Germain Lussier is a senior reporter covering entertainment for the io9 section of Gizmodo. He lives in Los Angeles, specializes in film coverage, and is also our lead film critic. You can follow his coverage here and email story ideas and tips to [email protected].

The top story

Year after year, it’s the same argument. If Hollywood just continues to release sequels and remakes of popular franchises, how will it ever get around to making new franchises? In 2026, there is, obviously, plenty of that happening as usual, but, for the first time in a long time, there is a noticeable uptick in originality from big-name filmmakers.

So yes, while we’re getting new DC, Marvel, Star Wars, and more this year, there are also several big swing ideas scattered throughout the release schedule that scream “potential franchise.” J.J. Abrams has a still untitled fantasy starring Glen Powell. Brad Bird has Ray Gunn, a sci-fi animated film about a detective. David Robert Mitchell has a dinosaur movie starring Ewan McGregor and Anne Hathaway called Flowervale Street. The list goes on and on. Sam Raimi, Gore Verbinski, Andrew Stanton, and Adam Wingard—heck, even Steven Spielberg and M. Night Shyamalan—all of them are making movies based on new, original ideas (in one way or another). Maybe they won’t all hit, maybe they won’t all be great, but it’s nice to see talented filmmakers making movies that could, potentially, become new franchises.

What we’re waiting for

2026 is chock-full of films based on franchises that have either been away for a long time or have seemingly lost a bit of their excitement. So, with those films and more, we’re hoping this year is a return to form.

Like what exactly? Well, the obvious ones are Star Wars, with The Mandalorian & Grogu, and Marvel, with Avengers: Doomsday. Each of those franchises was previously thought to be bulletproof, but recent years have proven otherwise. (Though Marvel does have the ace up its sleeve of Spider-Man: Brand New Day, which we’re sure will be great.) Beyond that, there’s also a return to Narnia, thanks to director Greta Gerwig, which we expect to make us forget how fast that franchise fell the last time. A new Masters of the Universe movie from Travis Knight could be something special. Street Fighter falls into the same category. Zach Cregger tackling Resident Evil feels like a worthy reboot. Basically, 2026 could be the year many franchises either die or bounce back in a big way.

Unconventional wisdom

Last year in this space, my “unconventional wisdom” was that some of the genre films of 2025 were going to surprise everybody and become real award contenders. Which, thanks to films like Sinners and Frankenstein, actually happened. This year, though, my unconventional wisdom is nowhere near as widespread or grandiose. Instead, I’m going to say that by the end of the year, some people will be touting a small horror film by a new director as one of the year’s best. Curry Barker’s horror film, Obsession, is out May 15 and is a truly terrifying, gut-wrenching, and surprising film that is going to make a lot of people happy. I know because I’m lucky enough to have seen it already.

People to follow

James Gunn – I think Gunn just has to remain a permanent member of this list each year. That’s because, each year, he’s by far the biggest, most influential filmmaker/executive to actively use social media. You have to keep an eye on everything he says. In 2026, his company has the films Supergirl and Clayface on the way, while Gunn himself will be filming his Superman follow-up, Man of Tomorrow, for the following year.

Rian Johnson – Johnson made one of the best films of 2025 with Wake Up Dead Man, and, in 2026, we’re hoping he announces his next film, which will reportedly have sci-fi elements. He will also be the place to get news on the show Poker Face, and, who knows? Maybe there’s some Star Wars fun to be had as well.

Zendaya – With Spider-Man: Brand New Day, The Odyssey, and Dune: Part Three, the talented actress is in three mega blockbusters this year. Few others can say that. Plus, she’s going to marry Spider-Man at some point, too.

Pedro Pascal – Mr. Fantastic himself is set to have yet another fantastic 2026, starring in two of the year’s most highly anticipated films: The Mandalorian & Grogu as well as Avengers: Doomsday.

Companies to watch

Netflix – In 2025, I put Netflix on this list because of all the potentially fantastic original projects it was releasing, and rightfully so. This year, I’m doing it again because, well, it’s poised to become arguably the biggest entertainment company in the world with its acquisition of Warner Bros. Discovery. Plus, it also has a lot of awesome new movies coming out again in 2026.

Paramount – The company that lost Warner Bros. to Netflix is going to be one to watch this year, not just for the movies it’s releasing, but for the movies it decides to make in the future. As we all know, its new owner, David Ellison, seems to have the approval of the President of the United States on his mind, and we don’t expect that to be a good thing.

AMC Theaters – The largest theater chain in the U.S. can often be a trendsetter (or trend maker), so it’s always worth keeping an eye on what they are doing to gauge what’s happening at movie theaters all across the globe. Speaking of…

A long-shot bet

It’s no long shot to say 2026 is going to be a big one at the box office. There are simply too many name-brand, exciting movies coming out for anything else to. However, what I think might be a long shot is that 2026 is the year the repertoire screening really makes its comeback. Think about it. In 2025, reissues of anniversary films like Jaws and Back to the Future did very well in theaters. In the past, Coraline has done record numbers. This year, we know Marvel is bringing back Avengers: Endgame, and next year, Star Wars returns for its 50th anniversary. Putting old movies people love into theaters is such a no-brainer that I think, in 2026, we will see that become an even bigger, more common thing at multiplexes all over the world.

Want more io9 news? Check out when to expect the latest Marvel, Star Wars, and Star Trek releases, what’s next for the DC Universe on film and TV, and everything you need to know about the future of Doctor Who.