12 Biggest Movies Referenced In The 2026 Olympic Figure Skating Competition

The 2026 Winter Olympic Games are a big year for skaters using movie soundtracks and costumes, and these are the biggest 12 movie references so far. The greatest athletes from around the world have gathered in Milan-Cortina to compete for the gold medals in their winter sports.

Few winter sports are as celebrated as figure skating, which takes incredible strength and athleticism. However, landing jumps, spins, and lifts aren’t everything when it comes to reaching the podium. There’s also an artistic element.

Choosing the right music can heavily influence how a skater performs under immense pressure. This year, many figure skaters have opted to reference big Blockbuster movies in their choreography, costumes, and music choices. Here are some of the films that really stood out.

10 The Lion King

Disney’s The Lion King was released in 1994 and has grown into a flourishing franchise of movies, games, and TV shows. Unsurprisingly, the original soundtrack has continued to resonate with audiences 32 years later. Hans Zimmer is a prolific composer, and his work is only enhanced by pop icon Elton John’s contributions.

Songs with lyrics were only allowed starting in 2018, so we’ve had three Olympics where The Lion King music would have been allowed. This year marks the second consecutive Olympics in which figure skaters have performed to The Lion King medleys.

This Olympics, Canadian women’s skater Madeline Schizas competed for her team in the Short Program to music from the Disney film, and she looked like she was having a blast. Her costume featured gold, orange, and red, like the “Circle of Life” opening scene from the movie. It’s a beautiful ode to The Lion King.

9 Dune & Dune Part Two

The 2026 Olympics seem to be a year of skating to the scores of epic films and sci-fi. Denis Villeneuve’s Dune is making an appearance not once but twice. Kazakhstani men’s skater Mikhail Shaidorov did his short program to music from the first Dune film.

Not only did the music and choreography bring the spirit, but the costume and even the skater’s hairstyle felt like near replicas of Timothee Chalamet’s Paul Atreides. It was a beautiful homage to the film, which was a passion project adaptation of Frank Herbert’s Dune books.

Meanwhile, Dune Part Two will make an appearance on the 11th in the ice dance free dance. Spain’s couple, Olivia Smart and Tim Dieck, will use the score from the sequel. The fact that the franchise is being used twice just proves how impactful the sci-fi epic is. What’s more, it builds anticipation for the upcoming third movie.

8 Ghost

Ghost is one of the best love stories of the 1990s, and there are few movie songs as immediately recognizable as “Unchained Melody.” The star-crossed romance between the ghostly Sam Wheat and Molly Jensen, played by the incredible Patrick Swayze and Demi Moore, is as beautiful as it is tragic.

Rather than just a single nod to the movie, Ghost gets two separate moments in the 2026 Olympics, though technically the first is a medley from the Broadway musical adaptation. George’s Anastassia Gubanova performed the women’s free skate for her country’s team, encapsulating the drama of the story.

Then, just a few days later, Latvia’s Deniss Vasijevs used “Unchained Melody” for his individual short program. These two very different interpretations of the same love story show just how profound Ghost is.

7 Jaws

Since its release in 1975, Jaws has struck fear in the hearts of viewers, spawning a fear of sharks that endures to this day. While the carnage contributes to its impact, a large portion of the credit must go to prolific composer John Williams, whose score is so haunting that just two notes can impact folks.

Italian women’s skater Lara Naki is an athlete who likes to insert her personality into routines. At the 2025 FSU World University Games, she skated to the Squid Game theme with a dress that incorporated the pink, black, and the shapes on the Squid Game card.

During this year’s team free skate, she danced to Jaws with a dress that has blue and black of the water, gray and white of the shark, cutouts that look like a shark bite, and glittery red accents that look like blood.

6 Interstellar

Interstellar is widely considered one of the best science fiction movies of all time because of its accurate science and impressive cinematography. However, its true shining star is the music, which, like the scores of other movies on this list, was composed by Hans Zimmer.

Italian figure skater Mateo Rizzo used this as the basis for his team free skate at the 2026 Olympics, and it was truly one of the most beautiful performances. His musicality and choreography perfectly fit the film’s score. He also wore a costume that faded from black to light blue, with accents that resembled stars.

He deserved the overwhelming cheering he received at the end. I love figure skating, and it was one of the most beautiful performances I’ve ever seen. He truly did a phenomenal job bringing the story of Interstellar to life in a new way and representing his home country in Milan.

5 The Minions

The Minions craze began with the first Despicable Me movie in 2010, and it has never gone away since. That being said, of all the movies referenced in the 2026 Olympic Games, the most peculiar and unique is The Minions.

Spain's men’s skater Tomas-Llorenc Guarino Sabate fought hard to secure the rights to music from the Minions movies and Despicable Me, which he used in his individual short program. He nearly had to change the music at the last minute. However, approval finally came in.

Unlike the other film franchises referenced in the 2026 Olympic figure skating, The Minions is animated and known for being extremely silly. Luckily, Guarino Sabate incorporated the franchise's goofiness into his choreography. It might have received winning numbers, but it was extremely fun to watch.

4 James Bond

Since Sean Connery debuted the role in theaters, 007 has become the most famous spy in film or television. The M16 agent is known for being a womanizer, driving fancy cars, his license to kill, and his martinis, “shaken not stirred.” Six actors have played James Bond over the years, and each brings something unique to the table.

Given how popular the character is, it shouldn’t be surprising that music from the films will make an appearance at the 2026 Olympics. The music for Slovakia skater Adam Hagara’s upcoming free skate is Bond, James Bond.

The next James Bond hasn’t been decided yet, but Callum Turner is the current frontrunner for the role. Either way, Adam Hagara’s performance will be a great reminder of what’s to come.

3 The Matrix

Since The Matrix was released in 1999, the Wachowski sisters' movie has continued to influence pop culture in exciting ways. Elements of the films, such as red and blue pills and living in a simulation, are so ubiquitous that they’ve become part of our nomenclature, especially in digital spaces.

Don Davis’s film score might not get quite as much attention or appreciation, but it deserves it all the same. The sound is unique and immediately recognizable. The avant-garde style of orchestration heightens the experience of watching the film.

Fans of the film will need to watch Czechia’s ice dance free dance on the 11th, where skaters Natalie Taschlerova and Filip Taschler will dance to selections from The Matrix.

2 Conclave

The thriller movie Conclave took the world by storm in 2024, offering a glimpse into the very secretive process of choosing the next pope. The film only gained more momentum after the sad passing of Pope Francis. Ultimately, it swept the 2024-2025 awards season with a nonstop string of nominations and wins.

Two of these nominations were the Critics' Choice Award and the BAFTA Award for Best Original Score. While the film didn’t win either, its nomination is proof enough that composer Volker Bertleman did something special and impactful with the music.

Clearly, it resonated with Italian men’s skater Daniel Grassi, who will perform his individual free skate to the score of Conclave. It feels especially meaningful for an Italian competitor to use the score, since Vatican City is located within Rome, Italy.

1 Gladiator & Gladiator 2

Gladiator and Gladiator 2 are two of the best epic films of all time, telling the story of betrayal and vengeance. The score takes audiences through a wide range of emotions, including bravery and loss. Hans Zimmer won a Golden Globe for the score. Luckily, the composer came back for the second movie, creating something just as moving.

The Gladiator scores feel like a staple of figure skating. This year, Georgia’s pair skaters Anastasiia Metelkina and Luka Berulava used the music for their free skate in the team competition. Additionally, the Japanese pair skaters Riku Miura and Ryuichi Kihara combined the Gladiator theme with Gladiator 2 for their free skate in the team competition.

The movie scores appearing twice in a single day at the Olympics, let alone twice in a single competition, are a testament to Hans Zimmer and the Gladiator movies.