It’s only January, and a lot is already going on in 2026. But there’s one thing that we can safely turn to for roughly two hours of escapism: the movies.
There are, of course, the usual major releases that have us planning our trips to the cinemas: I am already planning which blockbuster to watch first in anticipation of Dunesday later this December. What’s more, the year’s announced releases, both locally and globally, promise such an eclectic mix of book adaptations, dark comedies, and sci-fi thrillers that it’s going to be hard to figure out which of them warrant a movie ticket (or, well, a night of streaming on the platform of your choice).
To make things a little easier, we’ve rounded up 20 of the film releases we’re most excited about, just for you.
Note: opening dates are subject to change.
‘Send Help’ (January 28)
Linda (Rachel McAdams), an overworked corporate girlie, is tired of picking up after her boss, Bradley (Dylan O’Brien). Oh, but how the tables turn in Sam Raimi’s dark comedy: after a plane crash, the two must work together to survive and try to make their way off a deserted island.
‘The Loved One’ (February 11)
Directed by Irene Villamor (Only We Know, Ulan), The Loved One follows Ellie (Anne Curtis) and Eric (Jericho Rosales) as they reunite 10 years after their relationship fell apart. Get ready for high levels of angst, yearning, and love all around.
‘”Wuthering Heights”’ (February 11)
Emerald Fennell’s adaptation of Emily Brontë’s Gothic classic may be… very unfaithful to the book, but it bills itself as an angsty, horny take on the romance between Catherine Earnshaw (Margot Robbie) and Heathcliff (Jacob Elordi).
‘How to Make a Killing’ (February 20 in the U.S.)
It’s a nepo baby gone rogue! Disowned at birth by his obscenely wealthy, blue-collar Becket Redfellow (Glen Powell) decides that it’s high time he gets his family inheritance — by any means necessary.
‘Until She Remembers’ (February 25)
Although not much about Brillante Mendoza’s upcoming drama has been announced yet, we know that Until She Remembers centers on a high school student (Barbie Forteza) who avoids a chaotic home life by spending time with her grandmother (Charo Santos-Concio) and her friend (Boots Anson Roa-Rodrigo).
‘Sisa’ (March 4)
14 years after her last stint on the big screen, Hilda Koronel has returned to take the lead in Jun Lana’s bloody look at the Philippine-American War. She is joined by Eugene Domingo and Sunshine’s Jennica Garcia.
‘A Special Memory’ (March 4)
Directed by Jason Paul Laxamana, A Special Memory promises a tender romance starring Bela Padilla and Carlo Aquino. This marks the first time the two stars have worked together in a full-length feature since Meet Me in St. Gallen in 2018.
‘The Bride!’ (March 4)
It’s Frankenstein, but make it Bonnie and Clyde. Directed by Maggie Gyllenhaal, the romance-horror centers on a murdered young woman (Jessie Buckley) who has been brought back to life to be the crazed, romantic partner-in-crime of Frankenstein’s monster (Christian Bale).
‘Project Hail Mary’ (March 18)
The latest project from directing duo Phil Lord and Christopher Miller (21 Jump Street, The Lego Movie), Project Hail Mary follows Ryland Grace (Ryan Gosling), a sixth-grade science teacher who has been enlisted to become an astronaut and find out how to save Earth from an unknown threat.
‘The Drama’ (April 3 in the U.S.)
You’d think that Robert Pattinson and Zendaya would make such a power couple, but alas, that is not the case in Kristoffer Borgli’s The Drama. Little has been said about the plot just yet, but the movie’s tagline states that an unexpected turn ends up derailing the couple’s wedding week.
‘The Devil Wears Prada 2’ (April 29)
Meryl Streep and Anne Hathaway return to the world of fashion publishing, but things aren’t as glamorous as they used to be. People just aren’t reading like they used to, and the great Miranda Priestly must face off against her former assistant, Emily Charlton (Emily Blunt), who now reigns supreme as a rival executive.
‘I Love Boosters’ (May 22 in the U.S.)
Director Boots Riley has always pushed the boundaries of the dark comedy genre, like in his debut film Sorry to Bother You, and I hope I Love Boosters gets just as weird. Starring Keke Palmer, LaKeith Stanfield, Naomi Ackie, Demi Moore, Will Poulter, and more, I Love Boosters focuses on a group of shoplifters who take aim at a cutthroat fashion aficionado.
‘Scary Movie 6’ (June 10)
They’re back! 13 years after the last film in the franchise, Scary Movie 6 is bringing back Cindy (Anna Faris) and Brenda (Regina Hall) alongside franchise newcomers such as Damon Wayans Jr. and Heidi Gardner. The Wayans brothers Maron and Shawn return as screenwriters, along with Rick Alvarez and Keenen Ivory.
‘Disclosure Day’ (June 10)
Steven Spielberg is back in the director’s chair for the sci-fi epic thriller, Disclosure Day. While we’re not quite sure what’s going on with the plot just yet, we do know that aliens are involved and that Josh O’Connor, Emily Blunt, Colman Domingo, and Colin Firth will be thrown into the mix.
‘The Odyssey’ (July 17 in the U.S.)
Christopher Nolan may just be ready to outdo himself with his take on Homer’s massive Greek epic, which stars Matt Damon as Odysseus, who must navigate dangerous waters to make his way back to his homeland of Ithaca.
‘Spider-Man: Brand New Day’ (July 29)
The last time we saw Peter Parker (Tom Holland), things were looking pretty bleak for our friendly neighborhood Spider-Man after he’d had to make a difficult decision to save his friends. Now, in Brand New Day, Spidey’s just trying to finish college and leave that all behind him. But what’s he going to do when a new villain comes to threaten everyone he loves once again?
‘Flowervale Street’ (August 14 in the U.S.)
As suggested by the sole photograph of a brontosaurus on the film’s IMDb page, we might get to see Anne Hathaway share the screen with dinosaurs in Flowervale Street, but we’ll just have to see what director David Robert Mitchell has in store for us. The film stars Hathaway and Ewan McGregor as a couple in the ’80s who realize something very bizarre is happening in their neighborhood.
‘The Dog Stars’ (August 28 in the U.S.)
Hopefully, Ridley Scott’s apocalyptic sci-fi Dog Stars doesn’t get delayed a second time, because I’m looking forward to seeing Jacob Elordi, Margaret Qualley, and Josh Brolin in a film set after a virus wipes out much of humanity.
‘Resident Evil’ (September 18 in the U.S.)
Fresh off the success of Weapons, director Zach Cregger is giving us his take on the Resident Evil franchise. But it looks like Cregger’s stepping out of the video game canon, because his film will follow a completely new character: a “hapless courier” who has the bad luck of delivering a package to a remote hospital right in the middle of an outbreak.
‘The Social Reckoning’ (October 9 in the U.S.)
Aaron Sorkin is returning to the world of tech bros with The Social Reckoning, the long-anticipated follow-up to The Social Network. But instead of focusing on the life and times of Mark Zuckerberg (Jeremy Strong), the sequel will center on young Facebook engineer Frances (Mikey Madison), who enlists the help of Wall Street Journal reporter Jeff Horwitz (Jeremy Allen White) to blow the whistle on one of the world’s biggest tech companies.
‘Avengers: Doomsday’ (December 18)
Marvel’s latest blockbuster is most likely going to be a nostalgic smorgasbord, especially since so many familiar faces from across the MCU are making their way back to the franchise. Captain America (both Anthony Mackie and Chris Evans), Thor (Chris Hemsworth), Black Panther (Letitia Wright), members of the X-Men, the Fantastic Four, and, honestly, a whole other caboodle of heroes will be returning for the climax of Phase Six of the MCU.
‘Dune: Part Three’ (December 18 in the U.S.)
The third and final installment of Denis Villeneuve’s Dune trilogy will pick up 12 years after Dune: Part Two, following the lives of Paul (Timothée Chalamet), Alia (Anya Taylor-Joy), Chani (Zendaya), and Princess Irulan (Florence Pugh) as they are embroiled in Paul’s Holy War.
‘Poon (The Hallowed)’ (TBA)
The mystery drama, directed by Adolfo Alix Jr., features an all-star cast including Ronaldo Valdez, Gina Pareño, Jaclyn Jose, Janice de Belen, and Lotlot de Leon. The film is slated to be released in March 2026.
