Well guys, I’ve been working on this since before 2026 started. As you’ll see, a few of these movies already came and went. Like say… two months’ worth. I left them in because I either recommend them to you or still hope to see them for myself. Several are streaming. A couple are still hanging around at the multiplex! Please go support your local movie theaters wherever possible.
Despite us living in a literal dystopia, there’s a lot to look forward to in 2026, thanks at least to movies. Rest assured that there is stuff missing from this list that I have overlooked or even that I’m not even aware of yet, so feel very free to add your own most-awaited in the comments or elsewhere.
PRIMATE
January 9
Yeah, so I waited so long to post this 2026 preview that this is already hit theaters and left. Are you into horror? See it. Stream it. I admit I’ve failed you, because I didn’t mention it before now. It is great with an audience. Very fun. More of a review coming soon to DG.
OSCAR SHAW
January 9
I’m just down with what Michael Jai White does. I feel like he’s still criminally underrated, but not by me! I’m no criminal! You guys out there are the criminals. I’m over here, correctly rating geniuses like MJW. To be fair… All I know about OSCAR SHAW is that he’s in it, but also, that’s all I need to know.
28 YEARS LATER: THE BONE TEMPLE
January 16
Again, this already had its day in theaters. Unfortunately, it’s already on its way out of theaters. But you can stream it! Please support a good movie. This is a terrific sequel, unconventional on the terms of sequels and on pretty much any terms. I hope to write more about this movie, but in the meantime, check it out for yourself!
KILLER WHALE
January 16
I’m a fan of this growing subgenre where very talented rising star Virginia Gardner is up against primal and existential threats, as in STARFISH and FALL (now streaming on Netflix). As a person who will automatically watch any movie with a great white shark, I am also drawn to the shark-alternative subgenre, where brave filmmakers try to make sea dwellers like piranha or even cymothoa exigua as scary as carcharodon carcharias. KILLER WHALE has a leg up on ORCA* because again, it gives you Virginia Gardner instead of Richard Harris, and one looks better than the other in a swimsuit.
*Killer whales do not have legs.
THE RIP
January 16
This is already up and streaming. Always liked these guys, also a huge fan of the female cast here, and a longtime booster of Joe Carnahan too. This is my kind of movie. Sort of a drag that this kind of a movie has to premiere on Netflix, since I still treasure going to theaters and I’d love to see it on the big screen. I will see it anyway. One Sunday in the near future. Probably. (See? This is why you release theatrically! Streaming is the new TNT!)
THE WRECKING CREW
January 28
I don’t know, man. I just like these guys, particularly Bautista, who’s almost always the best part of whatever cast he’s in. It’s streaming on Amazon Prime, which at least explains why I’ve not seen it yet.
MOSES THE BLACK
January 30
I missed this in the minute it was in a theater near me, but Chukwudi Iwuji is great. Character-actor household name waiting to happen. Most known at the moment for Peacemaker and GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY 3, but also excellent in the Day Of The Jackal series. Learn to spell that name.
SEND HELP
January 30
Already seen it! Already reviewed it! Hope you can go see it if you haven’t already! This is going to go on my top ten of the year, unless I happen to see ten more movies in 2026 that I like better, in which case, I’d be a fortunate little goofball.
RECKLESS
February 7 (UK)
Scott Adkins action-comedy. I’m there. Maybe after THE RIP raised Adkins’ profile, a lot more of my fellow Americans will be too. He makes fun movies and he tries a lot of different things on. Not sure yet when we can see this in America, but I’ll try to keep you posted.
If you’re looking for Adkins 101, maybe start with the ACCIDENT MAN series. AVENGEMENT is one of his finer moments. I also dug DIABLO from last year. UNDISPUTED II and III of course. I’m still only scratching the surface.
CRIME 101
February 13
Everything about this says Michael Mann, except Michael Mann’s name being anywhere on it. As I’ve said to DG’s own Brett Gallman, if I order Coke, I’ll still drink Pepsi in a pinch. Hemsworth and Ruffalo have worked with Mann, so they know how to bring it. I think this looks promising, whether or not it’s trying to be HEAT. Hey, there are plenty worse movies to try to be. And I love Don Winslow’s books. So I am very ready for this movie!
BLADES OF THE GUARDIANS
February 17
Last year, I said
”This is an adaptation of a popular comic in China, which is a little less intriguing to me than the fact that it is an epic starring Jet Li and Wu Jing, directed by the master, Yuen Woo-ping. Unclear when it will be released, however. Maybe 2025… maybe.”
Well, it’s 2026, but now it’s really here. And my gosh. It looks glorious. It is glorious. I’ve seen it. Need convincing? Behold that trailer…
PSYCHO KILLER
February 20
Another one come and gone. Why did I list it? Andrew Kevin Walker wrote it. I have been cautioned not to expect too much, but I will still check this one out. Eventually. If I may be so bold to make a creative note, however… that title is a little on-the-nose. Next time you go making a horror movie named after a Talking Heads song, might I suggest one a little less obvious? Personal vote: “Slippery People.”
Ew. Right?
SANDIWARA
February 20
Starring Michelle Yeoh. Directed by Sean Baker. It’s a short film, just ten minutes long.
This is the one film on this list that you can watch right now. I don’t mean by clicking over to some app to stream. I mean by clicking here:
THE BRIDE!
March 6
Last year, when we were supposedly going to get both this and Netflix’s FRANKENSTEIN in the same year, I said
“In one corner, Guillermo Del Toro. In the other, Maggie Gyllenhaal. Doesn’t matter who wins, because we get double the Frankensteins either way! (That Christian Bale Frankenstein looks particularly cool…)”
Now I’m even more excited for this, since it looks like this version veers far away from the source and does a sort of TRUE ROMANCE riff, with The Monster as Clarence and The Bride as Alabama. The one idea better than that viral idea of remaking famous movies with Muppets is remaking famous movies with Frankensteins.
DOLLY
March 6
What I see so far puts me in mind of THE BOY, which is a good thing. That poster is creepy! When’s the last time a poster gave you chills?
GHOST ELEPHANTS
streaming on March 7
Werner Herzog directs and narrates this film about a South African expert who goes searching in Angola for a species of elephant known for their ability to evade detection. It is unknown at the outset if these “ghost elephants” even actually exist. A potentially quixotic quest is Werner’s wheelhouse. I’m in, obviously.
See also: WHITE HUNTER, BLACK HEART.
READY OR NOT 2: HERE I COME
March 20
I liked the first movie a fair amount, although there wasn’t much there that I felt I needed to continue to explore in a sequel. I do think it is very intriguing that so more and more horror/action movies these days are expressing this sort of “Eat the rich” sentiment. The culture tends to show us where the people are, often even before the people themselves are aware. And I’m as sold on the notion of Samara Weaving as a horror heroine as anybody else, although it’s funny that it isn’t what she wanted. Poor thing. She’s like Will Munny in UNFORGIVEN. People just won’t let her forget that she’s great at killing.
Oh, and one more thing to look forward to…
CRONENBERG ALERT!
BLAZING FISTS
March 31
The good thing about me taking so long to get this piece posted is that the trailers have started to show up. From the looks of this trailer, and forgive me if I’m getting it wrong, but this is sort of an MMA-flavored take on NO RETREAT, NO SURRENDER from the legendary, fearless, and prolific auteur Takashi Miike. I tend to think that anything from Miike is worth checking out, though his stuff isn’t for everyone. Again, I could be wrong, but this movie looks like more of a mainstream effort and maybe a good entry point for those curious about the master filmmaker.
FUZE
April 3
An action-packed thriller about soft drinks? More like a new heist film from the director of HELL OR HIGH WATER.
THE YETI
April 10
ALPHA
April 17
I’m deep in the pocket for Julia Ducournau. She is two for two, as far as I’m concerned. RAW is flawless. TITANE was somehow even better. So this is her third movie. That’s all I need to know.
NORMAL
April 17
I guess if it were almost anybody else, I would think that NOBODY was a fun one-off and hope that he’d go back to what we know him best for doing, but this is Bob Odenkirk. He was GREAT in NOBODY, and NOBODY II was arguably even better. Maybe someone else is getting tired of the novelty of Bob Odenkirk as an action lead, but that ain’t me.
MICHAEL
April 24
Last year, I said
“Now obviously I don’t have any enthusiasm for what this movie is. But the distant possibility of “Oscar nominee Nia Long” brings me joy. Sometimes it’s that simple.”
The movie was delayed — not a great sign! — but the same holds true now. The possibility of “Oscar nominee Nia Long” remains the only reason I’m here. (Colman Domingo is always value added.)
DEEP WATER
May 1
Renny Harlin, who made DEEP BLUE SEA, returns to the shark-horror genre. If that doesn’t excite you any, please consult a urologist.
As I said last year (uh-oh)…
Does this look original?
No. It’s literally exactly the plot of CYCLONE (1978).
Does that tagline look familiar?
Yes. It’s from THE FLY (1986).
Does the title of the movie itself look familiar? Yes. You last saw it in 2022, when it starred Ben Affleck and Ana De Armas, but the sea creatures in that case were snails, not sharks.
Does this new film titled DEEP WATER have 42 producers, including Gene Simmons of KISS?
Yes.
Is any of that a good sign?
No.
So should you care about this movie?
Yes. Because it was directed by Renny Harlin, and the last time he made a movie about sharks, it was THE DEEP BLUE SEA.
I LOVE BOOSTERS
May 22
EMPIRE CITY
no release date yet
BUDDY
no release date yet
THE ADVENTURES OF CLIFF BOOTH
summer 2026
My understanding is that this is going to Netflix. Sure hope they have a plan to roll it out in theaters too. I’m in New York so I can make it to the Paris Theater if need be, but it should go wider than that. I have to imagine that Fincher and Tarantino are gonna make sure that this is playing on real-deal movie screens. Stay tuned.
MASTERS OF THE UNIVERSE
June 5
As silly as it may sound, I am excited about almost every single aspect of this movie… except for one. Can you guess what it is?
DISCLOSURE DAY
June 12
It all comes down to Spielberg. We don’t know much more about this movie than that, and aliens. But it’s gonna be a must-see.
THE DEATH OF ROBIN HOOD
June 19
In honesty, Hugh Jackman isn’t my thing, but he’s a very talented actor and truly effective in plenty of roles. (I still think the perfect match of this actor and role is in the future somewhere.) I’m more enthusiastic about this because of Michael Sarnoski, who did PIG and A QUIET PLACE: DAY ONE. He’s a filmmaker to watch.
THE ODYSSEY
July 17
I’m not the biggest Christopher Nolan guy, maybe, but I like the idea that somebody is taking huge movie budgets and making movies that look and sound like movies, not cartoons. Realistically, this is going to be worth it if only for John Leguizamo as Eumaeus, who basically invented sarcasm, for those who aren’t up on their Homer.
SPIDER-MAN: BRAND NEW DAY
July 31
Spider-Man, that’s my guy. The Marvel Studios approach, not so much my thing. I am perfectly fine with Tom Holland. I just feel like they kind of started Spidey out as Iron Man Junior, which wasn’t the move. I wasn’t truly into this version until the very end of NO WAY HOME, where Peter is on the outs with MJ and all alone and back in a Spidey costume that wasn’t made by Tony Stark. And then it ended. It took six or seven movies for them to get to Peter Parker, to be real honest here. So the only thing that really interests me here is the supposed “street-level” approach. I’m skeptical about the Punisher being here, but I’m encouraged about Tombstone being on the call sheet. Now we’re talking. I will stay cautiously optimistic.
MUTINY
August 21
Did you miss SHELTER? You missed out!
Luckily, Jason Statham is fairly often good for more than one movie a year. He’s coming around again with this one.
COYOTE VS. ACME
August 28
This movie was famously put on the shelf, but now it’s been freed, and it’s going to be in theaters!! If you didn’t see LOONEY TUNES: THE DAY THE EARTH BLEW UP, you should, it’s super-fun with an obvious love for cartoons and these characters in particular. COYOTE VS. ACME is different: It’s a mix of live-action and animated characters, more like WHO FRAMED ROGER RABBIT. It’s about Wile E. Coyote suing the Acme Company for all those defective gadgets. Can’t resist that idea! Not sure yet if the Coyote talks. I always liked how he and the Roadrunner were essentially silent-film stars. I have a good feeling that anybody creative enough to make a movie with this premise can figure that one out, though.
THE DOG STARS
August 28
It’s a good cast in a post-apocalyptic epic from Ridley Scott. One review of the novel it’s based on says, “It’s THE ROAD… with hope!” Okay. Well, I’m gonna see it regardless, solely based on the Ridley Scott factor.
CLIFFHANGER
August 28
The original is good stuff, but trading Stallone for Lily James is acceptable, and you can rarely go wrong with Jaume Collet-Serra, in to direct after Renny Harlin rocked the original. Only thing we’re really missing here is the only thing that can never be traded or matched or upgraded: And that is of course Michael Rooker.
DIGGER
October 2
My feelings about Iñárritu’s filmography are mixed at best. Adored AMORES PERROS, but then he descended into miserabilism. Until BIRDMAN, which hey, was an attempt to lighten up, but sorry to say I couldn’t stand it. Then comes THE REVENANT, which I dug! Now he’s returning to “comedy,” and he is coming in hot with Tom Cruise, who I am even more mixed about. I think he’s a great actor who has spent most of the past twenty years making self-aggrandizing action movies where he gets to play stuntman. I respect the commitment, but even his defenders have to admit that he hasn’t for a long time challenged himself dramatically, only physically. Also, it’s continually confusing to me how “Film Twitter,” who has canceled many performers for far less offenses, rightly and maybe less rightly, turns a blind eye to the fact that Tom Cruise is the ambassador to the world for Scientology, which is pretty evil business. Or maybe it was just that important to get a sequel to TOP GUN. If you haven’t dealt with Scientologists up close, maybe that’s why you let this one slide. But I have. Not fun.
THAT SAID
I’m here to talk about movies, and Iñárritu is undeniably talented and so is Cruise, and it’s big that Cruise is making something other than MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE for the first time in years. I’m way curious, with reservations noted.
WHALEFALL
October 16
Hey, I read the book! It’s always nice to be able to say that before the movie comes out. (I usually scramble to read the book right before the movie comes out.)
The book took an outlandish, if realistic premise and made it thrilling and even moving. The cast is great, and the director made NO ONE WILL SAVE YOU, which was terrific. Plus: I will see anything with any kind of “sea monsters.” Have you seen IN THE HEART OF THE SEA? Higher-tier Ron Howard flick.
REMAIN
October 23
February 5, 2027
According to Shyamalan, this got bounced over to 2027. (He didn’t say it that way, but I did.)
Quite frankly, this whole deal is insane.
M. Night Shyamalan teams up with Nicholas Sparks. They did a book first. Now see the movie! Anybody who is into what these guys are known to offer is probably going to see whatever they do. However: What Shyamalan fans are looking for and what Sparks fans are looking for are two very different things. I’m always excited to see a talented person taking a big swing, and I will always check out just about anything Shyamalan does, but to be nice about it, that doesn’t always work out for the best. Sometimes it does! But sometimes, really not at all. What will this be? Who can know? I don’t expect it to be boring, whatever it is.
GODZILLA MINUS ZERO
November 6
GODZILLA MINUS ONE was the best movie of 2023. This is its sequel. I can’t possibly be looking forward to any movie more. See you at the theater!
AVENGERS: DOOMSDAY
December 18
Honestly, this looks like a disaster. I’m always happy to be proven wrong. But I can’t see how Downey as Doom works. I can’t see how a movie with this many characters works. When I say that it may not work, I’m not saying it won’t make many tons of money. I’m talking about as a movie, not as a drive-through for junk food. I’ve seen the first two teaser trailers. I don’t care about Captain America’s baby. I don’t care about Thor’s kid.
(And I’d say it’s a problem that I saw LOVE AND THUNDER and I don’t remember that Thor ended up with a kid. Think maybe these movies are getting a little overstuffed with incident?) I don’t have any affection for the rancid casting choices of Fox’s X-Men movies. Again, I don’t think any movie with fifty leads can ever really work. Fifty. I’m really not exaggerating there. At least THE LONGEST DAY had a valid reason to star everyone in the world. As much as I love Marvel Comics, come on now.
But hey, I’d love to be wrong. Doctor Doom is such a great character. It would be wonderful to see that captured on film. Vaya con Dios.
Okay, let me get in the right mood.
Vaya Con Doom.
WERWULF
December 25
I like Robert Eggers’ style. I am legally required to see any werewolf movie, but this is one that I’m pretty optimistic about, which is super rare, if you know anything about werewolf movies. (They’re rarely any good. Not that it stops me!) I also like this possibly developing holiday tradition where Robert Eggers drops a new horror movie at Christmastime. That’s my kind of cozy!
TLDR; New Godzilla coming, see you there!
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