From Spider-Man and Supergirl, to Steven Spielberg and Super Mario, the year in movies is looking pretty great. It seems 2026 has got it all, with acclaimed filmmakers giving us their latest opuses (Ridley Scott, Christopher Nolan, Greta Gerwig, Brad Bird, etc.) to massive franchises making their long-awaited return to the big screen (Resident Evil, Street Fighter, Masters of the Universe, and Star Wars, just to name a few).
Every few weeks, Hollywood will present a new, major genre film to audiences, and hopefully a good majority will be worth our while. What are the biggest ones, though? The ones we’re ready to camp out to see (or at least wake up early to buy tickets online)? Here are io9’s 30 most anticipated genre films of 2026. (Note: Many of these films are months away, and release dates are subject to change.)
30. Obsession (May 15)
We’ve already seen, and raved, about this one, but it’s so good that a) we’re dying to see it again, and b) we’re even more excited about how everyone is going to react to it. Newcomer Curry Barker tells a visceral, violent, yet darkly funny story about a man who wishes his crush loved him more than anything in the world. And the wish comes true, with truly disturbing consequences.
29. The Hunger Games: Sunrise on the Reaping (November 20)
Panem’s dystopia rages on in the second prequel to the mainline Hunger Games films, following 2023’s The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes. Adapted from yet another Suzanne Collins best-seller, this series entry follows Haymitch Abernathy (Joseph Zada, playing a younger version of Woody Harrelson’s character) as he prepares to compete in the 50th Hunger Games. Original Hunger Games competitors Jennifer Lawrence and Josh Hutcherson are part of the star-studded ensemble cast.
28. Evil Dead Burn (July 26)
Sébastien Vaniček (spider-horror Infested) directs the next standalone film set in the Evil Dead world. We don’t yet have a plot outline, but the first teaser suggests blood and gore galore—exactly what you’d expect from any scenario when Deadites are around.
27. Street Fighter (October 16)
Capcom’s flagship fighting franchise returns to the big screen with a new live-action movie that looks absolutely goofy. It’s set in the ’90s with actors like Andrew Koji and David Dastmalchian playing characters from the early set of games, and they all look like they’re doing an expensive cosplay fan film. This is all a compliment; the first trailer that dropped at the Game Awards makes this seem like dumb fun, and hopefully it lives up to that when the film hits theaters later this year.
Violent Night is getting a sequel. – Universal26. Violent Night 2 (December 4)
When last we saw David Harbour as Santa Claus, he had handily dispatched a group of thieves terrorizing a family on Christmas Eve. Well, now he’s back, and while we don’t yet know what filmmaker Tommy Wirkola has in store for Santa this holiday season, rumor is it will include Mrs. Claus, possibly played by Kristen Bell.
25. Practical Magic 2 (September 18)
Sandra Bullock and Nicole Kidman—the most iconic witch sisters of the 1990s, sorry Hocus Pocus—reunite for a much-desired sequel to the Halloween-favorite rom-com. The aunts (Stockard Channing and Dianne Wiest) are also back, with Joey King, Xolo Maridueña, Maisie Williams, and Lee Pace joining the cast this time around. It’s based on Alice Hoffman’s Practical Magic novel sequel, The Book of Magic, so you can go look up plot spoilers if you must.
24. Clayface (September 11)
Did you know there were two DCU movies meant to come out this year? Clayface, directed by James Watkins and based on a script from horror darling Mike Flanagan, came out of nowhere to disrupt James Gunn and Peter Safran’s plans for the nascent DCU, and just as mysteriously as it entered that schedule, it’s just as mysteriously entering an autumn release date this year with barely a thing known about it. Tom Rhys Harries stars as the titular Batman villain, taking the name Matt Hagen from the second Clayface in the comics but with the backstory of the first (and most famous), Basil Karlo: an actor who finds themselves horrifically transformed into a shapeshifting golem made of clay.
23. The Dog Stars (August 28)
Legendary filmmaker Ridley Scott returns to the genre where he became a legend: sci-fi. In The Dog Stars, Jacob Elordi plays a pilot in the aftermath of a post-apocalyptic event who flies outside of a safe zone on the hope and a prayer that a mysterious, distant signal can save humanity. It’s a cool premise with a cool cast (Margaret Qualley, Josh Brolin, Guy Pearce, and Benedict Wong are along for the ride), but we’re mostly just excited for another big Scott sci-fi movie.
22. The Bride! (March 6)
The year 2026 will attempt to make subsequent years two for two in terms of evocative, auteur-driven takes on Mary Shelley’s creations. Case in point, this punk rock-looking spin on Bride of Frankenstein featuring Oscar-frontrunner Jessie Buckley in the title role, and Oscar-winner Christian Bale as Frankenstein’s monster. Oh, and it’s kind of a musical, too? What is this movie? We can’t wait to find out.
21. The Super Mario Galaxy Movie (April 3)
Chris Pratt fans rejoice! For the time will soon be upon us to hear the actor’s voice bring Mario to life once more in Nintendo and Illumination’s sequel to The Super Mario Bros. Movie. Though, if we’re being honest with ourselves, the real intrigue will be hearing actual Nintendo superfan Brie Larson bring Princess Rosalina to life and whatever mayhem Jack Black is going to bring this time around with Bowser. Whatever may come, there’s likely to be a ton of Easter eggs for gamers to pog at when the movie hits theaters.
20. Werwulf (December 25)
Robert Eggers has done witches, vampires, and Vikings; his next eerily detail-oriented period film ventures to the furriest creature of the night. Several members of the Nosferatu cast check back in for this one, including Lily-Rose Depp, Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Willem Dafoe, and Ralph Ineson. We’re expecting craggy landscapes, misty full moons, Middle English mumblings, and anguished howling—the perfect recipe for a happy holiday, in other words.
19. Scary Movie 6 (June 12)
It’s hard to imagine that the first Scary Movie came out over 25 years ago. It’s even harder to imagine how a franchise that dipped so drastically in its subsequent sequels would be worth returning to. But, for Scary Movie 6, the original creators, the Wayans Brothers, are back, along with original stars such as Anna Faris and Regina Hall. A lot has changed in horror over the decades, so hopefully they aren’t all returning just for a paycheck. Hopefully, they’re returning because there was a fun, funny movie to be made.
18. Star Wars: The Mandalorian and Grogu (May 22)
For io9, a Star Wars movie outside of the top five is basically unheard of. But outside of the top 15? Well, that ranking speaks directly to our excitement for The Mandalorian and Grogu. As of publication, nothing released for the film has piqued our interest beyond “This looks like it could have stayed on Disney+.” And, until that happens, or we realize this is a Star Wars story meant for the big screen, we will keep our expectations low and excitement tempered.
17. Mortal Kombat II (May 8)
Disregarding that weird Game Awards beef between the Street Fighter cast and the Mortal Kombat crew, the age of Karl Urban’s Johnny Cage will soon be upon us. With the fighting game sequel now including one of the series’ most insufferable (complimentary) OGs, Mortal Kombat II is sure to bring that big Hollywood feel. The jury’s out over whether Urban’s brand of smarmy is of The Boys leftovers variety or truly inspired, though.
16. Flowervale Street (August 14)
We don’t know much about Flowervale Street, but what we do know has us wildly excited. For one, it’s the next film by It Follows filmmaker David Robert Mitchell. Awesome. Second, it stars Ewan McGregor and Anne Hathaway. Hell yes. Three, it was delayed from last summer to this summer. Why? Well, that leads us to the last, and best, thing. Rumor has it that it’s a dinosaur movie.
15. Resident Evil (September 18)
Between Barbarian and Weapons, Zach Cregger has yet to miss when it comes to big-screen horror. His next foray into the genre is Resident Evil, another Capcom franchise with a storied cinematic history of its own. We barely know anything about this one yet, but it’s hard not to be interested in it. There’s a new game coming out in just over a month, and then there’s this movie hitting in September. What a time for Resi fans.
14. Scream 7 (February 27)
The last two Scream films were highly enjoyable, and though this film probably shouldn’t exist with the exit of headliners Melissa Barrera and Jenna Ortega, it does. And, whatever it is now, we’re gonna give it a shot. Star Neve Campbell is back. So is franchise creator Kevin Williamson, directing a Scream movie for the first time. We just love this series so hopes are high for scares and surprises.
13. Toy Story 5 (June 19)
Does the world need Toy Story 5? Of course not. This story wrapped up pretty well twice already. But Pixar’s bottom line surely needs it, so it’s pulling out all the stops. Wall-E and Finding Nemo director Andrew Stanton is now at the helm, and this time around, Buzz, Woody, and the gang will tangle with the scariest villain of all: technology.
12. Project Hail Mary (March 20)
Filmmakers Phil Lord and Chris Miller have rarely steered us wrong. And here, with their adaptation of this excellent Andy Weir novel, we expect more of the same. Ryan Gosling stars as a man tasked with saving Earth on a deep space mission. And, he’s got help, in the form of an alien named Rocky.
11. Masters of the Universe (June 5)
He-Man’s most famous line is “I have the power!” But will this franchise, so deeply rooted in 1980s nostalgia, have that same power in 2026? We aren’t sure, but if anyone can bring He-Man, Skeletor, She-Ra, and the rest to life in a new, exciting way, it’s director Travis Knight. His Transformers movie, Bumblebee, did exactly that after all.
10. Ray Gunn (TBD)
It’s not often that U.S. animation not housed by Disney and the like gets to bask in the limelight of cinemas. Then again, not many works have the enviable distinction of being a decades-long passion project from The Incredibles director Brad Bird, either. If that’s not enough of an on-ramp of hype for the movie, the scant details of the film’s premise following the last human detective in a world filled with aliens is pretty damn compelling.
9. Supergirl (June 26)
Clark’s cousin is getting her time to shine after crashing into the climax of last year’s Superman. Directed by Craig Gillespie and heavily inspired by Tom King, Bilquis Evely, and Matheus Lopes’ seminal comic series Woman of Tomorrow, Supergirl stars House of the Dragon breakout Milly Alcock as Kara Zor-El, Kal’s rough-around-the-edges cousin who decides to go on an intergalactic bender to celebrate her birthday away from a sun that stops her from getting drunk, only to find herself caught up in a young girl’s quest for revenge.
8. Narnia: The Magician’s Nephew (November 26)
After the surprise billion-dollar success of Barbie, director Greta Gerwig could’ve done anything. What did she choose? She chose to adapt a novel in the classic C.S. Lewis Narnia franchise for Netflix. But, despite the whole thing being paid for by Netflix, the film will be released in IMAX theaters. We’re expecting wonder, scope, and plenty of that Gerwig magic.
7. Coyote vs. Acme (August 28)
There likely won’t be as great a release this year as the theatrical debut of Coyote vs. Acme. Going from a shelved, completed film (curse you, David Zaslav!) that generated so much outrage from actors and fans alike to a movie we’ll soon see with our own peepers is the movie magic of bullying working. The world deserves to see Wile E. Coyote get his justice in court, dammit.
6. Disclosure Day (June 12)
Steven Spielberg is directing his first sci-fi movie in years, and it’s all about the revelation that aliens are among us. With Emily Blunt, Josh O’Connor, and Colman Domingo among its star-studded cast and a cryptic marketing rollout around major cities (and also Kansas City), it looks like a big, impressive movie for the big screen done in a way only Spielberg can. We’ll see if it’s worth the reveal when the film hits theaters this summer.
5. Avengers: Doomsday (December 18)
We’ve seen the Comic-Con reveal, the chairs, the weekly teasers, and it still doesn’t feel like Avengers: Doomsday is coming out at year’s end. With four superhero teams taking center stage and meeting (and potentially fighting) Doctor Doom, the first part to the end of the Multiverse Saga is going to be one of 2026’s biggest movies. And come December, we’ll see if it lives up to any of its hype.
4. Dune: Part Three (December 18)
Timothée Chalamet, Zendaya, Florence Pugh, and the rest return for the third and probably final film in Denis Villeneuve’s adaptation of the books by Frank Herbert. This third part, based on Dune Messiah, is the weirdest of the bunch, if the story holds true, and that has us extra excited to see just how big and bold Villeneuve and his team will go to bring the story to a close.
3. Spider-Man: Brand New Day (July 31)
All eyes may be on Avengers: Doomsday, but another major Marvel movie is on the way too, finding itself facing a similar question of following up from a beloved multiversal mashup. Tom Holland dons yet another new suit as the spectacular Spider-Man, navigating a world that has forgotten the exposure of his secret identity—including his closest friends and the love of his life. Jon Bernthal and Mark Ruffalo also star to lend MCU support as the Punisher and the Hulk, respectively.
2. Godzilla Minus Zero (November 6)
Before we get another Godzilla and Kong team up in Legendary’s Monsterverse, Takashi Yamazaki’s follow-up to his record-breaking, Oscar-winning 2023 film is skree-onking its way onto the big screen. Little is known about Yamazaki’s continuation, other than that it is presumably set after the events of Godzilla’s defeat in Minus One, as Japan continues to reckon with the aftermath of the destruction wrought by this harsh reminder of its post-war shadow.
1. The Odyssey (July 17)
It had to be. What movie has us buying tickets a year in advance? What is the only film ever entirely shot in IMAX? What film has maybe the best in the business, Christopher Nolan, bringing to life one of the most famous and exciting action fantasy tales ever? The other to all those questions is only The Odyssey. We expect it not just to be a major blockbuster but a critical sensation as well. Everything we go to the movies for.
Want more io9 news? Check out when to expect the latest Marvel, Star Wars, and Star Trek releases, what’s next for the DC Universe on film and TV, and everything you need to know about the future of Doctor Who.
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