Looking back on 2025, it was an incredible year for film, presenting a spectrum of remarkable horror, superior streaming selections, and star-laden blockbusters. However, 2026 is already gearing up to rival it with its own remarkable slate.
Mashable has investigated the forthcoming release calendar to highlight the films that will engage audiences in 2026. Superhero movies are staging a robust resurgence with fresh offerings featuring Spider-Man, Superman, Batman, Fantastic Four, and others. Video game franchises are set to inspire new adaptations such as Silent Hill, Street Fighter, and Mortal Kombat. Matt Damon and Ben Affleck reunite on screen, while Keke Palmer, Pedro Pascal, and Tom Cruise embark on thrilling new escapades.
Fans of horror have plenty to be excited about, with sequels from franchises like 28 Days Later and Scream, along with original pieces from Damien McCarthy, Curry Barker, and Maggie Gyllenhaal. Plus, there’s more. Whether you crave comedy, science fiction, action, drama, or unconventional films, 2026 has much to anticipate.
So, keep scrolling. Below, Mashable has compiled a list of all the 2026 films you need to be aware of right now.
January 2026 movie releases
Greenland 2: Migration
In 2020, Gerard Butler captivated audiences with the gripping apocalyptic thriller Greenland. In that disaster tale, everything that could go awry did, yet the central family of three managed to survive!
Greenland 2: Migration resumes five years after comet Clarke impacted Earth with catastrophic consequences. In their shelter, John Garrity (Butler), his family, and their neighbors are depleting their supplies. There’s scientific conjecture that a distant crater in southern France could provide them a new sanctuary, free from Clarke’s worst damage. However, reaching it will be a treacherous trek, filled with new trials and fears. Will the Garrity family endure this as well? We’re eagerly anticipating the answer.
Starring: Gerard Butler, Morena Baccarin, Roman Griffin Davis, Amber Rose Revah, Gordon Alexander, Peter Polycarpou, William Abadie, and Tommie Earl Jenkins
How to watch: Greenland 2: Migration premieres in theaters on Jan. 9.
Dead Man’s Wire
Director Gus Van Sant (Milk) tackles a peculiar true crime story with Dead Man’s Wire. Bill Skarsgård stars as Tony Kiritsis, an American notorious for kidnapping using some elaborately twisted wire and a 12-gauge Winchester 1400 sawed-off shotgun.
On February 8, 1977, Kiritsis burst into his mortgage broker’s office and took an employee hostage. Why? Kiritsis felt deceived by the system and believed his only escape was to stage a scene that the police, media, and public could not overlook. Dead Man’s Wire carefully tracks Kiritsis and his captive (Dacre Montgomery), generating tension from the former’s deteriorating mental condition and violent tendencies. Adding intrigue to this stranger-than-fiction thriller is Colman Domingo as a radio DJ who unexpectedly gets drawn in.
Starring: Bill Skarsgård, Dacre Montgomery, Cary Elwes, Myha’la, Colman Domingo, and Al Pacino
How to watch: Dead Man’s Wire opens in limited release on Jan. 9, expanding on Jan. 16.
28 Years Later: The Bone Temple
Danny Boyle and Alex Garland revitalized the 28 Days Later film series with 28 Years Later, a zombie thriller so chilling it ranked prominently on both our best horror films of the year and our best films of the year list. For its follow-up, Boyle steps back, handing over the direction — along with Garland’s script — to Hedda director Nia DaCosta. We’re thrilled to see what she contributes to the ongoing tale of young Spike (Alfie Williams), a boy raised in a UK ravaged by the Rage Virus.
This sequel aims to plunge deeper into the peculiar realm of Jimmy Crystal (Jack O’Connell), whose unusual appearance at the end of the last