March 6, 2026
As we enter March, it’s time to look ahead to the most anticipated movies of 2026, even though Hollywood still has its eyes on 2025 with the Oscars ceremony next weekend. If you missed my preview from last week, you can check it out here and I’ll share some thoughts on the Oscars ceremony in a few weeks.
I’m keeping this preview confined to what’s to come for the rest of the year. Of course, it’s already March, so we’ve had some new releases these last two months, but not many. The studios usually hold their big releases for the summer or the fall awards campaign season. That being said, the year is off to a solid start. More to come in my monthly movie report at the end of March. We’re going to jump in by looking at what the big superhero / comic book franchises have in store.
Will These Movies Work?
After the success of the DC Comics Universe reboot with last year’s Superman, a film I liked a fair amount, Warner Bros. Studios is taking a measured approach with their next chapters in the DC world. First up is Supergirl, opening June 26th, featuring relative newcomer Milly Alcock in the lead role. She made a brief appearance at the end of last year’s Superman and the trailer looks decent. Next up will be Clayface, opening October 23rd, which is based on one of the DC villains and is described as a body horror movie. This one is directed by James Watkins, in his follow up to 2024’s very good Speak No Evil. Clayface is co-written by Mike Flanagan, who has shown a strong hand in the horror genre, with Doctor Sleep and The Haunting of Hill House among his many credits. I’m not sure if either of these movies will work, but I like that Warner Bros. is taking some chances as they build out the DC world under new leader James Gunn.
After several years of lackluster releases, Marvel has just one film on the slate for 2026, but it’s a big one. Avengers: Doomsday arrives in theaters on December 18th with the Russo brothers returning to try to put some shine back on the Marvel brand. Their run from 2014 – 2018 was incredibly successful and Disney is banking on a return to form. They paid big bucks to convince many of the actors who portrayed beloved Marvel characters to return, including Robert Downey, Jr., but not as Iron Man. He will play Dr. Doom, the main villain. This will be an interesting one to watch, as the film opens the same weekend as Dune: Part Three.
The one superhero franchise that appears immune to any sort of fatigue is technically a Marvel co-production and that’s Spider-Man. We will have to wait until 2027 for the third installment in the brilliant animated Spider-Verse franchise, but this year we will see Tom Holland back in the spider suit in Spider Man: Brand New Day, opening July 31st. This will likely be one of the highest grossing films of the year as everyone loves their friendly neighborhood Spider-Man.
Lastly, for the first time in almost seven years, we will be getting a new Star Wars film in theaters. The Mandalorian & Grogu, arriving on May 22nd, is a spinoff of the very successful television series. Based on the previews, it looks like director Jon Favreau may have stitched together ideas from several television episodes to create a feature film. I was lukewarm on The Mandalorian, but will likely check this one out. Next up in the Star Wars universe will be in 2027 with Ryan Gosling leading Star Wars: Starfighter. Awkward title aside, I am a big fan of Gosling, so I am hopeful that one will be successful.
Sequels, Sequels and More Sequels
If there is one thing we know Hollywood loves, it’s a sequel to a successful movie. Even if the original came out many years ago, if a studio feels like there is an opportunity to get the gang back together and make a buck, they’ll take the chance.
The prime example of this tactic is The Devil Wears Prada 2, the sequel to the 2006 terrific comedy, which arrives on May 1st in theaters. Meryl Streep returns as Miranda Priestly, the talented but mean-spirited fashion icon. Anne Hatheway (in one of her five movies being released this year – wow!), Emily Blunt, and Stanley Tucci will all be back for the fun. Not only is the main cast back, but director David Frankel and screenwriter Aline Brosh McKenna are also returning. With all of the talent involved, I have to believe there is a good story that convinced them all to return. Fingers crossed this is a winner.
I had one of those “Oh my God, I’m old” moments recently when I saw that Tom Hanks turns 70 this year. Yeah, that’s not a typo. After all, his breakout on television, Bosom Buddies, was 45 years ago. Fortunately, Hanks is still in prime shape and will return to voice Woody in Toy Story 5, hitting theaters on June 19th. Pixar Studios has had a hard time launching new characters that resonate with fans, but people never seem to get tired of the gang from Toy Story. In preparation for this new installment, I watched Toy Story 3 for the first time this past week. I had heard over the years that this was a perfect movie and the ending was emotional, but I was still not prepared with how hard that last scene hit. Yes, I’m a softy. All of the Toy Story films are on Disney+ if you want to brush up on the series before the new installment arrives this summer.
What will likely be a blatant money grab, all of the principals are back for the fourth installment in the Meet the Parents franchise, Focker-in Law. This time, Greg and Pam’s son is marrying someone who is not his ideal match. Sure, I like all of the actors involved, but this one seems like it will be DOA. If you are interested, Focker-in Law will be in theaters on November 25th.
One franchise that passed me by when it originally came out was The Hunger Games, the wildly successful series that began in 2012 and based on the popular novels. My daughter was a fan of them, so we’ve been making our way through the films, having seen the second installment in the theater last night. I’ve been really enjoying them, so I will likely see the prequel film, The Hunger Games: Sunrise on the Reaping, when it arrives in theaters on November 20th. The new movie has a star-studded cast, including Jesse Plemons, Glenn Close, Ralph Fiennes, and Kieran Culkin, as well as newcomers Joseph Zada and McKenna Grace (who seems to be in every film these days) among the competitors in the games. Given the talent involved, this one should be fun.
Two other sequels to briefly mention as they are arriving this month. First up is Ready or Not 2: Here I Come, a follow-up to the 2019 fun comedy-thriller starring Samara Weaving. She is back, along with Kathryn Newton as her sister, as they try to survive being hunted by a bunch of rich psychopaths. Look for that one in theaters on March 20th. The same day, you will be able to watch Peaky Blinders: The Immortal Man on Netflix. The film will serve as a direct follow-up to the very successful series, but set in the 1940s. Oscar-winner Cillian Murphy is back as Tommy Shelby, this time trying to prevent his son (played by Barry Keoghan), from supporting the Germans during World War II. I saw the trailer for this one, and it looks fantastic. I will cover both of these movies in my monthly report in a few weeks.
Star Showcases
The likely winner of next week’s Oscar for Best Actress, Jessie Buckley, stars as The Bride!, in theaters today. This new interpretation of The Bride of Frankenstein features an all-star cast, including Christian Bale (as the Monster), Annette Bening, Jake Gyllenhaal and Penélope Cruz. It was directed by Maggie Gyllenhaal, who was reportedly given a blank check by Warner Bros. to make an audacious picture that reportedly had difficulties in production. The release date was pushed back, presumably to avoid conflicting with Guillermo del Toro’s Frankenstein last fall, but there’s a chance that this is a disaster. Early reviews have not been kind.
Also out this month is Ryan Gosling in Project Hail Mary, the sci-fi action film based on the novel by Andy Weir, who also gave us The Martian. This one looks terrific, has received positive early reviews, and comes from talented directors Phil Lord and Christopher Miller, who were instrumental in the success of the animated Spider-Verse movies. Check this one out in theaters on March 20th and I’ll cover it later this month.
The star who will likely have the biggest box-office of 2026 is Zendaya, who has four films coming out. Three of them are all-star blockbusters (Spider-Man: Brand New Day and two more I will cover shortly) and then there is The Drama, in theaters on April 3rd. I don’t know a lot about this movie except that Zendaya and Robert Pattinson play a couple about to be married when one discovers something about the other. I am really trying to not learn more about the plot, because I’ve heard rumblings that there is a big twist and I want to be surprised in the theater. The Drama was written and directed by Kristoffer Borgli, who brought us 2023’s terrific Dream Scenario with Nicolas Cage, so I have high hopes for it.
And lastly, we have one of the more intriguing releases of 2026. For the first time in nine years, Tom Cruise will be starring in a movie outside of a major franchise. He is the lead in Digger, the new film from Alejandro González Iñárritu, the Oscar-winning director of Birdman and The Revenant. Here is the logline of Digger: “The most powerful man in the world embarks on a frantic mission to prove he is humanity’s savior before the disaster he’s unleashed destroys everything.“ Could this lead to the long-overdue Oscar for Cruise or a colossal misfire? Anything is possible, but Warner Bros. must be high on the film, because they have slated it for a prime awards spot in the calendar. You can see Digger on October 2nd in theaters.
Based on a True Story
If there is one genre that is ripe for Hollywood to bring to the big screen, it’s a story that’s based on a real person, or a real incident. We see many of these types of movies every year and they can be hit or miss. You need to have the right combination of star power, filmmaker, and a compelling story that will make audiences get interested. If it feels like something we have seen many times before, it may fade into obscurity shortly after release. 2026 has a number of releases that are based on real people or a true story.
First up is a Michael Jackson biopic that has been in production for a long time and has experienced several production issues. Michael, starring the singer’s nephew Jaafar Jackson and directed by Antoine Fuqua (Training Day) opens in theaters on April 24th. Based on the trailer (which admittedly looks terrific), the story appears to be focused on Jackson’s early days performing with his brothers, through the release of his monster hit album Thriller. There may or may not be a sequel planned, which would include the singer’s controversies, including allegations of misconduct with children. That storyline was originally planned for this film, but had to be cut for legal reasons. My guess is that Michael will be a massive hit given Jackson’s popularity, but will also be very sympathetic towards the singer. At least we know the music will be good.
Oscar-winning director Peter Farrelly (The Green Book) is behind the camera for I Play Rocky, in theaters November 13th. Anthony Ippolito, a relatively unknown actor, portrays Sylvester Stallone in the story of how he brought the story of Rocky Balboa to the big screen in the 1976 blockbuster that won Best Picture and launched a massive franchise. If Ippolito is convincing, this could be a very good look at an underdog writer-actor who created the ultimate underdog movie.
In what might be comically bad, but definitely watchable, Nicolas Cage portrays John Madden, the legendary NFL coach, commentator, and inspiration for the video game that bears his name in Madden, coming to Amazon Prime on November 26th. Christian Bale plays Raiders owner Al Davis in this movie, directed by David O. Russell, a filmmaker who has had big hits (Silver Linings Playbook, American Hustle), but is in a major slump and is recognized as a major asshole in Hollywood. It’s a wonder he keeps getting money to make movies.
A.I. is all the rage right now everywhere you look in the world and one of the biggest companies in the space is OpenAI, the maker of ChatGPT. The story of the company’s CEO, Sam Altman, is brought to life in Artificial, directed by Luca Guadagnino (Challengers), with Andrew Garfield on tap to play Altman. The cast list on this film is very impressive and I am a fan of Gudagnino’s pictures, even if his last effort (After the Hunt) was disappointing. Artificial will be in theaters later this year.
Oscar-winning director Danny Boyle (Slumdog Millionaire, Steve Jobs) will helm Ink, an incisive look at Rupert Murdoch, the controversial head of News Corp. The film is written by James Graham, based on his own play of the same name, and features Guy Pierce (Oscar-nominated for 2024’s The Brutalist) as Murdoch. Jack O’Connell (Sinners) and Claire Foy (The Crown) are featured in supporting roles. Look for Ink in theaters later this year.
I have many movies that I consider “most anticipated” and then I have a few that I am dreading. At the top of that list is probably The Social Reckoning, a “kind of” sequel to The Social Network. That film, a five-star masterpiece that should have won Best Picture in 2010, was written by Aaron Sorkin and directed by David Fincher and tells the origin story of Facebook. Sorkin has been eager to bring a new Facebook story to the big screen and decided to write and direct this film himself. He has not had a lot of success directing his own scripts (the last one, Being the Ricardos, was a disappointment), so that’s one reason to be skeptical. The other reason is the topic.
Reportedly The Social Reckoning is about whistleblowers at Facebook who leaked information to the Wall Street Journal about the social media company’s misinformation tactics surrounding the 2020 election and the January 6th Capitol attack. My big concern is that this will be very preachy. Sorkin can get a little full of himself and without a director to reign him in, this might be a misfire. The good news? The cast is outstanding. Mikey Madison (last seen winning an Oscar for Anora) plays the whistleblower, Jeremy Allen White (The Bear) plays the reporter, and (buckle up) Jeremy Strong (Succession) plays Mark Zuckerberg. The Social Reckoning will be in theaters October 9th.
Comedy Anyone?
Director Steven Soderbergh (who never stops working) has a new film in theaters on April 10th. The Christophers is reportedly a dark comedy starring Ian McKellan as a well-known artist whose estranged children hire a forger to complete his unfinished paintings so they can sell them. The film was written by Ed Solomon, who collaborated with Soderbergh on the very good No Sudden Move in 2021.
Nicholas Stoller, the very talented filmmaker behind Forgetting Sarah Marshall and the terrific television series Platonic, will bring Judgment Day to theaters later this year. Will Farrell stars as a reality show host who is taken hostage by a man, played by Zac Efron, who blames him for destroying his life. Farrell’s antics don’t always work for me, but I trust Stoller so I will give this one a shot.
Will Gluck, coming off the massively successful Anyone But You with Glen Powell and Sydney Sweeney, is back with the romantic comedy One Night Only. The film stars Monica Barbaro (Oscar-nominated for A Complete Unknown) and Callum Turner (recently seen in the very good romantic comedy Eternity) play two strangers trying to find love on the one night a year when pre-marital sex is legal. Look for One Night Only in theaters on August 7th.
Keeping with that theme, one of the big hits at this year’s Sundance Film Festival was Gail Daughtry and the Celebrity Sex Pass. Zoey Deutch plays a bride-to-be who finds out that her husband used his celebrity sex pass, so she goes to Hollywood to even the score. Mad Men veterans Jon Hamm and John Slattery play themselves, so you can probably guess who is on her list. Look for this promising comedy in theaters later this year.
Some of My Favorite Directors Are Back
Whenever I make my list of movies to see each year, I always start with the next projects from my favorite directors. First on that list for 2026 is The Dog Stars, an epic science-fiction story set in the future after a virus wipes out most of humanity. Jacob Elordi, Josh Brolin, and Margaret Qualley star in this film set to hit theaters on August 28th.
Following the success of The Banshees of Inisherin, which was nominated for nine Oscars in 2022, Martin McDonagh returns with Wild Horse Nine. The film is described as a drama-thriller and stars John Malkovich and Sam Rockwell, who won an Oscar for his performance in McDonagh’s Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri. Look for Wild Horse Nine in theaters on November 6th
Tony Gilroy, the brilliant writer-director behind the Star Wars spinoff series Andor, returns to the big screen with Behemoth!, the story of a musician who returns home to Los Angeles. The film stars Pedro Pascal, in the lead role and is said to be a love letter to the music of movies and the people who make it. If you admire Andor but wonder if Gilroy can make a quality film, I submit the five-star masterpiece Michael Clayton, which he wrote and directed, into evidence. Look for Behemoth! In theaters later this year.
For the horror fans, Robert Eggers is following up the excellent Nosferatu with Werwulf, coming to theaters on Christmas Day. Nothing screams the holidays like a period piece scary movie about a mysterious monster terrorizing a bunch of innocent villagers. Eggers got the gang back together for this one as Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Lily-Rose Depp, and Willem Dafoe (who all starred in Nosferatu) will join in the fun for Werwulf. Count on a gorgeous looking picture that will surely bring the scares.
It’s been eight years since we had the luxury of watching a film from Joel and Ethan Coen. They have co-directed some of the greatest movies of their generation, but since 2018’s The Ballad of Buster Scruggs, they have gone their separate ways. Sidebar: I will be covering their filmography this spring in conjunction with the thirtieth anniversary of Fargo. Since the split, Ethan has made two disastrous comedies, and Joel directed Denzel Washington in 2021’s very good (but kind of dull) The Tragedy of Macbeth. They desperately need to get back together. In the meantime, Joel is back this year with Jack of Spades, described as a Gothic mystery story set in the 1800s, with Josh O’Connor and Frances McDormand. Sounds terrific. Look for Jack of Spades in theaters later this year.
Three years after co-writing and directing the biggest film of 2023, not to mention being part of a massive cultural phenomenon, Greta Gerwig’s follow up to Barbie is a big one. She is adapting one of the books in The Chronicles of Narnia series. Narnia: The Magician’s Nephew is the sixth novel in the series, but the first chronologically, and is a high-stakes affair. After the success of Barbie, Netflix signed Gerwig to a massive deal to make two Narnia movies. During the early stages of production she made a big push to get a theatrical release for the first installment. We all know Netflix’s reluctance to theaters, so this was no easy decision. But she convinced the powers that be to put Narnia: The Magician’s Nephew in IMAX theaters for at least a few weeks (starting on Thanksgiving), before it premieres on the streamer later this year. If this is a hit, could this convince Netflix to be more open-minded about theatrical releases? Stay tuned. And go see it in the theater – a film like this is made for the big screen.
This is certainly a strange one. Much has been made about Quentin Tarantino’s next (and reportedly last) film, after the massive success of Once Upon a Time…in Hollywood, my favorite movie of 2019. A few years ago, we heard that he had written the script for The Movie Critic, and that Cliff Booth (the character Brad Pitt won an Oscar for playing in Once Upon a Time) would be a minor character. Then news leaked that Tarantino decided to shelve the project. Pitt loved the script and asked if he could bring it to his good friend and frequent collaborator, David Fincher. Tarantino agreed, Netflix provided the bankroll, and this year we will be seeing The Adventures of Cliff Booth. Not much is known about the story, except that it is kind of (but not really) a sequel to Once Upon a Time. The other fact we know is that Leonardo DiCaprio turned down an offer to play a small role. Oh, and there was a brief teaser trailer that you may have caught during the Super Bowl and can find online. My hopes are high for this one, given the pedigree involved and I will be seeing The Adventures of Cliff Booth as soon as it is released later this year.
Three other quick ones from a few of my favorite directors. M. Night Shyamalan’s next feature, Remain, which stars Jake Gyllenhaal was moved from this summer to early next year. The film is a romantic thriller co-written by Shyamalan and novelist Nicholas Sparks, who conceived the original idea. We’ll probably have to wait until 2027 for the next picture from Martin Scorsese. What Happens at Night is a psychological horror story starring Leonardo DiCaprio and Jennifer Lawrence that just started filming, so it’s doubtful it will be ready this year. And Michael Mann is assembling an incredible list of actors (some confirmed, some rumored) for Heat 2, the sequel to his 1995 crime-action masterpiece. If you believe all of the stories, the film (based on Mann’s 2022 novel) will feature DiCaprio and Christian Bale, with potential roles for Austin Butler, Adam Driver, and Bradley Cooper. Put this one at the top of my list for 2027.
It’s Time to Get Excited
Every year, there are a few films that I am immediately excited about as soon as I hear about them. When the release date is announced, it becomes appointment viewing for getting to a theater opening weekend to relish in the joy of witnessing what brilliant filmmakers are delivering to their audiences. That is the case with three movies coming from masters of their craft.
Steven Spielberg returns to his roots with Disclosure Day, a science-fiction thriller that seems to involve aliens. We’re not positive because Spielberg knows how to cut a trailer without giving away the whole plot. What we do know is that there are elements of government conspiracy, otherworldly events, and just some truly great looking action. Oh, and the film features a top-notch cast with Emily Blunt, Josh O’Connor, Colin Firth, and Colman Domingo. From the man who brought us Close Encounters of the Third Kind and E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial? Hell yeah.
Speaking of which, I’m currently making my way through Spielberg’s outstanding filmography (again) while I listen to the excellent podcast Blank Check cover each movie. This past week I watched E.T. again and while I have seen it so many times, what stood out to me in this last viewing was the tightness of the script. Spielberg told a story of science-fiction, adventure, comedy, and emotion, not to mention the heartbreak of divorce, in under two hours. If E.T. was made today, it would be a bloated ten-part limited series on a streaming service and the world would be a worse place for it. I guess what I’m saying is that if it’s been some time since you watched E.T., why not fire it up in advance of seeing Disclosure Day when it arrives in theaters on June 12th?
One month after Spielberg rocks our world, we get the pleasure of welcoming back Christopher Nolan in his follow up to Oppenheimer, which won seven Oscars and crowned Nolan as the event filmmaker in Hollywood. Hyperbolic? Universal Studios sold tickets for the opening day of his next movie ONE YEAR before its premiere. And they sold out in minutes. Yeah, people are excited for The Odyssey, which will premiere on July 17th. This is probably the only movie I don’t need to provide a plot summary for, because everyone has most likely read Homer’s Odyssey in school or at some other point in their lives. Let’s just say this looks like an incredible epic, with (mostly) practical effects because that’s how Nolan rolls, and filmed entirely using IMAX cameras. Should we discuss the cast? (Takes a deep breath). Matt Damon, Anne Hathaway, Tom Holland, Robert Pattinson, Zendaya, Charlize Theron, Lupita Nyong’o, Jon Bernthal, and many, many others. This WILL be the event movie of 2026 and I can’t wait to be seated opening weekend.
Speaking of incredible casts, get ready for another star-studded affair with Dune: Part 3, the (reportedly) concluding chapter in the saga from director Denis Villeneuve. The previous two installments were an incredible display of every craft in filmmaking – story, acting, score, visual effects, production design, costumes. The list goes on and on. What Villeneuve has done with the source text of Frank Darabont’s series of Dune novels is truly impressive. Even if you know nothing about the story, it’s easy to get acclimated to the plotlines and admire the brilliance of this franchise. Timothée Chalamet will once again lead the cast as Paul Atreides, and is joined by Zendaya, Florence Pugh, Rebecca Ferguson, Josh Brolin, Anya Taylor-Joy, Robert Pattinson, and Jason Momoa. Just like Nolan, when a star gets a call from Villeneuve to be in his next movie, they will drop everything and rearrange their schedule to make it happen. Get ready to go back to the land of spice when Dune: Part Three premieres in theaters on December 18th.
That’s all for this week. I hope you enjoyed my (exhaustive!) preview of this exciting year in film and found some titles to add to your watch list. Thanks for reading and if you would like to be notified about future posts, you can subscribe below.