The summer 2026 movie season is upon us. Here's a preview of some of the major upcoming films. All release dates are subject to change.
We kick it off with director Jon Favreau's "The Mandalorian and Grogu," the continuation of the popular Disney+ "Star Wars" spinoff series — and the first "Star Wars" movie on the big screen since 2019's "The Rise of Skywalker." It feels a little lighter in tone than other entries in this iconic saga and may actually skew a little younger.
This is a big summer for family films. Disney and Pixar will unveil "Toy Story 5" on June 19th. "Toy Story 3" was thought to be the end of the franchise, with Andy going off to college and Woody, Buzz and the gang with new kid owner, Bonnie. Then we all thought "Toy Story 4" was the end of the franchise, with Woody and Buzz going their separate ways. But they reunite here in a crusade to keep toys on kids' minds instead of tablets.
Less than two weeks later is "Minions & Monsters," with the beloved characters making a monster movie in the 1920s. Also in July is Disney's live-action version of "Moana," with Catherine Laga'aia in the title role and Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson returning as Maui. A lot of people are getting sick of these Disney live-action re-dos, but they're still making money. Last year's "Lilo & Stitch" was the biggest movie of the summer at the box office. In August, there's the third "PAW Patrol" feature, "The Dino Movie," and the long-awaited live-action/animated "Looney Tunes" universe film "Coyote vs. ACME."
Plenty of blockbusters for adults are on the way as well, including Steven Spielberg's sci-fi action drama "Disclosure Day," starring Emily Blunt, Josh O'Connor, Colin Firth and Colman Domingo. There are reports Spielberg and Universal have agreed to not use any footage from the third act in marketing, to prevent spoilers and allow for people to genuinely experience the surprises. I hope the strategy pays off.
"Supergirl" is hoping to achieve the same success as last summer's "Superman," which featured a cameo from star Milly Alcock at the end. And then there's Christopher Nolan's "The Odyssey," set to open on July 17th. Nolan's follow-up to his Oscar-winning "Oppenheimer" has a cast of Matt Damon, Anne Hathaway, Zendaya, Robert Pattinson, Tom Holland, Lupita Nyong'o, Charlize Theron and many, many more. Like "Oppenheimer," "The Odyssey" will be a force on IMAX and premium large format screens — to take in the epic scale and sound of this adaptation of Homer's legendary story.
Oh yeah, there's a new "Spider-Man" film too, with Holland and Zendaya, called "Brand New Day." It'll do well, but don't expect the gigantic numbers of 2021's "No Way Home." I'm looking forward to D-Day drama "Pressure" with Brendan Fraser and the latest music dramedy from director John Carney, "Power Ballad," starring Paul Rudd and Nick Jonas. Carney's "Sing Street" is one my 50 favorite films, and the music in "Begin Again" is also outstanding. And Angel Studios is hoping for big impact with July 4th release "Young Washington," on our first President, and "The Brink of War," with Jeff Daniels as Ronald Reagan.
What about big new streaming movies this summer? John Travolta directs passion project "Propellor One-Way Night Coach" for AppleTV, and Millie Bobby Brown is back in "Enola Holmes 3" on Netflix. But honestly, as has been the case the past couple years, it's the theaters with the most anticipated releases, by far.
Upstate New York native Jackson Murphy has been reviewing films on radio, TV, and online for more than 20 years. The Emmy winner, content producer and author is a member of SAG-AFTRA and the Critics' Choice Association.
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