: September 4, 2026
Director: Adam Wingard
Starring: Adria Arjona, Dan Stevens, Eric Wareheim, Reginald VelJohnson, Michael Biehn
Adam Wingard (You’re Next, Godzilla x Kong) directs this high-octane thriller about an army sniper (Adria Arjona) living in a desert trailer park who fights to protect her young daughter when a squad of genetically engineered super soldiers break free from a nearby military facility.
Release Date: September 18, 2026
Director: Zach Cregger
Starring: Paul Walter Hauser, Austin Abrams, Zach Cherry
A new Resident Evil movie is on the way, with Barbarian director Zach Cregger at the helm. Set for release on September 18, 2026, the film will reboot the franchise with a darker approach that stays true to the survival-horror roots of the games.
OCTOBER
Release Date: October 2, 2026
Director: Alejandro G. Iñárritu
Starring: Tom Cruise
Alejandro González Iñárritu’s hotly anticipated next film starring Tom Cruise has officially been titled Digger and is set for a fall release on Oct. 2. Warner Bros. and Legendary Entertainment unveiled a first look at the film, teasing the project with the tagline “a comedy of catastrophic proportions.” While much of the film is still under wraps, fans are excited to see Cruise step into a new leading role.
Release Date: October 16, 2026
Director: Kitao Sakurai
Starring: Noah Centineo, Andrew Koji, Callina Liang, David Dastmalchian, Jason Momoa, Cody Rhodes, Eric André, 50 Cent, Roman Reigns
This 2026 adaptation of the iconic video game had a director switch from Danny and Michael Philippou (Talk to Me) to Kitao Sakurai (Bad Trip), and for a long time we didn’t know what the story would be. The details still aren’t super clear, but we know from the trailer that it will be pretty faithful to the games, right down the character looks and signature moves.
Release Date: October 23, 2026
Director: James Watkins
Starring: Tom Rhys Harries, Naomi Ackie, Max Minghella
After making an appearance in the animated Harley Quinn and Creature Commandos series, the iconic Batman villain Clayface returns to screens in his own live-action film. The film has been classified as a horror-thriller tragedy by producers Matt Reeves and Lynn Harris. While plot and cast details have not been revealed yet, it will be directed by James Watkins, whose experience in dark thrillers like Eden Lake and Speak No Evil (2024) should serve him well here
NOVEMBER
Release Date: November 6, 2026
Director: Erica Rivinoja and Alessandro Carloni
Starring: Bill Hader, Quinta Brunson, Bowen Yang
The Cat in the Hat is an upcoming 2026 American 3D animated musical film produced by Warner Bros. Pictures Animation and Dr. Seuss Enterprises. Based on the 1957 Dr. Seuss book of the same name, it is the third screen adaptation of the story.
Release Date: November 6, 2026
Director: Takashi Yamazaki
Starring: Ryunosuke Kamiki, Minami Hamabe, Hidetaka Yoshioka, Yuki Yamada, Sakura Ando
The Oscar-winning surprise 2023 hit returns to theaters with a direct sequel, with Takashi Yamazaki coming back to take the helm. The story takes place two years after the events of the first film, following up on the Shikishima family as they face another catastrophic event.
Release Date: November 20, 2026
Director: Francis Lawrence
Starring: Mckenna Grace, Jesse Plemmons, Ralph Fiennes
24 years before Katniss volunteered herself as tribute, Haymitch Abernathy found himself the victor of the 50th Hunger Games, making him the second victor from district 12 (after Lucy Gray Baird). This film sandwiches itself between The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes and the first Hunger Games film, centering on a younger version of the fan favorite Haymitch and his journey to victory alongside the aftermath of the murder of his family by President Snow.
DECEMBER
Release Date: December 4, 2026
Director: Tommy Wirkola
Starring: David Harbour, Jared Harris, Kristen Bell, Joe Pantoliano, Daniela Melchior
This sequel to the 2022 action flick sees David Harbour return to the role of Santa Claus, who is put on the “Naughty List” and stripped of his powers but takes on a ruthless gangster played by Jared Harris. This time around Kristen Bell joins the cast as Mrs. Claus.
Release Date: December 11, 2026
Director: Jake Kasdan
Starring: Dwayne Johnson, Kevin Hart, Jack Black, Karen Gillan, Alex Wolff, Danny DeVito, Madison Iseman, Morgan Turner, Ser’Darius Blain, Nick Jonas
The whole gang is back for another adventure, as the four original friends discover their in-game avatars — and all the creatures of Jumanji — have somehow ported into the real world. As the group attempts to contain the chaos, four new unfortunate souls are swallowed by the game.
Release Date: December 18, 2026
Directors: Anthony Russo, Joe Russo
Starring: Pedro Pascal, Joseph Quinn, Vanessa Kirby, Robert Downey Jr
The MCU may be trying to recapture its past glory by bringing in the Russo brothers to direct Avengers: Doomsday, as Earth’s Mightiest Heroes face off against the titular villain, played by none other than Robert Downey Jr. Expect lots of twists and turns, fun cameos, and plenty of crossover drama.
Release Date: December 25, 2026
Director: Denis Villeneuve
Starring: Timothee Chalamet, Zendaya, Anya Taylor-Joy, Florence Pugh
Denis Villeneuve’s Dune: Messiah will follow Paul Atreides as the Padishah Emperor and the effects of his rule on his people. The book by Frank Herbert is set 12 years after Dune, and it can be assumed that the film will also involve a fast forward from its predecessor. While the cast has not been confirmed yet, we can reasonably assume Timothee Chalamet and Zendaya will reprise their roles, along with Anya Taylor-Joy and Florence Pugh.
On an Apple device? Follow Rotten Tomatoes on Apple News.
