2026 Hype List: Prestige Epics, Blockbusters, Franchise Returns and Everything in Between

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Nov 21

Written By Jonathan P. Moustakas

With new films from Spielberg, Nolan, Villeneuve, Lord & Miller, and the Russos — plus franchise juggernauts and buzzy originals — 2026 is poised to dominate the cultural calendar.

Every few years, the movie calendar hits a strange point of equilibrium — where the studios chase certainty, the auteurs chase chaos, and the audience sits somewhere in between waiting to see which one wins. 2026 looks like that rare collision: the year where the box office might actually find its footing again, where franchise fatigue might get disrupted by genuine originality, and where theatrical windows feel alive instead of performative.

We’ve got The Bride and Supergirl reinventing icons; Project Hail Mary and Spider-Man: Brand New Day anchoring the tentpole side of things; Doomsday poised to be Marvel’s first true cultural reset since Endgame; and films like Wuthering Heights, Werwulf, and The Moment pushing the envelope in ways Hollywood desperately needs.

Below is the definitive TCG preview of the 20 films already generating real momentum — everything from prestige literary adaptations to billion-dollar IP swings. Not predictions. Not PR language. Just what’s actually being made, why it matters, and why 2026 might surprise people.

THE Most Anticipated MOVIES Coming in 2026

The Rip

January 16, 2026 — Netflix

Matt Damon and Ben Affleck reteam for Joe Carnahan’s Miami-set crime thriller about a group of cops who stumble into a stash house loaded with millions — and immediately unravel under the pressure of outside attention, internal suspicion, and the kind of corrosive greed Carnahan loves to dissect. Netflix unveiled first footage at TUDUM, positioning this as one of their big early-year theatrical + streaming pushes. Damon and Affleck’s on-screen chemistry paired with Carnahan’s tension-builder instincts could give this one real staying power.

28 Years Later: The Bone Temple

January 16, 2026 — Sony

Nia DaCosta directs the next chapter in the revived 28 franchise, following 2025’s 28 Years Later. Not much has been revealed — including the cast — but Cillian Murphy remains onboard as a producer and is heavily rumored for an appearance. DaCosta’s involvement suggests a more psychological, character-driven direction. If the 2025 installment reignited the franchise, this is the one that determines whether it evolves.

Wuthering Heights

February 13, 2026 — Warner Bros.

Emerald Fennell goes full gothic fever dream with Margot Robbie (also producing) and Jacob Elordi leading Emily Brontë’s classic into aggressively modern, provocative territory. Expect sensuality, violence, obsession, and Fennell’s trademark dark humor. This one will polarize — which is entirely the point.

The Bride!

March 6, 2026 — Warner Bros.

Maggie Gyllenhaal reimagines Bride of Frankenstein as a 1930s Chicago-set feminist horror epic — starring Jessie Buckley as a murdered woman resurrected by Christian Bale’s Frankenstein and becoming both a media fixation and the center of a radical social awakening. With Penelope Cruz, Annette Bening, Jake Gyllenhaal, and Peter Sarsgaard rounding out the ensemble, this could be the prestige monster movie of the decade.

Project Hail Mary

March 20, 2026 — Amazon MGM

Ryan Gosling stars as Ryland Grace, an astronaut who wakes up alone, light-years from Earth, with no memory — and slowly discovers he’s humanity’s only hope against a dying sun. Directed by Phil Lord and Christopher Miller and adapted from Andy Weir’s novel, this blends hard sci-fi, mystery, and emotional character work. Early buzz inside the studio calls it their “big one” for 2026.

Ready or Not 2: Here I Come

April 10, 2026 — Searchlight Pictures

Samara Weaving returns as Grace for a sequel that expands the mythology of the Le Domas curse and pushes the carnage even further. Kathryn Newton joins the cast. Matt Bettinelli-Olpin and Tyler Gillett once again direct, leaning into the splatter-comedy energy that made the original a cult favorite. Expect this to dominate April.

Michael

April 24, 2026 — Lionsgate

Antoine Fuqua directs the Michael Jackson biopic, with Jaafar Jackson portraying the King of Pop in a performance that insiders say is shockingly faithful. The film tracks the artistry, the spectacle, and the pressures of global fame. Supporting cast includes Nia Long, Colman Domingo, Laura Harrier, and Larenz Tate. This will be one of the most talked-about films of 2026 — for reasons both artistic and cultural.

The Devil Wears Prada 2

May 1, 2026 — Disney

Anne Hathaway, Meryl Streep, Emily Blunt, and Stanley Tucci return, with David Frankel directing a sequel based on Revenge Wears Prada. Miranda Priestly now faces the new media economy, influencer culture, and digital fashion — while Andy Sachs confronts who she became and who she lost after leaving Runway. Expect box office dominance.

Disclosure

May 15, 2026 — Universal

Steven Spielberg and writer David Koepp reunite for a UFO thriller starring Emily Blunt, Josh O’Connor, Eve Hewson, Wyatt Russell, Colin Firth, and Colman Domingo. Plot details remain top-secret, but insiders describe it as “classic Spielberg with modern paranoia.” This could be his biggest original film in years.

Toy Story 5

June 19, 2026 — Pixar / Disney

Woody and Buzz reunite under Andrew Stanton’s direction for a story centered on legacy, change, and the fear of displacement in a world where children now grow up with screens instead of toys. Plot specifics are locked down, but Pixar is positioning this as a course-correcting emotional powerhouse after a decade of mixed reception.

POPULAR ON THE CINEMA GROUP

Supergirl

June 26, 2026 — Warner Bros. / DC Studios

Craig Gillespie directs Milly Alcock as Kara Zor-El in an adaptation of Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow. Traveling across the galaxy with Krypto and protecting a young woman seeking justice, this is tonally harsher and more violent than traditional DC fare. Co-stars Eve Ridley, Matthias Schoenaerts, David Krumholtz, and Emily Beecham round out the ensemble.

The Odyssey

July 17, 2026 — Universal

Christopher Nolan adapts Homer’s epic with Matt Damon as Odysseus and a staggering ensemble: Zendaya, Tom Holland, Anne Hathaway, Charlize Theron, Mia Goth, Robert Pattinson, and Jon Bernthal. Expect massive scale, formal precision, and mythic ambition — Nolan’s answer to the question “What do you make after Oppenheimer?”

Spider-Man: Brand New Day

July 31, 2026 — Sony / Marvel

Tom Holland returns for Peter Parker’s next chapter under Destin Daniel Cretton. The story picks up after the memory wipe from No Way Home and reportedly centers on a lonelier, more grounded Peter in a soft reboot of the franchise. Whether Zendaya returns is unknown. Expect huge anticipation regardless.

Judy (Untitled Tom Cruise / Alejandro G. Iñárritu Film)

October 2, 2026 — Disney / Searchlight

Cruise trades stunts for intimate character acting in a grounded drama from Iñárritu. The director calls it “a character-driven story carried entirely by Tom.” Expect this to dominate awards conversation and redefine Cruise’s third act as an actor.

Dune: Messiah

December 25, 2026 — Warner Bros.

Villeneuve adapts Frank Herbert’s second novel, jumping ahead more than a decade into Paul Atreides’ rule as Emperor. Themes of power, destiny, fanaticism, and consequence collide. Timothée Chalamet, Zendaya, Florence Pugh, and Anya Taylor-Joy are all expected to return. This will be the year’s late-December event.

Avengers: Doomsday

December 18, 2026 — Marvel Studios

The Russo brothers return for a multiverse-shattering showdown led by Pedro Pascal, Joseph Quinn, Vanessa Kirby — and Robert Downey Jr. as the MCU’s new villain. Yes, villain. His presence here will shape Phase 7 and the lead-in to Secret Wars. Marvel is treating this like its biggest swing since Infinity War.

Werwulf

December 25, 2026 — Focus Features

Robert Eggers returns to horror with a medieval werewolf fable starring Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Lily-Rose Depp, Ralph Ineson, and Willem Dafoe. Expect cold brutality, pagan imagery, and folklore filtered through Eggers’ uncompromising style. Cinephile Christmas.

The Moment

2026 TBD — A24

Charli XCX headlines Aidan Zamiri’s meta pop-music mockumentary about fame, performance, and identity. Alexander Skarsgård, Kylie Jenner, Rachel Sennott, Shygirl, Kate Berlant, and Rosanna Arquette co-star. This could be A24’s internet-breaking title of the year.

2026 isn’t one type of year — it’s ten different versions of Hollywood crashing into each other. Mega-franchises are fighting for cultural relevance. Auteurs are swinging for the fences. Streamers are gambling on theatrical again. And audiences get the benefit: an actual cinematic lineup that looks unpredictable, varied, and weird in the best way.

If 2025 rebuilt the industry, 2026 might be the year it finally transforms.