LOS ANGELES, CA — Summer movie season arrives with “The Mandalorian & Grogu,” setting the tone for a slate built for packed theaters, cold drinks, and sizzling popcorn.
From there, the calendar stacks up fast with Pixar’s “Toy Story 5,” Christopher Nolan’s ambitious “The Odyssey,” and Marvel’s “Spider‑Man: Brand New Day,” delivering maximum summer escape.
And just when you think the momentum might cool, August rolls in with its own surprises — eerie sci‑fi, courtroom chaos, and a final jolt of horror to close out the season.
Here are the most anticipated summer movies of 2026, sure to keep your summer buzzing.
Summer 2026 New Movie Releases
“The Mandalorian & Grogu” (Release Date: May 22, 2026)
Pedro Pascal, Sigourney Weaver, Jeremy Allen White; directed by Jon Favreau
Pedro Pascal returns as the armored wanderer Din Djarin, stepping into a new chapter that brings the Mandalorian warrior and his foundling Grogu to the big screen for the first time.
Set after the fall of the Galactic Empire, the story follows the pair as they are recruited by the New Republic to rescue Rotta the Hutt — a mission with the potential to shift the balance of power across a fragile galaxy. Their bond remains the emotional center of the film, even as old loyalties fracture and new threats emerge.
“Masters of the Universe” (Release Date: June 5, 2026)
Nicholas Galitzine, Camila Mendes, and Jared Leto; directed by Travis Knight.
Leading the charge is Nicholas Galitzine as Prince Adam, summoned back to Eternia after fifteen years in exile to save a world on the brink of extinction. Joining forces with Teela and Man‑At‑Arms, he finally embraces the destiny he has long resisted — becoming He‑Man, the most powerful man in the universe. Opposing him is Jared Leto as the villainous Skeletor, whose rule has left Eternia in ruins and set the stage for an epic clash of legacy and power.
“Scary Movie” (Release Date: June 5, 2026)
Starring Anna Faris, Regina Hall, Marlon Wayans; directed by Michael Tiddes.
The long‑running parody franchise returns with its original cast back in action, reuniting Cindy Campbell, Brenda Meeks, Ray Wilkins, and Shorty Meeks when a familiar masked killer resurfaces. Expect the series’ signature blend of chaotic slapstick, genre skewering, and self‑aware absurdity — a full‑tilt spoof of today’s horror trends, from elevated chillers to viral creepy-pasta.
“Disclosure Day” (Release Date: June 12, 2026)
Emily Blunt, Josh O’Connor, Colin Firth, Eve Hewson, and Colman Domingo; directed by Steven Spielberg.
Steven Spielberg returns to alien‑themed sci‑fi for the first time since “War of the Worlds” with “Disclosure Day,” a global thriller built around humanity’s first undeniable proof of extraterrestrial life.
Emily Blunt stars as Margaret Fairchild, a Kansas City meteorologist whose encounter with a mysterious atmospheric event pulls her into a widening international crisis, while Josh O’Connor plays Daniel Kellner, a cybersecurity whistleblower whose revelations push the world toward a moment of truth it may not be ready to face. The film promises a return to Spielberg’s signature blend of awe, tension and human‑scale emotion.
“Toy Story 5” (Release Date: June 19, 2026)
Tom Hanks, Tim Allen, Annie Potts, and Keanu Reeves; directed by Andrew Stanton; co‑directed by McKenna Harris.
Pixar returns to its most iconic world with a new chapter guided by Andrew Stanton and rising filmmaker McKenna Harris. While the studio is keeping story details tightly under wraps, the film reunites Woody, Buzz, Bo Peep, and Duke Caboom for an adventure that promises the emotional depth and nostalgic pull the series is known for.
With Stanton’s signature storytelling touch and the original cast back in the saddle, “Toy Story 5” aims to explore how even the toys we love continue to grow, change and find their place in a world that never stops shifting.
“Supergirl” (Release Date: June 26, 2026)
Milly Alcock, Matthias Schoenaerts, Eve Ridley, David Corenswet; directed by Craig Gillespie
“Supergirl” pushes DC into a harsher, more cosmic frontier as Kara Zor‑El steps out of her cousin’s shadow and into a galaxy shaped by loss, violence and the search for justice. Milly Alcock stars as the eponymous superheroine on a quest for vengeance and truth across distant worlds. Craig Gillespie directs from Ana Nogueira’s adaptation of Tom King’s acclaimed comic, shaping a story that blends grit, melancholy and sweeping space‑fantasy scale into a superhero epic with its own fierce identity.
“Jackass: Best and Last” (Release Date: June 28, 2026)
Johnny Knoxville, Steve‑O, Chris Pontius; directed by Jeff Tremaine
“Jackass: Best and Last” reunites the full crew for one final eruption of reckless invention and bodily mayhem. Johnny Knoxville, Steve‑O, Chris Pontius and the longtime ensemble return for a mix of new stunts and archival chaos, pushing their aging bodies through a fresh gauntlet of pain, pranks and profoundly questionable decision‑making.
Beneath the plethora of bruises and absurdity lies a familiar heartbeat — a portrait of friendship, loyalty and the strange, stubborn joy of refusing to grow up.
“Minions & Monsters” (Release Date: July 1, 2026)
Allison Janney, Christoph Waltz, Jeff Bridges; directed by Pierre Coffin
“Minions & Monsters” sends the yellow agents of chaos back to 1920s Hollywood, where they set out to make a monster movie of their own and accidentally unleash real creatures in the process. Pierre Coffin returns as the voice of the Minions, leading a cast that includes Allison Janney, Christoph Waltz, Jeff Bridges and more.
The film blends slapstick mayhem with Illumination’s signature visual exuberance, turning a classic Hollywood backdrop into a playground of mischief, monsters and movie‑making madness. It’s bright, frantic and proudly ridiculous — a summer spectacle built on pure unfiltered fun.
“Moana” (Release Date: July 10, 2026)
Catherine Laga‘aia, Dwayne Johnson; directed by Thomas Kail
Disney’s live‑action “Moana” brings the oceanic odyssey into the real world with sweeping vistas and a renewed sense of cultural reverence. Catherine Laga‘aia plays the eponymous princess, anchoring the film with a grounded, luminous presence as she sets out in pursuit of her destiny. Dwayne Johnson, meanwhile, returns as Maui, the shapeshifting demigod whose swagger still hides a tender heart.
Director Thomas Kail infuses the journey with lush theatricality, shaping a story about courage, lineage and the pull of the horizon — a reminder that the call to adventure is both ancestral and deeply personal.
“Evil Dead Burn” (Release Date: July 10, 2026)
Souheila Yacoub, Tandi Wright, Hunter Doohan; directed by Sébastien Vaniček
The “Evil Dead” saga returns with a vicious new chapter from director Sébastien Vaniček, who brings a raw, punishing edge to the franchise’s mythology. Set in a secluded home where a grieving family gathers, the reunion quickly curdles into a Deadite nightmare as possession tears through the walls and the bloodshed escalates. Led by Souheila Yacoub, the film promises a nastier, more visceral descent into terror — a summer horror standout built on dread, intensity and the franchise’s signature commitment to unrelenting chaos.
“The Odyssey” (Release Date: July 17, 2026)
Matt Damon, Anne Hathaway, Tom Holland, Zendaya; directed by Christopher Nolan
Christopher Nolan turns his lens toward Homer’s epic, crafting a sweeping, large‑format odyssey that blends myth, memory and the brutal aftershocks of war. Matt Damon leads as Odysseus, a wily strategist and weary soldier fighting his way home through gods, monsters and the wreckage of his own past. Anne Hathaway’s Penelope and Tom Holland’s Telemachus anchor the story’s emotional core, while Zendaya brings a sharp, enigmatic presence to Athena.
Shot entirely on IMAX 70mm and spanning locations from Greece to Iceland, “The Odyssey” marks Nolan at his most ambitious — a cinematic voyage into longing, endurance and the fragile thread that binds a hero to home.
“Spider‑Man: Brand New Day” (Release Date: July 31, 2026)
Tom Holland, Zendaya; directed by Destin Daniel Cretton
Peter Parker (Tom Holland) now lives in a world that no longer remembers him, forcing him to rebuild his life — and his identity — from the ground up. Tom Holland returns with a performance that blends youthful vulnerability with hard‑won maturity, while Zendaya’s MJ remains the emotional compass of the story.
“The End of Oak Street” (Release Date: August 14, 2026)
Anne Hathaway, Ewan McGregor; directed by David Robert Mitchell
David Robert Mitchell returns with a high‑concept sci‑fi thriller in which the titular suburban street is violently uprooted and transported into the unknown. Anne Hathaway and Ewan McGregor lead the story with a sharp, human immediacy as the residents of Oak Street confront a reality that defies explanation.
The film builds its tension through atmosphere and mystery, tracing a story about survival, disorientation and the fragile routines we cling to when the world shifts beneath our feet.
“Insidious: Out of the Further” (Release Date: August 21, 2026)
Amelia Eve, Brandon Perea, Lin Shaye; directed by Jacob Chase
Jacob Chase expands the “Insidious” mythology with a story centered on Gemma (Amelia Eve), a young mother who discovers she can cross into the Further — and that the entities within it can return with her. Eve anchors the film alongside Brandon Perea and the returning Lin Shaye as Elise Rainier. The film builds its unease through atmosphere and the deepening lore of the Further, following a family forced to confront a looming threat.
“Coyote vs. Acme” (Release Date: August 28, 2026)
Will Forte, John Cena, Lana Condor; directed by Dave Green
Dave Green’s live‑action/animation hybrid follows Wile E. Coyote as he finally takes the Acme Corporation to court with the help of a determined attorney played by Will Forte. John Cena and Lana Condor join the cast in a story that mixes classic
“Looney Tunes” slapstick with a character‑driven approach that gives the long‑suffering coyote a new kind of spotlight. The film brings its iconic world into a modern setting with humor, invention and a clear affection for its enduring characters.