26 Things to Look Forward to in 2026

 

Image Credit: Universal Pictures

Our current dystopian landscape isn’t near as cool as my favorite sci-fi storytellers always promised it would be, but that doesn’t mean there aren’t still some things to be happy about and to look forward to. In the spirit of being a more optimistic person this year (don’t laugh) here are 26 things in the world of entertainment to look forward to in 2026.

 

The Rip – Netflix original films don’t have a stellar record so far, but this cop thriller starring Ben Affleck and Matt Damon and directed by Joe Carnahan looks promising and is slated to release Jan 16^th.

28 Years Later: Bone Temple – the fourth film in the zombie franchise. I have my doubts based on the last few minutes of the third film, but I’m holding out hope. It arrives in theaters on Jan 16^th.

A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms – HBO Max has been teasing this latest Game of Thrones spin-off series for a while now and it’s finally kicking off on Jan 18^th.

Ballad of the Bone Road – I fell for A.C. Wise’s shorter work in 2021 and now she has written a dark fantasy novel that promises paranormal investigators, ghosts, and fae. Coming out later this month.

Five Funerals – I’ve enjoyed Jeff’s novels, newsletter, podcast, and short stories for years. As mentioned in my year-end post, he has a new book arriving in Feb.

Survivor – The only reality TV I care about delivers Season 50 to CBS in late Feb and promises to not only feature some of our favorite players from past seasons, but fan input as well.

Jitterbug – Author Gareth L. Powell has a new novel coming out March 3^rd that tells a story of spacefaring bounty hunters and is being compared to The Expanse series.

Project Hail Mary – Based on a novel by Andy Weir, the author of The Martian, comes another man stranded in space adventure, this time starring Ryan Gosling and due on March 20^th.

Peaky Blinders: The Immortal Man – One of Netflix’s best series has a big screen sequel that is due in theaters on March 6^th and hits the streamer on March 20^th.

Star Wars: The Mandalorian and Grogu – The big screen sequel to the Disney+ series The Mandalorian is scheduled to hit theaters May 22^nd.

Toy Story 5 – The first three films are absolute animation classics. The fourth…good, but maybe not great. Here is hoping the fifth film doesn’t wear out the toys’ welcome. Due in theaters June 19^th.

House of the Dragon – Season 3 of the Game of Thrones spin-off on HBO Max is expected this summer and promises more sex, violence, and of course, dragons.

The Odyssey – Directed by Christopher Nolan and starring Matt Damon, this film based on the epic poem by Homer promises to be one of the biggest releases of the year and is scheduled for July 17^th.

Spider-Man Brand New Day – I tend to skip most superhero movies, but the latest incarnation of the teen web slinger is fun. This fourth Tom Holland outing arrives in theaters July 31^st.

The Gentlemen – Season 1 of this Guy Ritchie spin-off series was a pleasant surprise and Netflix has announced the director is delivering Season 2 of the British gangster comedy later this year.

The Dog Stars – Based on a post-apocalyptic novel by Peter Heller, this upcoming film is directed by Ridley Scott so it’s bound to be good. Arrives in theaters on Aug 28^th.

Neuromancer – Based on William Gibson’s seminal cyberpunk novel that introduced me and a ton of others to the genre, Apple TV is set to deliver a series this Fall/Winter.

Blade Runner 2099 – Prime Video is working on a miniseries starring Michelle Yeoh that will expand the franchise based on Philip K. Dick’s classic sci-fi novel and my all-time favorite film due later this year.

Slow Horses – The best show streaming on Apple TV plans to roll out Season 6 of the British spy series starring Gary Oldman in late 2026.

Spider-Noir – This live-action series based on the Spider-Man spin-off character stars Nic Cage and will be released on Prime Video in late 2026.

The Talisman 3 – While still unconfirmed, rumor is that Stephen King is working on a sequel to his collaboration with the late Peter Straub on The Talisman and Black House due later this year.

The Adventures of Cliff Booth – This sequel to Once Upon a Time in Hollywood was written by Quentin Tarantino and is directed by David Fincher. Once again starring Brad Pitt, it’s due late in the year.

Dune: Prophecy – Season 2 of the HBO Max sci-fi prequel series is slated to arrive later in 2026. I wasn’t enamored with the antagonist of the first season, but the Bene Gesserit are as intriguing as always.

Jumanji 4 – The final adventure of Dwayne Johnson, Jack Black, Karen Gillan, and Kevin Hart’s characters in the family-friendly film franchise is due in theaters on Dec 11^th.

Dune: Part Three – The final part of the sci-fi film trilogy is again directed by Denis Villeneuve and it’s based on author Frank Herbert’s novel Dune Messiah. It graces theaters on Dec 18^th.

Werwulf – Robert Eggers’ has proven himself one of the most interesting directors in horror with The Witch and Nosferatu. Now he’s taking on the classic wolfman in a film due on Christmas.