My name – perhaps unbelievably – is Ali Plumb, and (again, perhaps unbelievably) my job sees me watch films and then interview famous actors and directors about said films. Absurd, I know. This means I watch a fair few movies of a year and boy do I have some thoughts on them. So then here are just TWELVE of the biggest blockbuster (or adjacent) films I’m most looking forward to watching in **gulp** 2026.
1. Wuthering Heights (13th February)
It’s Wuthering Heights, but not as you know it as Oscar-winning writer-director Emerald Fennell (Promising Young Woman) seasons Emily Brontë’s classic with her own Saltburnian flavour, turning up the heat on Margot Robbie (Cathy) and Jacob Elordi (Heathcliff) until the pot fully boils over. In short: this looks ridiculously steamy and I am absolutely here for it.
2. The Bride! (6th March)
Guillermo Del Toro reanimated Mary Shelley’s original Frankenstein story for Netflix but now it’s actor-turned-director Maggie Gyllenhaal’s turn to bring The Bride! (Of Frankenstein) back to life, and with a cast that’ll make your bolts unscrew. Seriously: Christian Bale as Frankenstein, Jessie Buckley as The Bride, not forgetting Jake Gyllenhaal, Peter Sarsgaard, Annette Bening, Penelope Cruz… absolutely, wonderfully amazing.. Plus, the twist - of a sort - is the 1930s Chicago setting, so no “Castle Frankenstein” upon a windswept hill (which isn’t even in the novel, but you knew that already).
3. Project Hail Mary (20th March)
Any film from the powerhouse directing duo of Phil Lord and Christopher Miller (The Lego Movie, Spider-Man: Into The Spider-verse, 21 Jump Street) is worth looking forward to, but one starring Ryan Gosling? About an amnesiac astronaut? Based on a book by Andy Weir, the author of The Martian? Consider me already seated, because I’m locking in a Memento-like tattoo to remind me of its release date ASAP.
4. Star Wars: The Mandalorian and Grogu (22nd May)
The break-out star of not only The Mandalorian TV show but the Disney+ streaming platform as a whole, Baby Yoda - or Grogu as we should call him, come on folks - floats into cinemas in May, with director Jon Favreau at the controls and Pedro Pascal donning his jetpack once again. The fact that sci-fi legend Sigourney Weaver is also on board makes things even better but Jeremy Allen White (aka Carmy off The Bear) as Rotta the Hutt, son of Jabba? I genuinely //have// to see this. Finger crossed he gets locked in a walk-in freezer, seems eminently doable to be honest.
5. Untilted Steven Spielberg film (15th May)
Steven Spielberg - ever heard of him? - joins forces with his Jurassic Park writer David Koepp to bring about a brand-new UFO science fiction story for the big screen. Not a remake, not a reimagining, not an adaptation of a book: something entirely new. As such, not much is known about it just yet but come on, Steven Spielberg, Emily Blunt, Josh O’Connor, Colin Firth…? You already know you’re watching this one.
6. Toy Story 5 (19th June)
There are so many big animated releases in 2026 I am cheating here by listing them all in passing: Pixar’s other release, Hoppers (March 6), not forgetting The Super Mario Galaxy Movie (April 3), Minions 3: Mega Minions (June 1) and The Cat In The Hat (November 6). The biggest though? Arguably Toy Story 5, as Wall-E and Finding Nemo veteran Andrew Stanton takes the reins for a movie centring around Jessie (Joan Cusack) doing battle with a new electronic rival: the Lilypad. Yes, it’s a frog-themed tablet, yes it’s a great job, trust me.
Concept art for ‘Toy Story 5’ has been revealed.
— Cartoon Base (@TheCartoonBase) August 10, 2024
The film releases in theaters on June 19, 2026. pic.twitter.com/OtyiOTIrf8
7. Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow (26th June)
The first of many superhero releases in 2026, Supergirl flies in faster than a speeding bullet (or Spider-man, or The Avengers for that matter) with a May outing, taking the character we met briefly in James Gunn’s 2025 Superman - played by House Of The Dragon’s Milly Alcock, lest we forget - and setting her off on an intergalactic revenge mission. Yes, you read that correctly. intergalactic revenge mission. Plus, it’s directed by Cruella’s Craig Gillespie, so everyone will look really, really good-looking, right?
James Gunn reveals the #Supergirl teaser poster, which flips the script on Superman's "Look Up" tagline.
— Variety (@Variety) July 16, 2025
"Supergirl opens in theaters on June 26, 2026. pic.twitter.com/nUzIl7Btrn
8. The Odyssey (17th July)
Christopher Nolan. There. Two words and you’re watching it. The fact that it stars Matt Damon, Zendaya, Tom Holland, Anne Hathaway, Charlize Theron, Robert Pattinson (amongst others) and retells Homer’s ancient Greek epic is almost by the by because - and I can’t say this clearly enough: Christopher Nolan.
A film by Christopher Nolan. Shot entirely with IMAX film cameras. In theaters 7 17 26. #TheOdysseyMovie pic.twitter.com/lizYuc3Mu7
— odysseymovie (@odysseymovie) July 2, 2025
9. Spider-Man: Brand New Day (31st July)
You’ve seen him swinging through Glasgow on the news, you’ve been sent the stills of him battling a tank in Basingstoke, now watch the fourth Tom Holland Spidey adventure and see how they turn the UK into New York - and hopefully spot Zendaya and Jacob Batalon along the way.
10. The Hunger Games: Sunrise on the Reaping (20th November)
Fans have long clamoured for a Haymitch Abernathy origin story and here it finally is, with newcomer Joseph Zada as the artist formally known as Woody Harrelson and the Ralph Fiennes as a middle-aged Coriolanus Snow. Pleasingly, director Francis Lawrence - who’s helmed all but the very first Hunger Games film - is also back for Sunrise on the Reaping, so you know you’re in safe hands.
11. Avengers: Doomsday (18th December)
Oh boy, here it comes. After a shaky couple of phases, the Avengers return, and with a cast positively bursting at the spandex seams. Pedro Pascal, Chris Hemsworth, Anthony Mackie, Ian McKellen, Florence Pugh, even Alan Cumming is back as Nightcrawler… I’d be here all day writing out just the triple-A names, but then in a heel turn there’s Robert Downey Jr. as Doctor Doom, reason enough to watch this film - not forgetting the Russo Brothers returning to direct. This one’s going to be **HUGE** so earmark three hours out of your busy schedules and book the 4DX-iest seats you can.
12. Dune: Messiah (18th December)
Now here’s a Christmas present from our soon-to-be-Bond-director Denis Villeneuve: attempting to tackle what’s best described as author Frank Herbert’s “difficult” and perhaps even “out there” follow-up novel. Timmy of course returns as Paul alongside Florence Pugh from Part 2 and… some other actors whose names would be spoilers even if I just casually mentioned them. It’s going to take some doing getting this one right, but in Villeneuve we trust (sorry Christopher Nolan sir, he's earned the accolade too now I reckon).
Ali Plumb is a writer, journalist, broadcaster and one of the most-heard movie critics in the UK. A five-year Empire Magazine veteran and former Digital Spy Movies Editor, Ali is now BBC Radio 1 and 1Xtra's in-house Film Critic. His iPlayer interview series 'Movies With Ali Plumb' sees him speaking to A-listers such as Jennifer Lawrence, Steven Spielberg, Emma Stone and Tom Cruise. He's hosted press conferences, as well as the likes of Star Wars Celebration, the BBC Proms and, um, his own highly geeky big screen quiz, "Ali Plumb's Untitled Film Quiz Project". You should go one time, it's fun.
.jpg)
.png)
