Don’t panic, you haven’t fallen asleep in 2025 and woken up in 2026. Halloween is still on the way, as is Bonfire Night, Thanksgiving, Christmas, New Year etc.
However, this month’s edition of Movie Reviews Special is jumping forward in time to 2026 to take a look at what movies are on the horizon for next year. In the coming weeks 2025 will begin to wind down, so it seems like as good a time as any to get excited about what the future holds.
The movie industry has had a bumpy ride over the last few years, in large part due to the global pandemic, industry strikes, and changing viewing habits, but 2026 is hopefully the year when things stabilise. The major studios have been looking at what works, what doesn’t, and where there is room for improvement, and this should be reflected in the films being served up next year.
So, shall we take a look at what is coming down the track? There are plenty of big (and small) movies heading our way, and this Movie Reviews Special: 2026 Preview should get you suitably geared up.
Oh, and just before we get into it, please remember that film schedules can (and often do) shift a little, so there is a possibility some of the following movies may change release dates before they hit the big screen. However, all the info is correct at the time of publishing.
__
January
OK, so as we begin 2026 it’s traditional for a number of releases from 2025 to still be doing the rounds. Big films from the previous year such as Avatar: Fire and Ash, and Anaconda will still be playing in cinemas, and likewise a number of Oscar contenders (usually released in the US in the tail-end of the previous year) will be popping up in international cinemas during January.
But moving beyond this, the first month of the year will see an influx of new releases, including the Gerard Butler sequel, Greenland 2: Migration; Johannes Roberts’ horror film, Primate; and the Chris Pratt/Rebecca Ferguson sci-fi thriller, Mercy. Plus, Sam Raimi returns to the director’s chair for the Rachel McAdams/Dylan O’Brien survival horror, Send Help.
Describing the new movie, 20th Century, said: “Linda Liddle (Rachel McAdams) and Bradley Preston (Dylan O’Brien), are two colleagues who find themselves stranded on a deserted island after they are the only survivors of a plane crash. On the island, they must overcome past grievances and work together to survive, but ultimately, it becomes an unsettling and darkly humorous battle of wills and wits to make it out alive.”
Also in the mix in January is Return to Silent Hill; the romantic comedy, People We Meet on Vacation; and SOULM8TE – a sci-fi erotic thriller from Blumhouse. SOULM8TE is a spin-off of the M3GAN movie series, and as M3GAN 2.0 proved to be quite divisive in 2025, it’ll be interesting to see what the general response is to SOULM8TE.
On the flipside, there should be a great deal of anticipation for one movie in January, and that movie is 28 Years Later: The Bone Temple. The post-apocalyptic horror is a direct sequel to 2025’s 28 Years Later, and will continue the journey of Spike, as played by Alfie Williams, as he encounters the cult-like gang, the Jimmys.
__
February
Sliding into February and as this is the month of love, expect a great deal of attention to be directed at Wuthering Heights. This latest adaptation of the classic Emily Brontë novel is being brought to the big screen by filmmaker Emerald Fennell (Saltburn, Promising Young Woman), while the cast is headlined by Margot Robbie and Jacob Elordi.
If you’ve not checked out the trailer for this one yet, be sure to prepare a cold shower post-viewing. Fennell’s Wuthering Heights appears to be a saucy little number, with much phwoarrrrr-ing and plenty of sweaty hotness.
Outside of Wuthering Heights, Sony Pictures Animation is serving up the animated sports comedy, Goat; Georgina Campbell, Joe Keery, and Liam Neeson are fronting the comedy-horror, Cold Storage; and there’s more slicing and dicing in Scream 7. This latest entry in the Scream series has had a bumpy journey to the screen, but fans will be pleased to know franchise stars Neve Campbell and Courteney Cox are both involved, while the director is original Scream writer, Kevin Williamson.
__
March
Moving into March and notable films during this month include Disney’s Hoppers; the Maggie Gyllenhaal directed monster movie, The Bride!; and Phil Lord and Christopher Miller’s, Project Hail Mary. Pitched as a sci-fi adventure film about a man who wakes up in an interstellar spacecraft with no memory of why, the movie stars Ryan Gosling, Sandra Hüller, and Milana Vayntrub.
Other films this month include Ridley Scott’s The Dog Stars; Trey Parker’s Whitney Springs; and the comedy, The Breadwinner. Plus there’s animated antics with The Pout-Pout Fish, which is based on the children’s book of the same name by Deborah Diesen.
__
April
Moving into April and some big movies are currently pencilled in beginning with the animated sequel, The Super Mario Galaxy Movie. The film is a follow-up to 2023’s The Super Mario Bros. Movie and will see Chris Pratt, Charlie Day, Anya Taylor-Joy, Keegan-Michael Key, and Jack Black all return to voice their respective characters, Mario, Luigi, Princess Peach, Toad, and Bowser.
Now, The Super Mario Bros. Movie was a huge financial hit back in 2023, becoming the second highest grossing movie of the year (just behind Barbie), so current predictions are The Super Mario Galaxy Movie should also fare well. Video game adaptations are currently doing big business, so Universal Pictures will be ever hopeful this one will be popular.
Joining Mario and Luigi on the big screen is the horror sequel, Ready or Not 2: Here I Come starring Samara Weaving, Kathryn Newton, and Sarah Michelle Gellar; and the horror reboot, The Mummy. Yes, another Mummy movie is on the horizon, this time from writer/director Lee Cronin (Evil Dead Rise).
And then moving away from horror brings us to Michael – the highly anticipated biographical drama about the late singer and King of Pop, Michael Jackson. Antonie Fuqua (Training Day, The Equalizer) is on director duties, while John Logan has penned the script.
Michael Jackson’s real-life nephew, Jaafar Jackson is playing the title role, while Colman Domingo is playing Michael’s father Joe, Nia Long is Michael’s mother Katherine, and Miles Teller is entertainment lawyer and manager John Branca.
Michael has been in development for a number of years, with filming taking place way back in 2024. The movie was originally due to be released in 2025, before being shifted to allow for some additional filming, however if Michael sticks to its current release schedule it should arrive in cinemas on April 24th.
__
May
Into May and the month kicks off with The Devil Wears Prada 2. Yes, you asked for it, someone listened, and now Meryl Streep, Anne Hathaway, Emily Blunt, Stanley Tucci, and director David Frankel are making it a reality.
Meanwhile, Ryan Reynolds, Jason Momoa, and Vince Vaughn star in the road comedy, Animal Friends; while Hugh Jackman, Emma Thompson, and Nicholas Galitzine pop-up in the mystery-comedy, The Sheep Detectives. And then there are two big franchises for the summer blockbuster season: Mortal Kombat II and The Mandalorian and Grogu.
The former was due out in 2025 but got bumped to 2026, so you may have caught the trailer for this one during the summer. The latter is a spin-off from the Disney+ television series, The Mandalorian, which stars Pedro Pascal and an adorable puppet.
__
June
Into June and the summer season continues with the nostalgia-inducing, Masters of the Universe! This one has been in the pipeline in some shape or another for many, many years and it is expected to be a big release.
Travis Knight (Bumblebee) is directing from a script by Chris Butler. Meanwhile, stepping into the dual role of Prince Adam/He-Man is Nicholas Galitzine.
Camila Mendes is playing Teela, Idris Elba is Man-At-Arms, Morena Baccarin is the Sorceress, and Alison Brie is Evil-Lyn. As for Skeletor, that role goes to Jared Leto.
Masters of the Universe is a beloved toy brand which has been in existence since 1982, and for its owner Mattel, it is up there with the likes of Barbie. The hope for the company is this movie connects with audiences in the same way Barbie did, to ensure He-Man isn’t just a master of the universe, but a master of the box-office too.
However, He-Man has some stiff competition in June, as Toy Story 5, Scary Movie 6, and Supergirl are all scheduled for release this month. Plus, Universal Pictures has pencilled in an as-yet-untitled Steven Spielberg movie, because why not?
__
July
Into July and as the summer blockbuster season hits its peak, audiences can expect to see Minions 3, Shiver, Young Washington, and Disney’s live-action remake of Moana. Meanwhile, the Evil Dead franchise returns with Evil Dead Burn, and Jonah Hill stars alongside Kristen Wiig, Bette Midler, and Nathan Lane in the comedy, Cut Off.
Then mid-way through the month, Christopher Nolan takes on ancient Greece with his epic action-fantasy, The Odyssey. This one is set to be an all-star affair, with a cast that includes Matt Damon, Anne Hathaway, Lupita Nyong’o, Robert Pattinson, Charlize Theron, John Leguizamo, Elliot Page, Tom Holland, Zendaya, and Jon Bernthal.
And speaking of Tom Holland, Zendaya, and Jon Bernthal, all three will appear in the latest MCU offering, Spider-Man: Brand New Day. Destin Daniel Cretton directs, and while details of the movie are shrouded in mystery, expect Spidey to cross paths with the Punisher and the Hulk.
__
August
Into August, and Anne Hathaway and Ewan McGregor team up for David Robert Mitchell’s sci-fi movie, Flowervale Street. The movie focuses on a family who begin to notice unusual happenings in their neighbourhood.
And on the subject of the unusual, you don’t get more unusual than the premise of Coyote vs. Acme. In this legal comedy – which mixes live-action with animation – Looney Tunes character, Wile E. Coyote sues the Acme Corporation for repeatedly selling him alleged faulty products.
Now if Coyote vs. Acme sounds familiar, it’s because the film has been the subject of much internet discussion for the past couple of years. Back in 2023, Warner Bros. initially shelved the movie, before declaring it was to go unreleased as part of a tax write-off.
This decision was ultimately reversed, thanks to plenty of online chatter, as well as pleas from fans and director Dave Green. However the key turning point was when Ketchup Entertainment stepped in to make a deal with Warner Bros. to act as the distributor, paving the way for the film’s 2026 release.
__
September
Onto September now, and films lined up for this month include the heist movie, How to Rob a Bank; an as-yet-untitled Resident Evil movie; and Practical Magic 2. Sandra Bullock, Nicole Kidman, Stockard Channing and Dianne Wiest are back for this belated sequel to the ’90s romantic fantasy.
And joining the above is the comic book movie, Clayface. Directed by James Watkins, and based on the Batman villain of the same name, the film follows the story of Matt Hagen – a disfigured actor whose body is transformed into clay.
__
October
Over to October and Anne Hathaway pops-up (yet again) for the psychological thriller, Verity; Jessica Chastain stars in the supernatural horror, Other Mommy; and M. Night Shyamalan returns with Remain. Plus critically acclaimed television show, Avatar: The Last Airbender is revived via new animated fantasy film, The Legend of Aang: The Last Airbender.
And for those wanting some action, director Kitao Sakurai is offering up Street Fighter. Based on the video game series of the same name, this is the latest stab at bringing the likes of Ken and Ryu to the big screen, and boasts a cast which includes Noah Centineo, Andrew Koji, Jason Momoa, Roman Reigns, David Dastmalchian, and Orville Peck amongst others.
The official description from Paramount Pictures reads: “Set in 1993, estranged Street Fighters Ryu (Andrew Koji) and Ken Masters (Noah Centineo) are thrown back into combat when the mysterious Chun-Li (Callina Liang) recruits them for the next World Warrior Tournament: a brutal clash of fists, fate, and fury. But behind this battle royale lies a deadly conspiracy that forces them to face off against each other and the demons of their past. And if they don’t, it’s GAME OVER!”
__
November
Slipping into November and there’s animated fun in Warner Bros.’ The Cat in the Hat, as well as Disney’s Hexed. Meanwhile, The Hunger Games series continues with Sunrise on the Reaping – a sequel to 2023’s The Ballad of Songbird & Snakes.
There’s also more sequel fun in Focker In-Law – the fourth entry in the Meet the Parents movie series. John Hamburg directs, while Ben Stiller, Robert De Niro, Teri Polo and Blythe Danner reprise their roles from the previous movies.
And if all that wasn’t enough, Greta Gerwig is off to Narnia for Netflix’s The Magician’s Nephew. Based on the 1955 novel of the same name, the movie stars Emma Mackey, and Carey Mulligan.
__
December
And finally, although December 2026 is quite some way off yet, a number of movies are being lined-up for you viewing pleasure, including Violent Night 2, Dune: Part Three, and The Angry Birds Movie 3. However the big movie of the month, and possibly of the entire year is Avengers: Doomsday.
Thor, Captain America, Ant-Man, Shang-Chi, Namor, the Fantastic Four, the New Avengers, the X-Men, and various other heroes team up to face the villainous Doctor Doom! And the key selling point here is that Doom is played by Robert Downey Jr.
Will you be watching? Of course you will!
__
The above is a preview of some of the major releases in 2026, but expect a whole lot more next year. Also expect to see an increase in anything popular as the industry works overtime to bring audiences back into movie theatres.
Horror and video game adaptations appear to be the current hot property in Hollywood, so this trend will no doubt continue for the foreseeable future. And if the likes of Masters of the Universe and The Odyssey do well in 2026, we’ll see an influx of more sword and sandal affairs too.
But for now, get excited about what’s on the horizon, and enjoy what’s still to come in 2025. Happy viewing!
Alex
__
__
Thank you for stopping by It’s A Stampede! to read this edition of Movie Reviews Special. For more posts be sure to check out the recommended reads below.
It's A Stampede! 
Leave a comment