We present to your attention a selection of the most anticipated films of 2026 according to our editorial team. The repertoire includes sequels, prequels, potential box office hits, and new works by Oscar-winning directors.
We have compiled for you a list of landmark film premieres of 2026 that our authors are eagerly awaiting. Some of the films below have already been shown at prestigious festivals, winning the love and recognition of festival audiences, while others, shrouded in mystery, only invite speculation about their plot.
Will Woody and Buzz be able to fight back against a smart gadget? Will Sienna defeat the infernal clown Art? Will Ryan Gosling and Tom Cruise save humanity? Will Miranda Priestly's fashion magazine remain relevant in the digital age? Did Nolan reinterpret the ancient text of Homer or just redesign the helmets? We'll find out all this in the next twelve months!
28 Years Later: The Bone Temple
From the film '28 Years Later', we learned that the consequences of great catastrophes are not subject to time. As you might guess, 28 years have passed since the spread of the infection that turned Britain into a zombie land for the sad, but you wouldn't say it right away: nothing has changed significantly. The settlements of survivors have grown, the local doctor's cemetery too, the infected have started to starve, and the borders remain closed.
The main thing that neither 28 days nor 28 years could change is the overall feeling of hopelessness, isolation, and, of course, the fact that even against the backdrop of the apocalypse, the main horrors are meanness, betrayal, and human cruelty. Clip editing, strange transitions, green grass, red blood, a pile of skulls, a doctor worshiping death — in '28 Years Later', the peculiar timelessness is striking. This is a film shot as if the 2000s never ended; written as if screenwriter Alex Garland were a secret Celtic priest (skulls, a boy with a bow, constant transitions between worlds); and largely due to its strangeness, it is both surprising and delightful.
The sequel — '28 Years Later: The Bone Temple' — was written by the same Garland, but directed not by Boyle but by Nia DaCosta, a young and somewhat uneven filmmaker (the good 'Candyman' alongside the terrible, unexpected Ibsen adaptation). It would probably have been better if Danny stayed, but it's also interesting to see how the appearance of a trendy young female director behind the camera changes the fantasy world of solid white men about the future. 'The Bone Temple' also promises more Ralph Fiennes and the return of Cillian Murphy. The prospects are exciting! Especially since the wait is short: in less than a week, the horror will arrive in global theaters.
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Open materialYura Was Here
A film by a debut director that won the main award and the prize for Best Actor at the 'Mayak' film festival. Judging by critics' reviews, this true story about two slacker friends looking after an adult man with developmental disabilities turned out touching, emotional, and tear-jerking. I'm urgently stocking up on tissues, rushing to grab a seat at the nearest cinema, and preparing to see the inimitable Konstantin Khabensky in a highly unusual role.
At the beginning of last year, the crime drama 'Summer Will End' reached big screens, which also won at the Gelendzhik festival. That film left an indelible impression on me and ultimately made it into my personal top of the best films. So my expectations for the new 'Mayak' laureate are quite high.
The Silent Friend
Ildikó Enyedi is a director of simple, rich, obvious metaphors, but their timid and quiet emotional expression. Her characters love strongly but little by little; they have little of people who can blurt out and speak up, but much more of forest animals ('On Body and Soul') and even plants. The latter became the 'guest stars' of her new film 'The Silent Friend', whose world premiere took place in the main competition of the Venice Film Festival.
The film's action composes a unique form of linear narrative, lengthening the image of time, which many (including Andrei Tarkovsky) considered captured. Therefore, three characters wander through the Marburg Botanical Garden, leaving their silhouettes to the Ginkgo tree: biology student Greta in 1908, the same student Hannes but in 1972, and Hong Kong professor of neurobiology Tony in 2020. Each comes to the tree with a question to receive a universal but non-trivial answer.
The Bride
I'm looking forward to 'The Bride' by Maggie Gyllenhaal, even despite the post-production hell, mixed reviews from test screenings, and the project's riskiness (keeping in mind that it's still a studio film, not independent). The idea of reimagining a classic film (James Whale's 'Bride of Frankenstein') came to the director while working on her feature debut 'The Lost Daughter' — on which she worked with Jessie Buckley, who will later play the lead in 'The Bride'. It's quite possible that by the second week of the film's release, Buckley will already be an Oscar winner (editor's note — for her performance in the drama 'Hamnet'), which in the context of marketing would certainly not be superfluous.
The rest of the cast, featuring Christian Bale, Annette Bening, Penélope Cruz, Jake Gyllenhaal, and Peter Sarsgaard, is no less intriguing. In addition, I appreciate the concept and visual style of the upcoming film, as can be judged from the promotional materials (stills and teaser trailer) that have been presented: a promising aesthetic of gothic horror combined with punk rock elements in a 1930s Chicago setting. At the very least, we're in for some quintessential 'me and who?' content!
Project Hail Mary
One of the major sci-fi blockbusters of 2026 promises to be 'Project Hail Mary', another adaptation of a best-selling novel by Andy Weir, author of 'The Martian'. The title itself is an exact metaphor for what happens in the film: in American football, a 'Hail Mary' is a desperate pass at the end of the game when the losing team makes a last attempt to change everything. The protagonist's mission will be the same last chance for humanity.
The director's chair is shared by Phil Lord and Christopher Miller, and Drew Goddard was appointed responsible for transferring the book text to the screen. This is a rather interesting creative trio with its own unique taste: the first two previously worked on 'The Lego Movie' and the '21 Jump Street' duology, while the latter wrote the screenplay for the excellent 'The Cabin in the Woods', the atmospheric 'Bad Times at the El Royale', and the lively 'The Sinister Six'. So these three are quite capable of turning scientific formulas into engaging cinema without too many excesses.
The lead role in the upcoming blockbuster is played by Ryan Gosling, and this choice seems like a significant success for the project. Ryan, who promised his daughter not to play 'bad guys' and seems to have become bronze in the role of an ironic hero (by the way, cinema has lost a great tragic actor in the process!), here returns to his strong suit — acting on the edge of despair and hidden vulnerability. The combination of Weir's meticulousness, the directorial inventiveness of the Lord and Miller duo, and Gosling's acting talent turns 'Project Hail Mary' into a potential hit of the upcoming film season.
The Drama!
You are invited to the wedding of the year! 'The Drama!', contrary to its title, ironically illustrates the journey from proposal to altar, subjecting the betrothed to doubts about the correctness of their choice. The new work by Kristoffer Borgli will be the fifth attempt by A24. The studio already promoted 'The Materialist' last year with a failed love triangle, but decided to re-enter the territory of marriage crisis. This time, the story plays out between Robert Pattinson, who has already tried on the role of a dubious husband in 'Die, My Love', and Zendaya, who has already been proposed to in real life.
Using film becomes not only good form but also an attempt to give sincerity to what is happening. It would be good if this is supported by dialogue and narrative dramaturgy, but more on that later. The trailer resonates in the viewer's mind with Noah Baumbach's 'Marriage Story', where spouses on the verge of divorce list each other's best qualities. Director Kristoffer Borgli has already sounded in cinema with post-ironic but sensitive tones from the same experimental studio. What emotions will the wedding march evoke in his conducting? We'll find out in April!
The Devil Wears Prada 2
Over twenty years, David Frankel's drama 'The Devil Wears Prada' has become a classic for fans of stories about career twists and the eternal choice between success and personal happiness. In anticipation of the sequel, fans of the film have grown up, rethought their life values, and even criticized the plot basis of the story about the editor-in-chief of a fashion magazine, Miranda Priestly, and her ambitious assistant Andy. Therefore, the loud return of iconic characters to the big screens is perceived ambiguously by the audience: some believe that the 'Runway' staff won't fit into today's realities and will look like fan atavism, while others sincerely hope to see characters from the beloved film in 'new settings' — and that's all they need.
Many photos from the set are actively published online, many of which are obvious fakes. The sequel has already become overgrown with endless rumors about attracting world stars for new roles and about the work of fashion consultants (the looks of the main characters are already being discussed and even criticized). It's hard to guess what the sequel will ultimately be like — will it be a big disappointment for sincere fans (such as your humble servant), or will Frankel be able to hit that trigger that will not leave the modern viewer indifferent. Meryl Streep, Anne Hathaway, Stanley Tucci, and Emily Blunt will return to their roles. It's especially nice to see fresh faces in the cast: Kenneth Branagh, Simone Ashley, and Tracy Thoms will undoubtedly 'energize' the canonical four.
The Mandalorian & Grogu
The first 'Star Wars' feature film in seven years, on which the studio places great hopes. The adventures of the beloved duo of a mercenary and a cute baby have moved from the series 'The Mandalorian', whose fate now depends on the success of the film and the second season of 'Ahsoka'. I want to believe that fans are in for a real spectacle, not a filler story for money. At least the same people are responsible for the film as for the series: in the director's chair is Jon Favreau, who co-wrote the script with Dave Filoni.
Of course, betting on the cuteness of the child may work, but still, the franchise has been resting from the big screen since 2019, so there are some concerns about this. Disney now simply needs to deliver something truly worthwhile, because after the finale of 'Andor', the timeline between episodes 6 and 7 remains the only worthwhile thing in the franchise. Personally, I am cautiously waiting for the feature film and really hope that it won't spoil the impression of the 'Mando-verse'.
I Love Boosters
I sincerely admire the debut work of Boots Riley! After watching 'Sorry to Bother You', I couldn't resist and even sent the director my enthusiastic feedback in private messages (and, what's especially nice, received a response). In his first feature film, the veteran of underground hip-hop and known troublemaker turned indie director mocked capitalism so sharply and straightforwardly as few have managed before or after him. Except perhaps the Koreans Bong Joon-ho and Park Chan-wook with their last year's works and 'The Method of Exclusion' can compete with him. Riley was nominated for the Gotham Awards, Critics Choice Awards, the Directors Guild of America Award, and also received the Independent Spirit Award for Best Debut.
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Open materialIn short, Boots managed to attract attention! After the not-so-stunningly successful series 'I'm a Virgo', he returns to the big screen with another absurdist farce on the theme of social inequality. The film titled 'I Love Boosters' will open the South by Southwest film festival (by the way, just like 'Everything Everywhere All at Once' did in its time) and will tell the story of a group of professional shoplifters who set out to kidnap a star of fashion journalism. The role of the 'local Miranda Priestly' went to Demi Moore, whose career after 'The Substance' is experiencing an unprecedented renaissance. Also on screen we will see Keke Palmer ('Nope'), Naomi Aki ('The Signal'), Taylor Paige ('Welcome to Derry'), and LaKeith Stanfield ('Judas and the Black Messiah').
The Disclosure Day
The new work by Hollywood's greatest visionary risks lingering in fans' hearts for a long time, for several reasons. Steven Spielberg rarely puts his hand to the scripts of his films. Only a few projects have been honored with this, such as the particularly important 'The Fabelmans' (who but the prototype of the main character can create his own 'Amarcord') and the early 'The Sugarland Express'. Usually, he trusts renowned screenwriters like Tony Kushner and David Koepp (who co-wrote the text this time as well). The script for 'The Disclosure Day' is a powerful precedent in Spielberg's career. Before the trailer's release, even die-hard fans knew virtually nothing about the plot of the new film. Steven remained silent for several years, and there's a feeling that all this time he was hiding a secret that will turn many people's minds upside down.
Another, no less, if not more important reason, is the return of the Hollywood mastodon to the roots of his career. Back in the late 1970s, he confidently answered the eternal question 'Is there life on Mars?' with his landmark film 'Close Encounters of the Third Kind': life exists, and it can sometimes radically change our earthly reality. Then he repeated this formula and brought to light the miraculous 'E.T.', which left no one indifferent, both ordinary viewers and seasoned critics. In the master's new film, judging by the intriguing trailer, there will be room for both a new contact with aliens, who have now taken the form of innocent deer, and new insights into the human race through the eyes of others.
Toy Story 5
With new original content, Pixar (and indeed all of Disney) hasn't been doing well since the pandemic, so a few years ago the company changed its strategy and shifted focus to producing sequels of already famous franchises. The second one met the studio's expectations, so now the fifth 'Toy Story' is on the way. It would seem that the adventures of the characters have already ended twice, and if the third film didn't put a full stop, then the fourth (it's usually criticized, but personally I like it) certainly led to a logical conclusion.
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Open materialHowever, the creators found a new topic for conversation with young and adult viewers, and a very interesting and relevant one at that. In the new film, the characters will have to face a smart tablet that takes up all the children's attention. The generation of 'iPad kids' fits incredibly well into the lore of the universe, where toys literally fight for their place in the sandbox in every installment, so I'm personally very curious how the film will address the problem and how the beloved characters will cope with it.
The Odyssey
Christopher Nolan, one of the main modern studio directors, has taken on adapting Homer. This step, it seems, surprised no one seriously: the old-fashioned pathos inherent in Nolan's films — whether it's a good quality or a bad one, everyone decides for themselves — seems to be in its rightful place on fertile ancient soil. Homer's heroes are godlike, swift, great — if they strike, they strike with all their might; if they suffer, they suffer for 20 years; if they make sacrifices to the gods, they slaughter whole herds. Nolan's heroes are also rarely ordinary people: whether a great physicist or a great illusionist (sometimes indistinguishable), they are always more our fantasies about ourselves than we are.
The trailer shows that Nolan understands all this: Agamemnon's helmet reveals the director's attempt to make an ancient 'Star Wars', a story more about gods and heroes than about human destinies in a grounded sense. Although the 'Iliad' was long the central work of Homer in European culture, in recent years it's hard not to notice a growing interest in, so to speak, the sequel to the story of the great war. The god-chosen heroes have left the stage; those who angered the gods remain (Odysseus was cursed, recall, by Poseidon).
Turning to antiquity rarely tells us something new about antiquity itself and often about ourselves. Petersen's 'Troy' was, in general, an artistic reworking of his own 'Das Boot', an excessive commentary on the impossibility of winning a war. If it has started, you have already lost. Let's see what Nolan will tell us about the era, whose , interestingly, addressed World War II.
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Open materialFlowerwell Street
There are several reasons to look forward to 'Flowerwell Street'. For starters, David Robert Mitchell, the author of the cult horror 'It Follows' and the psychedelic thriller 'Under the Silver Lake', has been silent for almost 10 years since his last film, and now returns with a project surrounded by such a thick veil of secrecy that Warner Bros. hasn't even revealed a full synopsis until the last moment. All that is known is that the action takes place in an American suburb in the 1980s, where a family begins to notice 'strange phenomena' in the neighborhood, and then rumors start spreading around: whether it's about dinosaurs, time anomalies, or something even more terrifying.
Add to this the star duo of Anne Hathaway and Ewan McGregor in the lead roles, the production involvement of J.J. Abrams, and the fact that the entire film was shot in IMAX with a budget of $85 million — and you get the perfect film to anticipate. Mitchell is known for turning paranoia into visual language, and if his new film truly combines nostalgia for the suburban eighties with something truly unpredictable — from practical effects to distortions of reality — then we could get one of the most unusual blockbusters of the decade.
A Wild Horse
I'm consciously betting on 'A Wild Horse', because it's the new work of Martin McDonagh! Almost nothing is known about the film, but the director has never stumbled in his career, so I simply surrendered to the optimistic feeling of anticipation for something amazing inside me.
Four years have passed since the release of the director's previous film, so it's time to try again and finally win a well-deserved Oscar (though if it doesn't work out again, no big deal). For me, to be honest, this is the most anticipated film of 2026! Plus, the cast includes Sam Rockwell , Steve Buscemi , and John Malkovich , and Ben Davis is again in charge of cinematography.
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Open materialThe Social Reckoning
Sequels to cult films always attract special attention, and after many unsuccessful examples, they are met with a fair amount of skepticism. 'The Social Network' consistently tops the lists of the best films of the decade by publications such as Rolling Stone, The Guardian, The New York Times, and IndieWire. Many viewers call this film the pinnacle of cinema of the past decade — a rare case where a biopic became not only a manifesto of the time but also a true modern classic. The first film was a complete story and did not need a sequel (as David Fincher himself said).
But the events of January 2021 (the storming of the Capitol by Trump supporters) and the subsequent investigation into how Facebook's (Meta is recognized as an extremist organization in Russia) algorithms amplify polarization, insider leaks, and a cycle of publications became a new dramatic starting point for the first film's screenwriter Aaron Sorkin (who was ultimately entrusted with directing the sequel). Jeremy Strong (replacing Jesse Eisenberg) will play Mark Zuckerberg, Oscar-winning Mikey Madison will play Facebook whistleblower Frances Haugen, and Jeremy Allen White will play Jeff Horwitz, the author of the Facebook Files investigation. Additionally, 'The Social Network' cinematographer Jeff Cronenweth will return for the sequel.
Just a couple of years ago, it was hard to imagine that this film would get a second part, but not to mention Sorkin's mastery as a screenwriter (I believe he knows what he's doing) and his previous directorial works, it seems to me that precisely in the conditions of the absurdity of the signs of the times we live in, and how the prototype of the titular character has changed, 'The Social Reckoning' could become a most interesting spectacle and statement.
The Digger
After the ambiguously received dramedy 'Bardo', which noticeably stood out from the rest of the director's filmography, Alejandro González Iñárritu returns with a new film that, apparently, will also be atypical for his work ('a crazy comedy of catastrophic proportions' — quote).
Little is known about the plot of 'The Digger' at this point: it seems that in 2026, many followed Spielberg's example, preferring to keep the intrigue until the release. Here's what has become clear: Tom Cruise will play the most powerful man (not surprised!) on the planet, who decides to save humanity from imminent doom. In short, we're waiting for an extravagant and multi-layered canvas with the director's caustic remarks about our society. And with an eye on the Oscar, of course!
Bucking Fastard
'Bucking Fastard' by Werner Herzog, a classic of the German New Wave and the 'best enemy' of Klaus Kinski, is a project that intrigues by its very title. At first glance, it's an untranslatable play on words, but if you know the film's plot, this linguistic joke works as a key to understanding the new work of the great Bavarian. The story revolves around two inseparable sisters who think, speak, and cause trouble for peaceful citizens with double force. Such 'different twins' raised quite a ruckus and once nearly ended up behind bars due to an attack on a truck driver. During the trial, they in unison uttered the phrase that became the film's title.
Herzog, who has never separated the concepts of documentary and fiction, does not intend to change his principles in the upcoming film. Therefore, the roles of the charming mischief-makers (the phenomenon of their amazing connection is still being unraveled), who shook the British mentality, were played by real-life sisters Kate and Rooney Mara. The girls played together on the same set for the first time, and I think the effect Herzog expects will be fully felt by both our and foreign audiences.
Moreover, for the first time in a long while, 'the most important living director', as the no less legendary François Truffaut aptly called him long ago, has made a film in the comedy genre. The last time this happened was in 1970 ('Even Dwarfs Started Small'). That pseudo-documentary parable about a rebellion in a colony of dwarfs was filled with absurdity of the highest order and was not afraid to speak terrible things about viva la revolución through the voices of small but daring rebels. I hope that in 'Bucking Fastard', Herzog will not skimp on his specific but vital humor.
Terrifier 4
Can you seriously look forward to a slasher film if you're not a teenager of the 80s? 'Terrifier 4' by Damien Leone nods affirmatively to the viewer. The mere mention of the director's name next to the project title brings back times when the genre was author-driven, new IPs spontaneously emerged, created by Wes Craven, Tobe Hooper, and John Carpenter.
The franchise is not an internet joke or an empty trinket, but a living, meaty, irritating spectacle. Its main figure, Art the Clown, has already gained a local cult around Halloween, earning a golden ticket into the history of American mass culture. And there is no doubt that the upcoming numbered installment will be a bit more expensive, a bit more spectacular, a bit tougher than all previous ones, because it's the anniversary finale of the series.
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Open materialThe Hunger Games: Sunrise on the Reaping
The long-awaited prequel that fans of the universe literally begged from the author. Suzanne Collins has finally told the story of young Haymitch Abernathy and the infamous Second Quarter Quell. Interestingly, Lionsgate was so confident in its success that it approved the adaptation even before the novel itself was released – a rare vote of confidence showing the scale of expectations. Judging by the book's reviews, the new story once again hits the nerve of the times: it raises themes of political manipulation and propaganda.
The casting also deserves special applause. The cast announcements were like bingo, where fans noted perfect fits for the characters. So, the 'dream cast' will now appear on screen. The director is again the franchise regular Francis Lawrence. Additionally, the connection to the original saga will be reinforced by Jennifer Lawrence and Josh Hutcherson, who will definitely appear in flashback (flashforward?) scenes. The marketing is also heating up public interest: the first teaser was shown exactly a year before the premiere. The bar of expectations has risen very high, and we can only hope that the film will live up to all the fans' hopes.
Dune: Part Three
No one will argue that the third 'Dune' by Denis Villeneuve will be one of the main cinematic events of 2026. The previous two parts not only received excellent reviews but also gathered a slew of awards, including Oscars. For fans of the saga, this is especially exciting, as one of the most dramatic twists in Paul Atreides' story lies ahead. The third film will be an adaptation of Frank Herbert's novel 'Dune Messiah'. Moreover, the film promises to be even more grandiose in terms of cast: Anya Taylor-Joy will portray Alia Atreides on screen, and Robert Pattinson will appear as a mysterious antagonist (viewers predict he will play Scytale).
Villeneuve himself does not intend to lower the bar — he personally participated in writing the script in collaboration with Jon Spaihts . And noted in interviews that he took on the third part only on the condition of surpassing . By this time, the 'Dune' universe has already expanded beyond cinema: in 2024, a prequel series about the religious order of the Bene Gesserit was released, and its second season is planned for 2026 (according to rumors, the exact date has not yet been announced). Such success and expansion of the franchise only fuel interest in the third film. Villeneuve absolutely cannot afford to lose face! And, of course, all eyes are on Timothée Chalamet : for the young actor, this is a chance to finally cement his status as a superstar (Lisan al-Gaib of 2026), given all his films and roles.
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