10 Most Anticipated Movies of 2026: Every January, I do this to myself. I sit down, look at release calendars, rumors, casting announcements, half-finished trailers, and say, “Yeah, let’s try to predict the future.” And every year, movies pop up out of nowhere and completely hijack my best-of list. That’s just how it works.
Still, lists are fun. They give us something to argue about, obsess over, and revisit later when half of these end up disappointing us anyway. A couple of quick ground rules before we start:
- These are not ranked by quality. They’re ranked by how excited I am right now.
- Any movie that already lived on my 2025 Most Anticipated Movies list but got delayed is sitting this one out.
- This is about new excitement, not leftovers.
10 – Violent Night 2
Sometimes you don’t want a prestige cinema. Sometimes you want Santa Claus beating people to death like he’s in Die Hard.
Violent Night had no business being as fun as it was. It knew exactly what it was, didn’t overthink the premise, and leaned fully into the chaos. David Harbour’s Santa worked because the movie never tried to explain him too much.
Right now, details on Violent Night 2 are pretty scarce. Honestly? I’m okay with that. As long as it keeps the same energy — brutal action, dark humor, Christmas weaponry, I’m in. This is the kind of sequel that either crashes hard or becomes a new holiday tradition. I’m hoping for the latter.
9 – Werwulf (Robert Eggers)
Robert Eggers doing a Werwulf movie is enough information for me. After The Witch, The Lighthouse, and Nosferatu, Eggers has made it clear he isn’t interested in flashy monster movies. He’s interested in fear, folklore, and the uncomfortable stuff people used to whisper about by candlelight.
This isn’t going to be a slick modern werewolf story. This is going to be muddy boots, superstition, paranoia, and the kind of atmosphere that crawls under your skin and stays there. Eggers understands why monsters exist in stories, not just what they look like. That’s why this one made the list early.
8 – Godzilla Minus Zero
Godzilla Minus One wasn’t just a great Godzilla movie. It was a great movie, period. Human drama that actually mattered. Godzilla as a terrifying force again. Emotional stakes instead of CGI noise. That movie earned every ounce of goodwill it has.
A sequel was inevitable, but the fact that it’s this Godzilla sequel is what matters. If Minus Zero builds on the same grounded tone and respect for the monster, we could be looking at one of the strongest kaiju continuations ever made.
Godzilla works best when he represents fear, guilt, and consequence, not toy sales. This series gets that.
7 – Disclosure Day (Steven Spielberg)
Spielberg returning to alien contact feels like the universe correcting itself. The trailer doesn’t spell everything out. It’s eerie. Curious. Unsettling. And that’s exactly what first contact should feel like. Not fireworks, uncertainty. The big question is which Spielberg we’re getting:
- E.T. wonder?
- Close Encounters curiosity?
- War of the Worlds dread?
Honestly, probably all of it. There’s something exciting about Spielberg doing a Spielberg movie again, not a throwback made by someone else, but the real thing.
6 – The Social Reckoning
Aaron Sorkin revisiting the world of social media feels overdue. This isn’t about the creation of Facebook anymore. That story feels almost innocent now. This is about what came after: algorithms, outrage, addiction, manufactured reality, and how profit feeds on division.
Social media didn’t just change communication. It reshaped how people see the world, and each other. Sorkin’s dialogue-driven style is perfect for this kind of story. Sharp conversations. Moral ambiguity. No easy answers. If this movie lands, it could feel painfully relevant in the best way.
5 – The Adventures of Cliff Booth
Once Upon a Time in Hollywood isn’t one of my favorite Tarantino films. But Brad Pitt as Cliff Booth? That worked. Now take that character, give him the spotlight, put David Fincher in the director’s chair, and let Tarantino handle the script. That’s a fascinating combination of styles.
Fincher’s precision + Tarantino’s dialogue + Pitt’s screen presence could create something completely different from the original film, and that’s exactly why it’s exciting. My only request: let this have a real theatrical run. This movie deserves a big screen.
4 – Project Hail Mary
I loved The Martian. The book. The movie. All of it. Andy Weir understands how to make science thrilling without turning it into homework. Pairing his material with Lord and Miller and Ryan Gosling feels like a smart move.
From what we know, this is a survival story with cosmic stakes, humor, isolation, and an unexpected alien partnership. Think The Martian meets Sunshine, with heart. This feels like one of those movies that sneaks up on people and becomes a word-of-mouth favorite.
Also Read: Top 10 Netflix Series of 2025: The Ones You’ll Regret Skipping
3 – Dune: Part Three (Dune Messiah)
Denis Villeneuve turned Dune into a true cinematic spectacle. The visuals, the sound design, the scale, all of it felt massive. My one concern going into Part Three is the absence of cinematographer Greig Fraser, whose visual fingerprint was all over the first two films.
That said, Villeneuve has earned trust. This chapter isn’t just about spectacle anymore. It’s about consequences. Power. Mythmaking. And the cost of being seen as a savior. If this lands emotionally, it could be the most interesting Dune yet.
2 – Avengers: Doomsday
Let’s call this what it is: a make-or-break moment for the MCU. Bringing back Robert Downey Jr. and Chris Evans? Desperate? Maybe. But also… effective. Add Doctor Doom into the mix, and suddenly people are paying attention again.
The MCU needs more than cameos. It needs character moments, real stakes, and a sense that things matter again. Early signs, especially the tonal shift hinted at with Thor, give me cautious optimism. If Doomsday feels like a true event film instead of a checklist, it could be a genuine return to form.
1 – The Odyssey (Christopher Nolan)
This is it. Christopher Nolan tackling The Odyssey, and fully embracing the mythology, is wild in the best way. Gods, monsters, impossible armor, epic scale, and a stacked cast all filtered through Nolan’s love for spectacle and ambition.
I originally thought he’d strip the myth away and ground it. Turns out, he went the opposite direction, and I’m thrilled. This feels like the kind of movie that demands:
- a massive screen
- an intermission
- and complete surrender for several hours
If this movie sticks the landing, it could become the definitive big-screen telling of The Odyssey. And yes, if it’s four or five hours long, I’ll still be there.
Final Thoughts
January optimism is dangerous. Every year proves that. But looking at this lineup, 2026 feels stacked, even before the surprise hits we don’t know about yet. Some of these will disappoint. A few will surprise us. One or two might define the year.
That’s the fun of it. So now I’ll throw it back to you:
- What Most Anticipated Movies are you most excited for in 2026?
- Or what’s one thing you’re committing to this year — resolution or not?
Whatever it is, stick with it. And if you want more movie talk, deeper dives, and honest reactions, you know where to find me.
