40 Movies We’re Eager to Watch in 2026

As 2025’s best films continue to collect trophies this awards season, we’re already looking ahead to this year’s new releases—and there’s a lot to be excited about. If “Marty Supreme Christmas Day” taught us anything, it’s that turning the release of a film into a can’t-miss cultural event works. With that in mind, allow me to present what I’ll call the “cinematic seasons” drawing us to theaters this year.

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First, I’ll keep it simple with “Gothic Winter.” On the heels of Guillermo del Toro’s Frankenstein, the appetite is strong for moody, modernized literary classics. It’s therefore the perfect time for Emerald Fennell’sWuthering Heights to land in February and Maggie Gyllenhaal’s The Bride! (anotherFrankenstein tale) in March.

Second, “HathaMay.” Anne Hathaway will have a major May with The Devil Wears Prada 2 (we ate those paparazzi photos up like candy) and Verity, another book-to-screen adaptation from It Ends With Us author Colleen Hoover. Plus, Hathaway is starring in A24’s Mother Mary this spring. And a few months later, she’ll appear in Christopher Nolan’s The Odyssey with Matt Damon, Tom Holland, and Zendaya.

Which brings me to the next season: “TomDaya Summer.” The engaged couple will star in both the Greek epic and a new Spider-Man together, releasing just weeks apart in July.

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When things calm down after summer, we’ll have a holiday event to look forward to: “Dunesday.” The third Dune film and Avengers: Doomsday are set to release on the same date, Dec. 18, 2026—and their titles mesh together so perfectly it must be kismet. While Warner Bros. and Disney will probably fiercely compete for viewers, I say, why not pull a Barbenheimer? Watch both big-screen epics back-to-back and pair your Bene Gesserit robes with your Doctor Doom masks! I can’t wait to see that look all over TikTok.

Whether they arrive during a trendy cinematic season or not…below are the films ELLE editors are anticipating most this year.

People We Meet on Vacation

“Emily Henry is here to inject a little summer into the middle of winter with the Netflix adaptation of her beloved rom-com novel People We Meet on Vacation. Tom Blyth and Emily Bader are absolutely pitch-perfect as the opposites-attract pair Alex and Poppy, who commit (as friends) to an annual ‘summer trip,’ only to realize over the years that their feelings for each other are far from platonic. The film adaptation is appropriately funny, even goofy—Poppy would approve—while retaining its jet-setting sheen and the book’s swoon-worthy romance. This is a book-to-screen translation done right.”—Lauren Puckett-Pope, senior culture editor

Magellan

“As awards season commences, this is also the time when acclaimed international films from the past year start making their way to U.S. theaters. One of them is this quietly powerful epic by Filipino director Lav Diaz. Starring Gael García Bernal as Ferdinand Magellan, it follows the explorer’s trek around the world and his conquest of the islands that would later become the Philippines.”—Erica Gonzales, deputy editor, digital content

Sound of Falling

“Germany’s submission to the Oscars—which is shortlisted for Best International Feature—follows four girls across four generations, each of them growing up on the same farm. Although the events in Sound of Falling span from the 1910s to the 2020s, a common thread ties them all together.”—EG

The Moment

“Charli XCX stars as herself (or a version of herself, anyway) in this mockumentary about a pop star dealing with ‘the complexities of fame and industry pressure while preparing for her arena tour debut,’ according to A24. From the looks of the trailer, the film appears to revisit the phenomenon of Brat Summer, with a few characters played by Rosanna Arquette, Alexander Skarsgård, and more. Directed by Charli’s go-to collaborator Aidan Zamiri, The Moment will debut at the Sundance Film Festival.”—EG

Pillion

“A BDSM romance? Call it a dom-com. This film stars Harry Melling as a shy loner who becomes a submissive to Alexander Skarsgård’s leather-clad biker. Despite the premise, Pillion is surprisingly heartfelt and sweet. I can’t wait to see everyone talking about it.”—EG

My Father’s Shadow

“The U.K.’s submission to the Oscars is this entry from British-Nigerian director Akinola Davies, Jr., and it’s set in Lagos during the 1993 Nigerian election crisis. It follows a father and his two sons making their way home from the city in the midst of the chaos.”—EG

Wuthering Heights

“If nothing else, Emerald Fennell’s films get people talking. Two years after Saltburn rocked the world, the writer-director returns with a neon-splashed adaptation of the Emily Brontë classic. Although Fennell appeared in Netflix’s The Crown, this is her first time directing a period film, and she’s not looking to make it like the staid British literary adaptations we’ve grown used to. Rather, she’s said she aims to make a Titanic equivalent for a new generation.”—Adrienne Gaffney, features editor

How to Make a Killing

“Based on the movie Kind Hearts and Coronets (which was also the inspiration for the Tony-winning musical A Gentleman’s Guide to Love and Murder), Glen Powell stars in this comedy about a man who learns, as an adult, that he’s part of a wildly rich family. They’ve disinherited him, so the only way he sees to get the family fortune? Systematically kill everyone ahead of him in the line of succession.”—AG

The Bride!

“Jessie Buckley’s Hollywood takeover is, apparently, only just beginning. After wowing audiences with her extraordinary performance in the 2025 Oscars contender Hamnet, she’s back in 2026 as, yes, the bride of Frankenstein. Maggie Gyllenhaal directs this highly anticipated take on the classic horror tale, with Christian Bale as Frankenstein’s monster. After Guillermo del Toro’s adaptation of Frankenstein in 2025, I’m fascinated to see where Gyllenhaal takes the lore—especially given that, in Mary Shelley’s novel Frankenstein, the bride never actually wakes. No matter where the story goes, the costume and production design look fantastic. I can’t wait to immerse myself in Gyllenhaal’s world.”—LPP

Peaky Blinders: The Immortal Man

“I was late to the excellent Netflix crime series Peaky Blinders, only catching up on its six seasons after they’d already come out years prior. So you can imagine my despair when, at the end of my binge-watch, I thought Tommy Shelby’s story was finished. And, thus, you can also imagine the actual chill that ran down my spine when I saw the trailer for Peaky Blinders: The Immortal Man, featuring the (now Oscar-awarded) Cillian Murphy back in Shelby’s signature flat cap and coat. I have no idea where director Tom Harper and writer Steven Knight are planning to take this story, but being back in Birmingham with the Blinders is more than enough reason to get me seated.”—LPP

Alpha

“From the director of Raw and Titane, Alpha follows a teenage girl and her family during a fictional epidemic that turns patients into marble statues. This one was divisive among critics in Cannes, but Ducournau lovers will be glad to welcome a new release from the boundary-pushing French filmmaker.”—EG

Reminders of Him

“This is the third movie adapted from a Colleen Hoover book, but it’s the first to be cowritten and coproduced by her. It Ends With Us and Regretting You have both been commercial hits (despite weathering a few media crises), and Reminders of Him is shaping up to be one, too. Maika Monroe stars alongside Tyriq Withers, Lauren Graham, and Bradley Whitford in the story of a woman seeking custody of her child after being released from prison.”—AG

Project Hail Mary

“If you haven’t already read Project Hail Mary from The Martian author Andy Weir, now’s the time. A hugely anticipated adaptation starring Ryan Gosling as schoolteacher/biologist-turned-astronaut Ryland Grace—who wakes aboard a spaceship with no memory of how he got there—will land this March. If the success of the Oscar-nominated 2015 adaptation of The Martian is any indication, Project Hail Mary is bound to be a hit.”—LPP

Mother Mary

“Director David Lowery has put together a mind-blowing slate of talent for this Anne Hathaway–led film. Hathaway plays a pop star who reignites an intense dynamic with an old friend, played by Michaela Coel. Jack Antonoff and Charli XCX wrote music for the film, and Hathaway and Coel’s co-stars include Kaia Gerber, FKA twigs, Hunter Schafer, Sian Clifford, and Downton Abbey’s Jessica Brown Findlay.”—AG

The Drama

“Weddings are stressful, and The Drama takes that idea and runs it completely off the rails. Zendaya and Robert Pattinson star as a couple whose engagement collides with a series of unexpected events just days before they’re meant to say ‘I do.’ Directed by Kristoffer Borgli, the A24 film leans into dark humor, with Alana Haim and Mamoudou Athie among the supporting cast.”—Moriel Mizrahi Finder, editorial and social media assistant

Michael

“Directed by Antoine Fuqua, Michael charts the early rise of Michael Jackson, played by his own nephew, Jaafar Jackson, in his feature debut. The biopic follows the music icon’s journey from the Jackson 5 to solo superstardom, exploring the drive behind his rapid ascent. The cast includes Colman Domingo, Nia Long, Miles Teller, and Laura Harrier.”—MMF

The Devil Wears Prada 2

“Few films have shaped fashion culture like The Devil Wears Prada—and now its story continues. Nearly 20 years later, Miranda Priestly is navigating a fashion world that looks nothing like the one she once ruled. The Devil Wears Prada 2 sees Meryl Streep, Anne Hathaway, Emily Blunt, and Stanley Tucci return under director David Frankel, with a cast that also includes Kenneth Branagh, Lucy Liu, Justin Theroux, B.J. Novak, and a cameo appearance by Lady Gaga.”—MMF

Hokum

“Adam Scott leads this Irish-set horror about a writer who travels to a quiet corner of Ireland to scatter the ashes of his parents and finds himself in a hotel haunted by an ancient witch. Judging by the terrifying trailer and Scott’s record of horror hits (from Hellraiser: Bloodline to Krampus), this should be good.”—AG

Verity

“The Idea of You director Michael Showalter reunites with Anne Hathaway in this Colleen Hoover adaptation—the second Hoover adaptation of 2026—alongside Josh Hartnett and Dakota Johnson. Showalter, who created Wet Hot American Summer, has a comedy bend, so perhaps he’ll bring an unexpected twist to Hoover’s thriller, which is about a writer brought in to complete the work of a famous author.”—AG

I Love Boosters

“Director Boots Riley’s next project after Sorry to Bother You and the series I’m a Virgo is I Love Boosters, about a crew of shoplifters who target a ‘cutthroat fashion maven,’ according to the logline. The fact that Keke Palmer, Naomi Ackie, and Taylour Paige are starring is enough to get me in the theater. Demi Moore and LaKeith Stanfield, too!”—EG

The Mandalorian and Grogu

“Pedro Pascal wowed Star Wars fans as Din Djarin in the Disney+ series The Mandalorian. In the new movie, he stars alongside Sigourney Weaver and Jeremy Allen White, as well as the animatronic puppet who plays Grogu, formerly known as “Baby Yoda,” Din Djarin’s adopted son and a member of the same species as Yoda himself.”—AG

Masters of the Universe

“Red White & Royal Blue star Nicholas Galitzine will star as He-Man in this massive live-action venture from Amazon MGM and Mattel, based on the popular Masters of the Universe action figures. Camila Mendes, Morena Baccarin, Alison Brie, Jared Leto, Idris Elba, and more round out the cast.”—EG

Disclosure Day

“There’s been a veil of secrecy around this Steven Spielberg-directed science-fiction film, thought to focus on UFOs. Starring Emily Blunt, the cast also includes Colman Domingo, Josh O’Connor, and Colin Firth.”—AG

Toy Story 5

“When we last saw Woody, in 2019’s Toy Story 4, he made a big move—after big kid Andy left for college and passed his toys along to his younger sister Bonnie, Woody jumped ship to live as an itinerant ‘lost toy.’ Now Jessie is leading the toys through yet another threat from new technology.”—AG

Supergirl

“A year after David Corenswet’s debut as Superman, Milly Alcock (who you know from House of the Dragon and Sirens) arrives as Supergirl. In a departure from Clark Kent’s clean-cut charm, Kara Zor-El gives no fucks and is a bit rough around the edges, but she still packs a punch. I, Tonya director Craig Gillespie seems like a great match for this super saga.”—EG

Moana

“Ten years after the animated original made waves in theaters, Moana is getting the live-action treatment. Original star Auliʻi Cravalho, now producing the film, is passing the baton to newcomer Catherine Lagaʻaia, but Dwayne Johnson is coming back as Maui.”—EG

The Odyssey

“Christopher Nolan is taking on The Odyssey, and fans of Homer’s epic classic are ready. The upcoming film adaptation, which boasts a ridiculously stacked cast, follows Odysseus’s perilous, decade-long journey home after the Trojan War. Along the way, he’ll have to overcome monsters, gods, and temptation in order to reunite with his son, Telemachus, and wife, Penelope. Considering Nolan’s history of ambitious scale, spectacle, and immersive storytelling, this movie is already positioned to be a feast for the eyes…unless you’re a certain cyclops named Polyphemus.”—Brea Cubit, contributor

Spider-Man: Brand New Day

“Spider-Man: Brand New Day will arrive with a lot riding on it. We last saw Peter Parker in Spider-Man: No Way Home more than four years ago, as his relationships, support system, and sense of belonging were all ripped away from him. It was a devastating ending, and some of us are still recovering. This next chapter will hopefully offer a more positive reset of sorts. After so much loss, fans are more than ready to see something go right for the friendly neighborhood hero.”—BC

Sense and Sensibility

“Jane Austen’s classic 1811 novel Sense and Sensibility became the beloved Ang Lee–directed 1995 film starring Kate Winslet and Emma Thompson (who also wrote the screenplay). Now a new generation will get its own vision, starring Daisy Edgar-Jones and Esmé Creed-Miles and directed by Georgia Oakley.”—AG

Practical Magic 2

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“Twenty-eight years after the original cult classic, Nicole Kidman and Sandra Bullock are reuniting onscreen as witchy sisters Gillian and Sally Owens. If it’s anything like the original, I’m praying for another revolutionary fall wardrobe.”—EG

Digger

“Post–Mission: Impossible and Top Gun sequels, Tom Cruise is teaming up with Alejandro González Iñárritu (Birdman, The Revenant) for what the director describes as ‘a wild comedy of catastrophic proportions.’ Further details are limited, but I’m interested.”—EG

The Social Reckoning

“A sequel to The Social Network? Aaron Sorkin is on it. After all, Facebook has come a long way since its inception in a Harvard dorm room. The follow-up will reportedly follow Facebook’s ‘effect on teens, preteens, violence, and countries outside the U.S.’ Jesse Eisenberg is not returning as Mark Zuckerberg; Jeremy Strong will take on the role. Jeremy Allen White, Mikey Madison, and Wunmi Mosaku are in the cast, too.”—EG

The Hunger Games: Sunrise on the Reaping

“The Hunger Games franchise is still going strong, with Suzanne Collins’s latest book—a prequel titled Sunrise on the Reaping—becoming a bestselling hit last year. The adaptation is now speeding toward theaters, with Joseph Zada starring as the younger version of beloved THG mentor Haymitch Abernathy (played by Woody Harrelson in the original films). Jennifer Lawrence and Josh Hutcherson are returning to make cameo appearances in their old roles…and if you’ve read the book, you know that reunion’s going to be a tear-jerker.”—LPP

Focker-in-Law

“Ariana Grande is a new addition to this classic comedy franchise. Where Ben Stiller’s Greg Focker was the nervous boyfriend meeting his girlfriend’s intimidating father (Robert De Niro), now the plot has reportedly turned to his son, played by Skyler Gisondo, who is brokering a tense introduction between his family and his very intense fiancée, played by Grande.”—AG

Avengers: Doomsday

“Marvel threw a tremendous curveball when it cast Robert Downey, Jr., who famously played Marvel superhero Iron Man, as its next big villain: Doctor Doom. Expect another massive superhero crossover event, bringing back some of the OGs, like Captain America and Thor.”—EG

Dune Part 3

“We’re in for another Timothée Chalamet Christmas with the final installment of Denis Villeneuve’s Paul Atreides saga. Zendaya is also set to return.”—EG

Werwulf

“Fellow Nosferatu fans, we’re about to get another spooky treat this Christmas. Robert Eggers is directing a werewolf horror film starring some of his past collaborators, including Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Willem Dafoe, and Lily-Rose Depp.”—EG

Narnia

“Greta Gerwig will take us through the wardrobe this fall with her take on C.S. Lewis’s iconic fantasy series. Although details on the project are slim for now, we can expect a visual feast, as the film will be released not only on Netflix, but also on IMAX screens.”—EG

Heartstopper Forever

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“Heartstopper will come to an end with a full-length film that picks up after the season 3 finale. This next chapter of Charlie and Nick’s romance will explore ‘time, memory, love, pain…[and] the ordinary magic of our everyday lives,’ creator Alice Oseman says. We’re not ready to say goodbye, but we know it’ll be sweet.”—EG

Forbidden Fruits

“After watching her play Belly Conklin for three seasons of The Summer I Turned Pretty, I’m excited for Lola Tung to enter her scream-queen era. In this horror-comedy, she stars opposite a slew of fellow It girls: Lili Reinhart, Victoria Pedretti, Alexandra Shipp, and Emma Chamberlain.”—EG