Against all odds2025 was a very good year for cinema. With the Marvel Cinematic Universe effectively sidelined, Hollywood instead relied on ambitious original stories. Even the biggest franchise breaks the rules by offering fresh perspectives and unique experiences. (Before you get too excited, remember that the two biggest films of 2025 were still film adaptations Mining craft And Lilo and Stitch; baby steps.)
So will 2026 continue this trend or go back to what's reliable? Looking ahead, the answer seems to be: both. This year the first new Avengers movie from 2019 and the first new Star Wars movie since 2019 (I bet Disney would really like to go back to the pre-COVID era). At the same time, Christopher Nolan will profit from his Oppenheimer check to untie Odysseyand Denis Villeneuve completes his Dune trilogy. Masters of the genre like it Sam Raimi And Steve Spielberg also laying claim to 2026 with original stories.
We even get new movie “Scream” And A new horror movie. In addition, there is new Spider-Man This must be crazy.
One thing seems clear: 2026 will be a busy year for fans of science fiction, fantasy, horror, superheroes and epic blockbusters in general. Below, you'll find the 25 films we at Polygon are most looking forward to in the coming year.
1
28 years later: Bone Temple
Release date: January 16
Filmed in tandem with 28 years laterbut director Nia DaCosta (Candyman, Miracles), Bone Temple picks up where Danny Boyle's sequel left off, with young Spike (Alfie Williams) being recruited into a group of surviving killers led by Jimmy (Jack O'Connell). The third film “28 years later” already confirmedSo Bone Temple serves as the decisive halfway point in Boyle and screenwriter Alex Garland's post-apocalyptic trilogy.
2
All you need is to kill
Release date: January 16
Japanese light novel that inspired Edge of Tomorrow gets its own adaptation. Trailers for the anime film promise a visually stunning adaptation that's equal parts psychedelic and blood-soaked. The buzz coming out of last year's New York Comic Con screening suggests it may not be as good as the Tom Cruise film, but it certainly has its own look that should serve the big screen.
3
Send help
Release date: January 30
Following his journey into the Marvel Cinematic Universe Doctor Strange and the Multiverse of MadnessDirector Sam Raimi returns to what he does best: bloody horror with a touch of comedy. Send help stars Rachel McAdams and Dylan O'Brien as colleagues stranded on an island after their plane crashes and everyone else on board is killed. Violence seems to follow.
4
Scream 7
Release date: February 27
Wes Craven's iconic horror franchise is back again. After the departure of some of the new generation of actors (including Jenna Ortega, who may have become too famous), Scream 7 brings back original screenwriter Kevin Williamson, this time as director. He was joined by recognizable faces such as Neve Campbell, Courteney Cox and Matthew Lillard, who… died in Scream…twist.
5
Hail Mary Project
Release date: March 20
While we all wait Beyond the Spider-Verse In the near future, the creators of the animated trilogy are offering an epic with live actors, adapted from the book by Andy Weir (Martian). Phil Lord and Christopher Miller are co-directing Hail Mary, which stars Ryan Gosling as an astronaut who wakes up in space with no memory of what he's doing there. Warning: The trailers contain quite a few spoilers. which Weir said was about “putting butts in seats” — about where this space odyssey is going.
6
Ready or Not 2: Here I Come
Release date: March 27
Ready or Not It probably didn't need a sequel, but this horror-comedy follow-up looks damn good. Moreover, they won the title. Samara Weaving returns as endangered fiancée Grace, but this time she has a sister (Kathryn Newton). Meanwhile, the devil-worshipping Le Domas family is replaced by a number of talented killers, including Sarah Michelle Gellar, Elijah Wood and David Cronenberg.
7
Super Mario Galaxy movie
Release date: April 3
Movie “Super Mario Brothers” made over a billion dollars, so of course we'll get a sequel. Nintendo and Illumination team up here for a sequel that skips the obvious World expansion and instead heads into outer space, where we meet Rosalina, voiced by Brie Larson. As for the sequel, it looks like Nintendo will heaping tons of deeper references from all over… the galaxy… Mario games, so this is something!
8
Mummy
Release date: April 17
Lee Cronin (ur.Evil Dead: Rise) takes on the Mummy from Blumhouse's latest film to modernize the classic horror icon. We know almost nothing about Cronin's vision for the franchise – and it you can even rename it Resurrected by the time it hits theaters, but the film stars Jack Reynor (Midsummer), taking over the male lead role previously played by Tom Cruise and Brendan Fraser. Good luck, Jack!
9
Mortal Kombat 2
Release date: May 8
By delaying the sequel's release by six months, Warner Bros. will finally release it. Mortal Kombat 2 this spring. The film introduces Karl Urban and Johnny Cage and promises to do what the latter did not: show us a real martial arts tournament. Oh, and there's our boy Noob Saibot. The noob hive is rising.
10
The Mandalorian and Grogu
Release date: May 22
After a brutally long hiatus, Star Wars returns to the big screen with the latest installment in the adventures of Baby Yoda (aka Grogu) and Mando. Whether showrunner and director Jon Favreau's serialized Western version of the franchise will make it to the movies remains to be seen, but we're just glad to see Star Wars in theaters again.
