A new year and a whole new slate of content to enjoy are coming our way.
As people who work in media, we try to have our fingers on the pulse of upcoming films, TV shows, and books.
We love everything from grand-sweeping epics to fun nostalgia rides, comic book movies to literary adaptations, long-awaited sequels to fresh new takes in exciting genres.
Here are the movies coming out in 2026 that The Weekly team is most looking forward to (in release date order):
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Survivor fans, this is for you. Rachel McAdams stars as the often-overlooked Linda Liddle, who has wanted to be on Survivor and has all these fantastic survival skills. After passing her over for a promotion, her overbearing boss, played by Dylan O’Brien, crash-land on an island, and their roles are reversed in deadly fashion…
Release date: 30 January, 2026
Watch the trailer:
We Bury The Dead
If you love homegrown horror films, then add this to your watchlist for 2026. Daisy Ridley stars as Ava, whose husband had travelled to Tasmania before a catastrophe. The United States of America’s military accidentally detonates an experimental weapon off the coast of Tasmania, thousands are rendered brain dead…but they soon rise. Ana heads to Tassie to find her husband, but what she actually finds is terrifying. Joining her in the cast are Mark Coles Smith, Chloe Hurst, and Brenton Thwaites.
Release date: 5 February, 2025
Watch the trailer:
‘Wuthering Heights’
Stylised with quotation marks on purpose, Emerald Fennel’s upcoming adaptation of Emily Brontë’s legendary novel is described as a “Gothic erotic psychological drama.” Starring Australian actors Jacob Elordi as the tortured and rage-filled anti-hero Heathcliff and Margot Robbie as his enigmatic paramour, Catherine Earnshaw. If the trailer is anything to go by, the quotation marks are definitely required.
Release date: 12 February, 2026
Watch the trailer:
Jimpa
Olivia Colman stars as Hannah, who visits her gay father Jimpa (played by John Lithgow) in Amsterdam with her non-binary teenager Frances (played by Aud Mason-Hyde). The story is based on Aud’s family’s real life. It was co-written, co-produced, and directed by their mother Sophie Hyde, whose father was Jimpa.
Release date: 19 February, 2026
Watch the trailer below:
The Testament of Ann Lee
This historical musical film explores the life of Ann Lee, the woman who started the Shaking Quaker movement. She was almost lost to history, as there are only a couple of Shaking Quakers left in the world. Gorgeously shot on 70 mm film, this feature from Mona Fastvold and starring Amada Seyfried is a dreamy epic and definitely at the top of our to-watch list.
Release date: 26 February, 2026
Watch the trailer below:
Peaky Blinders: The Immortal Man
If you love crime dramas, historical fiction, and Cillian Murphy’s cheekbones, add this to your 2026 watchlist. Cillian’s Tommy Shelby returns to a blitzed Birmingham and gets involved in wartime missions while reckoning with his past.
Release date: 6 March 2026, and then on Netflix from 20 March 2026.
Watch the trailer below:
Project Hail Mary
If you enjoyed The Martian, you’ll probably enjoy this space flick. Based on the science fiction novel by Andy Weir of the same name, amnesiac astronaut Ryland Grace (portrayed by Ryan Gosling) is on a solo mission to save Earth. However, he discovers he’s not alone on his spacecrafta nd must work with the stowaway to solve the crisis and save his home planet.
Release date: 19 March, 2026
Watch the trailer:
The Magic Faraway Tree
This fantasy adventure is an adaptation of the beloved Enid Blyton children’s book. Joining the cast are Bridgerton’s Nicola Coughlan as Silky, Andrew Garfield as Tim Thompason, and Rebecca Ferguson as Dame Snap.
Release date: 26 March, 2026
Watch the trailer below:
Ready or Not 2: Here I Come
After surviving the events of Ready or Not, Samara Weaving returns in Here I Come, where her character Grace and her sister Faith, played by Kathryn Newton, have to outrun four families competing for a “powerful throne.” Joining the cast are Elijah Wood, Olivia Cheng, and Sarah Michelle Gellar, who is sure to bring her Buffy Summers fighting skills to this fun slasher flick.
Release date: 26 March, 2026
Watch the trailer below:
Mother Mary
Who doesn’t love a melodrama about pop music and dark pasts? Anne Hathaway stars as troubled pop icon, Mother Mary, who reconnects with her estranged best friend and former costume designer, Sam, played by Michaela Coel, on the eve of her comeback show. It’s described as a “psychosexual pop thriller” and features music from Charli XCX.
Release date: April 2026
Watch the trailer below:
The Drama
Zendaya and Robert Pattinson star as a happily engaged couple whose once solid relationship is put to the test on the week of their wedding.
Release date: 2 April, 2026
Watch the trailer below:
Devil Wears Prada 2
Meryl Streep is back as the prickly Amanda Priesty, and with her are Anne Hathaway, Emily Blunt and Stanley Tucci. The long-awaited sequel sees Meryl’s Amanda battling against her former assistant Emily Blunt’s Emily Charlton as they deal with the decline of print media…this one is close to our hearts.
Release date: 30 April, 2026
Watch the teaser trailer below:
The Mandalorian & Grogu
Din Djarin, the legendary Mandalorian bounty hunter (played by Pedro Pascal) and his apprentice Grogu are finally getting their own feature-length film after three successful seasons and counting on Disney+. It’s the first Star Wars film in a while, so get excited. Joining the cast are The Bear’s Jeremy Allen White and the original female action hero, Sigourney Weaver!
Release date: 22 May, 2026
Watch the trailer below:
Supergirl
Starring Australian actress Milly Alcock, this is the first Supergirl solo–film depiction in over 40 years since Fay Dunaway’s Supergirl released in 1984. This latest film will see Milly’s Kara Zor-El, the cousin of Superman, celebrating her 23rd birthday by travelling across the galaxy with Krypto, her dog. Along the way, she encounters a tragedy which leads her down the path of revenge.
Release date: June 2026
Watch the trailer:
Moana
The latest live action from Disney is none other than the Polynesian adventure, Moana! Starring Catherine Laga’aia as Moana and Dwayne Johnson reprising his role as Maui. New Zealander of Tongan descent John Tui joins as Chief Tui, Moana’s father and Samoan New Zealand actress Frankie Adams stars as Sina, her mother. Gramma Tala, Moana’s grandmother, is portrayed by New Zealand actress Rena Owen. The plot follows Moana, who, after receiving a summons from the ocean, leaves her home island and travels to its barrier reef, joined by demigod Maui.
Release date: 10 July, 2026
The Odyssey
The latest epic film from Christopher Nolan takes a step into the past with this adaptation of the great Homeric poem, The Odyssey. Starring Matt Damon as Odysseus, Anne Hathaway as his long-suffering wife Penelope, and an absolutely stacked cast including Tom Holland, Elliot Page, Robert Pattinson, Zendaya, Mia Goth, Jon Bernthal, Charlize Theron, Himesh Patel, Lupita Nyong’o, and Bill Irwin, to name about half!
Release date: 16 July, 2026
Watch the trailer below:
Practical Magic 2
The long-awaited sequel reunites Sandra Bullock and Nicole Kidman in their roles as the Owens sisters. The Owens are a family of cursed witches who, in the last film, broke their generational curse, which prevented them from finding love. Joining them in this sequel are Maisie Williams, Lee Pace, and Joey King.
Release date: 18 September, 2026
Watch the teaser:
Verity
Based on Colleen Hoover’s novel of the same name, Verity stars Dakota Johnson as Lowen Ashleigh, a ghostwriter hired for renowned author Verity Crawford, played by Anne Hathaway. However, things take a dark turn, and Lowen struggles to separate reality from fiction…
Release date: 1 October, 2026
Sunrise on the Reaping
The second prequel in the dystopian novel and film series, The Hunger Games. Sunrise on the Reaping is set 24 years before Katniss Everdeen enters the arena. This adaptation focuses on her mentor, Haymitch Abernathy, portrayed by Australian actor Joseph Zada, and his time as a tribute in the arena. Joining him in the cast are Ralph Fiennes, Kieran Culkin, Glenn Close, Maya Hawke, Elle Fanning and Mckenna Grace. Also in the cast list are Jennifer Lawrence and Josh Hutcherson reprising their roles from the original Hunger Games film trilogy.
Release date: 19 November 2026
Watch the trailer:
Avenger: Doomsday
Comic book fans are beyond excited for the upcoming ensemble featuring an enormous cast, returning favourites, including Chris Hemsworth’s Thor, and the original cast of the 2000s’ X-Men films. No word on whether Hugh Jackman will reprise his role of Wolverine…
Release date: 18 December, 2026
Watch the teaser below:
Dune: Part 3
The third and final instalment of Denis Villeneuve’s space opera series, adapted from Frank Herbert’s space saga. Twelve years after Part 2, Timothée Chalamet’s Paul Atreides is now an emperor dealing with a galaxy-wide jihad in his name, the Bene Gesserit’s conspiracies, and the loss of his great love. It’s set to be epic. Zendaya, Florence Pugh, Rebecca Ferguson, Javier Bardem, Robert Pattinson and Jason Momoa are also set to star in the final instalment.
Release date: 17 December, 2026
The Death of Robin Hood
Hugh Jackman stars in the latest adaptation of the legendary folk hero, Robin Hood. However, this Robin says that everything we know about his legend is a lie. A dark take on the hero stars Hugh as an older Robin looking back on his life of crime and adventures. Joining him in the cast are Bill Skarsgard as Little John, Jodie Comer, and Murray Bartlett.
Release date: 2026
Crowded House
If you love the musical styles of this Australian band, add it to your watchlist. The band members of Crowded House come together for this definitive documentary about the band’s history, the song-writing skills of Neil Finn and the challenges they faced with their success.
Release date: 2026
The Love Hypothesis
If you love a love story and women in STEM, add this to your watchlist (and your reading list as well). Based on the novel of the same name by Ali Hazelwood, Lili Reinheart stars as Olive, a PhD candidate who is in a fake relationship with a professor in order to prove to her best friend that her dating life is going well. But soon their experiment gets dangerously close to combustion as the irresistible force of attraction gets in the way of her theory on love.
Release date: 2026
