Film Release Highlights for 2026

If we keep one eye on the Golden Globes, One Battle After Another, Sinners, Hamnet, Secret Agent and Kpop Demon Hunters all did very well.

Most of the critics have One Battle After Another coming top ahead of Sinners. Where the best Actor Oscar seems to be between Timothée Chalamet and Leonardo DiCaprio. While Paul Thomas Anderson seems to be a shoe-in for the Director Oscar - and usually Best Picture and Director go hand-in-hand.

There will still be several surprises - while I feel that this year will mostly go with the form book - where Hamnet is something of a dark stalker horse here - and could pull a few surprises - like at the Golden Globes.

Generally though - I feel the order of success will be mostly in line with the following list :

• One Battle After Another, 18, Warner Bros : Dir. Paul Thomas Anderson
• Sinners, 18, Warner Bros : Dir. Ryan Coogler
• Marty Supreme, 18, A24 : Josh Safdie
• Hamnet, 12A, Focus Features  / Universal Pictures : Dir. Chloé Zhao
• Frankenstein, 18, Demilo Films / Netflix : Dir. Guillermo del Toro
• Sentimental Value, 18, Nordisk Film / Mubi : Dir. Joachim Trier
• Bugonia, 18, Focus Features : Dir. Yorgos Lanthimos
• Weapons, 18, New Line Cinema : Dir. Zach Cregger
• Train Dreams, 15, Black Bear : Dir. Clint Bentley
• It Was Just an Accident, 15, Memento Distribution : Dir. Jafar Panahi
• The Secret Agent, 18, One Two Films : Dir. Kleber Mendonça Filho
• Blue Moon, 18, Sony Pictures Classics : Dir. Richard Linklater
• F1, 12A, Apple / Warner Bros : Dir. Joseph Kosinski
• Nuremberg, 18, Sony Pictures Classics / Sky : Dir. James Vanderbilt
• Song Sung Blue, 12A, Focus Features / Universal : Dir. Craig Brewer
• Wicked : For Good, PG, Universal Pictures : Dir. Jon M. Chu
• Jay Kelly, 18, Netflix : Dir. Noah Baumbach
• No Other Choice, 18, CJ Entertainment : Dir. Park Chan-wook
• Sirât, 18, B Team Pictures : Dir. Óliver Laxe
• Nouvelle Vague, 12A, Netflix : Dir. Richard Linklater
• Kpop Demon Hunters, PG, Netflix : Dir. Maggie Kang / Chris Appelhans

As mentioned in the intro - there's a lot of Sci-Fi this year - including an entirely new The Dog Stars property from Ridley Scott, the sort of Minority Report-like Mercy, quirky Good Luck, Have Fun, Don't Die, Project Hail Mary, and of course Mandalorian and Grogu!

These following ones are the ones that stood out most for me this year - and I had to do several iterations of the above 4 by 4 grid to get the right representative balance - and to include most of the heavy hitters - where the only likely big box office property that I had to cut from the visual was the new Spider-Man one - which usually does pretty well.

Last year's most watched Movie was The Minecraft Movie (still not seen it!) - while this year I feel it might be The Mandalorian and Grogu - of course we will need to wait and see!

I'm so busy at the start of January - that I probably won't make it to the cinema until quite late this month.

I still have a fair few Oscar Contenders to watch - so I will focus on those mostly for the next couple of months.

My likely first Cinema visit this year will be to see 'Mercy'!

• 28 Years Later : The Bone Temple [JAN]
• Hamnet [JAN]
• Mercy [JAN]
• No Other Choice [JAN]
• Nouvelle Vague [JAN]
• Shelter [JAN]
• EPiC : Elvis Presley in Concert [FEB]
• Good Luck, Have Fun, Don't Die [FEB]
• Wuthering Heights [FEB]
• The Bride! [MAR]
• The Dog Stars [MAR]
• Project Hail Mary [MAR]
• They Will Kill You [MAR]
• Michael (Jackson biopic) [APR]
• Ready Or Not 2 : Here I Come [APR]
• The Mandalorian & Grogu  [MAY]
• Disclosure Day [JUN]
• Masters of the Universe [JUN]
• Supergirl : Woman Of Tomorrow [JUN]
• The Odyssey [JUL]
• Spider-Man : Brand New Day [JUL]
• Flowervale Street, [AUG]
• Resident Evil 2026 [SEP]
• Digger [OCT]
• Remain [OCT]
• Avengers : Doomsday [DEC]
• Dune - Messiah : Part Three [DEC]
• Untitled Jumanji 3 : The Next Level sequel [DEC]

• * 28 Years Later : The Bone Temple, 18, Sony Pictures : Dir. Nia DaCosta
• Anaconda, 12A, Sony Pictures : Dir. Tom Gormican [DEC 2025]
• Giant, 15, True Brit Entertainment / Vertical : Dir. Rowan Athale
• H is for Hawk, 12A, Lionsgate : Dir. Philippa Lowthorpe
• * Hamnet, 12A, Focus Features : Dir. Chloé Zhao
• The Internship, 18, Paramount Pictures : Dir, James Bamford
• Is This Thing On?, 15, Searchlight Pictures : Dir. Bradley Cooper
• Kangaroo, PG, StudioCanal, Dir. Kate Woods
• Lord Of The Rings Trilogy Extended Edition (25th Anniversary), 12A, New Line Cinema : Dir. Peter Jackson
• Marty Supreme, 18, A24 : Josh Safdie [DEC 2025]
• * Mercy 3D, 12A, Sony Pictures : Dir. Timur Bekmambetov
• * No Other Choice, 15, CJ Entertainment : Dir. Park Chan-wook
• * Nouvelle Vague, 12A, ARP Sélection / Netflix : Dir. Richard Linklater
• Primate, 18, Paramount Pictures : Dir. Johannes Roberts
• Rental Family, 12A, Searchlight Pictures : Dir. Hikari
• Return To Silent Hill, 18, Iconic : Dir. Christophe Gans
• The Rip, 18, Netflix : Dir. Joe Carnahan
• Saipan, 15, New Line Cinema : Dir. Glenn Leyburn, Lisa Barros D’Sa
• * Shelter, 18, Black Bear Pictures : Dir. Ric Roman Waugh
• The History Of Sound, 15, Mubi / Universal / Focus Features : Dir. Oliver Hermanus

• 100 Nights Of Hero, PG-13, Vue Lumière : Dir. Julia Jackman
• Cold Storage, 18, Samuel Goldwyn Films : Dir. Jonny Campbell
• Crime 101, 18, Amazon MGM Studios : Dir. Bart Layton
• * EPiC : Elvis Presley in Concert, Universal : Dir. Baz Luhrman
• Goat, PG, Sony Pictures : Dir. Tyree Dillihay
• * Good Luck, Have Fun, Don't Die, 18, Briarcliff Entertainment : Dir. Gore Verbinski
• Greenland 2 : Migration, 12A, Lionsgate : Dir. Ric Roman Waugh
• How to Make a Killing, 18, StudioCanal : John Patton Ford
• If I Had Legs I'd Kick You, 15, A24 : Dir. Mary Bronstein
• Night Patrol, 18, RLJE Films / Shudder : Dir. Ryan Prows
• Killer Whale, 18, Lionsgate : Dir. Jo-Anne Brechin
• Oscar Shaw, 15, Samuel Goldwyn Films : Dir. R. Ellis Frazier / Justin Nesbitt
• Primate, 18, Paramount Pictures : Dir. Johannes Roberts
• Scarlet, 15, Sony Pictures : Dir. Mamoru Hosoda
• Scream 7, 18, Paramount Pictures : Dir. Kevin Williamson
• The Secret Agent, 18, One Two Films : Dir. Kleber Mendonça Filho
• Send Help, 18, 20th Century Studios : Dir. Sam Raimi
• Solo Mio, PG, Angel Studios : Dir. Chuck Kinnane / Dan Kinnane
• Splitsville, 18, Neon : Dir. Michael Angelo Covino
• Stitch Head, PG, Wild Bunch : Dir. Steve Hudson
• The Strangers : Chapter 3, 15, Lionsgate : Dir. Renny Harlin
• The Day The Earth Blew Up : A Looney Tunes Movie, PG, Warner Bros Animation : Dir. Pete Browngardt
• The Testament Of Ann Lee, 18, Searchlight Pictures :  Dir. Mona Fastvold
• Wasteman, 18, Lionsgate : Dir. Cal McMau
• Whistle, 18, Black Bear Pictures : Dir. Corin Hardy
• World Breaker, 18, Signature Entertainment : Dir. Brand Anderson
• * Wuthering Heights, 18, Warner Bros : Dir. Emerald Fennell

• Arco, PG, France 3 Cinéma : Dir. Ugo Bienvenu
• Billie Eilish – Hit Me Hard and Soft: The Tour (Live in 3D), PG, Paramount Pictures : Dir. James Cameron / Billie Eilish
• Bluey At The Cinema : Playdates With Friends, U, Ludo Studio : Dir. Joe Brumm / Richard Jeffery
• * The Bride!, 18, Warner Bros : Dir. Maggie Gyllenhaal
• * The Dog Stars, 12A, Scott Free Productions : Dir. Ridley Scott
• Hoppers, PG, Disney / Pixar : Dir. Daniel Chong
• How To Make A Killing, 18, A24 : Dir. John Patton Ford
• The Magic Faraway Tree, 12A, Entertainment Film Distributors : Dir. Ben Gregor
• Mothers Pride, 12A, Entertainment Film Distributors : Dir. Nick Moorcroft
• Moulin Rouge (25th Anniversary), 12A, 20th Century Fox : Dir. Baz Luhrmann
• One Last Deal, 15, Wildcard : Dir. Brendan Muldowney
• * Project Hail Mary, 12A, Sony Pictures : Dir. Phil Lord / Christopher Miller
• Protector, 18, Highland Film Group : Dir. Adrian Grunberg
• Reminders Of Him, 12A, Universal Pictures : Vanessa Caswill
• Romeo + Juliet (30th Anniversary), 12A, 20th Century Fox : Dir. Baz Luhrman
• Starbright, 15, Ruby Max Entertainment : Dir. Francesco Lucente
• *They Will Kill You, 18, New Line Cinema : Dir. Kirill Sokolov
• We Bury The Dead, 18, Umbrella Entertainment / Vertical Releasing : Dir. Zak Hilditch

• Alpha, 18, Diaphana Distribution : Dir. Julia Ducournau
• Amelie (25th Anniversary), 12A, Canal+ : Dir. Jean-Pierre Jeunet
• Bad Apples, 15, FilmNation Entertainment : Dir. Jonatan Etzler
• California Schemin', 15, StudioCanal : Dir. James McAvoy
• The Drama, 15, A24 : Dir. Kristoffer Borgli
• Fuze, 18, Sky Cinema : Dir. David Mackenzie
• Lee Cronin's The Mummy, 18, Warner Bros. : Dir. Lee Cronin
• * Michael, PG, Universal Pictures : Dir. Antoine Fuqua
• Normal, 18, Amazon MGM Studios : Dir. Ben Wheatley
• * Ready Or Not 2 : Here I Come, 18, Searchlight Pictures, Dir : Matt Bettinelli-Olpin / Tyler Gillett
• The Super Mario Galaxy Movie, PG, Illumination / Nintendo : Dir. Aaron Horvath / Michael Jelenic
• You, Me & Tuscany, 12A, Universal Pictures : Dir. Kat Coiro

• The Devil Wears Prada 2, 12A, 20th Century Studios : Dir. David Frankel
• Finding Emily , 12A, Universal Pictures : Dir. Alicia MacDonald
• Hitpig, PG, Aniventure : Dir. David Feiss / Cinzia Angelini
• Hokum, 18, Spooky Pictures : Dir. Damian McCarthy
• * The Mandalorian & Grogu, 12A, Disney / Lucasfilm ; Dir. Jon Favreau
• Mortal Kombat II, 15, Warner Bros : Dir. Simon McQuoid
• Power Ballad, PG, Lionsgate : Dir. John Carney
• The Sheep Detectives, 12A, Sony Pictures : Dir. Kyle Balda
• Tom & Jerry : Forbidden Compass, PG, Origin Animation : Dir. Gang Zhang
• Top Gun (40th Anniversary), PG, Paramount Pictures : Dir. Tony Scott

• Animal Friends, PG, Warner Bros : Dir. Peter Atencio
• * Disclosure Day, 12A, Amblin Entertainment / Universal : Dir. Steven Spielberg
• * Masters of the Universe, 15, Sony Pictures : Dir. Travis Knight
• Scary Movie 6, 18, Paramount Pictures : Dir. Michael Tiddes
• * Supergirl : Woman Of Tomorrow, 12A, Warner Bros / DC Studios : Dir. Craig Gillespie
• Toy Story 5, PG, Disney / Pixar : Dir. Andrew Stanton

• Evil Dead Burn, 18, Sony Picture : Dir. Sébastien Vaniček
• Minions 3, U, Universal Pictures : Dir. Pierre Coffin
• Moana, U, Walt Disney Studios : Dir. Thomas Kail
• * The Odyssey, 18, Universal Pictures : Dir. Christopher Nolan
• PAW Patrol: The Dino Movie, U, Nickelodeon Movies : Dir. Cal Brunker
• Shiver, 18, Sony Pictures : Dir. Tommy Wirkola
• * Spider-Man : Brand New Day, 12A, Sony Pictures : Dir. Destin Daniel Cretton

• Cliffhanger, 15, Row K Entertainment : Dir. Jaume Collet-Serra
• * Flowervale Street, 12A, Warner Bros / Bad Robot : Dir. David Robert Mitchell
• Insidious : The Bleeding World, 18, Universal / Sony Pictures / Blumhouse : Dir. Jacob Chase
• One Night Only, 15, Universal Pictures : Dir. Will Gluck
• Super Troopers 3, PG, Searchlight Pictures : Dir. Jay Chandrasekhar

• Avengers : Endgame (re-release), 12A, Disney / Marvel : Dir. Anthony Russo / Joe Russo
• Clayface, 15, Warner Bro : Dir. James Watkins
• A Practical Magic Film, 12A, Warner Bros : Dir. Susanne Bier
• * Resident Evil 2026, 18, Sony Pictures, Dir. Zach Cregger
• Sense And Sensibility 2026, PG, Focus Features : Dir. Georgia Oakley
• Shaun The Sheep : The Beast Of Mossy Bottom, PG, Aardman Features / Lionsgate : Dir. Mark Burton / Richard Starzak
• Tad And The Magic Lamp, 15, Origin Animation / Warner Bros Discovery : Dir. Enrique Gato

• * Digger, 12A, Warner Bros / Legendary Pictures : Dir. Alejandro G. Iňarritu
• Forgotten Island, PG, DreamWorks Animation : Dir. Joel Crawford
• The Legend Of Aang : The Last Airbender, PG, Paramount Pictures : Dir. Lauren Montgomery
• Other Mommy, 18, Universal Pictures / Blumhouse Productions : Dir. Rob Savage
• * Remain, 15, Warner Bros : Dir. M. Night Shyamalan
• The Social Reckoning, 12A, Sony Pictures : Dir. Aaron Sorkin
• Street Fighter 2026, 15, Legendary Pictures / Paramount : Dir. Kitao Sakurai
• Verity, 12A, Amazon MGM Studios : Dir. Michael Showalter
• Whalefall, 12A, 20th Century Studios : Dir. Brian Duffield

• The Cat In The Hat, PG, Warner Bros Animation : Dir. Alessandro Carloni / Erica Rivinoja
• Ebenezer : A Christmas Carol, PG, Paramount Pictures : Dir. Ti West
• Focker-In-Law, 12A, Universal / Paramount : Dir. John Hamburg
• Hexed, 12A, Walt Disney Animation : Dir Josie Trinidad / Jason Hand 
• The Hunger Games: Sunrise On The Reaping, 15, Lionsgate : Dir. Francis Lawrence