The coming year will feature a stacked roster of intriguing international films, but it's hard to make time in a day to do a bit of research and decide which movies look promising, and which ones might not be as interesting.
NDTV Profit has you covered as we pore over all the most exciting films to check out in 2026.
Avengers Doomsday
Robert Downey Jr is expected to return, this time as Marvel Comics' most iconic supervillain Doctor Doom instead of Iron Man
Robert Downey Jr is expected to return, this time as Marvel Comics' most iconic supervillain Doctor Doom instead of Iron Man
The long awaited fourth installment of Marvel's blockbuster Avengers superhero film franchise, Avengers: Doomsday has a Herculean task of following up 2019's Avengers: Endgame, which came out nearly a decade ago and was seen by many as the conclusive end for the protagonists of the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
Robert Downey Jr is expected to return, this time as Marvel Comics' most iconic supervillain Doctor Doom instead of Iron Man, who was the face of the franchise. The film is also expected to feature characters from Fox's X-Men franchise along with major returning MCU characters.
Bringing back beloved actors from previous adaptations has been a recurring motiff of Marvel's recent endeavours as seen in Deadpool & Wolverine with the return of Hugh Jackman's Wolverine, and Spider-Man: Far From Home featuring Tobey Maguire and Andrew Garfield returning as Spider-Man.
Despite the movie's ambitious casting, it remains to be seen if the MCU's reliance on nostalgia might finally prove stale for audiences, or if it will revitalise the franchise.
The film is slated to release on Dec. 18, 2026.
The Odyssey
The Odyssey, will be Nolan's retelling of the classic Ancient Greek epic written by the poet Homer in seventh century BCE.
The Odyssey, will be Nolan's retelling of the classic Ancient Greek epic written by the poet Homer in seventh century BCE.
Acclaimed director Christopher Nolan is aiming to bring back the 'sword and sandal' historical epic genre that produced movies such Gladiator, 300 and Troy.
The Odyssey, will be Nolan's retelling of the classic Ancient Greek epic written by the poet Homer in seventh century BCE.
The story follows the cunning king Odysseus as he embarks on an arduous voyage to come back to his kingdom of Ithaca after the end of the Trojan war.
The cast is stacked with A-listers, such as Matt Damon who will play Odysseus. He will be joined by Anne Hathaway, Tom Holland, Jon Bernthal and many more who will essay the roles of various Gods and royalty.
The film is slated to release in July 2026.
Spider-Man: Brand New Day
Tom Holland will return to movie screens in the role of the beloved wall-crawling superhero Spider-Man.
Tom Holland will return to movie screens in the role of the beloved wall-crawling superhero Spider-Man.
Tom Holland will return to movie screens in the role of the beloved wall-crawling superhero Spider-Man, after the events of the previous film where everyone forgot who he was, and is expected to see him stick closer to his comic book roots as a self-sufficient young man who struggles with his finances.
According to reports, the Spider-Man: Brand New Day will feature the return of Mark Ruffalo as the superhero Hulk and Jon Bernthal as the vigilante Punisher.
It will also reportedly have actors Micheal Mando and Marvin Jones III as the supervillains Scorpion and Tombstone, two street-level high profile criminals, expected to bring Spidey closer to his friendly neighbourhood origins. Strangers Things star Sadie Sink is also in the movie in an undisclosed role.
The film is expected to release in July 2026.
Dune: Part Three
The film will adapt Frank Herbert's second novel Dune Messiah.
The film will adapt Frank Herbert's second novel Dune Messiah.
Auteur director Dennis Villeneuve will return to Frank Herbert's Dune sci-fi universe with Dune: Part Three which follows up his previous two Dune movies that adapted the first novel.
Dune Part Three will be the final installment of the saga. The film will adapt Herbert's second novel Dune Messiah, which explored the dire ramifications of the cult of personality created by galactic space emperor Paul Atriedes as his political machinations catch up to him.
Starring Timothee Chalamet as Emperor Paul Atriedes and Zendaya as Chani, a leader of the desert tribe that hails Atriedes as their messiah, the film will also see Jason Momoa's character Duncan Idaho play a larger part in the narrative.
The film is still slated to release on Dec. 18, the same day as Doomsday, prompting many fans to coin the term Dunesday, just like people called it Barbenheimer for the release of Oppenheimer and Barbie on the same day.
Supergirl
Supergirl is expected to star Milly Alcock as Superman's reckless and hot-headed cousin.
Supergirl is expected to star Milly Alcock as Superman's reckless and hot-headed cousin.
The second mainline film in producer and director James Gunn's DC cinematic universe, Supergirl is expected to star Milly Alcock as Superman's reckless and hot-headed cousin, who is set to headline a space-faring odyssey that will further establish the galactic side of the DCU.
Based on writer Tom King and artist Bilquis Evely's critically acclaimed comic book miniseries Supergirl: Woman Of Tomorrow, Supergirl will follow the titular character helping a young alien girl named Ruthye Mare Knoll avenge her father's death at the hands of the sadistic space bandit Krem of the Yellow Hills.
Trailer footage also revealed Jason Momoa as the fan favourite alien biker 'Lobo'. Lobo was created by DC comics to parody the edgier "macho" hero archetype by making the character a bloodthirsty maniac who blew up his own species into extinction for his personal amusement.
The film is slated to release in June 2026.
Peaky Blinders: The Immortal Man
Cillian Murphy's Thomas Shelby will return for one last swan song, in Peaky Blinders: The Immortal Man.
Cillian Murphy's Thomas Shelby will return for one last swan song, in Peaky Blinders: The Immortal Man.
Cillian Murphy's Thomas Shelby will return for one last swan song, this time on the big screen in Peaky Blinders: The Immortal Man.
Intended to be a continuation and conclusion to the hit crime drama show set in London during the 1920-1940s period, the film will follow Shelby, the head of the titular Peaky Blinders crime family as he comes out of exile during World War II.
The continuation of the pulpy hit TV show that convinced boys across the world that a fringe haircut with the sides shaved off was a good idea, will be released in March 2026.
Narnia: The Magician's Nephew
Director Greta Gerwig is all set to release another major cinematic adaptation of CS Lewis's beloved Chronicles Of Narnia books,
Director Greta Gerwig is all set to release another major cinematic adaptation of CS Lewis's beloved Chronicles Of Narnia books,
Director Greta Gerwig is all set to release another major cinematic adaptation of CS Lewis's beloved Chronicles Of Narnia books, this time adapting the prequel in the series that the 2000s versions had not covered, titled The Magician's Nephew.
Fresh off of her immensely successful Barbie film, Gerwig is expected to bring a completely new vision for the reboot of the franchise, showing viewers the origin story of the magical world of Narnia as well as that of the main antagonist of the series, The White Witch.
The film is expected to release in November 2026.
Good Luck, Have Fun, Don't Die
The acton comedy will star Academy Award winning character actor Sam Rockwell as a man from a grimdark future where AI has gone "horribly wrong".
The acton comedy will star Academy Award winning character actor Sam Rockwell as a man from a grimdark future where AI has gone "horribly wrong".
Director Gore Verbinski, best known for his Pirates of the Caribbean films as well as the beloved animated western Rango, is expected to make his return to the limelight with an original sci-fi film titled Good Luck, Have Fun, Don't Die.
The action comedy will star Academy Award winning character actor Sam Rockwell as a man from a grimdark future where AI has gone "horribly wrong" and decimated humanity, returning to the past to stop it from happening.
What separates the film from Terminator is its focus on the more humorous and bizarre implications of an AI apocalypse, with Sam Rockwell's character resembling a dishevelled homeless man draped in a plastic tarp and covered in what looks like, a computer's guts.
The film's visual and tonal originality might make for an unforgettable viewing experience.
The film is expected to release in February 2026.
Wuthering Heights
Director Emerald Fennel is set to release her adaptation of the timeless period romance classic Wuthering Heights by Emily Bronte in the coming year.
Director Emerald Fennel is set to release her adaptation of the timeless period romance classic Wuthering Heights by Emily Bronte in the coming year.
Director Emerald Fennel is set to release her adaptation of the timeless period romance classic Wuthering Heights by Emily Bronte in the coming year. Known for her divisive film Saltburn, which covered themes of graphic decadence and class divide, Fennel once again courted controversy online from fans of the novel for her tonal choices.
If the trailers are any indication, the film plans to focus more on the passion and sensuality between the two Victorian lovers Heathcliff and Catherine, instead of the aspects of tragedy and cycles of toxic vengeance that set the story a class apart from its peers.
Hollywood A-listers Margot Robbie of Barbie and I, Tonya fame and Jacob Elordi who recently starred in Frankenstein play Heathcliff and Catherine respectively.
It will also feature music by UK popstar Charli XCX who will release an original album for the film.
The film is slated to release in February 2026.
The Sheep Detectives
The Sheep Detectives is a live action film about a kindly shepherd played by Hugh Jackman who loves reading mystery novels to his sheep.
The Sheep Detectives is a live action film about a kindly shepherd played by Hugh Jackman who loves reading mystery novels to his sheep.
Can animals understand you when you talk to them? This film is built off of the premise that they do, and it might not go as you expect it to. The Sheep Detectives is a live action film about a kindly shepherd played by Hugh Jackman who loves reading mystery novels to his sheep.
One fine day, the sheep discover their master's corpse, suspecting foul play, they embark on an adventure to discover the culprit and bring them to justice.
Written by Craig Mazin of Chernobyl and The Last Of Us fame, the cast boasts notable Hollywood stars such as Bryan Cranston, Julia Louis Dreyfus and Patrick Stewart.
The film is slated to release in May 2026.
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