As TV studios and production companies begin to announce their offerings for the year, we’re honing in on some of the trends rising to the surface.
First off, it looks like show business, both locally and globally, can’t get enough of a comeback this year. Some comebacks are delightfully meta, like Lisa Kudrow’s in the sitcom The Comeback, which returns to HBO with a third season 12 years after its last episode aired in 2014. Other comebacks are more dubious in nature, like Grand Theft Auto VI, which, while technically not a movie, has wormed its way back into pop culture after pushing its release date (again) to November.
In Philippine cinema, one of the biggest acting comebacks is definitely that of Hilda Koronel, who ends her 14-year acting hiatus with Sisa. The historical thriller, which releases later this March, marks Koronel’s first film since the 2012 romance-drama The Mistress, which earned her a FAMAS nod and Best Supporting Actress at the 2013 Luna Awards.
“I feel like I’m back in my own element,” Koronel said on TicTalk with Aster Amoyo when asked about her return to cinema. “I feel like I’m home.”
Directed by Jun Robles Lana (Call Me Mother, Die Beautiful), Sisa promises a bloody look at the Philippine-American War, with Koronel starring alongside Sunshine’s Jennica Garcia and Eugene Domingo, the latter of whom will also be reuniting with Lana after last working with the director in 2013 onMga Kuwentong Barbero. Sisa premiered at the Tallinn Black Nights Film Festival last November, where Koronel was praised for her performance, with critics calling it “energetic” and “searing.”
Fun fact: Domingo will be making an iconic return of her own. The actress is set to reprise her role in Ang Babae sa Septic Tank, which takes the theatrical stage this June, 15 years after it premiered at Cinemalaya in 2011. Another local movie classic reincarnating into the world of theater this year is Bagets, which begins its second life as Bagets the Musical later this January.
Directorial Homecomings
Erik Matti, the acclaimed filmmaker behind hits like Honor Thy Father, BuyBust, and more, will also be returning to directing full-length features with On the Job: Maghari. Starring Coco Martin, the film promises to be a high-stakes, emotional prequel to Matti’s award-winning action thriller, On the Job. The director will also be returning to the world of BuyBust, directing a Netflix series that builds on his 2018 drama starring Anne Curtis.
Curtis, who will be reprising her role as anti-narcotics officer Nina Manigan in the Netflix Original BuyBust: The Undesirables, is also making her return this year to the big screen. Seven years after starring in the 2019 MMFF entry M&M: The Mall the Merrier, Curtis is set to lead in the romance drama, The Loved One, alongside Jericho Rosales. The film is scheduled for release this February.
In Hollywood, several major directors are resurfacing. Steven Spielberg, who hasn’t directed an extraterrestrial movie since 2005’s War of the Worlds, is coming back to his sci-fi roots with Disclosure Day, starring Emily Blunt, Josh O’Connor, and Colin Firth. Ridley Scott is also returning to the genre with The Dog Stars, which stars Jacob Elordi, Josh Brolin, and more as they navigate a virus-ridden, post-apocalyptic world. Aaron Sorkin is also back to directing, as well as exploring the minds of millionaire tech bros, with his companion piece to The Social Network, The Social Reckoning.
Battle of the Franchises
It also looks like we may be getting several contenders for Barbenheimer 2.0. The strongest franchise battle that comes to mind is set to take place on December 18, the global release date for both Avengers: Doomsday and Dune 3. Dunesday will definitely dominate cinemas worldwide come Christmas time later this year, and fans will just have to decide which side of the blockbuster spectrum they want to see in theaters (or watch both, for those open to a double feature).
But Dunesday may not be the only franchise battle to hit moviegoers this year. Let’s not forget that The Odyssey and Spider-Man: Brand New Day arrive in cinemas around the same time, with release dates slated for July 18 and July 31 in the United States, respectively. Which film would you like to see in theaters: a Christopher Nolan-directed Greek epic or our friendly neighborhood web-slinger picking up the pieces after No Way Home? Either way, congratulations to Tom Holland for making it into not one, but two blockbusters this year.
Other contenders include Scary Movie 6 versus Disclosure Day (both slated for a June 12 North American release), Toy Story 5 (June 19) versus Supergirl (June 26), and The Devil Wears Prada 2 (May 1) versus Mortal Kombat 2 (May 8). While none of these cinematic matchups have landed on a good nickname just yet (we really can’t beat Barbenheimer), it’s clear that our 2026 calendar is packed with movies that all demand to be seen on the big screen, so plan your trips to your local cinema accordingly.
