Some of Hollywood’s most beloved characters – including Spider-Man, Buzz Lightyear, Cliff Booth and Miranda Priestly – will return to the big screen in 2026.
In recent years the movie industry has faced increasingly serious challenges from the pandemic to the rise of home-streaming services and attention-stealing mobile devices.
But there’s one simple set of rules that they follow: if a movie is a hit, make a sequel. And if a once high-soaring franchise runs out of steam, wait a few years then reboot it.
Here are 37 sequels, reboots or prequels that will vie for your time and money in 2026:
Greenland 2: Migration (Jan. 9)
In 2020’s Greenland, Gerard Butler’s narrowly got his on-screen family to the safety of a military bunker after an apocalyptic comet strike wiped out nearly all life on Earth. The next logical step arrives in Greenland 2: Migration, as Butler braves near-certain death to help humanity find a new place to start over.
28 Years Later: The Bone Temple (Jan. 16)
We move from one post-apocalyptic landscape to another. Fans of 2003’s 28 Days Later had to wait four years for the 2007 sequel 28 Weeks Later and 18 years for last year’s 28 Years Later. But luckily we won’t need to wait nearly as long for the cliffhangers from that third installment to be dealt with, as 28 Years Later: The Bone Temple opens just two weeks into the new year.
Update: Every Iron Maiden fan needs to go see this movie ASAP.
Return to Silent Hill (Jan. 23)
Overwhelmingly negative reviews haven’t kept the Silent Hill movie franchise from making big money or (slowly) moving forward. Return to Silent Hill will be the third entry in video game-based series, following the 2006 debut and 2012’s Silent Hill: Revelation.
The Strangers – Chapter 3 (Feb. 6)
2008’s The Strangers was a critically underappreciated film that has gained a strong cult following over the years. 16 years later the franchise was rebooted with a trilogy of films that were all shot at the same time. Heading into the third and final chapter of this story, we’ve got just one sole survivor left – but she’s managed to take out one of the three mysterious (and murderous) villains.
Scream 7 (Feb. 27)
Sidney’s back! After sitting out Scream 6 due to financial differences, Neve Campbell returns to the franchise, with her character having moved with her daughter to the supposed safety of a small town. Courtney Cox’s Gale Weathers is also back for another battle with Ghostface. So are actors David Arquette, Matthew Lillard and Scott Foley, which is weird because the characters they played are all dead. Maybe not?
The Bride! (March 6)
Just three months after Guilleromo del Toro debuted his epic take on the legend of Frankenstein, writer / director Maggie Gyllenhaal offers up an updated version of 1935’s The Bride of Frankenstein. Jessie Buckley stars as the bride created to give Christian Bale’s monster a life companion, with the setting changed to the political and socially volatile Chicago of the 1930s.
Ready or Not 2: Here I Come (March 27)
After miraculously surviving a life-or-death game of hide and seek that found the rich and satanically cursed family of her fiance trying to kill her – on her wedding day no less! – in 2019’s highly enjoyable Ready or Not, Samara Weaving’s Grace finds herself forced into an even more dangerous version of the same game, this time against multiple rich families.
The Super Mario Galaxy Movie (April 3)
2023’s Super Mario Bros. Movie was pretty gosh-darn grating, but it earned over 1.3 billion dollars and made Jack Black even more popular with the kiddos thanks to his smash hit mini-song “Peaches,” so of course we’re getting a sequel. Please let it be better, a tad quieter and perhaps also shorter?
Lee Cronin’s The Mummy (April 17)
Late last year it was announced that Brandon Fraser and Rachel Weisz will be reuniting for a new installment of their popular The Mummy franchise, set to be released nearly 20 years after 2008’s The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor.
In the meantime we’ll get what looks to be a much less playful take on the story from Lee Cronin, the writer and director behind 2023’s excellent Evil Dead Rise. Judging by the reports from early screenings, you’ll want to leave the kids at home for this one.
The Devil Wears Prada 2 (May 1)
Twenty years after Meryl Streep and Anne Hathaway locked horns against the cutthroat backdrop of the fashion industry in the 2006 smash hit The Devil Wears Prada, they’re back for more. Even better, first movie scene-stealers Emily Blunt and Stanley Tucci are also back for more.
Mortal Kombat II (May 8)
2021’s rebooted video game adaptation Mortal Kombat was a fine enough movie that didn’t set the box office on fire or earn much love from critics, but apparently did well enough on home video to warrant a sequel.
There’s one simple reason to think this new installment will be significantly cooler: Karl Urban has joined the cast as series hero Johnny Cage. In a dream world he’d be filming about the 7th sequel to Dredd, but for now this will do…
Star Wars: The Mandalorian and Grogu (May 22)
After re-energizing the Star Wars franchise with three seasons of excellent television, the Mandalorian and Grogu (formerly and always wrong known as “Baby Yoda”) are set to hit the big screen under the trustworthy leadership of writer / director Jon Favreau.
If that’s not enough to earn your trust back try this on for size: Sigourney Weaver, beloved by sci-fi fans for her work as Ripley from the Alien franchise (and currently starring in Avatar: Fire and Water), is heading back to outer space as part of the cast.
Masters of the Universe (June 5)
39 years after Dolph Lundgren’s attempt to launch a live-action Masters of the Universe franchise fell flat on its face, He-Man returns in the form of Nicholas Galitzine in a brand-new take on the popular cartoon character. Jared Leto, looking to recover from last year’s rather unfairly panned Tron: Ares, stars as bad guy Skeletor.
Scary Movie 6 (June 12)
Now that the Scream franchise has returned from a decade-long hiatus with three new movies in the last five years, it makes perfect sense for the parody franchise it inspired to make its own return.
13 years after Scary Movie 5, Anna Ferris, Marlon and Shawn Wayons, Regina Hall and other favorites from the series are back for the sixth installment. They could probably double their ticket sales if they named it Scary Movie 6-7.
Toy Story 5 (June 19)
After delivering just about the most perfect, tear-jerking ending to a trilogy possible with 2010’s Toy Story 3, Pixar rather bravely brought Buzz, Woody and the gang back for a fourth installment in 2019.
Overcoming Quentin Tarantino’s one-man boycott, Toy Story 4 was another commercial and critical smash, complete with another rip-your-heart-out ending. Seven years later Toy Story 5 will find Woody reuniting with his friends to battle a new threat: video tablets.
Supergirl (June 26)
After a brief but memorable introduction at the end of last year’s Superman, Milly Alcock’s brash Supergirl gets her own feature film in 2026. Her not-exactly-well-behaved super-powered dog Krypto will also join in on the fun. So will the galaxy’s toughest bounty hunter, Lobo, portrayed by Jason “Aquaman” Momoa.
Minions 3 (July 1)
The Despicable Me franchise hit its first bum note – creatively anyway, of course it still made a billion dollars – with 2024’s Despicable Me 4. Perhaps a return to the Minions-focused prequel series will be a bit more enjoyable. There’s no trailer, images or plot summary for Minions 3 yet – anybody else guessing the little yellow imps will be seen during the Super Bowl?
Moana (July 10)
Disney’s financially successful, creatively shaky tradition of double-dipping on their hit animated movies by releasing a live-action remake isn’t showing any signs of slowing down. Just 10 years after the original, animated Moana (and two years after its successful animated sequel) they’re back with a Moana featuring human actors, once again led by Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson as the mighty shape-shifting Maui.
Evil Dead Burn (July 24)
An Evil Dead movie without Bruce Campbell’s Ash? As crazy as that sounds, 2023’s Evil Dead Rise was a creative and commercial success, delivering all the expected thrills (and gore) the franchise’s devotees could ever ask as the Book of the Dead torments another family. Here’s hoping for more of the same from Evil Dead Burn.
Spider-Man: Brand New Day (July 31)
Five years after Spider-Man: No Way Home served as a surprisingly bittersweet coda to the Avengers saga, Tom Holland is back as a magically forgotten Spider-Man who sacrificed all his friendships in order to save the world last time around.
It looks like he’ll be too busy to mope around much, as Jon Berenthal’s Punisher and Mark Ruffalo’s Bruce Banner / Hulk will help him battle a new threat to his beloved New York City.
Super Troopers 3 (Aug. 7)
Broken Lizard’s prank-loving Vermont state troopers are back for their third movie in 25 years. No plot details have been revealed yet.
Insidious: The Bleeding World (Aug. 21)
After wishing a fond and shockingly safe farewell to Patrick Wilson and Rose Bryne’s Lambert family with 2023’s Insidious: The Red Door, the popular horror franchise enters its sixth chapter with The Bleeding World. It’s a safe guess that painting a door a different color won’t save them now…
Coyote vs. Acme (Aug. 28)
Three years after its originally planned July 2023 theatrical release was scrubbed by Warner Bros., who thought they could do better by using it as a tax write-off, Coyote vs. Acme will arrive in movie theaters.
The live-action / animation hybrid movie stars Will Forte and John Cena as dueling lawyers as Wile E. Coyote sues the ACME corporation because their products have been unable to help him capture the Road Runner.
Cliffhanger (Aug. 28)
33 years after Sylvester Stallone gave moviegoers vertigo with his high-altitude stunts in the original Cliffhanger, Lily James – recently seen as Pamela Anderson in the miniseries Pam & Tommy, takes over the ropes and carabiners to battle kidnappers with the help of Pierce Brosnan.
Clayface (Sept. 11)
James Gunn didn’t intend to make a movie about Batman villain Clayface so soon after taking over the DC movie universe, but says he couldn’t resist writer Mike Flanagan’s pitch.
If you’re not familiar with the character, Tom Rhys Harries portrays Matt Hagen, an actor whose face gets disfigured by a gangster and desperately seeks help from a scientist who winds up turning Hagen’s body into clay.
Resident Evil (Sept. 18)
After six Milla Jovovich-starring movies and a 2021 reboot that have grossed well over a billion dollars but very little critical praise, the Resident Evil franchise is getting a fresh start from acclaimed Barbarian and Weapons writer-director Zach Cregger.
Practical Magic 2 (Sept. 18)
Although 1998’s Sandra Bullock and Nicole Kidman-starring fantasy romance Practical Magic lost money during its original theatrical run, the movie gained a strong following via at-home viewing, meaning we’re in for another Owens sister adventure. Stockard Channing and Dianne Wiest are also back from the original.
Street Fighter (Oct. 16)
32 years after Jean-Claude Van Damme starred in the original film adaptation of the popular Street Fighter video game franchise, a fascinatingly diverse cast will attempt a reboot.
Joining in on the fun are WWE superstars Roman Reigns and Cody Rhodes, along with Curtis “50 Cent” Jackson, Jason Momoa, Eric Andre and Kyle Mooney.
Cat in the Hat (Nov. 6)
Bill Hader takes the lead voice role in a full-length animated movie based on Dr. Seuess’ beloved 1957 book. This Cat in the Hat has one thing going for it right out of the gate: There is no way on Earth it can be more annoying than Mike Myers’ 2003 live-action version.
The Hunger Games: Sunrise on the Reaping (Nov. 20)
The Hunger Games franchise, which has earned over $3.3 billion dollars with its first five movies, gets a second prequel. Sunrise on the Reaping will focus on the backstory of a young Haymitch Abernathy, who was portrayed by Woody Harrelson in the original four films.
Focker In-Law (Nov. 25)
16 years after its third and most recent installment, the Meet the Parents franchise returns with Focker In-Law. Robert DeNiro, Ben Stiller and Owen Wilson all return from the previous trilogy, and will be joined by pop music and Wicked superstar Ariana Grande.
Narnia: The Magician’s Nephew (Nov. 26)
After raking in over $1.5 billion over three movies, the Chronicles of Narnia franchise flamed out in 2010. Three years after setting the box office on fire with 2023’s Barbie, writer / director Greta Gerwig is going back to the beginning of original seven-book story with her take on The Magician’s Nephew.
Violent Night 2 (Dec. 4)
2022’s Violent Night was an absolutely brilliant holiday-themed black comedy, with David Harbour perfectly tackling the role of a bitter, jaded Santa Claus who finds himself in a Die Hard-type situation.
Two cast additions for the 2026 sequel offer hope for an equally excellent adventure: Kristin Bell as Santa’s newlywed wife, and Maxwell “MJF” Friedman (pro wrestling’s long-reigning best heel, recently seen in Happy Gilmore 2) in an unspecified role.
Untitled Jumanji Sequel (Dec. 11)
It’s hard to believe that it’s almost been 10 years since Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson, Jack Black, Kevin Hart and Karen Gillan took over the Jumanji franchise. Both 2017’s Welcome to the Jungle and 2019’s The Next Level were winners with fans and critics, and the whole gang is back for a third adventure.
Avengers: Doomsday (Dec. 18)
So far, 35 different superheroes from the Marvel franchise are confirmed or widely reported to be returning for the first Avengers movie since 2019’s Endgame. That includes Robert Downey Jr, but with a big twist. Instead of making another appearance as Tony Storm / Iron Man, he’ll be playing the villainous Dr. Doom.
Dune: Part Three (Dec. 18)
In the biggest big-name battle since 2023’s “Barbenheimer” craze, the Avengers will find themselves sharing a release date with the third installment of legendary sci-fi director Denis Villeneuve’s Dune franchise. He’s got plenty of star power on his side, too, including Timothee Chalamet, Zendaya, Florence Pugh, Anya Taylor-Joy, Jason Momoa and Josh Brolin. So yeah you might wanna take the day off.
The Angry Birds Movie 3 (Dec. 23)
The first two Angry Birds movies, especially 2019’s second installment, were way more enjoyable than you’d expect could possibly be made from a video game where flightless birds are literally used as cannon fodder. So here we are, as surprised as you to say we’re actually looking forward to this one.
The Adventures of Cliff Booth (unknown)
Quentin Tarantino has clearly enjoyed digging deeper into the backstory of Brad Pitt’s character from 2019’s Once Upon a Time in Hollywood, first with a radically different and expanded book version of the story and now by writing an entire movie dedicated to Cliff Booth.
Tarantino opted not to direct, instead handing the script over to his friend David Fincher, who worked with Pitt on 1995’s Se7en, 1999’s Fight Club and 2008’s The Curious Case of Benjamin Button.
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Gallery Credit: Michael Gallucci
