With the new year in full swing, 2026 is shaping up to be a banner year for film and television, boasting a lineup that reads like a wish list for cinephiles and book lovers alike. From blockbuster sequels and bold literary adaptations to auteur-driven comedies and genre-bending originals, the coming months promise a feast of stories both familiar and utterly unexpected.
Perhaps no genre is more emblematic of Hollywood’s current mood than the franchise follow-up. Hot on the heels of Danny Boyle’s triumphant “28 Years Later,” audiences won’t have to wait long for another dose of post-apocalyptic thrills. Nia DaCosta’s “28 Years Later: The Bone Temple,” starring Jack O’Connell, lands in theaters on January 16, 2026, according to IndieWire. The film picks up where Boyle’s left off, promising to plunge viewers deeper into a world where survival is anything but guaranteed. DaCosta, known for her sharp storytelling in “Hedda,” is expected to bring a fresh perspective to the saga, building on the momentum—and the appetite for more—that Boyle’s film ignited just six months ago.
Literary adaptations are also making a major splash this year. Netflix, ever the voracious adapter, kicks off January with two highly anticipated series. First up is “His & Hers,” premiering January 8. Based on Alice Feeney’s twisty thriller, the show stars Jon Bernthal as a small-town British detective and Tessa Thompson as his ex, an alcoholic news anchor. Their paths collide in the wake of a brutal murder, setting off a race to uncover the truth. As Feeney’s novel reminds us, “There are two sides to every story,” and the series looks poised to keep viewers guessing at every turn (as reported by The New York Times).
Just a day later, on January 9, Netflix debuts “People We Meet on Vacation,” adapted from Emily Henry’s beloved rom-com. The film brings to life the crackling chemistry between travel buddies Poppy and Alex—played by Emily Bader and Tom Blyth—whose friendship teeters on the edge of romance. Fans of Henry’s witty banter and heartfelt storytelling will be watching closely to see how the adaptation captures the magic of the book.
Agatha Christie devotees have reason to celebrate as well. A new mini-series based on one of her lesser-known 1929 novels is set to premiere later this year. While the original book was met with skepticism—The Times famously called its solution “utterly preposterous”—the adaptation hopes to find new life and a warmer reception with contemporary audiences.
The year’s most audacious directorial turn, though, may belong to Greta Gerwig. After dazzling the world with “Barbie,” Gerwig is taking the reins of “Narnia: The Magician’s Nephew,” a reboot of the beloved C.S. Lewis series, as detailed by The Guardian. The film, which explores the origins of Narnia, features an intriguing cast: Emma Mackey as the future White Witch, Carey Mulligan as a terminally ill mother, and Daniel Craig in a mysterious dual role—possibly as Aslan or the eccentric Uncle Andrew. With Netflix now holding the rights to the Narnia franchise, all eyes are on Gerwig to see if she can bring her signature blend of wit and wonder to Lewis’s fantastical world.
Science fiction fans are counting down the days until December, when Denis Villeneuve’s “Dune: Messiah” is set to complete his epic trilogy. Villeneuve, inspired by the global acclaim for “Dune: Part Two,” has fast-tracked this adaptation of Frank Herbert’s notoriously complex sequel. The film promises to deliver more of the sweeping visuals and philosophical depth that made the first two installments standouts, even as it dives into the weirder corners of Herbert’s universe—think resurrected warriors and worm gods. As The Guardian’s resident Dune enthusiast put it, “Villeneuve’s vision...is so commanding, so thrilling to behold on the big screen, that I simply trust he will land the spaceship and give us one more round of heady yet extremely hype-y interplanetary escapism in 2026.”
Pop music and literary classics collide in February, when Charli XCX drops an original soundtrack for a reimagined “Wuthering Heights.” The pop star isn’t stopping there: at the end of January, she headlines “The Moment,” a mockumentary chronicling a wild alternate history of her 2024 summer tour. Directed by Aidan Zamiri and featuring Alexander Skarsgård, the film draws on the chaotic energy of Charli’s recent music videos and promises to be as unfiltered and audacious as the artist herself.
On the thriller front, Chloe Domont’s “A Place in Hell” is set to hit the big screen in 2026, starring Michelle Williams, Daisy Edgar-Jones, and Andrew Scott. While plot details are scarce, the film’s corporate intrigue and powerhouse cast have already generated significant buzz, with Neon securing distribution to ensure audiences can experience the suspense in theaters rather than on their phones.
David Robert Mitchell, whose cult classic “Under the Silver Lake” continues to inspire debate, returns with “Flowervale Street.” Though the film’s plot remains shrouded in mystery, it’s rumored to be a family-friendly fantasy with a bigger budget than Mitchell’s previous works. Anne Hathaway and Ewan McGregor co-star, and there are whispers of dinosaurs—a tantalizing prospect for fans of Mitchell’s offbeat storytelling.
In a surprising twist of creative collaboration, Quentin Tarantino’s script for “The Adventures of Cliff Booth” will be brought to life by David Fincher. Brad Pitt reprises his role as the enigmatic Hollywood stuntman from “Once Upon a Time… in Hollywood,” with Fincher’s cool, cerebral style promising a fascinating counterpoint to Tarantino’s pulpy exuberance. As The Guardian notes, the pairing is as confounding as it is tantalizing, and fans are eager to see how Fincher interprets Tarantino’s vision.
Boots Riley, never one to shy away from social commentary, returns with “I Love Boosters,” a sci-fi heist comedy about a crew of professional shoplifters targeting a ruthless fashion designer. Starring Keke Palmer, Demi Moore, and LaKeith Stanfield, the film is expected to offer a trenchant, if trippy, critique of the fashion industry and consumerism—timely themes given today’s economic climate.
Tom Cruise makes a rare non-franchise appearance in Alejandro González Iñárritu’s “Digger,” a $125 million studio-backed dark comedy. With a star-studded cast that includes Jesse Plemons, Sandra Hüller, and Riz Ahmed, the film marks Cruise’s first collaboration with an Oscar-winning auteur in nearly a decade, generating excitement for what could be a career-defining role.
Rounding out the year’s most anticipated projects is an untitled musical comedy from Jesse Eisenberg. Backed by A24 and set in the quirky world of community theater, the film stars Julianne Moore as a shy housewife who dives headfirst into method acting, with Paul Giamatti as her unlikely mentor. Early reports from test screenings describe it as a dark comedy in the vein of “Woody Allen’s version of Black Swan,” suggesting audiences are in for a wild ride.
With so many ambitious projects on the horizon, 2026 stands poised to deliver a cinematic landscape as diverse and unpredictable as the world itself. Whether you’re drawn to sweeping sci-fi epics, heart-tugging romances, or boundary-pushing comedies, there’s something for everyone—proving once again that film and television remain our most vital sources of wonder, reflection, and communal joy.
