- Published
The last time we had an epic Christopher Nolan release, in 2023, Oppenheimer - together with Barbie - gave cinema a huge audience boost.
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Oppenheimer → publish → boost
Could Nolan's The Odyssey, along with one or two other 2026 releases, produce a similar result?
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Odyssey → produce → result
The industry is hopeful that a number of highly anticipated projects - like Tom Holland's fourth Spider-Man movie, the second Super Mario Brothers film, and The Devil Wears Prada 2 - could lead to a box office bonanza.
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Devil → anticipate → bonanza
Together with Oscar hopefuls like Hamnet, 2026 looks to be a potentially huge year for an industry still feeling the after-effects of the Covid lockdown.
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2026 → look → lockdown
Here are 20 films to watch out for in 2026.
1.
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films → watch → .
Hamnet
Based on Maggie O'Farrell's award-winning book, Hamnet follows the relationship between WIlliam Shakespeare (Paul Mescal) and his wife Agnes (Jessie Buckley), and explores the tragic events that engulf the couple and inspire Shakespeare's play Hamlet.
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that → base → play
This fourth instalment of the series that began back in 2002 continues the events of 2025's 28 Years Later.
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that → begin → Years
Spike (Alfie Williams) becomes embroiled with a deadly group led by Jimmy Crystal (Jack O'Connell).
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Spike → embroil → Crystal
Meanwhile, Dr Kelson (Ralph Fiennes) enters into a new relationship that could have devastating consequences.
uncertain
that → enter → consequences
Loosely inspired by the career of British comedian John Bishop, Is This Thing On? is the third film directed by Bradley Cooper, after A Star Is Born and Maestro.
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Star → inspire → Cooper
It follows a man who unexpectedly tries stand-up comedy and finds he has a talent for making people laugh.
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people → follow → talent
With trailers filled with images representing passion, longing, and suppressed sexual tension, Wuthering Heights is already one of the most talked-about films of 2026.
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Heights → fill → 2026
It's directed by Emerald Fennell, whose last film was Saltburn.
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film → direct → Fennell
And once again she's working with Jacob Elordi, who plays Heathcliff.
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who → work → Heathcliff
Margot Robbie plays Cathy.
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Robbie → play → Cathy
Amanda Seyfried stars as real-life figure Ann Lee, the leader of an 18th Century religious movement known as Shakerism.
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Seyfried → star → Shakerism
Originally a Quaker, she moves away from that order and crosses the Atlantic to America, where hundreds join her on her religious journey.
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hundreds → move → journey
Scream 7
Kevin Williamson, who wrote the original Scream along with two of its sequels, has rejoined the Scream family, this time directing as well as writing the screenplay.
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who → write → screenplay
In front of the camera, originals Courteney Cox, who played Gale Weathers, and Neve Campbell as Sidney Prescott, also return to face a new Ghostface - who's menacing Prescott's daughter.
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who → play → daughter
The Super Mario Galaxy Movie
Thirty years after the live action Super Mario Bros. movie was a box office failure, an animated take on the adventures of the lively plumber - The Super Mario Bros. Movie - made more than a billion dollars at the box office.
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take → make → office
This sequel, based on a 2007 game where Mario and Luigi set off to rescue Princess Peach, was inevitable.
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Mario → base → Peach
The Devil Wears Prada 2
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Devil → wear → Prada
Meryl Streep's wry wit as editor of fashion magazine Runway and Anne Hathaway's performance as Andy, the naive newcomer to the fashion world, made the original film a must-watch for millions.
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film → make → millions
Few details are known right now, but also returning are fan favourites Emily Blunt and Stanley Tucci as Emily and Nigel.
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favourites → know → Emily
Over three series, The Mandalorian has become the most successful Star Wars TV spin-off.
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Mandalorian → become → series
Now its makers will be hoping its popularity can help reinvigorate Star Wars on the big screen, with the franchise's first movie since 2019's Star Wars episode IX The Rise of Skywalker.
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popularity → hop → Skywalker
The film will also star Sigourney Weaver.
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film → star → Weaver
This latest Steven Spielberg project is shrouded in secrecy.
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project → shroud → secrecy
Even its two-minute teaser trailer doesn't shed much light on the plot.
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trailer → shed → plot
But it does hint strongly at extraterrestrial visitors being revealed to humankind, with a tagline: "If you found out we weren't alone, if someone showed you, proved it to you, would that frighten you?"
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that → hint → you
By its own super-high standards, several films have underperformed including Turning Red, Elio and the Toy Story spin-off Lightyear.
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films → underperform → Red
So they'll be hoping this fifth instalment of its most successful series, and the return of Tom Hanks as Woody and Tim Allen as Buzz can help restore things.
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instalment → hop → things
But it looks to be equally about her personality - the trailer shows her doing everything from battling bad guys to dancing beneath a glitterball.
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her → look → glitterball
The first animated Moana was a huge hit, its sequel Moana 2 an even bigger one, grossing more than $1bn at the box office
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sequel → animate → office
So hopes are high for this live-action remake of the original movie, which tells the story of young Moana leaving her island home on a voyage that she hopes can save her people.
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she → tell → people
The Odyssey
Oscar-winning director Sir Christopher Nolan doesn't usually like audiences knowing too much about the plot of his films in advance.
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audiences → win → advance
In this case, though, his follow-up to 2023's Oscar-winning Oppenheimer is based on Homer's Greek epic, which follows Odysseus (Matt Damon) journeying home after the Trojan War.
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Odysseus → win → War
Spider-Man: Brand New Day
At the end of the previous film Spider-Man: No Way Home, a spell cast by Dr Strange caused the whole world - including Peter Parker's girlfriend MJ - to forget that Parker (Tom Holland) was Spider-Man, or that Parker even existed.
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Parker → cast → girlfriend
So many expect the film to explore how he deals with this lonely phase of being a superhero.
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he → expect → phase
The Hunger Games: Sunrise on the Reaping
Set a quarter of a century before the first Hunger Games film, Sunrise on the Reaping is the story of Haymitch Abernathy (who went on to mentor Jennifer Lawrence's Katniss) taking part in the 50th Hunger Games.
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who → Set → Games
…and 13 more, not listed.
The Aporia
