2026 may be one of the best years for movies that we’ve had in a hot minute. Coming off the heels of hits like “One Battle After Another” and “Marty Supreme” there are big shoes to fill, but with the strong line up of films that are planned to be released this year, they might live up to those expectations. Here’s a chronological list of some of the most anticipated releases for the hopefully incredible year of films ahead of us:
“Iron Lung,” Jan. 30
This upcoming film is based on a video game of the same name that came out on Mar. 10, 2020. The video game had an incredibly strong receival among the many people that played it. This was exacerbated by many YouTubers who posted playthroughs of the game that received millions of views. One of these YouTubers, Mark Fischbach, (better known as Markiplier) got 12.2 million views on his video of the game, prompting him to transform the story line from the game into a movie. The movie sets Fischbach as a convict who must explore an ocean of blood in a submarine to discover its secrets.
“Wuthering Heights,” Feb. 13
Based on the classic novel “Wuthering Heights” by Emily Brontё, the movie follows the story of two lovers, Healthcliff and Catherin Earnshaw, in a romance and revenge tale for the ages. These two will be played by Jacob Elordi and Margot Robbie and directed by Emerald Fennell, best known for directing and writing “Saltburn” and “Promising Young Woman.” While this is the ninth movie adaptation of “Wuthering Heights,” it seems to tie more faithfully to the original story then some of the other remakes, like the MTV adaption that followed a teen girl, Cate, in California and her relationship with Heath.
“The Bride!,” Mar. 6
“The Bride!” is another Frankenstein movie that’s being released but is based on the hit movie “Bride of Frankenstein” that came out in 1935. Christian Bale plays the classic role of Frankenstein while Jessie Buckley plays Frankenstein’s bride. Jessie Buckley is best known for her acting in Hament, an emotional rollercoaster of a film, where she won a golden globe for Best Actress. This is also the second movie that Maggie Gyllenhaal has ever directed —having originally been only an actor— giving a good reason to look out for “The Bride!”.
“Hoppers,” Mar. 6
Disney and Pixar have been in a slump recently, but this new animated movie might just be their bounce back. The story is based on a young girl named Mabel transfers her consciousness into a robotic beaver’s body so she can help research the inner workings of the animal kingdom, that is, until she goes rogue from the researchers. Disney recognizes the similarities to the plot of James Cameron’s “Avatar” and even mentions it in their trailer for “Hoppers” where Mabel said, “‘Guy’s this is like Avatar.’”
“The Super Mario Galaxy Movie,” Apr. 3
The original “Super Mario Bros. Movie” was released on Apr. 5, 2023 with a star studded cast and a box office earning of $1.3 Billion. “The Super Mario Galaxy Movie” is a sequel with the same cast, but with the inclusion of Brie Larson as Rosaline and Benny Safdie as Bowser Jr.. With these new characters, they will build off of the original plot, where Rosaline helps guide Mario and Luigi on a journey through different planets to fight against the new antagonist, Bowser Jr., who’s trying to free his father, Bowser.
“The Devil Wears Prada 2,” May 1
The sequel to the iconic “Devil Wears Prada” is coming back 20 years later with the same leading cast as the 2006 original. The cast members Meryl Streep, Anne Hathaway, Emily Blunt and Stanley Tucci will all be playing their same hit roles. The main plot for the sequel follows Miranda Priestly (Streep) as she must now battle against her former assistant (Blunt) for the highest sales or revenue possible despite the unpopularity of physical media in the digital age.
“Obsession,” May 15
“Obsession” is a Blumhouse movie that’s Curry Barker’s directorial debut for a feature. In the film where a man named Bear (Michael Johnston) gets something called a “one wish willow” that he uses to make a girl fall in love with him. However, horrific things start to occur after his wish. The movie has already been shown during its festival circuit, like at Sitges Film Festival and Focus Fest 2025, gaining rave reviews before coming out to the general public in May of 2026.
“Disclosure Day,” Jun. 12
Steven Spielberg wrote and directed this new sci-fi movie with a plot that remains vague to the general public. So far, Spielberg has revealed that the film centers around the discovery of alien life and the disclosure of that life to Earth. Talk about anticipation… and the leading cast is also strong, with Josh O’Connor and Emily Blunt heading this film.
“Toy Story 5,” Jun. 19
This is the fifth Toy Story movie, another nostalgic family movie, with the same cast and a new story that will surely do great at the box office. Along with the strong returning cast will be some new additions like Greta Lee who’s playing a friendly iPad, something many kids have in this digitalized age.
“The Odyssey,” Jul. 17
Christopher Nolan’s next big hit is based on the age-old tale of Odysseus and will hit theaters this summer. “The Odyssey” will be starring Matt Damon and feature strong supporting actors all around between Tom Holland, Anne Hathaway, Robert Pattinson and Mia Goth. There’s already been some drama about this movie, specifically with how the set design isn’t accurate to 1200 BCE where it takes place.
“Spider-Man: Brand New Day,” Jul. 31
This new “Spider-Man” movie is the fourth Tom Holland Spider-Man movie that’s being released. This film will again feature Zendaya by his side as MJ and Jacob Batalon as his right hand man, but with the addition of Sadie Sink. Just having finished her big role for “Stranger Things,”Sink is sure to shake things up despite her official role remaining unknown. Bruce Banner, played by Mark Ruffalo, also makes a return to the franchise while Peter’s powers are on the fritz and Bruce has to help.
“The Digger,” Oct. 2
“The Digger” is the first film that Tom Cruise has developed and produced for Warner Brothers. The general plot of this movie has been kept under relatively tight lips, with the only information released being that it is a comedy featuring Tom Cruises’ character on a mission to save the world. It’s being produced in conjunction with Alejandro Iñárritu.
“The Social Recknowing,” Oct. 9
The long awaited sequel to “The Social Network” is coming to theaters in October. It follows the path of a Facebook engineer, played by Jeremy Allen White, who’s trying to blow the whistle on the deepest secrets of the social network with the help of Wall Street Journal reporter Jeff Horowitz. The film is highly anticipated, especially considering it is based on a true story being recreated through film.
Along with all of these amazing movies that are set to come out this year, there are still more to look forward to. Five films to keep in the back of your mind that were not included in this list are “Dune 3,” “Return to Silent Hill,” “The Drama,” “Pillion,” and “Resident Evil.” This year should truly be something special for movies, so get used to spending some extra time in theaters these upcoming months.
