Matt O’Connor
As 2025 nears its end, next year is gearing up to be a big one for the entertainment industry. 2026 is packed to the brim with some very highly anticipated films. This year gave us some heavy hitters like Superman, Jurassic World: Rebirth and Sinners. But next year is on a whole different level. This is a list of some of the biggest movies scheduled for release in 2026.
January – March
Although the year starts off slow, there’s still quite a few big movies to look forward to at the beginning of the year. Scream 7 will be released in theaters at the end of the month on the 27th as the next installment of the long running horror series. Both Matthew Lillard and Scott Foley have been cast in the film, presumably as Stu Macher from the original Scream and Roman Bridger in Scream 3 respectively.
Pixar’s next animated feature “Hoppers” will also be released early on in the year on March 6th, which follows a girl named Mabel using a device made by a group of scientists to transfer her mind into a beaver to thwart a plan by a corrupt construction company.
And from directors Phil Lord and Christopher Miller of both Spider-Man: Into The Spider-Verse and Spider-Man: Across The Spider-Verse fame.Project: Hail Mary follows Dr. Ryland Grace (played by Ryan Gosling) who suddenly wakes up on a mysterious spacecraft and must deduce how he got there.
April – June
Things begin to pick up steam in the spring with the release of The Super Mario Galaxy Movie on April 3rd by Illumination, with the core cast of the first movie returning for the sequel. Mario, Luigi, Princess Peach and the rest of the crew take to the stars in a movie based on the original Super Mario Galaxy game that was released all the way back in 2007.
Another Spring Sequel is Mortal Kombat II, which will follow up on the first film from 2021 when it releases on May 8th. The biggest new addition to the cast is Karl Urban’s Johnny Cage. This new movie will feature even more Krazy Kombos that the franchise is known for.
Star Wars also finally returns to the big screen in May when The Mandalorian & Grogu releases on May 22nd. Pedro Pascal will don the Beskar Armor once again alongside his green co-star, Grogu. The film will be a continuation of The Mandalorian Disney + series after the conclusion of the third season back in 2023. This is the first movie in the franchise to release in theaters since 2019’s Star Wars: Episode IX: The Rise Of Skywalker.
Woody, Buzz and the rest of the Toy Story gang will also make their grand return to the big screen when Toy Story 5 comes out on June 19th. This film will pit the toys that we know and love up against the technologies of the modern world, including a sentient iPad named LilyPad who will be the main villain of the film.
Ending off the month of June is Supergirl on the 26th, which is the next film that takes place in James Gunn’s DC Universe. Milly Alcock will play Kara Danvers a.k.a Supergirl with Craig Gillespie in the director’s chair. Jason Momoa, who played Aquaman in the previous DC Universe, will also star in the future as the gravelly bounty hunter Lobo.
July – September
The live action remake of Moana will be released on July 10th. With the release of Moana 2 last fall, this film will retell the events of the 2016 original movie. After providing the voice for the character in the previous installments, Dwanye “The Rock” Johnson will also be returning as the demigod Maui.
Legendary director Sir Christopher Nolan’s next project will also premiere during the month of July on the 17th. The Odyssey will be an adaptation of Homer’s Ancient Greek Epic. Matt Damon will play the role of Odysseus, with Tom Holland, Anne Hathaway and Zendaya also playing major roles in the film.
Speaking of Tom Holland and Zendaya, they’ll also both be appearing in the highly anticipated Spider-Man: Brand New Day when it releases at the end of the month on July 31st. As the fourth entry in this Spider-Man saga, Tom Holland’s Peter Parker a.k.a Spider-Man will also star alongside Mark Ruffalo as The Hulk and Jon Bernthal as The Punisher.
After originally being shelved and scrapped, Coyote vs. Acme will finally make its big screen debut on August 28th. Written by James Gunn and Danny Slater, Will Forte plays a down on his luck attorney who’s working with Wile. E Coyote in legal action against Acme. Looney Tunes veteran Eric Bauza will also reprise his vocal roles of other iconic Looney Tunes characters.
Supergirl isn’t the only DCU film releasing in 2026, as Clayface will also be hitting the big screen on September 11th. Tom Rhys Harries places Matt Hagen, an ambitious actor who becomes a being of clay after a horrifying accident. The film will be directed by James Watkins and will be aiming for a body horror origin story.
October – December
Mortal Kombat isn’t the only fighting game franchise that’s getting a movie adaption in 2026, as a new Street Fighter movie will be released in theaters on September 16th. The film’s extensive cast includes Andrew Koji as Ryu, Noah Centineo as Ken, Callina Liang as Chun-Li, 50 Cent as Balrog, Jason Momoa as Blanka, and WWE Wrestler Cody Rhodes as Guile.
The next Hunger Games film, Sunrise on the Reaping, is an adaptation of the novel released this year by series author Suzanne Collins. Director Francis Lawerence will also return as director. The film releases on November 20th.
The Angry Birds Movie 3 will be released at the very end of the year on December 23rd. More than seven years after the previous movie, much of the cast will return for this third entry including Jason Sudeikis, Josh Gad and Danny McBride. Several new cast members have been confirmed as well like Salish Matter and even Mr. Beast.
Finally, two of the biggest movie events of the entire year will be released on the exact same day. Both Dune: Part Three and Avengers: Doomsday will hit the big screen on the 18th. In addition to returning cast members such as Timothee Chalamet, Zendaya and Josh Brolin, it’s already been confirmed that Batman actor Robert Pattinson will have a role in the upcoming film.
But Avengers: Doomsday is shaping up to be the film highlight of the year. Once again directed by Anthony and Joe Russo, Doomsday will unite a new team of Avengers to take on Doctor Doom, played by Robert Downey Jr. Many cast members have already been confirmed, with a lot of returning characters from the Fox X-Men universe also confirmed to be in the movie. This is the first Avengers movie since Endgame back in 2019, and it will be the first of the two part conclusion to the Multiverse Saga alongside Secret Wars which will be released in 2027.
