2026’s blockbuster blitz starts now
Hollywood isn’t waiting for summer. The 2026 movie calendar is front-loading the year with major franchise sequels, star-studded thrillers, and highly anticipated horror.
Why it matters: January is typically a cinematic “dump month” for studios. Not this year. The industry is aggressively targeting Q1 to capitalize on the post-holiday lull and deliver premium content immediately.
Driving the news: Friday (Jan 16) sees a rare double-header of a major franchise horror sequel and a Damon-Affleck crime thriller.
The Immediate Watchlist (Jan – Feb)
1. 28 Years Later: The Bone Temple (Jan 16)
- The scoop: The immediate follow-up to last year’s 28 Years Later. Directed by Nia DaCosta (The Marvels, Candyman), this sequel-to-the-sequel dives deeper into the “bone temple” cult hinted at in the previous film’s cliffhanger.
- Why watch: The 28 Days revival is currently the hottest property in horror.
2. The Rip (Jan 16)
- The scoop: Matt Damon and Ben Affleck re-team for this gritty crime thriller directed by Joe Carnahan. They play cops who find a massive stash of money, leading to a breakdown of trust.
- Why watch: It’s Heat meets Triple Frontier. The Damon-Affleck chemistry is undefeated.
3. Send Help (Jan 30)
- The scoop: Sam Raimi returns to his horror-comedy roots. Described as Misery meets Cast Away, it stars Rachel McAdams and Dylan O’Brien as coworkers stranded on an island where things go hilariously, brutally wrong.
- The vibe: Classic Raimi—expect kinetic camera work and slapstick gore.
4. Crime 101 (Feb 13)
- The scoop: A slick, star-studded heist thriller based on the Don Winslow novella. Chris Hemsworth leads a cat-and-mouse game between a jewel thief and a detective.
- The draw: High-IQ action for the Ocean’s Eleven crowd.
March Madness: Sci-Fi & Monsters
5. The Bride! (Mar 6)
- The big picture: Maggie Gyllenhaal directs a punk-rock reimagining of the Frankenstein lore, starring Christian Bale and Jessie Buckley. It promises to be an awards contender disguised as a monster movie.
6. Project Hail Mary (Mar 20)
- The blockbuster: Ryan Gosling stars in this adaptation of Andy Weir’s (The Martian) sci-fi novel. Expect hard science, isolation, and a surprising friendship at the edge of the universe.
7. They Will Kill You (Mar 27)
- The sleeper: Zazie Beetz stars in this dark horror-comedy about a woman who enters a “death trap” house run by a cult to win money.
Looking Ahead (Q2)
April
- Ready or Not 2 (Apr 10): Samara Weaving puts on the wedding dress again. The first one was a cult hit; this one is a victory lap.
- Apex (Apr 24): Netflix drops its big Q2 thriller. Charlize Theron plays a rock climber hunted by a psychopath (Taron Egerton) in the wild.
May
- Revenge Wears Prada: The Devil Returns (May 1): The gang is back. Meryl Streep, Anne Hathaway, and Emily Blunt return to the runway 20 years later.
- Mortal Kombat II (May 15): The tournament actually begins this time. Johnny Cage joins the fight in this gore-soaked video game adaptation.
June
- Masters of the Universe (June 5): The long-gestating He-Man reboot finally hits theaters, hoping to launch a new toy-centric cinematic universe.