Category Archives: 2026

2026

TIFF Canadian Premiere of “Josephine” Finds Courage in Shadow of Fear

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Writer/director Beth de Araújo’s Josephine (A) is an absolutely astonishing exploration of childhood trauma, parental fear and the dangers both rational and imagined that invade a family’s life. Eight-year-old Josephine witnesses a brutal assault while walking through Golden Gate Park with her father, and the crime’s reverberations gradually reshape her behavior, her sense of safety and her parents’ already contrasting approaches to raising her. Mason Reeves is an absolute revelation, conveying hypervigilance, confusion and simmering defiance with a naturalism far beyond her years. De Araújo’s tremendous commitment to Josephine’s point of view makes us question the parents’ choices while forcing us to consider how we as viewers might respond to the same impossible situation. Channing Tatum is effortlessly authentic as her father, while Gemma Chan delivers a quieter, more understated performance as her mother. Through a series of small but increasingly alarming escalations, the film captures how one heinous act can make danger feel omnipresent and turn ordinary childhood anxieties into consuming dread. Josephine’s journey is simultaneously disturbing and empowering as she struggles with defining and overcoming fears while discovering her own capacity for self-defense. Absorbing and sometimes devastating, the film finds flawed human beings searching for a way forward when innocence can no longer lead the way.

2026

TIFF World Premiere: Chris Rock’s Savage Valentine to L.A. “Misty Green” Takes Bleak Bite Out of Town

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It’s telling Chris Rock took his blistering Hollywood indictment “out of town,” world-premiering it before festival audiences in Toronto. Unfortunately, his bleak portrait of the dream factory proves too unfocused to fully satisfy critics, insiders or general audiences wherever it plays. Writer/director Rock’s Misty Green (C-) peaks during its opening credits, pairing Hollywood imagery with “If My Friends Could See Me Now” before revealing how badly show business has failed its title character. Rosalind Eleazar is captivating and game for every demand of an oddly written role, playing a once-promising actress battling drugs, humiliating auditions and poor choices exacerbated by bad influences embodied by ensemble mates Anna Kendrick, Adam Driver and Daniel Kaluuya. Rock plays the man who keeps giving Misty another chance, delivering wry commentary that sometimes feels more like stand-up being workshopped than a character’s depths being plumbed. Topher Grace and Tracie Thoms add texture as industry figures, while two diegetic numbers featuring songs from Radiohead and Dreamgirls let Eleazar flex even more of her formidable talents. Yet the film forgets its own eviction countdown, never clarifies whether it means to excuse, expose or skewer L.A. life and fails to assemble its intriguing pieces into a cogent portrait. Eleazar keeps Misty Green eminently watchable, but far more of the film lands like “Creep” than sustaining the “One Night Only” glory.

2026

TIFF Triumph “Being Heumann” Lends Dignity and Delight to Disability Rights Battle

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Writer/director Siân Heder’s Being Heumann (A) delivers the absolute joy of seeing the too-often-invisible disability community brought to vibrant, exuberant life. Ruth Madeley is a sensation as Judith Heumann, the formidable Brooklynite badass disability-rights activist who helped lead the longest occupation of a federal building in American history back in the ‘70s. Heder honors the importance of that protest without reducing its participants to symbols, making room for partying, sexuality, laughter, liberation and the gloriously messy business of being human. Andrew Pilkington is a standout as Hale Zukas, who spells out his words one letter at a time but repeatedly lands some of the film’s funniest and most unexpected turns of phrase. Roberta Colindrez is equally memorable, bringing warmth and a crackling vitality to the ensemble. Familiar faces Mark Ruffalo and Dylan O’Brien also do fine work as a bract and reporter, respectively, while leaving the film’s disabled actors and their characters at its center. The result is both a rousing account of a movement that changed America and an irresistible celebration of the people who refused to remain unseen. The pace loses a touch of momentum toward the final act with a few plot threads getting short shrift, but oh the thrill of ultimate victories. Heder and her collaborators don’t merely reclaim an essential chapter of history; they throw open the doors and invite everyone to a party that still requires a bevy of believers.

2026

TIFF Music Documentary “Always Lalisa” Captures Solo Artist Vibes in Very Narrow Post-K-POP Era

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A fierce subject gets a fairly tame close-up in director Sue Kim’s Always Lalisa (B-), a documentary whose star power outshines its powers of observation. Following BLACKPINK performer Lisa (the “rapper” in a K-POP girl group) during a relatively brief stretch of her burgeoning solo career, the film offers a snapshot when its compelling subject and the nuances of her cultural background and work ethic warrant a fuller portrait. Lisa’s formidable presence supplies the spark, but the filmmaking rarely turns that electricity into illumination. The narrow timeframe needn’t limit the insight, yet Kim struggles to make this chapter reveal much beyond its immediate circumstances. There’s enough charisma to hold attention but less discovery than one might hope from such proximity to a global phenomenon. It also needed more music. It’s Always Lalisa, occasionally revealing.

2026

TIFF Premiere of “Magazine” Makes Hanging With Writers Look Almost Fun

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Writer/director Alexandra Pechman’s Magazine is essentially The Devil Wears Prada without the devil, crossed with the loose, hangout camaraderie of Everybody Wants Some!! or Almost Famous as an aspiring poet protagonist joyously embodied by Lily McInerny enters the intoxicating orbit of a prestigious New York literary journal. Joshuah Melnick makes a strong impression as an assistant editor who catches her eye, while Iris Apatow operates on an entirely different comic plane, sublime as a daffy socialite. Pechman’s crisp direction and buoyant visuals keep the pages turning even when her writing feels less original; frankly, spending this much time with writers made me expect them to be a little more interesting. There’s plenty in the margins to enjoy, including terrific curated music and fashion that make the entire production feel like a lovingly preserved cultural artifact. There’s a warm nostalgia to hanging around these people, and the ensemble’s easygoing chemistry frequently makes the movie feel less like a plotted comedy than an invitation to join an unusually well-dressed writers’ room. It’s fun, affectionate and consistently pleasurable, even as the absence of meaningful conflict leaves the narrative without much editorial urgency. Even at 105 minutes, it could have benefited from a ruthless copy editor and a few pages left on the cutting-room floor. Still, even when the story isn’t quite cover-worthy, this is one issue that’s awfully enjoyable to flip through.

2026

TIFF’s Body-Horror Musical “Stuffed” Serves Up Everything but Memorable Songs

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Theo Rhys expands his short film Stuffed (B-) by asking a time-honored romantic question: If you truly love someone, would you let them preserve your corpse? Harry Melling plays a lonely sad sack terrified death will erase him. His solution leads to Jodie Comer’s equally isolated taxidermist, whom he offers his body after he dies. Their macabre arrangement soon blossoms into an increasingly complicated situationship. The film stitches together musical, romance and body-horror comedy with considerable imagination and surprising tenderness. That combination should collapse beneath its eccentricity, but Comer and Melling give these strange characters recognizable hearts. Comer finds vulnerability beneath morbid confidence, while Melling makes the need to be remembered funny, sad and painfully human. Their twee chemistry gives this melodic menagerie its pulse, even as the feature-length story begins to feel fluffed. Beneath the preserved animals and grotesque flourishes lies a sincere story about embracing a loved one’s peculiar passions. The enjoyable songs leave only a little lasting imprint, but the movie’s beautifully bizarre heart is preserved in exactly the right place.

2026

TIFF Premiere of “Fjord” Spanks the Chattering Class

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The majestic Norwegian landscape looms large in writer/director Cristian Mungiu’s Fjord (B), but the moral avalanche unfolding on its terrain proves even more imposing. Sebastian Stan and Renate Reinsve play a Romanian-Norwegian couple who move their five children to a remote village where their  conservative beliefs and disciplinary practices attract child-welfare authorities. Mungiu denies audiences an easy position from which to judge the stoic parents. Stan’s father can be controlling and deeply troubling, yet the authorities appear so convinced of their own moral superiority that compassion vanishes from the process. Each interaction shifts viewer sympathies without erasing the harm at the story’s center. Stan buries fear and humiliation beneath a rigid exterior, while Reinsve quietly devastates as a woman trapped between her husband, children and homeland. The long takes and clinical pacing effectively tighten the screws, although the film keeps underlining points it has already made clear. Cold, controlled and deliberately provocative, Mungiu’s film plays like a combustible discussion guide for the world’s most contentious talkback. Its argument lands: Empathy matters most when every side believes it has already won the moral debate.

2026, Rent It Tonight

Cartoons Hold Court in Creative Comedy “Coyote vs Acme” 

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After decades of explosions, collapses and malfunctioning rocket skates, Looney Tune Wile E. Coyote hires a struggling personal injury lawyer played by Will Forte to sue the Acme Corporation, an inspired premise since no consumer has suffered more from a corporation’s dangerously defective wares. The resultant courtroom comedy adventure is thankfully more Roger Rabbit than Cool World on the live-action/animation hybrid quality continuum. Dave Green’s Coyote vs Acme (B-) captures the classic cartoons’ comic rhythm, from Wile E.’s determined preparations to the inevitable moment when gravity takes hold. Forte is well cast as the Coyote’s human counterpart, another sad-sack schemer whose elaborate plans rarely produce the desired result. John Cena supplies cartoon-villain energy as the Acme attorney, although his performance remains stuck at its loudest setting, while Lana Condor is underused as the levelheaded legal intern. Appearances by cartoon characters such as Foghorn Leghorn and the Tasmanian Devil provide welcome bursts of personality, even when they feel more like cameos than essential parts of the story. The screenplay keeps complicating its wonderfully simple courtroom concept with a conventional redemption arc, an expanding corporate conspiracy and an oversized action finale. Still, Wile E. proves surprisingly capable of carrying a feature, and his indestructible insistence gives the movie more heart than expected. The film contains a few defective parts, but its inspired slapstick and affectionate character work keep the overall package from blowing up in the audience’s face.

2026

“The End of Oak Street” a Rousing Suburban Family Adventure 

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Anne Hathaway continues her 2026 cinematic dominance tour as the most believable character in the high-concept madness of dinosaurs invading ‘80s suburbia in David Robert Mitchell’s enjoyable adventure The End of Oak Street (B). Opposite a more subdued Ewan McGregor (his American accent roles are not as good), Hathaway shines as the mother, wife and closet fantasy novel writer who discovers her cul de sac has been transported to the Cretaceous era. The Spielbergian art direction and tropes are enjoyable as the teens secretly know their parents are having marital trouble, but the existential dread soon has tails, teeth and claws. It’s a stirring and heartfelt adventure with lots of plot holes and perhaps not the most sterling supporting cast or script. But there’s great joy in fighting against the dino invasion and perhaps saving the domestic unit. Mitchell’s movie milks the most from its prehistoric meets pop cultural milieu. 

2026

Sapphic, Graphic, Splendid “Camp Miasma” Unpacks a Wallop

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Prepare for a flesh mob of desire and delirium, voyeuristic verve and meta mayhem as Jane Shoenbrun’s Teenage Sex and Death at Camp Miasma (A) delivers its potent and cerebral poly-genre selves to the screen. This ambitious auteur’s boogeyman babylon is carrying enough baggage to unpack over multiple summers and sequels of sleepaway camp misadventures, and it’s rarely anything but mesmerizing. The plot follows a movie director (Hannah Einbinder, vulnerable and surprisingly even more layered than her TV work) scouting for a years-later reboot of a slasher series hatched in a bygone era. The filmmaker becomes fixated on casting the reclusive actress who portrayed the original “final girl” (a vexing and fascinating Gillian Anderson, somehow with Dolly Parton-style Southern accent). Set at the stark scene of the crimes of the first film in the fictional franchise, this wise work lovingly reframes the slasher genre entirely, remixing the eroticism of awakened carnal pleasures in the form of virginal victims combined with the carnage inflicted by a nocturnal nemesis out for blood. The campground phantom in this case is called “Little Death,” whose lacy frocks are matched with a mask appearing like Salvador Dali invented an HVAC vent to a perplexing infinity. Those expecting an all-out bloodbath will get only a few moments of triumphant truncated transfusions to nowhere as most of the more cerebral film fixates on the relationship between the two central characters. Talky, creative contours filled with horror film conventions serve as a veritable field guide and orientation compass for unknotting the tropes course of both movies and humanity. Einbinder is rather divine as the central protagonist grappling with identity, and Anderson is great fun unlocking mysteries of her own between preparing fried chicken picnics and fusing time and space. From the spry nostalgic music to witty callbacks and flashbacks to flat-out nightmarish visions plumbing the depths of gender and storytelling, this is a significant indie knockout. Shoenbrun demonstrates again they are preternaturally prepared for such a dandy candyland through the heart of the splatter.

2026

“Spider-Man: Brand New Day” Mostly Swings into Success

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Destin Daniel Cretton’s Spider-Man: Brand New Day (B+), the title character’s standalone fourth film, is two movies in one: an excellent film about the hero coming to terms with re-establishing his secret identity, throwing himself into crime fighting while his friends march on with life, and a seemingly studio shoehorned extended epilogue about a much less interesting character. I wish they’d stopped at the Spidey part. Tom Holland is superb in the lead as he discovers new expansions and limits to his powers and reconciles his lonely lifestyle. Jon Bernthal, Florence Pugh and Mark Ruffalo play off his character nicely as MCU colleagues. Zendaya and Jacob Batalon provide series nostalgia as the hero’s sidelined friends. In the film’s best parts, the director summons authentic atmosphere on the streets of New York with ample comic book style action and better, more realistic practical effects than in recent Marvel outings. It’s all pretty great until it shape shifts into something else for a while to set up the next stage of studio synergy and emerging characters. That would be fine if said character were of interest. Still, as a summer blockbuster with a favorite character, this movie is a largely triumphant juggernaut.

2026, Industry News

Fall of Fame: 2026 Movie Preview

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After a summer dominated by tentpole adventures, family fare and even YouTube creator vision sensations, September ushers in one of the year’s most fascinating stretches for movie lovers. Animation, horror reboots, prestige dramas and festival favorites begin arriving in theaters as studios position films for both commercial success and year-end awards consideration. While many of these titles will expand gradually following premieres at Venice, Telluride, Toronto and New York, audiences can expect an unusually diverse lineup throughout the month.

Sept. 4

How to Rob a Bank: Director David Leitch, whose energetic style powered Bullet Train, returns with an elevated crime caper with Nicholas Hoult leading an ensemble cast outwitting law enforcement while navigating betrayals from within the criminal underworld.

Sept. 11

Practical Magic 2: Susanne Bier’s sequel to a cult favorite crowd-pleaser from a quarter century ago, reunites Sandra Bullock and Nicole Kidmana, revisiting the magical family curse that has haunted the Owens women for generations. Expect a younger coven in the mix too.

Sept. 18

Resident Evil:  After years of action-oriented adaptations, the video game inspired franchise returns to its survival-horror roots. Director Zach Cregger, whose Barbarian and Weapons became some of the most acclaimed horror films of the decade, emphasizes suspense, isolation and psychological terror over explosive spectacle as a small group of outbreak survivors desperately attempt to escape as terrifying biological experiments spread. Austin Abrams and Paul Walter Hauser star.

Sept. 25

Forgotten Island: This brand-new original DreamWorks/Universal animated fantasy adventure centers on explorers who stumble upon a mysterious island untouched by modern civilization. Hidden beneath its breathtaking landscapes are magical creatures, forgotten kingdoms and secrets capable of changing the world. Dave Franco and Jenny Slate head the voice cast.

Primetime:  Acclaimed documentarian Lance Oppenheim makes his narrative feature debut with this A24 prestige project starring the ubiquitous Robert Pattinson. Inspired by the media phenomenon surrounding To Catch a Predator, this film examines ethical compromises made by journalists, producers and audiences in pursuit of ratings.

October is traditionally where awards season begins to take shape, and 2026 may feature one of the strongest October lineups in years. Oscar hopefuls from acclaimed filmmakers share the calendar with literary adaptations, comic book films, animated adventures and more IP projects. Whether audiences are searching for prestige dramas or crowd-pleasing entertainment, nearly every weekend offers something noteworthy, with some films still jockeying for their exact weekend.

Oct. 2

Digger: Oscar winning Birdman director Alejandro G. Iñárritu centers Tom Cruise as an enormously influential man racing to convince humanity he alone can solve a worldwide catastrophe that he may have helped create. Sandra Hüller, Riz Ahmed, Jesse Plemons and John Goodman support this mysterious satire.

Verity: Colleen Hoover’s bestselling psychological gothic mystery thriller comes to the screen under the direction of Michael Showalter. A struggling writer (Dakota Johnson) accepts the task of finishing a popular series by an incapacitated author (Anne Hathaway) only to discover disturbing manuscripts hidden inside the family’s home. Josh Hartnett co-stars.

Oct. 9

The Social Reckoning: Aaron Sorkin writes and directs this fact-based companion piece to The Social Network, chronicling how Facebook whistleblower Frances Haugen risked everything by partnering with Wall Street Journal reporter Jeff Horwitz to expose the company’s internal knowledge of the platform’s impact on users, teen mental health and global events. Mikey Madison stars as Haugen, with Jeremy Allen White as Horwitz and Jeremy Strong taking over the role of Mark Zuckerberg in a drama exploring the real-world consequences of social media’s unchecked power.

The Legend of Aang: The Last Airbender:  Avatar Studios continues one of animation’s most beloved universes with its first feature centered on an adult Aang. Years after the original series, Team Avatar reunites to confront a new threat capable of disrupting the fragile peace they fought so hard to establish. The fantasy film features voice actors Eric Nam, Jessica Matten, Steven Yeun and Dave Bautista.

Other Mommy: Director Rob Savage, whose intense style helped define films such as Hostel and The Boogeyman, returns with a supernatural horror thriller starring Jessica Chastain as a desperate mother fighting to protect her young daughter from a malevolent, closet-dwelling entity manifesting as her exact doppelgänger. 

Fjord: Following its Palme d’Or triumph at the 2026 Cannes Film Festival, Neon positions Cristian Mungiu’s latest as one of the season’s premier international awards contenders. Set in a remote Norwegian fjord, the drama follows a devout Romanian-Norwegian family whose close-knit relationship with their neighbors unravels after signs of possible child abuse spark a community reckoning over faith, parenting and cultural values. Starring Sebastian Stan and Renate Reinsve, this emotionally charged moral drama explores the clash between traditional beliefs and progressive society through Mungiu’s characteristically nuanced lens.

Oct. 16

Street Fighter: Director Kitao Sakurai blends stylized action with colorful personalities in hopes of launching a successful new franchise based on the video game. As the world’s greatest martial artists gather for an international tournament, they uncover a conspiracy. Andrew Koji, Noah Centineo and Jason Momoa star.

Oct. 23

Clayface: Director James Watkins heads into darker territory for James Gunn’s DC Studios with an origin story unlike any previous superhero film. A gifted actor (Tom Rhys Harries) becomes the victim of a horrifying scientific experiment that transforms him into Gotham City’s shape-shifting monster. Naomi Ackie and Eddie Marsan co-star in this body horror thriller.

Klara and the Sun: Based on Kazuo Ishiguro’s acclaimed novel, Taika (Jojo Rabbit) Waititi’s film unfolds through the perspective of Klara, an “Artificial Friend” (Jenna Ortega) purchased to care for a chronically ill teenager. As Klara observes the complexities of human relationships, she develops an extraordinary understanding of love, sacrifice and hope in a film featuring  Amy Adams.

Oct. TBD

La Bola Negra (The Black Ball):  Inspired by an unfinished work from Federico García Lorca, this sweeping Spanish drama co-directed by Javier Calvo and Javier Ambrossi explores the lives of three gay men living in different generations whose stories become emotionally intertwined across decades of history. Following its acclaimed festival debut in Cannes, the film has emerged as one of the year’s most celebrated international productions. Penélope Cruz, Guitarricadelafuente, Miguel Bernardeau and Carlos González star in this Netflix production which will get a “platform release” of limited theatrical distribution before streaming.

Bunker:  Oscar-winning playwright and filmmaker Florian Zeller (The Father) returns with an intimate psychological drama centered on a married couple (Penélope Cruz and Javier Bardem) sheltering underground during an escalating international crisis. As isolation intensifies, long-buried resentments and fears begin to surface.

Possible Love: Acclaimed Korean filmmaker Lee Chang-dong (Burning) focuses on two married couples (Jeon Do-yeon, Cho Yeo-jeong, Sul Kyung-gu, Zo In-sung) connecting while collaborating on a documentary project, forcing each person to confront difficult truths about love, loyalty and regret.

Ink:  Danny (Slumdog Millionaire) Boyle examines the evolution of modern media through the story of newspaper publisher and Fox News maven Rupert Murdoch, played by Guy Pearce. Rather than functioning as a traditional biopic, the film explores the growing influence of tabloid journalism and its impact on politics, entertainment and public opinion.

If late October belongs to critics, November belongs to everyone. Studios begin rolling out their biggest holiday attractions while prestige distributors expand acclaimed festival favorites nationwide. Family films, historical dramas, literary adaptations and blockbuster franchises all converge during one of the busiest moviegoing months of the year.

Nov. 6

The Cat in the Hat: One of children’s literature’s most beloved troublemakers returns in a completely new animated adventure inspired by Dr. Seuss’ timeless classic. Rather than simply retelling the original story, the filmmakers expand the Cat’s whimsical universe with new characters, elaborate visual set pieces and plenty of playful humor for audiences of every age. Bill Hader lends his unmistakable comic energy to the voice of the title character, opposite Quinta Brunson, Xochitl Gomez and Bowen Yang.

Wild Horse Nine: Martin (Banshees of Inisherin) McDonagh reunites with longtime collaborator Sam Rockwell. Set on a remote island, the dark comedy follows a collection of morally questionable characters whose ambitions, betrayals and long-held grudges erupt into increasingly outrageous confrontations. John Malkovich headlines a remarkable ensemble with Steve Buscemi and Parker Posey, expected to include droll dialogue.

Club Kid: Inspired by New York’s legendary nightlife scene, Jordan Firstman’s Club Kid explores ambition, identity and celebrity within an underground culture where reinvention becomes both liberation and obsession. A24 continues its tradition of releasing stylish, character-driven dramas aimed at adventurous moviegoers. With a colorful visual style and energetic soundtrack, the film promises to capture the excitement and excess of an unforgettable era. Cara Delevingne and Diego Calva headline. 

Nov. 13

Paper Tiger: James (Armageddon Time) Gray’s latest drama examines the emotional consequences of power, ambition and family loyalty through the story of siblings forced to confront decades of hidden resentment after a shocking personal revelation. Adam Driver, Scarlett Johansson and Miles Teller star in this Neon prestige pic.

Nov. 20

I Play Rocky: Peter (Green Book) Farrelly celebrates an inspiring cinematic success story. Rather than just chronicling the making of Rocky, this biographical drama focuses on Sylvester Stallone’s extraordinary determination to bring his screenplay to life despite repeated setbacks. Anthony Ippolito portrays the young Stallone during the pivotal months that forever changed his career.

The Hunger Games: Sunrise on the Reaping: Returning to Panem a quarter century before Katniss Everdeen volunteered as tribute, this prequel follows teen Haymitch Abernathy (Joseph Zada) who is selected for the brutal Fiftieth Hunger Games, aka the Second Quarter Quell. Francis Lawrence returns to direct another chapter in Suzanne Collins’ universe, with Ralph Fiennes portraying President Snow decades before the original films. Elle Fanning, Jesse Plemons, Mckenna Grace, Maya Hawke and Kieran Culkin round out the ensemble.

Nov. 25

The Adventures of Cliff Booth: David Fincher takes an unexpected detour into Quentin Tarantino territory with this follow-up to Once Upon a Time… in Hollywood, written by Tarantino and returning Brad Pitt to his Oscar-winning role as stuntman Cliff Booth. Set years after the original film, the story finds Booth working as a Hollywood fixer in the changing movie industry of the 1970s. The ensemble includes Elizabeth Debicki, Scott Caan, Timothy Olyphant and Peter Weller. Netflix gives the film an exclusive two-week global IMAX run beginning before it begins streaming Dec. 23. 

Focker-in-Law: More than two decades after audiences first met this awkward extended family, Universal reunites much of the original cast for more awkward reunions, impossible expectations and escalating misunderstandings. This time, a new generation of relatives complicates an already chaotic family dynamic. Writer/director John Hamburg returns with Ben Stiller, Robert De Niro, Teri Polo, Blythe Danner and Ariana Grande.

Hexed: Disney looks to reclaim a hint of Thanksgiving box office dominance with a fantasy adventure animated feature centered on an ancient curse unexpectedly transforming the lives of an ordinary family. Hailee Steinfeld and Rashida Jones headline the voice cast.

Every December promises movie magic, but 2026 may deliver one of the most competitive holiday seasons in modern memory. Superheroes, science fiction epics, fantasy adventures, horror, family animation and prestige dramas all crowd multiplexes within a few short weeks. For movie lovers, it may be impossible to see everything before the calendar turns to 2027.

Dec. 4

Violent Night 2: After turning Santa Claus into an unlikely action hero in the surprise 2022 hit, director Tommy Wirkola reunites with David Harbour for another gleefully over-the-top holiday adventure balancing outrageous violence with surprisingly heartfelt holiday sentiment. The sequel is expected to send its gruff St. Nick into another battle against criminals who have made the mistake of ruining Christmas.

Dec. 11

The Debut: Jesse Eisenberg directs and writes (including songs) this character-driven drama set in the theatre world about an aging performer forced to reconsider artistic ambition, mentorship and legacy. Julianne Moore and Paul Giamatti headline what promises to be one of the year’s strongest acting showcases from A24, building on expected buzz from Toronto Film Festival. The movie blends humor, music and emotional honesty into an expected heartfelt examination of ambition, reinvention and the sacrifices required to pursue creative fulfillment. 

Clarissa: Neon continues its awards-season drip campaigns with this specialty Nigerian drama centered on a woman confronting a series of life-changing personal decisions. Directed by Arie and Chuko Esiri, this character study reimagines Virginia Woolf’s Mrs. Dalloway character in contemporary Africa, following a society woman preparing for a party and reflecting on her past. Starring Sophie Okonedo, David Oyelowo and Ayo Edebiri, this film premiered at the 2026 Cannes Film Festival.

December 18 brings two blockbusters, Avengers: Doomsday and Dune: Part Three, on the same day. Is it double the box office as “Dunesday” (or with Florence Pugh in both, is it a “Free-Flo” or a “Florence-torrent”)? This clash of tentpole titans will be worth watching closely. 

Dec. 18

Avengers: Doomsday:  Marvel Studios launches its next cinematic event bringing together heroes from across the Marvel Cinematic Universe, the Fantastic Four and the X-Men. At the center stands an unexpected adversary: Robert Downey Jr., returning to Marvel not as Iron Man, but as the legendary Victor Von Doom. The Russo brothers helm a multiverse-spanning spectacle inspired by Marvel’s acclaimed comic storylines. Chris Hemsworth, Paul Rudd, Anthony Mackie, Florence Pugh, Ryan Reynolds, Simu Liu and Sebastian Stan are among the sprawling ensemble.

Dune: Part Three: Denis Villeneuve returns to Arrakis for the concluding chapter of his adaptation of Frank Herbert’s original saga, drawing heavily from Dune Messiah. Now Emperor, Paul Atreides (Timothée Chalamet) discovers that victory has brought consequences far beyond anything he imagined as political conspiracies, religious fanaticism and personal tragedy threaten everything he fought to build. Zendaya, Florence Pugh, Anya Taylor-Joy and returning Jason Momoa co-star. 

Dec. 23

The Angry Birds Movie 3: The titular winged characters including voice talent of Jason Sudeikis, Danny McBride, Josh Gad, Keke Palmer, Lily James return for another animated adventure inspired by Rovio’s enormously popular mobile game franchise. This time, an unexpected alliance forces longtime rivals to work together against a threat capable of disrupting life across Bird Island and beyond. We suppose audiences will flock.

Dec. 25

Jumanji: Open World: The blockbuster franchise reaches its next chapter with a twist: instead of people entering the game, the game’s avatars escape into the real world. As the digital and human worlds collide, familiar heroes must stop increasingly chaotic consequences before reality itself spirals out of control in Jake Kasdan’s sequel with Dwayne Johnson, Kevin Hart, Jack Black, Karen Gillan, Awkwafina and Danny DeVito.

A Place in Hell: Following the success of Fair Play, Chloe Domont returns with another morally complex thriller. Michelle Williams stars as an elite attorney whose carefully constructed professional life begins unraveling after she becomes involved in a deeply troubling legal case. Andrew Scott and Daisy Edgar-Jones co-star.

Werwulf: Following The Witch, The Lighthouse, The Northman and Nosferatu, Robert Eggers returns to historical horror with a chilling tale rooted in medieval folklore. Set centuries before the modern werewolf myth became popularized, the film explores superstition, religious fear and survival in an isolated European village haunted by an ancient predator. The cast includes Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Willem Dafoe and Ralph Ineson.

Whether you’re drawn to intimate independent dramas, international cinema, family animation, pulse-pounding action or ambitious science fiction, this fall offers a notable lineup. It promises to be a season that reminds audiences why the communal experience of discovering movies on the big screen remains as exciting as ever.