Boardroom’s Picks: The 25 Most Anticipated Movies of 2026

A look ahead at the most anticipated films arriving in theaters throughout 2026. From major franchise returns to buzzy originals, these are the releases already shaping the year.

There’s something about looking ahead at a movie slate that feels just as exciting as reflecting on the year that’s already passed.

2026 is packed with films that range from long-awaited sequels and bold reimaginings to sci-fi thrillers and genre projects that feel ready to take real risks. Some of these titles were inevitable, others genuinely surprised me, but all of them sparked that same reaction: Oh, I need to see this. Whether it’s a filmmaker I trust, a cast that feels perfectly matched, or a premise that won’t leave my brain alone, these are the movies I’m already counting down to.

Here are the 25 films Boardroom is most anticipating in 2026.

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Boardroom’s Picks

The Rip (Jan. 16 on Netflix)

Director Joe Carnahan has always thrived in the gray areas of morality, where law enforcement and criminality bleed together. While Narc established his grit, The Rip looks to refine it into something sharper. Reuniting Ben Affleck and Matt Damon, the film strips away their usual easy charm for a paranoid, claustrophobic heist gone wrong. It’s a thriller less concerned with the money and more with the psychological cost of the take. It’s a film that traditionally would cost you $20 to see in a theater, but you’ll be able to watch it on your couch next week. How lucky are we? — Damien Scott

28 Years Later: The Bone Temple (Jan. 16 in theaters)

Nia DaCosta shifts the lens from the rage virus of the previous films to the deeper, rotting sickness of the survivors, creating a world where the humans are far more terrifying than the monsters. Ralph Fiennes returns for his chilling, Shakespearean take on the post-apocalypse world. It turns out the franchise didn’t just wake up — it evolved. — Damien Scott

The Moment (Jan. 30 in theaters)

I love Charli XCX, so I’m already biased, but I didn’t know what to expect from her collaboration with A24. A mockumentary is a surprising choice, and that’s exactly what makes The Moment intriguing to me. The film plays with the idea of pop stardom, self-mythmaking, and creative control, blurring the line between performance and reality as Charli XCX navigates a heightened version of herself at a pivotal point in her career. It feels like a smart extension of the persona she’s been building for years. — Michelai Graham

Send Help (Jan. 30 in theaters)

Rachel McAdams in a horror thriller? Immediately yes. Send Help already had my attention off that casting alone, but pairing her with Dylan O’Brien makes it even more compelling. I’ve been a fan of his for a while, and admittedly, a current Teen Wolf rewatch has me hoping he brings some of that same offbeat, self-aware humor into this film — even with the darker genre trappings. Based on the trailer, it looks like he does. After a plane crash strands two survivors on a remote island, the film follows their fight for survival as desperation, dark humor, and long-buried tensions surface while they wait for rescue. If it sticks the landing, Send Help could be one of those thrillers that’s genuinely scary but also oddly fun to watch unfold. — Michelai Graham

Wuthering Heights (Feb. 14 in theaters)

At this point, Wuthering Heights has been adapted at least 14 times across film and television, with the first version dating all the way back to 1920, so skepticism comes with the territory. Still, this take has my full attention, largely because of Jacob Elordi and Margot Robbie at the center. The film reimagines Emily Brontë’s classic as a sweeping, obsessive love story about passion, class, and revenge, centered on the destructive bond between Heathcliff and Catherine. Elordi feels like a fascinating choice for Heathcliff, bringing a simmering intensity that could tip into real menace, while Robbie has proven time and again that she knows how to complicate characters who might otherwise feel romanticized or flat. Together, they make this feel less like a dusty literary redo and more like an emotionally volatile event. I’m expecting something heightened, dramatic, and unapologetically intense, which is exactly how Wuthering Heights should feel. — Michelai Graham

Psycho Killer (Feb. 20 in theaters)

Screenwriter Andrew Kevin Walker made his name defining the modern procedural with Se7en, and he brings that same grim nihilism to Psycho Killer. It might wear the mask of a standard slasher, but underneath, we’re sure it’s full of emotional trauma. That means instead of cheap jump scares, we’re expecting a claustrophobic atmosphere of dread and a villain who feels genuinely mythical rather than cartoonish. Georgina Campbell, from Barbarian fame, anchors the chaos. It looks like a slasher movie that will actually scare the shit out of you. — Damien Scott

The Bride (March 6 in theaters)

Christian Bale as Frankenstein’s monster is undeniably striking, but what really draws me in is that The Bride shifts the focus to her story instead. The film reframes the classic myth through the Bride’s perspective, exploring what it means to be created, discarded, and finally given agency within a world shaped by male obsession. I’m especially interested in how this version lands alongside Netflix’s recent take on Frankenstein, which leaned heavily into mythmaking and tragedy. If The Bride succeeds, it won’t just stand apart; it’ll deepen the conversation around who these stories have traditionally centered and who they’ve left in the shadows. — Michelai Graham

Hail Mary (March 20 in theaters)

Project Hail Mary is another book adaptation making the leap from bestseller to big screen. The sci-fi film follows a lone astronaut who wakes up on a spacecraft with no memory of who he is or how he got there, only to discover he may be humanity’s last hope to stop an extinction-level event. Ryan Gosling feels well-suited to a role that requires emotional grounding alongside curiosity and wit, especially in a story centered on isolation, problem-solving, and unexpected warmth. I’m most curious to see how the film translates the novel’s science-forward mechanics into something cinematic without losing its heart. — Michelai Graham

They Will Kill You (March 27 in theaters)

Russian filmmaker Kirill Sokolov burst onto the scene with the hyper-violent Why Don’t You Just Die!, and he brings that same manic energy to Hollywood. They Will Kill You takes a simple premise—a housekeeper in a sinister hotel—and injects it with a lethal dose of dark comedy. Sokolov treats the camera like a weapon, creating a visual language that is as disorienting as it is hilarious. It looks like a chaotic, bloody ride that will prove horror and slapstick are closer cousins than we care to admit. — Damien Scott

Ready or Not 2: Here I Come (March 27 in theaters)

I genuinely didn’t expect the first Ready or Not to be as gory and fun as it was — especially after reading the synopsis — but it completely won me over. What I thought would be a straightforward survival thriller turned into a sharp, darkly funny ride that knew exactly how to balance chaos, satire, and bloodshed. That pleasant surprise is what makes me fully ready for Ready or Not 2: Here I Come. The sequel feels like an opportunity to lean even harder into the absurdity while expanding the world and its twisted sense of humor. — Michelai Graham

The Drama (April 3 in theaters)

I’m just as giddy for The Drama as the rest of the internet seems to be. Social media has already decided this is the on-screen romance to watch this year, and I’m right there with them. The film centers on a couple whose relationship is put under an intense microscope, turning emotional intimacy into something fragile, volatile, and revealing. What really elevates the anticipation is the pairing of Zendaya and Robert Pattinson, who are set to appear together in not one but three films in 2026 — this, Dune: Part Three, and The Odyssey. That kind of creative overlap feels intentional. — Michelai Graham

Michael (April 24 in theaters)

Antoine Fuqua has never shied away from big moments, but Michael is his most ambitious undertaking yet. Rather than a sanitized tribute, Fuqua attempts to wrestle with the sheer magnitude of the King of Pop’s life. Starring the late musician’s nephew, Jaafar Jackson, the film will hopefully refuse to look away from the tragedy amidst the spectacle that resonated with us all. We hope it’s a biopic that doesn’t just play the hits, but tries to understand the silence between the notes. — Damien Scott

The Devil Wears Prada 2 (May 1 in theaters)

This is truly the sequel I never thought I’d get. But nearly 20 years after the original, I’m genuinely glad the girlies are back. The Devil Wears Prada has lived on as both a cultural touchstone and a rite of passage for anyone who’s ever worked a demanding job with a difficult boss and big dreams. The sequel revisits that world years later, checking in on familiar faces as their careers, priorities, and power dynamics have evolved. As a writer myself, I will always show up for stories about ambitious women navigating work, identity, and authority on the big screen. Call it nostalgia if you want, but there’s something deeply satisfying about seeing women-led stories age, grow, and reclaim space — heels, sharp dialogue, and all. — Michelai Graham

HOKUM (May 1 in theaters)

Damian McCarthy specializes in a specific brand of quiet dread. Following the unsettling silence of Caveat, he returns with HOKUM to prove he is a master of sensory deprivation. The film isolates Adam Scott in a narrative that feels less like a story and more like a suffocating nightmare. McCarthy avoids loud crescendos, preferring to let the horror fester in the corner of the frame. So, if it delivers on its promise, HOKUM will be full of scenes and imagery you’ll desperately wish you could unsee. — Damien Scott

Disclosure Day (June 12 in theaters)

My apocalyptic personality is fully clocking in for this one. A sci-fi thriller from Steven Spielberg already has my attention, but Disclosure Day feels especially tuned to the kind of anxiety-ridden, end-of-the-world curiosity I can’t resist. The film imagines a global reckoning sparked by a mysterious event that forces humanity to confront what it knows — and doesn’t know — about its place in the universe. The cast alone has me locked in: Emily Blunt, Colman Domingo, and a personal new favorite, Josh O’Connor, feel like a perfectly calibrated mix of gravitas and emotional depth. Between the premise, the creative pedigree, and the moment we’re living in, this already feels like one of those sci-fi films that people won’t stop talking about once it hits theaters. — Michelai Graham

Scary Movie 6 (June 12 in theaters)

The Wayans brothers invented the modern spoof, and their return marks a refreshing pivot back to ruthless satire. While recent parodies have felt toothless, Scary Movie 6 will hopefully attack the “elevated horror” trend with a sledgehammer. Can Marlon Wayans & Co. recapture the manic physical energy that has been missing from the genre? Our hope is that it’s crude, offensive, and seemingly allergic to subtlety — in other words, exactly the antidote to a decade of self-serious horror the Wayans knew we needed. — Damien Scott

Supergirl (June 26 in theaters)

Craig Gillespie has a knack for finding the humanity in jagged characters. Adapting Tom King’s acclaimed run, he will reportedly strip Supergirl of the usual glossy superhero sheen. This will be a sci-fi western at its core, visually stunning and emotionally bruised. Milly Alcock embodies the heroine defined not by her power, but by her grief. Can Gillespie balance the intergalactic spectacle with a gritty, grounded tone that feels alien to the current franchise landscape? We’ll see. — Damien Scott

The Odyssey (July 17 in theaters)

Do we really need another adaptation of required reading from high school? When it’s Christopher Nolan, the question is irrelevant. This isn’t a dusty toga drama; it’s an IMAX assault on the senses that turns the journey home into a psychological war epic. Matt Damon anchors the spectacle as a war-torn Odysseus, stripping away the myth to find the exhausted hero underneath, while the practical effects, in true Nolan style, will make the monsters of legend feel terrifyingly tangible. You know the poem, but Nolan makes you feel the 10-year journey in your bones. — Damien Scott

Spider-Man Brand New Day (July 31 in theaters)

Marvel is clearly going big this year, with some of its most recognizable titles and characters finally returning to the big screen. Spider-Man: Brand New Day is high on that list for me. Tom Holland stepping back into the suit feels especially welcome after the emotional weight of Spider-Man: No Way Home, which left Peter Parker at a true crossroads. This next chapter follows Peter as he rebuilds his life and sense of self after the world has moved on without remembering him. I’m excited to see Marvel slow things down a bit here and let Spider-Man exist outside of constant multiverse chaos, especially with another major Avengers film still ahead this year. If this works, it could be the reset that brings the character back to his most grounded, human core. — Michelai Graham

Clayface (Sept. 11 in theaters)

Honestly, a movie about a Batman villain made of mud sounds like a CGI disaster waiting to happen. But with James Watkins at the helm, this isn’t a comic book brawl — it’s a body-horror tragedy. Watkins, the director who weaponized social awkwardness in Speak No Evil, teams up with a script originally conceived by horror maestro Mike Flanagan to turn Matt Hagen’s transformation into a visceral, agonizing decline. Tom Rhys Harries plays the lead not as a supervillain, but as a desperate actor losing his physical grip on reality. It’s a “creature feature” that promises to be as heartbreaking as it is repulsive. — Damien Scott

Practical Magic 2 (Sept. 18 in theaters)

Practical Magic has long been a comfort-watch classic — part witchy fantasy, part romance, part sisterhood story — and it’s only grown more beloved over time. The sequel returns to the Owens women and their magical lineage, revisiting love, family, and the lingering consequences of the curse that’s followed them for generations. There’s something especially satisfying about seeing a story like this come back decades later, when the audience has grown up alongside it. This is also your sign to keep your favorite movies in rotation so they can get sequels, even if they come decades later. — Michelai Graham

The Social Reckoning (Oct. 9 in theaters)

Aaron Sorkin returns to the pen to write a thriller not about building code, but about the collapse. Sorkin updates the Shakespearean tragedy of Silicon Valley for the era of misinformation, delivering dialogue that moves faster than a refresh rate. The cast navigates the dense, rhythmic script with surgical precision, dissecting the moral rot of the platform age. It’s a verbal thriller that proves the only thing more dangerous than creating a monster is losing control of it. — Damien Scott

Dune: Part Three (Dec. 18 in theaters)

Based on Frank Herbert’s 1969 novel Dune Messiah, Dune: Part Three serves as the final chapter in Denis Villeneuve’s Dune trilogy. The story follows Paul Atreides as he reckons with the consequences of power, prophecy, and the revolution carried out in his name. What excites me most is that this chapter isn’t about rise or conquest, but aftermath. Villeneuve has been deliberate and patient in building this world, and ending the trilogy here feels intentional rather than indulgent. It promises something darker, more introspective, and morally complex; a fitting conclusion that asks whether victory is ever as clean as it looks from a distance. — Michelai Graham

Avengers: Doomsday (Dec. 18 in theaters)

Even with the leaks and the rumor mill working overtime, nothing is stopping me from being excited about Avengers: Doomsday, simply because of my unwavering loyalty to Marvel, whether I like it or not. The early trailers promise returns from Thor, Captain America, and James Marsden‘s Cyclops. That lineup signals something massive. The film sets the stage for multiple Marvel universes to collide, bringing together familiar heroes and long-separated timelines into one high-stakes event. At this point, it’s less about surprises and more about spectacle, payoff, and seeing just how bold Marvel is willing to get. I’m ready for the chaos, the crossovers, and the kind of theater experience that reminds you why these movies continue to excite fans. — Michelai Graham

The Backrooms (Release date TBD)

Kane Parsons built a viral empire on short, grain-heavy clips of yellow wallpaper. With The Backrooms, he proves that aesthetic can sustain a feature-length nightmare. Parsons resists the urge to over-explain the lore in the lead-up, instead leaning into the surreal, liminal dread that made the original concept so unsettling. If it operates on the same dream logic of the original short that trapped the audience in a maze that feels frustratingly familiar, it could transform an internet meme into a genuine cinematic anxiety attack. — Damien Scott

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