Let’s All Go to the Lobby: My 2026 Movie Watchlist
In an effort to stop staring blankly when someone asks me what I’m watching/liking these days, I started a simple word document to help me keep track. Reader: That was twenty years ago! I’m so glad I started this watchlist because I love going back to see what movies or TV shows piqued my curiosity and even better, what I actually enjoyed. To this day, I try to update the list at least 2-3 times a year as release schedules shift.
On New Years Day I spent a few hours tooling around the world wide web to see what the heck was even coming out in 2026. I know more will get added as we go, but already there’s some interesting picks, a slew of reboots, and a bunch of wrap-’em-ups. Although it was a bit demoralizing to see the lack of “new” ideas amongst the IP pile-on, I thought it might be fun to share my 15 most anticipated movies. Soon, I’ll be posting a separate watchlist about the TV shows I’m excited to watch in 2026. (Heads up: I earn a small commission from qualifying purchases using my Amazon affiliate links at no extra cost to you.)
If there are any films/TV shows you’re looking forward to watching in 2026 that I missed…
… please drop them in the comments. I’d love to add them to my watchlist.
January
Greenland 2: Migration - I’m a sucker for survival/disaster films. Maybe it’s because I wrote for the post apocalyptic show “The 100” but I think all that death and destruction just makes me feel better about my own life. The organizer in me loves the sequences where they do some rudimentary grocery shopping or build some Swiss Family Robinson-esque security system. I also love competency porn ala “The Pitt” when someone is able to focus and thrive in high pressure situations. When I heard the sequel was coming out soon, I was genuinely excited. I enjoyed the first “Greenland” starring Gerard Butler and Morena Baccarin (hey, Firefly fam!) where a comet threatens to destroy everyone on Earth… but it was ironically delayed in its release due to Covid which also threatened to destroy everyone on Earth.
28 Years Later: The Bone Temple The survivalist/apocalyptic thread continues but this time, with Zombies! I’ve seen every single one of these “28 Days Later” films and have no intention of stopping. This movie ran so “Walking Dead” could… walk. But of course, we have to give credit to the original Zombie film, “Night of the Living Dead”, however that brilliant film deserves its own blog post. My best friend and I found ourselves strangely sobbing in the third act of “28 Years Later” during Ralph Fiennes and Jodie Comer’s talk about grief/loss. This next installment looks like it promises to tell us more about the white haired-Jimmy-Savile-weirdos (ew) who seem more dangerous than the Zombies and if anything like their namesake, they are.
February
Wuthering Heights - If there’s anything I love more than gritty survivalist fare, it’s period piece dramas. After “Promising Young Woman” and “Saltburn”, I can’t wait to see what Emerald Fennell has dreamed up for Catherine and Heathcliff in this loose adaptation of Emily Brontë’s yearning moor melodrama. The trailer with Margot Robbie and Jacob Elordi looks steamy, foggy, and full of sideburns & cleavage so it will probably be the best movie of the year. We all have until Valentine’s Day to re-read the book and get ready.
March
The Bride! - Another female writer/director on the list with Maggie Gyllenhaal doing a 180 around the camera. Jessie Buckley is playing the Bride of Frankenstein in this modern adaptation of “Frankenstein” or, “The Modern Prometheus” by Mary Shelley. True story, when I first saw “Frankenstein” in my teens, I decided then and there if I ever got married I’d wear the veiled headpiece that Mae Clark dons in the original “Frankenstein” film. Also, true story, I’m still single. Nevertheless, the fashion of Frankenstein films looks to be alive and well in this punk rock retelling. Can’t wait!
Frankenstein — THE wedding headpiece.
Project Hail Mary - IMHO Andy Weir can do no wrong. After his smash hit, “The Martian”, I absolutely dove head first into another Weir book “Project Hail Mary” and wasn’t disappointed. After writing some hard sci-fi with a soft edges in “Star Trek: Prodigy” I appreciate all the research and “schmience” Mr. Weir brings to his books. Ryan Gosling as teacher turned reluctant astronaut Ryland Grace is fun casting. Specifically, I can’t wait to see how he and “Rocky” work together to stop the impending destruction of their planets.
May
Star Wars: The Mandalorian and Grogu - No-brainer opening weekend fare for me. I would die for baby Grogu, but I can rest assured Mando will already protect him with his own life. This is the injection of fun and adventure the Star Wars franchise needs. That’s not to say “Andor” was a drag, far from it, but I think we all need more cute aliens and/or robots in our lives. Soon, this franchise will also hopefully inject some much needed fun and adventure into the Disneyland attraction Smuggler’s Run. Surprised they’re forgoing the “May the Fourth” release date, but this gets them closer to the summer rush.
June
Disclosure Day - Ecstatic that Steven Spielberg has returned to the sci-fi UFO world but I was kinda “meh” about this trailer. I had this unsettling feeling of “seeing it before” but I’m not sure if it’s because of some ouroboros thing of Spielberg influencing practically everything or if he’s just a couple beats behind these days. It gives “Plur1bus” meets “Arrival” vibes to me, but Emily Blunt is eternally watchable and it’s shot by the genius DP Janusz Kamiński, so not much can detour me from an opening weekend viewing.
Toy Story 5 - I worked in a small midwestern movie theater when the first “Toy Story” came out in 1995 and will never forget the packed auditorium and sold-out screenings week after week. Obviously, the franchise deserved all the accolades and now that we embark on the fifth installment, it’s clear that toys are never going out of style. I love that the nemesis of this film seems to be an electronic toy harkening back to Woody’s inferiority complex about Buzz in the first film. Although, if I were writing it, the microplastics inside Bonnie would unite to form a monstrous creation the toys must destroy. Toy Story 6, call me.
Supergirl - I could not be more thrilled for my buddy Tom King’s Supergirl story come to life. If you haven’t checked out the “Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow” comic yet, do yourself a favor and grab a copy of the trade. The art is GORGEOUS and I can only hope director Craig Gillespie and the production team can recreate an ounce of Bilquis Evely‘s design. Milly Alcock seems to be giving the perfect sarcastic and complicated “Rooster Cogburn” performance. I’m relieved we’re getting a film that has a well-built story foundation and they’re not just building a story around a well-constructed character. I hope it brings the same interest as the 2017 “Wonder Woman” did, but we’ll see in terms of a male audience draw.
July
Moana - Even if the live action version of the popular Disney animated “Moana” film is a fraction of the original, it’s going to be great. Unlike some unpopular recent adaptations, this one has human leads which inherently makes it feel less cut and paste than, say the latest live action version of, “The Lion King” where we see computer animated animals instead of… computer animated animals. With Lin-Manuel Miranda’s soundtrack, a beautiful Hawaiian backdrop, and The Rock portraying his Maui role, this one should be hard pressed to disappoint.
The Odyssey - I liked the adaptation that was “Oh Brother Where Art Thou” but I guess I’ll settle in for another version by Christopher Nolan. I assume his attention to detail alone should make this the best cinematic version ever put to film. And in this case, 70mm IMAX film to be exact. The cast is chock-a-block with familiar faces all playing Greek gods and goddesses. I don’t care if it cost $250 million to make. It will still cost me $25 bucks, 27 minutes lost to commercials and AMC ads, and a large popcorn and soda. Oh, and I’ve seen Chris Nolan walking around my neighborhood, so I guess it’s the neighborly thing to support his filmmaking endeavors.
September
Sense and Sensibility - I’m slightly torn on this one. Emma Thompson and Ang Lee’s tremendous take on Jane Austen’s book “Sense and Sensibility” remains one of my top ten favorite films ever made. It will be hard for me to watch anyone play a Dashwood, Ferrars or Colonel Brandon better than that 1996 all-star cast, but then I finally saw the 2008 BBC version. And it was great! Now I believe this incredible story deserves to be told again and again, this time by another female screenwriter Diana Reed and a female director (you know, one of the other like 9% of women directors out there), Georgia Oakley. And no, that’s not the official poster, but Daisy Edgar-Jones posted this image on Instagram after the announcement and I love it.
October
Digger - Alejandro Iñárritu and Tom Cruise have teamed up for… well, I don’t really know. The logline reads: “The most powerful man in the world embarks on a frantic mission to prove he is humanity's savior before the disaster he's unleashed destroys everything.” Wait, do I sense a post-apocalyptic/ survivalist movie?! Um, I’m in. Not to mention the very retro-cool poster drawing me in. I hope to continue my ignorance about this film until I see it in the theater. Trailers today give away too much for my taste anyway.
December
Jumanji 3 - If you visit my mother on any given day, she is probably watching one of two things: “Twister” or “Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle.” She unabashedly loves this franchise and it brings me nothing but joy to watch her delight in Jack Black’s shenanigans. The IP was already strong with this one, but the modern retelling using video games instead of a board game is kind of genius. I’ve now seen the first installment of the Dwayne Johnson version more times than I can count (thanks, Mom), so you know I’ll be taking her to see the latest action-adventure comedy cause Lord knows we could use the laughs.
Avengers: Doomsday - By the time I reach the end of this list I’m running out of steam… much like the Marvel franchise itself. Superhero fatigue is blamed on the popularity of these films but many of us keep going regardless. Whether you were a Marvel comic book fan finally getting to see your heroes on the big screen or came into loving these characters through the litany of films and TV shows, it’s an amazing feat that we’re even talking about the 39th MCU film since 2008. We’re apparently in Phase 6 of the franchise with no sign of ending as Avengers: Secret Wars is due to come out in 2027. All that’s to say, I’m still dragging my tired butt to the theater to see this one and be honest, you probably are too.
Heartbreak Feels Good in a Place Like This
You might have noticed a few months are missing and that’s not for a lack of movies coming out, but for my interest in seeing them. Honestly the whole year felt like slim pickings more than usual. It’s no secret that movie releases are shrinking thanks to streaming platforms and audience’s diminishing levels of attention. Netflix is on the cusp of scooping up Warner Brothers and threatening a 17 day release window (vs. the typical 30-45) which will all but endanger movie theaters into extinction. But streamers aren’t only to blame, audiences just aren’t going. And I get it, the ticket prices, the amount of social ignorance by those who use their phones during the film, chit-chat like they’re on their couch, or eat smelly nachos next to you are real deterrents. But for Nicole Kidman and me, we love the “magic” of cinema and will continue to buy tickets. I’m hopeful that if you’re reading this, you will too.
