If anything, 2026 may end up being remembered as the year horror truly reasserted itself, not as a niche option, but as a dominant creative force across genre filmmaking.
28 Years Later: The Bone Temple
The next chapter in the 28 Days Later lineage pushes the Rage Virus mythology decades forward. The title alone suggests ritual, ruins, and a symbolic stronghold shaped by prolonged collapse. Expect a harsher, more feral world than earlier entries, with humanity no longer clinging to recovery but fundamentally altered. Early signals point toward a bleak, political, and intensely physical continuation that understands the franchise’s roots rather than softening them.
Good Luck, Have Fun, Don’t Die
At a time when AI has saturated the entertainment landscape, from preproduction tools to on-screen anxieties, Gore Verbinski arrives with a sci-fi comedy primed to stir conversation. Sam Rockwell stars as a man sent back in time to recruit a group of misfits tasked with stopping a rogue intelligence. The premise is playful on the surface, but the implications are anything but. Comedy or not, the setup feels tailor-made to tap into very current fears, with the potential to go delightfully sideways.
The Bride!
Maggie Gyllenhaal’s reimagining of Bride of Frankenstein is already being described as punk-rock gothic horror, set against the grit of 1930s Chicago. The Monster has survived long past the death of his creator and encounters the enigmatic Dr. Euphronius, who is willing to give life to a murdered woman. Unlike previous adaptations, this version signals a sharp pivot, one that’s less reverent and more confrontational. If the buzz holds, this could radically reshape how classic Universal monsters are approached.
Project Hail Mary
Adapted from Andy Weir’s novel, this story follows a lone astronaut tasked with saving Earth from a devastating phage. Ryan Gosling steps into a role defined by isolation, fractured memory, and problem-solving under impossible odds. While comparisons to The Martian are inevitable, the real focus here isn’t survival mechanics so much as the psychological toll of solitude and responsibility. How much the film leans into character over spectacle remains to be seen, but it’s a journey worth watching unfold.
Disclosure Day
For anyone steeped in UFO lore, this one is hard to ignore. Steven Spielberg returns to territory he hasn’t seriously explored since Close Encounters of the Third Kind, raising the question of whether this film focuses more on contact itself or humanity’s reaction to it. With David Koepp handling the screenplay, expectations are understandably high. Early teasers suggest a tone closer to Contact than spectacle-driven invasion narratives, which feels like the right approach.
Supergirl
This new take on Kara Zor-El immediately distinguishes itself by rejecting idealism. Jaded, reluctant, and uninterested in hero worship, this Supergirl doesn’t want the mantle she’s expected to wear. That resistance makes for a stronger introduction, allowing the character to be defined on her own terms rather than by legacy expectations. It’s a refreshing reset that suggests a more character-driven direction for this corner of the universe.
The Odyssey
Christopher Nolan’s adaptation of Homer’s epic has my attention more than most large-scale literary translations. The appeal lies in its long-form ambition, an acknowledgment that Odysseus’ journey home isn’t meant to be compressed into a tidy structure. With gods working against him, monsters to outwit, and time itself as an adversary, the hope is for something faithful rather than flashy. If it avoids the pitfalls of past mythological adaptations, this could be a defining epic.
Spider-Man: Brand New Day
Tom Holland returns as Peter Parker in a soft-reboot approach that refocuses on his college years. The promise here isn’t escalation, but recalibration, stepping away from multiverse fatigue to rebuild the character from the ground up. By allowing Peter to exist without the weight of constant spectacle, this entry has the chance to re-establish why Spider-Man works at a human level.
Werwulf
Universal Picture’s decision to hand a werewolf film to Robert Eggers feels like a corrective move. Past attempts have struggled to define what a modern werewolf story should be, and a period setting plays directly to Eggers’ strengths. Lily-Rose Depp’s involvement raises intriguing questions about continuity or thematic echo, particularly given her role in Nosferatu. Whether or not this signals a shared universe, there’s hope that this finally nails the emotional and mythic core of the creature.
Avengers: Doomsday
With the Russo Brothers returning, the goal appears clear: stabilize a cinematic universe that lost momentum during and after the pandemic. Doomsday positions itself as a narrative bridge, teasing a large-scale conflict shaped by real-world production shifts. Whether this new take on Doctor Doom can justify renewed investment remains the central question. The stakes are high, not just for the characters, but for the future of the franchise itself.