10 Anticipated Films of 2026
Written by Andreas Babiolakis
2025 is done.
We are coming off of a rather strong year for film with anticipation for what is to come; it may feel like jumping the gun a little bit (considering that most major awards shows regarding 2025 works haven't even taken place yet), but it is also nice to observe what is to come. I will admit in this particular article -- oddly enough, my sixth year of doing this -- that compiling such a list is never easy for me. Most of the films we already know about are the kinds of blockbusters, sequels, and remakes that we know what to expect from by now (so it's the fourth official Tom Holland-era Spider-Man film; how different is Marvel going to allow it to be). Many of the kinds of films I love don't take as long to make, are likely flying under the radar, or are still in their early stages by now, so we don't even know to look ahead for them just yet.
I won't arbitrarily place a bunch of films I am not expecting much from just to reach ten films (I am not even bothering to put together a television series list this year because much of what I am looking forward to is already established by my constant praise of these series on Films Fatale, and -- while I will try to be more diligent with my coverage of TV series this year -- I just don't think there is enough right now to explore in any form of depth; maybe next year). I am also trying to refrain from spotlighting films that have already made their film festival debuts since we already have a strong read as to what they will be like. However, there are ten films that have piqued my interest enough that I have placed them below. Happy New Year. Also, today marks the seventh birthday of Films Fatale. Thank you all to the wonderful readers for their continued support after all of this time. Let's look ahead together.
Digger
October 2
I usually don't like covering films that I have already highlighted in past articles of this nature (films often get postponed to the following year, for instance), but I don't particularly care about abiding by that restraint I have placed on myself anymore (especially since no one likely noticed until this very moment). How could I not remain excited for a new film by the Mexican great Alejandro G. Iñárritu? Digger (we at least have a name and teaser materials now) promises to maintain Iñárritu's signature cinematic cynicism via a central performance by Tom Cruise (who has been in dire need of a return to a daring film like this for quite some time) as a powerful figure who puts the entire planet in jeopardy and tries to turn this mistake into a positive (a spin that shows that he is actually saving the world, not dooming it). It's as ambitious as Iñárritu gets and with both a promising cast and premise. What's not to love about this?
Disclosure Day
June 12
One should always look forward to a new Steven Spielberg film just for the spectacle that is to arrive. However, science-fiction-Spielberg is my favourite side of the American titan, especially when he gets bold with his visions. When you watch the trailer for Disclosure Day -- which details what appears to be a massive, majestic look at humanity's sudden connection to distant alien life -- I get the sense that we are getting a film akin to A.I. Artificial Intelligence or Close Encounters of the Third Kind (two of my favourite Spielberg titles). Science fiction films used to invite or warn us about the future and of distant places. A film like Disclosure Day appears to make us rethink the planet we presently live on -- both its political discourses and its natural beauty. I think most cinephiles are looking forward to this one, and you should be as well.
The Dog Stars
August 28
Anyone who knows my taste by now (after seven unapologetic years, I suppose) will be aware of my thoughts on one Sir Ridley Scott: that he has a few excellent films but is not necessarily the strongest director of all time (and I feel like he gets lumped in with far greater filmmakers; I suppose directing Alien and Blade Runner warrants that, and they are two of the best films ever made). Nevertheless, I do get curious about some of his projects as they come along, and The Dog Stars is such a film. Based on Peter Heller's lauded novel, Scott's adaptation is sure to be a major commentary on the Covid-19 pandemic (the novel is similarly about a virus that put the world at a standstill, although the events in The Dog Stars are far more damning). I can only hope that this is a better Scott film, especially because the majority of his recent output is made with zero restraint; however, if the final battle in the appropriately-named The Last Duel can be made by Scott (it is a phenomenal sequence), then one shouldn't lose all faith in what Scott can make in the latter stages of his career.
Dune: Part Three
December 18
Here it comes: the final part of Denis Villeneuve's (essentially) nine-hour epic. To me, the first two parts of this saga are all contingent on how this story ends, especially since they are laid out not as separate films but, rather, parts of one massive film that any Hollywood studio would never allow to be greenlit as-is. If Dune: Part Three fails, then the rest of the films go down with it; they lean too heavily on what is to come after. However, should this third film succeed, I will finally feel comfortable with the entire Dune trilogy as a complete achievement (it presently stands as a major series regarding its effects, production, and many other separate elements, but it has yet to feel fully realized as a story yet). I have faith in Villeneuve who is a highly dependable filmmaker in this day and age. Dune: Part Three is likely going to be as much of an event in the cinematic year as its pair of predecessors.
Fjord
N/A
Cristian Mungiu has yet to top his Palme d'Or winning magnum opus, 4 Months, 3 Weeks and 2 Days (to be fair, it's a damn good picture), but I am still looking forward to his film, Fjord. Starring Sebastian Stan and Renate Reinsve (reunited here after appearing in A Different Man), this promises to be a shocking, intense drama; the fact that it already has Neon backing the film is a sure sign that Fjord is likely going to be discussed later this year (during the awards season, perhaps, but certainly when all of the major film festivals kick off). I'm sure there will be many more international titles to look forward to, but, as previously discussed, they often aren't known about this early in a year (or to this extent), but I still anticipate something special from Fjord.
Flowervale Street
August 14
It's been eight years since David Robert Mitchell's previous film, but the director of It Follows and Under the Silver Lake finally returns with his latest genre-bending effort. Flowervale Street, due in August, takes an American suburban neighbourhood in the eighties and spins it on its head (I've read that this is allegedly a big creature film of sorts, so the fact that star Anne Hathaway has now been in two of these pictures, after Colossal, is not something I'd ever imagine would happen). Mitchell is always trying something new with established genres, so I can only hope that he does the same with Flowervale Street.
The Odyssey
July 17
I don't think I need to say much here. Christopher Nolan's latest effort is one of the many attempts to take Homer's The Odyssey and adapt it. Nolan's feature film is likely the most anticipated film of 2025 across the board, and I don't think there is much I can write here that hasn't already been covered, but I can at least detail what makes me personally excited for this. Nolan's filmography is a magnificent bridge between challenging, intellectual pictures and action-heavy blockbusters, creating a technical and narrative spectacle almost every single time he releases a film. When you take an already-existing mythical epic like, well, The Odyssey, and render it your own (especially in Nolan fashion; the auteur is usually aligned with science fiction, action cinema, and other genre-film staples), you can either wind up with a useless and futile attempt, or -- what is more likely in this case -- something extraordinary.
Project Hail Mary
March 20
Films released early in the year are usually red flags; studios toss their worst films out on the tail end of the awards season rush to try and get these dead-end projects to achieve some sort of success. Having said that, there can be films released in the first quarter of the year that don't suck, and I'm hoping that Project Hail Mary is one of those exceptions. The latest film by the electric pair of Phil Lord and Christopher Miller (who have worked on many projects as directors and/or writers, including the Spider-Verse series, The Lego Movie, Clone High, 21 Jump Street and its sequel, Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs, et cetera). A science-fiction film starring Ryan Gosling suffering from amnesia and stuck in space on an empty craft, Project Hail Mary will hopefully be clever, entertaining, and thrilling.
Werwulf
December 25
When it comes to horror films, Robert Eggers is crushing it; he's one of my favourite "newer" directors with four fantastic films under his belt. After Nosferatu dazzled and spellbound audiences, his follow-up, Werwulf, will also be released on Christmas (apparently, audiences love to shit their pants out of fear during the holidays). Werwulf reunites Eggers with some of his now-regulars like Willem Dafoe, Lily-Rose Depp, Aaron Taylor-Johnson, and Ralph Ineson in one of the many werewolf pictures; I think we've learned by now, however, that Eggers won't make just any run-of-the-mill werewolf film, and I do look forward to what anthropological and historical flourishes his vision will showcase.
What Happens at Night
N/A
Finally, we have new Scorsese. Who wouldn't want that? Martin Scorsese's latest film, What Happens at Night, feels eerily similar to what he was gunning for with Shutter Island: a film that has slowly garnered a massive cult audience over the years. This psychological thriller pits Leonardo DiCaprio, Jennifer Lawrence, and Mads Mikkelsen (three acting behemoths) together in a hotel that crushes the lines between reality and, well, something else. The only problem is that there is no guarantee that What Happens at Night will even come out in 2026 (it sounds like there may be tons of post-production attached to this one), but one can dream; I will always highlight when the greatest living American director is back at work.
Andreas Babiolakis has a Masters degree in Film and Photography Preservation and Collections Management from Toronto Metropolitan University, as well as a Bachelors degree in Cinema Studies from York University. His favourite times of year are the Criterion Collection flash sales and the annual Toronto International Film Festival.