13 films that will shape the cinema landscape in 2026

It feels strange to talk about films slated for 2026 when our minds are still stuck in 2015, but here we are. What makes the next 12 months special is that this could be the first full calendar period in which the cycle of film production and distribution is no longer feeling the effects of the pandemic or the 2023 writers’ and actors’ strikes. As a result, even a quick look at the upcoming release schedule suggests that 2026 could be one of the brightest years for cinemas in the past decade.

Even narrowing this list down to 13 titles was difficult, ranging from gothic novels and mythological epics to superhero films that could turn out to be either total spectacles or complete flops. Below, we bring you the films we cannot wait to see in 2026.

The Chronology of Water, January 9

Kristen Stewart first read Lidia Yuknavitch’s 2011 memoir The Chronology of Water seven years ago and immediately wanted to adapt it for the screen. After years spent directing short films and music videos, Kristen finally makes her feature directorial debut. In the film, Imogen Poots plays Lidia, whose upbringing is marked by a fraught relationship with alcoholism and the lasting effects of childhood abuse. Still, she finds healing through competitive swimming, writing, and later through motherhood. “This is a story about reclaiming your own voice through your own body,” Kristen said, “and about how, as a woman, you process and carry all of that in this fucked-up time we live in.”

The Chronology of Water

The Moment, January 30

The ultra-meta film The Moment by Charli xcx is part tour diary, part mockumentary, and part personal artistic statement. Following the success of her album Brat, the singer enlisted friend and creative collaborator Aidan Zamiri to follow her with a camera at a moment when her popularity was reaching new heights. The result is a film that playfully and humorously toys with both fame and her own image.

Wuthering Heights, February 13

The first in a series of major literary adaptations arriving in 2026, Emerald Fennell takes on Emily Brontë’s classic Wuthering Heights, with Jacob Elordi and Margot Robbie as Heathcliff and Catherine. In the recognizable style of the Saltburn director, the film is sensual, seductive, and utterly unrestrained, with an original soundtrack by Charli XCX. It will undoubtedly spark debate, which is precisely the point, encouraging audiences to return to this classic novel and compare impressions.

Wuthering Heights

Pillion, February 26

Pillion turns what could easily slip into a string of clichés about BDSM culture into a tender and moving love story between two completely opposite characters. Colin, played by Harry Melling, is a quiet, reserved traffic warden who still lives in his parents’ home. He goes on a blind date organized by who else but his mother, when he spots the potential man of his dreams. Ray, played by Alexander Skarsgård, dressed head to toe in leather, is everything the pale Colin is not: tall, confident, a Nordic god who seems entirely at ease in his own skin. It is clear that Pillion is “not a conventional gay love story,” as Skarsgård has said in interviews, but rather a more playful, freer take on power dynamics and desire.

The Bride, March 6

After Guillermo del Toro turned Jacob Elordi into the Creature in Frankenstein earlier this year, Maggie Gyllenhaal takes on her own version of this classic story. In The Bride, Frankenstein’s monster, played by Christian Bale, finally gets what he wants, a female companion in the form of a murdered woman brought back to life by the scientist Dr. Euphronius, played by Annette Bening, and portrayed by Jessie Buckley. The story is set in 1930s Chicago and is inspired by the silent film of the same name from that era. According to Gyllenhaal, The Bride is a “punk, monstrous love story,” but also a musical with “big dance numbers.” Dark, strange, and seductively atmospheric, with a powerful cast that includes Penélope Cruz, Annette Bening, Peter Sarsgaard, Julianne Hough, and Jake Gyllenhaal.

The Bride

The Drama, April 3

The star-studded cast alone makes The Drama an event of the year. Zendaya and Robert Pattinson play a couple whose romance, reportedly, “takes an unexpected and dramatic turn just before their big day.” Little is known about the film so far, beyond the fact that it is an A24 romantic comedy and that Ari Aster is attached as producer. What more could we need?

Michael, April 24

After what feels like endless delays, Jaafar Jackson, Jermaine’s son, finally steps into the legendary shoes of his uncle Michael. The biopic traces the King of Pop’s journey from the Jackson 5 era and a difficult childhood, through Thriller, the purchase of Neverland, all the way to his death in 2009. How deeply the film will delve into the controversies of his life remains to be seen. Alongside Jaafar, the supporting cast is equally starry, with Nia Long, Colman Domingo, Miles Teller, and Laura Harrier.

Michael

The Devil Wears Prada 2, May 1

Twenty years have passed since Andy Sachs, played by Anne Hathaway, tossed her phone, and her career, into a fountain in Paris, but now it is time for a return. The world of fashion magazines has changed dramatically since 2006, and The Devil Wears Prada 2 follows the original cast, Andy, Miranda Priestly played by Meryl Streep, Emily played by Emily Blunt, and Nigel played by Stanley Tucci, as they navigate the turbulent waters of contemporary media. The real question is whether fashion will stand the test of time.

The Odyssey, July 17

Matt Damon, Anne Hathaway, Zendaya, Tom Holland, Lupita Nyong’o, Robert Pattinson, Charlize Theron. The Odyssey boasts one of the most star-studded casts imaginable. Christopher Nolan turns his camera toward ancient Greece in this lavish reinterpretation of Homer’s epic, with Damon as Odysseus, a war-weary king trying to make his way home after the Trojan War. Expect a fusion of mythological motifs and cutting-edge technology, as this is the first film shot entirely with IMAX cameras.

The Odyssey

Sense & Sensibility, September 11

As longtime admirers of Ang Lee’s 1995 adaptation of Jane Austen’s novel, starring Emma Thompson, we have been very excited ever since we heard that a new version of Sense & Sensibility is on the way. This remake stars Daisy Edgar-Jones as Elinor Dashwood, is directed by Georgia Oakley of Blue Jean, and written by bestselling author Diana Reid of Love & Virtue. With a team like this, all signs point to a version that could stand shoulder to shoulder with the Oscar-winning classic.

Instagram

The Social Reckoning, October 9

A great deal has changed since The Social Network in 2010, for which Aaron Sorkin wrote the screenplay. In the sequel, he also directs the film, while Jeremy Strong replaces Jesse Eisenberg as Mark Zuckerberg, which we truly cannot imagine. The story focuses on 2021 and the case of whistleblower Frances Haugen, played by Mikey Madison, who risked everything to expose the social network’s secrets, including the suppression of research on negative effects on teen mental health, the spread of disinformation, and political polarization. Jeremy Allen White plays Wall Street Journal reporter Jeff Horwitz, who helped Haugen. It is still too early for a new trailer, but perhaps it is time to revisit the 2010 original.

Narnia: The Magician’s Nephew, November 26

C.S. Lewis’s The Chronicles of Narnia have been adapted for the screen multiple times since their publication in the 1950s, most famously The Lion, The Witch, and the Wardrobe. That is precisely why Greta Gerwig wants to direct The Magician’s Nephew, the sixth book in the series but the first chronologically. A film about the origins of Narnia allows her to bring a fresh perspective to familiar material. Given how Gerwig used old Hollywood techniques to create the tactile world of Barbie, it will be exciting to see her approach to one of the most imaginative children’s stories ever written.

Greta Gerwig, Getty Images

Dune 3, December 18

To close out 2026, Denis Villeneuve returns to complete his epic trilogy, with Timothée Chalamet and Zendaya among the familiar faces heading back to Arrakis. The story is reportedly based on Frank Herbert’s Dune Messiah and jumps more than a decade ahead. There are also whispers that Jason Momoa could appear in a very intriguing new form, and that his son may be joining the cast. Nothing has been confirmed yet, but one thing is certain: the hype is very real.

Dune: Part Three