If you’ve been scrolling through Netflix or HBO searching for something fresh, you’re probably wondering what movies and shows 2026 has in store. As it stands, next year is shaping up to be a blockbuster year for entertainment!
The Odyssey:
Expected in July 2026, Christopher Nolan and his wife, Emma Thomas, are bringing another adaptation of the ancient Greek epic, The Odyssey. Written by Homer around the 7th century BCE, the story has inspired countless adaptations, but Nolan and Thomas promise a fresh take.
Nolan is known for hits such as Oppenheimer (2023), the highest-grossing film of that year, as well as Interstellar (2014), The Dark Knight (2008), and The Dark Knight Rises (2012). Emma Thomas has produced all of his films since 1997, including this one.
The film stars Matt Damon as Odysseus, following his long and perilous journey home to Ithaca after the Trojan War. Along the way, he encounters mythical beings, including the cyclops Polyphemus, a group of sirens (called a “gossip”), and the powerful witch Circe.
The cast is star-studded, featuring Tom Holland, Anne Hathaway, Zendaya, Robert Pattinson, and Lupita Nyong’o alongside Damon. It’s shaping up to be an epic cinematic adventure!
Wuthering Heights:
Period dramas are making a comeback, and another adaptation of Emily Brontë’s Wuthering Heights is set to hit theatres on Valentine’s Day 2026. Starring Margot Robbie as Catherine Earnshaw and Jacob Elordi as Heathcliff, this Gothic psychological drama is sure to drop our jaws, for better or for worse!
The film has already become quite a hot topic in the build-up to its release next year.
The news that Jacob Elordi would play Heathcliff was quite a shock, as Brontë’s work describes Heathcliff as a “dark-haired gypsy,” implying he is of Romani descent. The novel also describes Heathcliff wishing for fair hair and blue eyes, suggesting his own awareness of being an “other.” Casting Elordi, who does not share this background, raised quite a few brows since his character’s race in the 1847 novel is significant to the story. Director Emerald Fennell, has defended this choice, stating that Elordi resembled the illustration of Heathcliff on her edition of the novel.
Moreover, early trailers and promotional material have given expectant fans the impression that the movie may present a more eroticised take on the Gothic ghost story. Viewers from the test screenings have described the film as “aggressively provocative.” While this trend is common in modern period dramas, I can only hope that this adaptation stays faithful to Brontë’s original work.
Dune: Part Three:
Exciting news for fans of the Dune series: Dune: Part Three comes out next December! Even more promising is that Denis Villeneuve, who directed both Dune (2021) and Dune: Part Two (2024), will be returning to complete his third installment in Frank Herbert’s Dune saga. As before, he serves as both the director, writer, and producer.
The film adapts the events of the series’ second book, Dune Messiah (1969), with Timothée Chalamet, Zendaya, Jason Momoa, and Rebecca Ferguson reprising their roles. Anya Taylor-Joy and Robert Pattinson will also be joining the cast as well. Set 12 years after the events of Dune: Part Two, the film opens with the onset of the “Holy War.” How this will play out in Villeneuve’s adaptation, we’ll have to see!
Unfortunately, though, Villeneuve has made it clear that this will be his last production for the Dune film series, which raises the question of whether another director will carry it forward or if the series will end with the third installment.
A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms:
Not a movie, but worth mentioning, A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms is set in the incredibly popular Game of Thrones universe and sets out to adapt George R. R. Martin’s Tales of Dunk and Egg novellas. Starring Peter Claffey as Ser Duncan the Tall and Dexter Sol Ansell as his squire, Aegon Targaryen, the six-episode series is scheduled to premiere in January 2026.
This adaptation also overlaps with the planned summer release of House of the Dragon Season 3, another chapter in Martin’s A Song of Ice and Fire franchise.
The series follows the adventures of Ser Duncan the Tall and his young squire, Aegon (“Egg”). As opposed to the treacherous and dishonourable world around him, Claffey’s character is determined to remain as good a person as he can. Set about a century before Game of Thrones, the story focuses on smaller journeys rather than the massive political battles that marked Martin’s more popular works. Nevertheless, I’m excited to see what’s in store!
“For somebody to have actual knightly valor in [Martin’s] world is something to really look up to.”
Peter Claffey commenting on his character, Ser Duncan the Tall.
Sunrise on the Reaping:
For Suzanne Collins fans, the sixth installment in the Hunger Games series, Sunrise on the Reaping, is set for release in November 2026. The film serves as a prequel to the main trilogy and a sequel to The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes.
The story follows the young Hamitch Abernathy, who was Katniss Everdeen’s and Peeta Mellark’s mentor in the original book series. Fans of the series will watch as he is selected to compete in the 50th Hunger Games, which also serves as the second Quarter Quell. This time, the number of participants is doubled, leading to an even more sinister bloodbath.
Directing Sunrise on the Reaping is Francis Lawrence, who helmed all of The Hunger Games films, except for the first one. Suffice to say that fans of Collins’ work are eagerly expecting his latest installment.
Werwulf:
For those who enjoy gothic horror, this one’s for you! While the creators have yet to reveal any plot details, we do know Werwulf will be a werewolf horror film set in rural 13th-century England. We can expect Werwulf in theatres on Christmas Day next year, brought to us by Robert Eggers, who is well-known for directing many similarly themed movies, such as The Northman (2022) and Nosferatu (2024).
Eggers’s latest productions continue to showcase his trademark interest in period-drama horror, a genre he first embraced in his breakout film, The Witch (2015). In a Rotten Tomatoes interview, he mentioned he has no interest in making films set in the present day, with the 1950s being the latest era he would explore. Fans can likely expect more period pieces from him in the future.
As for the cast, Werwulf will star Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Lily Rose-Depp, and Willem Dafoe, who were all on set for Eggers’ Nosferatu last year. From the newly released images of these actors on set, we now know that Taylor-Johnson will play the werewolf, Rose-Depp will play a local folk woman with a cleft lip, and for Dafoe, a mysteriously cloaked old man. Eggers has already described Werwulf as the “darkest thing [he’s] ever written,” which has me even more excited and curious for the movie’s release.
Whether you’re a hopeless romantic or an action lover, 2026 has something for everyone. For now, all we need to do is sit tight and get ready for a year of thrilling entertainment.