Published Aug 30, 2026, 10:15 AM EDT
Karlis has been obsessing over television and movie news since he first learned how to read. He has worked in tech, as a musician, and in journalism with a well-rounded knowledge base of pop-culture throughout the eras. He claims that he has memorized the entire Internet Movie Database, and to date no one has been able to refute this.
Holding a Bachelor's Degree in Religion and Culture from Wilfrid Laurier University, Karlis loves to examine the intersections of popular science-fiction and culture. His latest novel MASS. is available now on Amazon and examines a world where obesity has become a federal crime.
Fantasy movies are among the most imaginative and engaging stories ever told, and a new films releasing later this year looks like it could be the best one in 2026. Following the best fantasy movies of the 2010s, recent years have seen a few additions to the genre that have since become memorable and beloved.
Movies like Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves and Masters of the Universe have underperformed at the box office, but have been appreciated on streaming. Telling fantastic, character-focused stories with a great eye for world-building and beautiful visual effects, recent cinema has helped to show the enormous potential of the genre on the big screen.
Next year's star-studded cast of The Lord of the Rings: The Hunt for Gollum suggests that the new film could connect incredibly well upon its release in December 2027. However, each of these mentioned franchises has received at least one cinematic adaptation in the past, and it is important that brand-new series also find their way to the big screen.
2026 has a film that is exactly that, and could be the start of a brand-new, fantastic franchise. With a star-studded cast, a whole series of books to adapt, and some of the most beautiful animation that has ever been seen on screen, the upcoming film certainly has the potential to be among 2026's biggest hits.
Laika Finally Returns In 2026 With Wildwood
Credit: LaikaWildwood is set for release this October, and the first Laika film in seven years looks stupendous. The stop-motion studio has become renowned for developing some of the best films in the medium, including Paranorman, Coraline and, most recently, The Missing Link.
While these films are excellent, Wildwood has the potential to be something even more special. The film sees Prue McKeel forced to confront the Impassable Wilderness of Oregon after her baby brother, Mac, is abducted by crows. This leads her into a mysterious world filled with anthropomorphic animals locked in conflict.
Coyote soldiers and an Avian Principality are only a couple of the colorful forces that the children must contend with in their adventure, as a civil war between factions of the forest becomes an essential focus. In this, the story becomes truly enormous and filled with unexpected characters and conflicts.
Wildwood is already the longest stop-motion film ever released in theaters, as it has been confirmed to run for an epic 139 minutes. It features a cast that includes Carey Mulligan, Mahershala Ali, Angela Bassett, and many others.
Wildwood Looks Like One Of 2026's Best Fantasy Movies & Best Animated Movies
2026 has been a good year for animation, with the success of films like Toy Story 5 and the upcoming release of Forgotten Island. However, Wildwood looks to be special in a wholly unique way, with some of the most beautiful and carefully crafted stop-motion animation, alongside a great story.
The film adapts Colin Meloy's novel Wildwood, which featured illustrations by Carson Ellis, about two seventh-graders who are forced to journey into a colorful and exciting world. With shades of The Chronicles of Narnia and a great focus on the forests around Portland, Oregon, the story feels both grounded and fantastic.
Trailers for Wildwood have shown off the scale of the film, which looks absolutely immense. With warring animal factions rendered in Laika's beautiful stop-motion animation, and a great sense for epic storytelling, the film could be among the best releases of 2026.
If Wildwood is a success, then it could even become a franchise unto itself. The original novel of Wildwood was followed by two sequels, Under Wildwood and Wildwood Imperium. Drawing from real-world American iconography, the additional stories expand the scope of the world, and could also make for strong films.
Directed by Travis Knight, who helmed this year's Masters of the Universe in addition to great films like Bumblebee and Kubo and the Two Strings, Wildwood looks to be in good hands. Hopefully the fantasy film is as good as it has the potential to be when it releases on October 23rd.
English (US) ·