When I look at the list of my most anticipated movies of 2026, I can't help but get excited. Some of these, I've seen trailers for; others, just a mere teaser. There's one movie on here where I haven't seen even a first-look photo yet, but I still can't contain my excitement.
A lot of my anticipation comes down to the directors and actors involved in these movies. "The Odyssey" pairs Christopher Nolan with Matt Damon; "Digger" pairs Alejandro González Iñárritu with Tom Cruise. When you have incredible team-ups like this, you can't help but get fired up to see what they produce.
Malcolm has been with the Tom's Guide streaming team since 2023, watching dozens of new shows each year so you don't have to watch the bad ones.
'28 Years Later: The Bone Temple' (Jan. 16)
"28 Years Later: The Bone Temple" continues the saga of post-apocalyptic Britain, which has been ravaged by the Rage Virus first seen in "28 Days Later." It picks up immediately after the events of "28 Years Later," with Spike (Alfie Williams) having joined Sir Jimmy Crystal's (Jack O'Connell) gang of acrobatic killers. Things are already a bit rocky there, given that Jimmy is a total psychopath, so Spike might not be long for this merry band of misfits.
Meanwhile, Dr Ian Kelson (Ralph Fiennes) is still back at The Bone Temple, a massive monument to those who've lost their lives to the virus. But he's decided to try and form a bond with Samson (Chi Lewis-Parry), an Alpha infected we met in the previous film. If he can successfully build a relationship with an infected, then it could change this desolate version of England forever, and I cannot wait to see what happens.
"28 Years Later: The Bone Temple" premieres in theaters on Jan. 16
'Project Hail Mary' (Mar. 20)
"Project Hail Mary" is adapted from Andy Weir's 2021 novel of the same name. You might not have read it, but you've almost certainly seen the first adaptation of his work, 2015's "The Martian," starring Matt Damon. It's another spacefaring science fiction adventure, this time starring Ryan Gosling as Ryland Grace, a sixth-grade science teacher who may prove to be humanity's last hope.
In this alternate version of Earth, our sun is dying, as are most suns in our galaxy, except in the Tau Ceti system. So Eva Stratt (Sandra Hüller) is assembling a team to head to the faraway solar system to see if it can provide the answer for our sun's untimely demise. As part of that team, she brings in Grace, who has a doctorate in molecular biology and could be key to the success of the mission.
But Grace was never supposed to go to space. So it's a shock to him when he awakes from a coma, stranded in space. The "Project Hail Mary" trailer feels very much like "Interstellar" meets "The Martian," and that premise alone has me excited to watch when it hits theaters later this year.
"Project Hail Mary" premieres in theaters on Mar. 20
'Disclosure Day' (June 12)
"Disclosure Day" was potentially going to be left off my list because, until a week or so ago, it was merely an untitled Steven Spielberg project. But then, out of nowhere, we got the first official teaser trailer, and I'm completely sold on this movie being awesome.
You can check out the trailer above, but here's the rundown on "Disclosure Day." Based on an original story by Spielberg, this sci-fi film stars Josh O'Connor as a man who has discovered that we're not alone in this universe. Aliens exist, and they're here on Earth. His plan? To show the whole world at once the evidence he's found. With a cast that also includes Colin Firth, Eve Hewson, Colman Domingo and Emily Blunt, who might be one of the aliens, "hyped" is insufficient to describe how excited I am for this movie.
"Disclosure Day" premieres in theaters on June 12
'The Odyssey' (July 17)
In terms of what are the biggest stories one could tell on the big screen, Homer's "Odyssey" is probably right up there with the Christian Bible. "Odyssey" and its prequel, "Iliad," are two of the most well-known stories in human history, and now Christopher Nolan is bringing one to life on IMAX screens everywhere.
For those of you who aren't familiar with Homer's historical epics, "Iliad" tells the tale of the Trojan War, ending with the death of the Trojan Prince Hector at the hands of Achilles. Homer then picks up the story 10 years after the fall of Troy in "Odyssey," which follows the king of Ithaca, Odysseus (Matt Damon), as he tries to return home to his wife Penelope (Anne Hathaway) and son Telemachus (Tom Holland).
Christopher Nolan's follow-up to "Oppenheimer" was always going to merit anticipation. As would any adaptation of "Odyssey." But beyond Damon, Hathaway and Holland, "The Odyssey" also stars Robert Pattinson, Lupita Nyong'o, Zendaya, Jon Bernthal and Charlize Theron among many other familiar names and faces. It might be the greatest cast ever assembled, and I can't wait to see how it plays out on screen.
"The Odyssey" premieres in theaters on July 17
'Digger' (Oct. 2)
We know very little about "Digger," the next film from "Birdman" and "The Revenant" director Alejandro G. Iñárritu. It stars Tom Cruise as Digger Rockwell, described as the "most powerful man in the world.” He's frantically working to prove that he is humanity’s savior from a disaster of his own making, which could destroy the world.
I cannot wait to see Tom Cruise in a comedic role like this. I don't mind action movie Cruise, but his talents have been severely underutilized in the past decade, and this movie could remind the world what an incredibly talented actor he is, rather than just a fearless stuntman. Aside from Cruise, "Digger" also features Sandra Hüller, John Goodman, Michael Stuhlbarg, Jesse Plemons, Sophie Wilde, Riz Ahmed and Emma D’Arcy, which is a cast that would sell me on this film if I wasn't bought in already.
"Digger" premieres in theaters on Oct. 2
'Dune: Part Three' (Dec. 18)
"Dune" and "Dune: Part II" are among my favorite movies of all time. In fact, Denis Villeneuve's "Dune: Part II" is currently my pick for the best movie of the century to date. So, unsurprisingly, I'm very excited to see "Dune: Part III," which is set to come out at the end of the year.
For those who need a quick refresher, the first two Dune movies adapt Frank Herbert's 1965 novel "Dune." They chronicle the rise of Paul Atreides (Timothée Chalamet), the exiled Duke of House Atreides and the Lisan al Gaib, a messianic figure to the native Fremen of the planet Arrakis. At the end of "Part II," Paul deposes Emperor Shaddam IV (Christopher Walken) and destroys House Harkonnen, declaring himself the new Emperor of the Known Universe.
In "Dune: Part III," Villeneuve will take on the more difficult task of adapting Herbert's 1969 novel "Dune Messiah," which is where the Dune universe starts to get a bit ... weird. Without getting into spoilers, the movie will focus on Paul cementing his power and the standing of House Atreides as the ruling power in the Known Universe. But how Villeneuve goes about that will be interesting to see. This could be an unsatisfying ending to the Dune trilogy for casual viewers, or it could be one of the greatest movies ever made. We'll have to wait until December 2026 to find out.
"Dune: Part Three" premieres in theaters on Dec. 18
'Avengers: Doomsday' (Dec. 18)
"Avengers: Doomsday" will bring back Robert Downey Jr. to the MCU, not as Tony Stark, but as the iconic villain Doctor Doom. It will be the first part of a two-movie Avengers story, directed by the Russo Brothers, who famously directed "Avengers: Endgame." The official synopsis from Marvel says, "Doctor Doom has officially arrived in the MCU. This villain, a master of cutting-edge science and powerful magic, will unleash a cascading crisis across the entire Multiverse," but most likely, this is at least a loose adaptation of Jonathan Hickman's 2015 "Secret Wars" comic book miniseries.
This Marvel movie is loaded with former and current MCU stars as well as stars from the 2000s "X-Men" franchise. In a livestream on March 26, Marvel revealed a large swath of the "Doomsday" cast, including Downey Jr., Chris Hemsworth, Pedro Pascal, Patrick Stewart and more. Since then, some X-Men have been reportedly seen on set, including James Marsden as Cyclops and Sir Ian McKellen as Magneto (h/t BuiltFromSmash on X [Twitter]). In teaser trailers shown ahead of "Avatar: Fire and Ash," it's also been revealed that Chris Evans will return as Steve Rodgers. This list of potential appearances goes on and on; Tom Holland hasn't even technically been cast, though he's almost certain to play a major part as Spider-Man/Peter Parker.
If done right, "Avengers: Doomsday" could take an incredible comic book story and turn it into the greatest comic book adaptation of all time. If done poorly, it could forever cripple the MCU and mark the beginning of the end for Marvel in Hollywood. I'm certainly anticipating it, but mixed in with that anticipation is a healthy dose of fear. Also, this movie might move back (or up) to make way for "Dune: Part III), as both are currently coming out on the same day.
"Avengers: Doomsday" premieres in theaters on Dec. 18
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