In 2026, we have films coming from absolute legends Steven Spielberg, Ridley Scott, JJ Abrams, and Denis Villeneuve, household names Gore Verbinski and Maggie Gylenhaal, up-and-comer Zach Cregger, and a few others that promise to deliver a great year in sci-fi filmmaking.
There are some safe bets and some creative risks being taken, which means that some of these may not work but it also means we are most likely in for a surprise classic!
Here are the science fiction films we’re the most excited about coming this year.
The Great Beyond
November 13
Stop what you’re doing and sit down for this next piece of information: JJ Abrams is directing a feature film in 2026. That film stars Glen Powell, Jenna Ortega, and Samuel L. Jackson. The Great Beyond also offers a pretty promising premise about humans struggling to survive against an entity they don’t understand.
Dune: Part Three
December 18
Dune: Part Three is the perfect storm of hype. The success of the prior Dune films and the historic media run that Timothee Chalamet finds himself on during awards season have movie goers in a chokehold. Combine that with the fact that Part Three is going to be released on the same day as Avengers Doomsday and it’s safe to say this is one of the most exciting things coming in 2026.
Another exciting factor in the third installment of this major franchise is that Anya Taylor-Joy will, presumably, play a larger role. Taylor-Joy is an incredible actress who makes this already deep cast that much better.
Good Luck, Have Fun, Don’t Die
February 13
Sci-fi movies are usually immensely serious affairs because they usually deal with existential threats or morally nefarious uses of technology. Every once in a while a movie comes along that’s able to inject a little fun and whimsy into all that seriousness. That’s exactly what Gore Verbinski’s Good Luck, Have Fun, Don’t Die aims to do. They have the perfect man to lead that charge too, in Sam Rockwell.
Star Wars: The Mandalorian and Grogu
May 22
When the Disney+ series The Mandorian was released in 2019 it was all Star Wars and TV fans alike were talking about. Now that we’re finally getting a feature film installment of this incredible property, with Jeremy Allen White added no less, excitement and interest should probably skyrocket. The film itself looks very promising as well. It’ll be a fun kickoff to the summer blockbuster slate in late May, especially since it’s been about twenty minutes since we have seen America’s favorite human, Pedro Pascal.
Project Hail Mary
March 20
The 2021 novel by Andy Weir, author of The Martian, takes the science half of science fiction very seriously. It will be curious to see how much the film adaptation of Project Hail Mary sticks to that or if they dial it back for audiences with dwindling attention spans. Casting Ryan Gosling to play lead nerd turned astronaut Ryland Grace will go a long way towards turning this science and jargon heavy book into an exciting movie.
The Martian was beloved when it came out in 2015 despite that book and film also being science heavy. It will be very interesting to see if Weir has done it again or if the magic of The Martian came from the Andy Weir/Ridley Scott combo.
The Dog Stars
August 28
Casting beautiful people to exist in jarring, violent settings is a formula for success. Jacob Elordi and Margaret Qualley lead this Ridley Scott film about humanity’s battle against both virus and gangs of scavengers alike. The cast also includes Hollywood heavyweights Josh Brolin and Guy Pearce. Based on a 2012 novel by Peter Heller, The Dog Stars should be on everyone’s watch list this year.
A major question this film looks to contend with: Is the world ready for a virus movie a few years after the COVID-19 pandemic?
Resident Evil
September 18
Whether you’re a fan of the video game series, the Milla Jovovich led film adaptations of the early 2000’s, both, or neither, this Zach Cregger (Barbarian, Weapons) directed take on a corporate greed induced zombie apocalypse will surely be a major event this year. The cast, led by Austin Abrams, looks to be pretty exciting as well.
The Resident Evil video games have such a cult following that the discourse around this movie will be intense and fun. Whether it works or it doesn’t, we’ll be talking about this movie for a very long time after its release.
The Bride!
March 6
Jessie Buckley can do no wrong. Surrounded by a deep cast including Christian Bale and Jake Gylenhaal, it’s hard not to be excited for this film. Buckley plays a woman brought back to life who then teams up with Frankenstein’s monster (Bale) to wreak havoc on the world and those who wronged her in her real life. The Bride!, set for an early March release, looks to capture the Sinners (which also had a spring release) spot in the hearts and minds of audiences and awards bodies alike.
It will also be pretty fun to see Bale’s take on Frankenstein’s Monster so soon after we got Jacob Elordi’s rendition in Guillermo del Toro’s 2025 Frankenstein.
Disclosure Day
June 12
Does anybody do big better than Spielberg? Does anybody get more out of their actors than Spielberg? You’d be hard pressed to name any filmmaker who does. That’s why a major July sci-fi release directed by Spielberg, starring Emily Blount, Josh O’Connor, and Colman Domingo is at number one on this list.
Disclosure Day is about humans finding proof of alien life in space and deciding when to disclose that information to the world. What could go wrong?
Featured image: Amazon MGM Studios / YouTube
