Our 10 Most Anticipated Movies of Early 2026

The new year is almost here, and before we start thinking about Star Wars, The Avengers, or Christopher Nolan, let’s slow things down a bit. While the rest of 2026 is obviously loaded with very exciting, very big movies, the next three months have some pretty interesting, intriguing, and highly anticipated films too. Plenty to hold our interest before the more traditionally blockbuster-filled months.

Like what, exactly? Below are our 10 most anticipated genre films releasing from January through the end of March.

10. Night Patrol (January 16)

Justin Long, Jermaine Fowler, CM Punk, and more star as Los Angeles police officers who find themselves face-to-face with some very unnatural things in the middle of a gang war. We’ve heard that things get really wild and that it’s a very good time.

9. Mercy (January 23)

When he’s framed for the murder of his wife, Chris Pratt has to use an advanced law-enforcement AI that he himself invented to prove his innocence in a very short amount of time. The trailers have been cool, so we’re hoping for a ride.

8. Hoppers (March 6)

Any time Pixar releases a movie, you have to take notice, and its first 2026 release (the other being Toy Story 5) is the hilarious-looking story of a woman who puts her consciousness in an animal and mistakenly convinces them to try and overtake humanity.

7. Send Help (January 30)

The legendary Sam Raimi returns to the genre that made him famous with this intense-looking thriller about two co-workers who end up deserted on an island together. Rachel McAdams and Dylan O’Brien star, and we’re praying for a little of that Raimi magic.

6. Good Luck, Have Fun, Don’t Die (February 13)

Sam Rockwell stars in this bonkers-looking time travel tale about a man who is sent into the past to try to save the future. Or something like that. It seems insane, and we can’t wait.

5. Ready or Not 2: Here I Come (March 27)

We loved Radio Silence’s 2019 film about a woman stuck in the middle of a family’s sick game, and now we are counting the days to its follow-up, which returns to the story soon after the events of the first. Add a bunch of new actors into the mix, and this could be as special as the original.

4. 28 Years Later: The Bone Temple (January 16)

Nia DaCosta’s follow-up to last year’s excellent Danny Boyle sequel appears as if it’s taking the 28 Years franchise to some bold new places. Plus, the buzz is so good about this one, Sony has already greenlit its sequel.

3. The Bride! (March 6)

The year 2025 brought us one great Frankenstein movie, and we think 2026 is going to do the same. Maggie Gyllenhaal returns to the director’s chair with this punk rock take on the classic monster story from the woman’s point of view. Hamnet’s Jessie Buckley and Batman himself, Christian Bale, star as the creatures.

2. Scream 7 (February 27)

It’s a bummer that Scream 7 won’t directly follow the story set up by the previous two Scream movies, but we’re still holding out hope. Neve Campbell is back in an expanded role, and franchise co-creator Kevin Williamson directs for the first time in the series. Both suggest good things. Also, each Scream film brings its own unique surprises, so we’re expecting nothing less from this one.

1. Project Hail Mary (March 20)

For the first time in over a decade, Phil Lord and Chris Miller are directing a new film, and this one looks special. It’s based on a book by The Martian author Andy Weir; Ryan Gosling stars as a man trying to save the world in deep space. To do so, he’ll have to team up with an alien. If the movie is half as wonderful as the book, this one is going to be an all-timer.

Want more io9 news? Check out when to expect the latest Marvel, Star Wars, and Star Trek releases, what’s next for the DC Universe on film and TV, and everything you need to know about the future of Doctor Who.