My 10 Most Anticipated Summer Movies!

Ahhh summer! That time of year when the sun shines brightly, the aromas of barbeques and bonfire smoke permeate the sultry air, and baseball games and beach vacations rule the day. It’s also the time of the year when cinephiles rejoice, as audiences are treated to the most entertaining flicks of the season. You can almost taste the Milk Duds and cherry-flavored Icees.

Even though it’s been six years since the right cross of the pandemic and three years since the body blows of the actors and writers’ strikes, it finally feels like the industry is beginning to recover. Although it’s unlikely that the pre-pandemic box office boom days will return (we live in a different world now), the 2026 receipts are starting to bear fruit. The Super Mario Galaxy movie has topped almost $900 million, Project Hail Mary has proved to be a surprise box office hit and still going strong in its seventh week, Michael demonstrated that the King of Pop still has juice even almost 17 years after his death, and even though it’s been out less than a week, The Devil Wears Prada 2 has already grossed over a quarter of a billion dollars worldwide. And to misquote Al Pacino in Scent of a Woman, “We’re just getting warmed up!”

I can sincerely say, without a scintilla of cynicism, that I’m looking forward to the 2026 movie season more so than any other summer movie season in years. So, having said that, I thought it was a good idea to examine the movies I’m most excited about for the upcoming peak picnic days. So, strap in, recline your deluxe stadium seat, and get your popcorn ready! Here are my most anticipated movies of summer 2026.

#10 Star Wars: The Mandalorian and Grogu

If you had said to me fifteen years ago that we’d be getting a brand-new Star Wars film this May and it would be this low on my list, I’d have said you must have fallen into the rancor pit and landed squarely on your head. Yet here we are. A string of less-than-stellar Star Wars shows (Andor notwithstanding) has sadly diluted the Star Wars brand. It also didn’t help that the third season of The Mandalorian was atrocious. (Seriously, what the fuck were they thinking with the episode involving Lizzo and Jack Black?) Couple that with the inane marketing of this movie, and the result for me personally is, at best, tempered enthusiasm. Having said all that, Jon Favreau remains at the helm, Sigourney Weaver looks to be in fine form, and damn it, that freaking Grogu never ceases to be cute. The footage they showed audiences at CinemaCon received an excellent response, and at a relatively modest $150 million budget, there’s an excellent chance this movie turns a profit. Good word of mouth will ultimately be the bellwether as to whether or not I check this one out in the theater.

#9 Obsession

The old adage, “Be careful what you wish for, you just might get it,” is something most of us are well aware of. Plays, novels, podcasts, and films have made a mint over the years, telling yarns where this pithy platitude was at the heart of the story. Enter Obsession, this summer’s upcoming horror venture courtesy of director Curry Baker (Milk & Serial) and Blumhouse. While Blumhouse’s reputation has taken some hits in recent years, Obsession may be a return to form. The film revolves around a music store employee who makes a wish that his childhood friend loves him more than anyone else in the world. Although the wish is instantly granted, alas, the consequences prove horrific. The premise sounds monumentally intriguing. Obsession played like gangbusters at the Midnight Madness portion of last year’s Toronto Film Festival, with some critics even hailing it as a new horror classic. My curiosity is decidedly piqued. Here’s hoping this one is as good as everyone says it is.

#8 The Death of Robin Hood

I know what you’re thinking. “Corrye, what in the blue fuck is The Death of Robin Hood?” I thought the same thing until I saw the trailer. A dark adaptation of the 17th-century ballad Robin Hood’s Death, this looks to be Robin Hood as we’ve never seen him before. With Hugh Jackman occupying the titular role, the film will examine Robin Hood grappling with his lifetime of crime and murder, all the while helping a woman in distress played by Jodie Comer. Outside of the excellent trailer, what piques my interest is that this looks to be a fresh take on the whole Robin Hood mythos, which, quite frankly, has been done to death. Additionally, it’s directed by Michael Sarnoski, who did 2021’s phenomenal film Pig, and the severely underrated prequel A Quiet Place: Day One. And Bill Skarsgard plays Little John?? Count me in!

#7 Toy Story 5

I thought the original Toy Story trilogy was damn near perfect. When the credits rolled on the third film, I felt it was an excellent capstone for Buzz, Woody, and the rest of the gang. Alas, Disney went back for a fourth film in 2019, and although it was critically and commercially successful, I thought it was a complete dud and profoundly disappointing. Coming back for a fifth go ‘round felt woefully unnecessary…until I saw the trailer. The concept of having old school toys come into conflict with modern technology is so obvious, it’s brilliant. Andrew Stanton takes over for Josh Cooley this time around. Stanton also co-wrote two of the greatest Disney Pixar films of all-time, Finding Nemo and WALL-E. Plus, any time spent with these characters is just a good hang, so I’m looking forward to this fifth entry.

#6 Supergirl

With last year’s Superman, co-head of DC Studios James Gunn kicked off the new DCU. Although fans of the darker Zack Snyder fare were less than enthusiastic, it proved to be a modest hit at the box office and was well-received by audiences and critics. While I question the sense in staying in the Superman family (personally, a new Wonder Woman or Flash film might have been the better move), I am nonetheless excited for the adventures of Kara Zor-El and her dog Krypto for three reasons. First and foremost, I love Milly Alcock. Her turn as Rhaenyra Targaryen in the first half of season one of House of the Dragon was nothing less than spectacular. Based solely on the previews, she seems to have captured the spicy, cynical nature of Kara, who grew up very differently from her famous cousin. Secondly, director Craig Gillespie has not failed me yet with hits like I, Tonya and Dumb Money, two standouts. Lastly, it’s based on Tom King’s Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow, in my opinion one of the best graphic novels ever written. Hell, Jason Momoa starring as Lobo is just gravy, baby! Although I’m slightly nervous about the short runtime, I will nevertheless be there on opening night.

#5 Masters of the Universe

As a Gen Xer born in 1978, He-Man and the Masters of the Universe was as foundational to my childhood development as Sesame Street, Schoolhouse Rock, and Mr. Rogers’ Neighborhood. I spent countless hours playing with my He-Man action figures, everyone from Skeletor to Ram Man, to Tri-Clops, to Trapjaw. Skull Mountain and Castle Grayskull were as familiar to me as my own backyard. And the cartoon? It might as well have been on continuous repeat on our boxy living room television set. Although I have a soft spot for the 1980s film, even at nine, I remember being disappointed that almost none of it took place on Eternia. A new film has languished in development hell for decades, but this June, we will finally be experiencing a new iteration of Prince Adam and company. The trailers have done nothing but warm the cockles of my inner child’s heart. It looks to be set mostly on Eternia with a solid blend of action, fantasy, and science fiction. Furthermore, director Travis Knight helms the project, and he delivered arguably the best Transformers movie with 2018’s Bumblebee. I only have three main concerns. The first is how well relative newcomer Nicholas Galitzine is going to do in the titular role. Second, can they strike the appropriate balance in tone between humorous and sincere? Masters of the Universe needs to harken more to Thor: Ragnarok rather than Thor: Love and Thunder. Lastly, I’ll echo the sentiment my good friend Andy Mayo has been saying, “Where the fuck is Orko?” I don’t expect Masters of the Universe to be The Fellowship of the Ring. As long as this movie is fun, I’ll be satisfied.

#4 Spider-Man: Brand New Day

Of all the summer films, Tom Holland’s fourth sojourn as your friendly neighborhood Spider-Man has me the most curious. While I’ve enjoyed the first three films of the Marvel iteration of Spider-Man, they’ve been a little too epic in scale for my taste. I know that may sound strange, but the ethos of Spidey has always been that he’s a neighborhood hero. Thankfully, Destin Daniel Cretton seems to be bringing Spider-Man back to a more street-level character, despite Bruce Banner and The Punisher making appearances. Moreover, with the conclusion of Spider-Man: No Way Home resulting in everyone forgetting that Peter Parker is Spider-Man, I’m really looking forward to seeing how Holland’s Peter Parker has adapted to a life where literally no one knows who he is and he can only rely on himself for support. I’ve got a sneaking suspicion that this one is going to be a massive hit with audiences and critics, even more so than the last film. Furthermore, I believe Spider-Man: Brand New Day will make so much bank that it very well could clear $2 billion at the box office.

#3 Evil Dead Burn

I have been an Evil Dead fanatic ever since my friend Ken and I watched the original trilogy on three consecutive nights. I’m of the opinion that there hasn’t been a single bad film in the franchise, and the Ash Vs. Evil Dead television series was just as awesome. Although I thoroughly enjoyed Evil Dead Rise, director Sebastien Vanicek’s Evil Dead Burn looks like Rise on steroids. The initial trailer just dropped this week, and HOLY FUCK did it look great. It came off relentless, gnarly, vicious, and mean—everything an Evil Dead movie should be. There were at least three moments that had me visibly squirming. Aside from Clayface, Evil Dead Burn is easily my most anticipated horror film of the year, and I love that they are releasing it at the height of the summer.

#2 Disclosure Day

For decades, pundits, psychologists, scientists, and other experts have repeatedly reiterated that claims of UAP sightings (formerly UFOs) were either lies, delusions, mistaken weather balloons, or just people trying to get attention. With the release of numerous government documents and videos and the testimony of multiple credible witnesses in the US military, we now know that those standpoints are patently untrue. Now that does not mean that we can definitively say that the source of these UAPs are in fact, aliens. What we can say is that these phenomena are observable and quantifiable. By all accounts, they are breaking the laws of physics as we understand them and are rooted in a technology that is beyond what humans are currently capable of. The contention has long been that if the world discovered that aliens were real, it would throw the global order into chaos. Science, religion, culture, and economics would be uprooted. But what would happen if the truth were revealed? Enter Steven Spielberg, the man I consider to be the greatest director who ever lived. Disclosure Day looks to examine the consequences of full disclosure to the whole world. This cast is completely stacked with everyone from Coleman Domingo, Colin Firth, and Emily Blunt joining the fray. Plus, it’s led by rising star Josh O’Connor (Wake Up Dead Man). This looks to be a true conspiracy action-adventure popcorn flick. In other words, the kind of big-budget potential blockbuster only Steven Spielberg could deliver. Based on the subject matter and director alone, this movie already had my money. The fact that this appears to be a spiritual sequel to Close Encounters of the Third Kind is just icing on the cake.

#1 The Odyssey

My love for literature began at ten years old when I first read Tolkien’s The Hobbit. Before long, I was devouring books, and I quickly got into Greek mythology. Homer’s classic epic poem The Odyssey had me hooked from the first line. So, combining one of the most iconic works of fiction with one of this century’s most iconic directors seems like serendipity. The second trailer for Christopher Nolan’s The Odyssey just dropped this week, and while some disgruntled troglodytes want to scream about word choice, natural lighting, and casting (seriously, go argue with a wall), I couldn’t care less. This movie looks absolutely stunning, and the fact that the majority of it was done practically boggles the mind. It’s no small feat to dethrone Steven Spielberg for the top movie on this list, but Christopher Nolan is one of one. His films aren’t movies; they are events. I cannot wait to see this sucker in all its 70mm IMAX glory, likely more than once.

Here’s hoping 2026’s summer movie season is as dynamic and lucrative as I believe it will be. By this August 31st, I believe all moviegoers will be joyously singing Lindsey Buckingham’s “Holiday Road” at the top of their lungs.