The last time we had an epic Christopher Nolan release in 2023, Oppenheimer -together with Barbie - gave cinema a huge audience boost. Could Nolan's The Odyssey, along with one or two other 2026 releases, produce a similar result?

The industry is hopeful that a number of highly anticipated projects like Tom Holland's fourth Spider-Man movie, the second Super Mario Brothers film, and The Devil Wears Prada 2 could lead to a box office bonanza. Not to mention Avengers: Doomsday and the third Dune movie.

Together with Oscar hopefuls like Hamnet, 2026 looks to be a potentially huge year for an industry still feeling the after-effects of the Covid lockdown. Here are 20 films to watch out for in 2026.

Based on Maggie O'Farrell's award winning book, Hamnet follows the relationship between WIlliam Shakespeare (Paul Mescal) and his wife Agnes (Jessie Buckley). And explores the tragic events that engulf the couple and which inspire Shakespeare's play Hamlet.

Release date: 9 January