My 9 most anticipated films for the rest of 2026

After ranking every new release of the first half of 2026, it’s time to let you know what I’m most excited for for the rest of the year. There’s a fair bit to be excited about, but we never know exactly how any of these films are really going to pan out. There’s an unfortunate amount of franchise fare making up this list (about 50/50), but it’s worth bearing in mind that my favourite film of the year so far, Obsession, wasn’t something I was massively aware of upon release, but instead something that blew up worldwide through positive word of mouth. This is a ranking based purely on the films that I already plan on seeing in cinema, but hopefully my favourite film come the end of the year will be something I’ve never even heard of yet. Also, the release dates listed here are for the UK, for hopefully obvious reasons.

There’s something tragic about this being dead bottom. I suppose it’s only dead bottom out of the nine I plan on seeing, so it could be worse, but me ten years ago would still be shocked to see it this low. But here we are, and I’ve missed more MCU projects since Endgame than I’ve watched.

Even with this general decline, there was still a chance of me being really excited for a new Avengers film if it didn’t feel so desperate for attention. Everything about the marketing screams that this is going to be the worst of the MCU, a prioritisation of fan service and cameos over simply making a good film. Bringing Robert Downey Jr. and Chris Evans back reeks of desperation, and a refusal to take a step back after Endgame.

Endgame was the climax of a cultural fervour that this universe will likely never replicate, at least not with their first new Avengers film. But that’s okay. Not every film needs to be the biggest event of your lifetime. If they had been willing to strip things back a bit for this film, build up from a similar position as the first Avengers, there could be some real intrigue here. Characters like Doctor Strange, Spiderman, Captain Marvel or Shang Chi are all strong enough to make something more small scale in the vein of the 6 person team from the first film. But instead, we have more characters than you could possibly remember.

That being said, it’s still on the list because the Avengers name still carries weight. And despite everything I’ve said here, the film isn’t out yet. I could be proven wrong.

I have comparatively little to say here, because the Hunger Games films have always been just okay to me. I quite like the first one, and each one has some cool stuff to offer, but I’ve never been able to connect to it in the same way others have. The world is interesting and offers some good political commentary, but I never find myself feeling that connected to the characters, even Katniss, despite caring deeply when reading the books.

Most of the hype that I do have for this film is driven by my Hunger Games obsessed friend, who has repeatedly told me how emotionally devastating this film is going to be. Although this franchise has never managed to do that to me before, I look forward to hopefully being proven wrong.

So far, James Gunn’s DC has offered us Superman and Supergirl, one triumph and one slight failure. Both have embraced a pretty fun and relatively wholesome identity, but Clayface is a swing in a completely different direction.

Directed by James Watkins, known for horror films such as The Woman in Black and Speak No Evil (2024), Clayface promises to filter Gotham through the lens of tense and intense body horror. Some have criticised James Gunn’s universe for diving deep into minor characters when the franchise is still so fresh, but the lack of inherent name value gives me hope that this was a film made because of an artistic vision rather than an IP.

Clayface is far from a guaranteed hit, but I’d much rather a big studio swing and miss than not swing at all, so I’m holding out hope that Clayface can help us rethink what superhero flicks can be. It also has Naomi Ackie in the cast, which can’t hurt its chances.

I know I said all that about not caring for the MCU too much anymore, but unlike most of Marvel’s characters right now, Spiderman is enough of a name outside of that universe to get me interested regardless. It also helps that I’ve actually really enjoyed every single appearance from Tom Holland’s spiderman so far, and left No Way Home very excited to see him embrace a more traditional Spiderman role.

My worries come in the form of the cameos we see in the trailers, which make me fear that these will become the focus over Peter Parker himself. I’m also not overly keen on going straight back to Ned and MJ only a film after Peter was forced to let them go, but I do appreciate the dramatic and emotional potential that storyline has. Hopefully these slight warning signs in the trailer aren’t overplayed in the film, and are more just a strategy for drawing audiences in. If they get this right, it could be the best thing the MCU has done since… the last Spiderman film (or Wonderman).

Before you come at me, this still isn’t out in the UK, despite being based on one of our folk heroes, so it counts for this list. I saw the trailer for this back in March and have been eagerly anticipating it ever since. This kind of moody Mediaeval tone is just something I tend to eat up, and exploring the legend of Robin Hood from a darker and perhaps more honest angle sounds like a fascinating chance to deconstruct the hero we’ve all come to know. The trailer features a number of atmospheric and mysterious shots, along with moments of a magical score.

The reviews that are already out seem fairly mixed, but I’m happy to go and find out for myself. My only real concern right now comes in the form of Hugh Jackman, not because he’s a bad actor, but because I’m weirdly unable to unsee his face as Hugh Jackman’s in the trailer. This is fully subjective though, and likely something I’ll get past within ten minutes of actually watching the film.

It seems that any time you mention this film, an absolute Hellstorm of dishonest discourse will follow, but I’m looking forward to it regardless. I accept some of the criticisms people have given to the costuming and dialogue, and this certainly doesn’t seem like a film that will intricately immerse you into ancient Greece. But, for me at least, it doesn’t really need to.

I’m not as deep into the Nolan cult as some people, but I am yet to watch a film of his that I disliked, and the guy’s clearly got a knack for making things feel epic. And at the end of the day, that’s what The Odyssey is. The cast is stacked from top to bottom, in a way that I hope will lead to all round great performances rather than becoming distracting. The story itself would be hard to get wrong, given its immense success over generations. And as much as the attempts to force ‘event’ cinema can be tiresome, when it happens organically it can be really fun to get stuck into. Some people inevitably will be (and already have been) incredibly weird about this film, determined to dislike it regardless of quality, but that doesn’t mean the rest of us can’t get excited.

For me, Dune: Part Three leapfrogs all of the other franchise fare on this list, and easily wins the Duneseday battle, because it follows one of the best films of 2024. The first Dune was good but inevitably took a while to get where it was going and felt far too much like a to be continued, but the second delivered exactly what this series is capable of.

As the trilogy’s conclusion, Dune Three promises to be gigantic, in scale and quality, a sci fi epic for a generation. The huge time jump between this and the last film could be a challenge, but doesn’t have to be a fatal one if handled well. There was some concern when we learnt than cinematographer Greg Fraser was ditching the series to work on the Beatles biopics, given how stunning his work on the previous films had been. But my fears were mostly quelled when Linus Sandgren of La La Land stepped in, someone who I believe is capable of matching Fraser’s work.

A final point in favour of this film; as annoying as you may find him, Timothee Chalamet is supremely talented. His previous performances in this role have been fantastic and intense, and this more aged version of the character will give him some new ground to explore as he continues chasing his Oscar.

Okay so I found out after writing this section that it doesn’t release in the UK until the first day of 2027, but I’ve already wrote it so you’re reading it.

I may not be fully committed to the Nolan cult, but I’m a devotee of Robert Eggers. Even though I’m iffy on The Northman, all of his other films are personal favourites of mine, and capture a brand of supernatural eeriness that no other director seems capable of- or willing- to do. The Werwulf trailer promises something closest to Nosferatu in terms of plot, but with traits from all over his filmography. The practically black and white colour palette feels Lighthouse, one shot in particular of a floating body feels hooked straight from The Witch, and some of the intense rituals led by an elder recalls Willem Dafoe’s character in The Northman.

Speaking of Dafoe, plenty of Eggers’ favourite actors return here. Lily Rose-Depp, Kate Dickie, Ralph Ineson, and Aaron Taylor Johnson are all here, and have all proven that they know how to deliver strong performances under this director and in this style. My only worry with all of this is that Eggers’ falls into the trap of just giving us more of the same. Having a distinct style is great, but distinct style can risk becoming repetition over time. Each of his films so far have managed to have a distinct identity, and it’s not yet clear what that will be for the Werwulf. Still, it’s number 2 for a reason.

I’m weirdly unable to write too much about my most anticipated film of 2026, because my experience of Jane Schoenbrun has taught me that it’s best to watch their films with as little knowledge as possible. What I do know is that this will follow a filmmaker creating a slasher remake, who becomes obsessed with casting a specific woman as her final girl. What exactly this obsession will lead to is unclear, but given Schoenbrun’s history, it’s sure to be fascinating.

For those unfamiliar, Jane Schoenbrun has directed We’re All Going To The World’s Fair and I Saw The TV Glow. Both of these films offer a very unfamiliar experience, one that can often feel isolating whilst simultaneously making you feel seen. I Saw The TV Glow is a personal favourite, and so I was always going to be strapped in for whatever Schoenbrun did next.

I plan to do a more in depth piece in this closer to release, but both of their films so far have explored the possility of escape through technology, specifically some kind of screen. And now, protagonist steps behind the camera, creating something that in itself could become someone’s escape. And perhaps their obsession will result in them being somehow involved in stepping into the word on screen.

Safe to say, I’m pretty excited about the rest of 2026. I’ll be reviewing a fair few of these when they release, so stay tuned for those if you’re interested, although I’m also cautious of flooding myself with reviews so much that I avoid doing any of the more in depth stuff, so also look out for some of that in the next month or so.