Need a reason to look forward to 2026? How about some good movies? Here are 20 that we might enjoy over popcorn in the new year. Note that release dates, especially those further out, are tentative.

'Wuthering Heights'

Emerald Fennell, whose screenplay for “Promising Young Woman” won an Oscar a couple of years back, here tackles a classic: Emily Brontë’s dark tale of passion on the Yorkshire moors, starring Margot Robbie and Jacob Elordi. Just the thing for Valentine’s Day? (Release date Feb. 13)

'How to Make a Killing'

Glen Powell, who has an uncanny ability to charm a camera lens (see “Hit Man,” immediately), stars in this dark comedy as a man who’s figured out he can speed up an inheritance in his wealthy family by bumping off his relatives. (Feb. 20)

'The Bride!'

OK, this one looks wild, possibly in a good way. Maggie Gyllenhaal directs what appears to be a 1930s goth version of “Bride of Frankenstein,” starring Jessie Buckley (“Hamnet”) in the title role alongside Christian Bale, Penélope Cruz and Peter Sarsgaard. Apparently there are dance numbers? (March 6)

'The Drama'

In a potentially interesting pairing, Zendaya and Robert Pattinson play a young engaged couple experiencing some unsettling prenuptial jitters. Make what you will of the fact that horrormaster Ari Aster (“Midsommar,” “Hereditary”) is a producer. (April 3)

'The Super Mario Galaxy Movie'

A sequel to 2023's The Super Mario Bros. Movie," which grossed more than a billion dollars worldwide, this video game adventure features the voices of Chris Pratt, Anya Taylor-Joy, Charlie Day, Jack Black and Keegan-Michael Key. (April 3)

'You, Me & Tuscany'

Do you really think I can bypass a rom-com with a name like that? Regé-Jean Page (“Bridgerton”) and Halle Bailey (“The Little Mermaid”) meet cute at an Italian village, where she, for rom-com reasons, is pretending to be the fiancée of the absent owner. Romantic high jinks and excellent Italian sunshine ensue! (April 10)

'Michael'

This biopic of the late pop star Michael Jackson, directed by Antoine Fuqua (“The Equalizer,” “Training Day”), is now on its third release date after delays and reshoots due to legal issues. Will it actually appear this spring? We shall see! Jackson’s nephew, Jaafar Jackson, plays the title role. (April 24)

'The Devil Wears Prada 2'

Sequels, for spring? Groundbreaking. Meryl Streep, Anne Hathaway, Emily Blunt and Stanley Tucci gird their loins for a return to Runway magazine, 20 years (how is this possible?) after the original film. Sydney Sweeney, Kenneth Branagh and Lucy Liu join the cast. (May 1)

'The Sheep Detectives'

OK, so apparently this is a movie in which Hugh Jackman plays a detective who reads murder mysteries to his sheep, who then get together to solve a mystery, and I was ALL IN even before I saw the rest of the cast: Emma Thompson, Regina Hall, Patrick Stewart, Bryan Cranston and Julia Louis-Dreyfus. (May 8)

'Star Wars: The Mandalorian and Grogu'

This is a big-screen continuation of the Disney+/Lucasfilm television series “The Mandalorian,” with Pedro Pascal as the Mandalorian, Sigourney Weaver as Colonel Ward and Jeremy Allen White as Rotta the Hutt (Jabba’s son). (May 22)

'Toy Story 5'

Pixar just keeps going back to this well … but, to be fair, the “Toy Story” movies are pretty great. Can they, or should they, possibly pull this off one more time? Tom Hanks, Tim Allen and Joan Cusack lead the now-familiar voice cast, in a story in which the toys deal with the arrival of an electronic interloper. (June 19)

'Supergirl'

This year’s obligatory origin-story superhero movie features Kara Zor-El (Milly Alcock) and the DC Comics universe, and really the most important news is that Krypto the dog will be back. Director Craig Gillespie (“Lars and the Real Girl,” “I, Tonya”) makes his superhero debut. (June 26)

'Moana'

The latest live-action adaptation of a Disney animated hit is this tale, set in ancient Polynesia and featuring a brave young woman (Catherine Laga'aia) who leaves her island in search of a demigod (Dwayne Johnson, reprising his role from the animated version) who can help her save her people. (July 10)

'The Odyssey'

Christopher Nolan seems like the right filmmaker to tackle Homer’s ancient Greek epic, which follows Odysseus through a series of travails on his return from the Trojan War. He’s assembled his usual all-star cast — Matt Damon, Anne Hathaway, Tom Holland, Zendaya, Lupita Nyong’o, Robert Pattinson and Charlize Theron — and filmed this entirely in 70mm IMAX. (July 17)

'Spider-Man: Brand New Day'

Tom Holland and the very busy Zendaya headline the latest Spider-Man romp, directed by Destin Daniel Cretton (“Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings”) and centering on Peter Parker’s attempts to balance saving the world with attending college. (July 31)

'Practical Magic 2'

28 years after the original, Sandra Bullock and Nicole Kidman return as sister witches Sally and Gillian Owens. The story is based on Alice Hoffman’s novel “The Book of Magic,” in which three generations of Owens women conspire to break their family’s love curse. (Sept. 18)

'Digger'

Known until quite recently as “Untitled Alejandro G. Iñárritu Film,” this project unites the Oscar-winning director of “The Revenant” and “Birdman” with — wait for it — Tom Cruise, in a film described by Iñárritu as “a brutal, wild comedy of catastrophic proportions.” Color me intrigued. Sandra Hüller, John Goodman, Michael Stuhlbarg and Jesse Plemons co-star. (Oct. 2)

'Narnia: The Magician’s Nephew'

Greta Gerwig, who made such magic with “Little Women” a few years back, here takes on the latest installment of C.S. Lewis’ Narnia series, with a cast that includes Emma Mackey (“Ella McCay”), Daniel Craig and Meryl Streep. (Nov. 26)

'Avengers: Doomsday'

Obviously, "Avengers: Endgame" was not actually the endgame! The long-running Marvel superhero series continues, with the Avengers, Wakandans, Fantastic Four, New Avengers and X-Men (got all that?) teaming up to face a new villain: Doctor Doom, played by Robert Downey Jr. (Dec. 18)

'Dune: Part Three'

The third and final installment in Denis Villeneuve's futuristic trilogy is based on Frank Herbert's 1969 "Dune" sequel, "Dune Messiah. Timothée Chalamet, Zendaya, Florence Pugh and Jason Momoa, among others, reprise their roles from the earlier films, with Robert Pattinson joining the cast. (Dec. 18)

© 2026 The Seattle Times. Visit www.seattletimes.com. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.