Entertainment

Our 2026 summer movie preview features the biggest blockbusters to put on your watchlist this summer, including Matt Damon in “The Odyssey,” a new “Star Wars” movie, and a biopic filmed in Massachusetts.

By Kevin Slane

May 15, 2026 | 10:54 AM

8 minutes to read

Summer doesn’t start for another month, but the movie world operates on a different calendar. To Hollywood, summer runs from May to August, which means that our 2026 summer movie preview doesn’t include the likes of “The Devil Wears Prada 2,” which strutted into theaters on May 1.

For the first time since 2019, studio executives and theater owners seem cautiously optimistic about the year’s big-screen offerings. Three films have already crossed the $500 million mark in 2026, and one of them (“Project Hail Mary”) was actually good! With the excellent “TDWP2” ($440 million worldwide) soon to join the half-billion club alongside the forgettable “Super Mario Galaxy Movie” and the diabolical “Michael”, that’s a 50 percent hit rate.

The 2026 summer movie calendar has more promising projects as well, including a new “Star Wars” movie, a fifth “Toy Story,” and Christopher Nolan’s “The Odyssey,” which sounds better and better with each interview the director gives.

There’s also a pair of movies filmed in Massachusetts coming in August, with the Anthony Bourdain biopic “Tony” and the comedy sequel “Super Troopers 3.”

Here are 26 must-see movies coming to theaters or streaming services from now through mid-September.

(Movie release dates are theatrical unless otherwise noted.)

May 2026 movie releases

“Tom Clancy’s Jack Ryan: Ghost War” (May 20, Prime Video)

Cast: John Krasinski, Wendell Pierce, Michael Kelly, Sienna Miller

After briefly exiting the Tom Clancy universe, Newton native John Krasinski is back as Jack Ryan, reuniting with his reliable crew (Michael Kelly, Wendell Pierce) to unravel a deadly conspiracy involving a rogue black-ops unit.

“The Mandalorian and Grogu” (May 22)

Cast: Pedro Pascal, Sigourney Weaver, Jeremy Allen White

The 2023 WGA and SAG-AFTRA strikes were key in Lucasfilm’s decision to forego a Season 4 of “The Mandalorian” in lieu of developing this film, which is a direct follow-up to the Disney+ series. 

“I Love Boosters” (May 22)

Cast: Keke Palmer, Demi Moore, LaKeith Stanfield, Don Cheadle

The opening night film at IFFBoston 2026, “Sorry to Bother You” director Boots Riley’s satire follows a group of professional shoplifters led by Keke Palmer (“Nope”).

“The Breadwinner” (May 29)

Cast: Nate Bargatze, Mandy Moore, Colin Jost, Will Forte

Comedian Nate Bargatze is single-handedly shouldering the mid-budget family comedy load this season, playing a stay-at-home dad forced into solo parenting for the first time when his wife (Mandy Moore) pursues a job opportunity.

“Backrooms” (May 29)

Cast: Chiwetel Ejiofor, Renate Reinsve, Mark Duplass

At only 20 years old, YouTube phenom Kane Parsons is one of the youngest Hollywood directors ever, adapting his unsettling online shorts into a feature length effort starring Chiwetel Ejiofor and Renate Reinsve.

June 2026 movie releases

“Masters of the Universe” (June 5)

Cast: Nicholas Galitzine, Camila Mendes, Alison Brie, Kristen Wiig, Jared Leto, Idris Elba

How will a new generation react to this campy ’80s comic book series on the big screen? The jury is still out after watching this first trailer, starring Nicholas Galitzine (“Red, White, and Royal Blue”) as the muscle-bound He-Man.

“Scary Movie” (June 5)

Cast: Marlon Wayans, Shawn Wayans, Anna Faris, Regina Hall

Don’t be fooled by the lack of a number in the title: This is the fifth “Scary Movie,” and all of the key players (the Wayans Brothers, Anna Faris, Regina Hall) are back to spoof every horror movie (and some non-horror flicks) from the past five years.

“Disclosure Day” (June 12) 

Cast: Emily Blunt, Josh O’Connor, Colin Firth, Eve Hewson, Colman Domingo

Not much is known about “Disclosure Day,” other than that it is an alien film both directed by and based on a story by Steven Spielberg. After “Close Encounters of the Third Kind,” “E.T.,” and “The War of the Worlds,” what else do you need to know?

“Toy Story 5” (June 19)

Cast: Tom Hanks, Tim Allen, Greta Lee, Joan Cusack, Conan O’Brien

A lot has changed about how children play since “Toy Story” came out 31 years ago. Case in point, while the majority of the toys (and voice actors) featured in the long-running Pixar series return for its fifth installment, the plot for the upcoming film concerns 8-year-old Bonnie’s new favorite plaything: A frog-like tablet named Lilypad (voiced by Greta Lee).

“The Death of Robin Hood” (June 19)

Cast: Hugh Jackman, Jodie Comer, Bill Skarsgård

There’s no men in tights or animated foxes in this Robin Hood, a dark and bloody A24 adaptation starring Hugh Jackman as the fabled outlaw.

“Jackass 5: Best and Last” (June 26) 

Cast: Johnny Knoxville, Steve-O, Chris Pontius, Bam Margera

“Jackass Forever” (2022) already felt like a swan song for the original gang of masochists, with Johnny Knoxville, Steve-O, and co. recruiting a new generation of stuntmen (and stuntwomen) to put their bodies on the line. This fifth full-length feature, which features a mix of archival footage and new jackassery, seems like even more of a farewell.

“Supergirl” (June 26) 

Cast: Milly Alcock, Matthias Schoenaerts, Eve Ridley, David Krumholtz, Jason Momoa

Milly Alcock (“House of the Dragon”) will reprise her role as the boozy, jaded Kryptonian counterpart to the eternally optimistic Superman in her own standalone film. Along with her dog Krypto, who was a menace in 2025’s “Superman,” “Supergirl” will feature the return of Jason Momoa (“Aquaman”) to the DC universe, this time playing the alien bounty hunter Lobo.

“The Invite” (June 26)

Cast: Olivia Wilde, Seth Rogen, Penélope Cruz, Edward Norton

Another IFFBoston 2026 highlight, Olivia Wilde and Seth Rogen play a couple stuck in a toxic marriage whose bitter existence is shaken by a visit from their upstairs neighbors (Penelope Cruz, Edward Norton).

July 2026 movie releases

“Minions & Monsters” (July 1)

Cast: Allison Janney, Christoph Waltz, Jeff Bridges, Jesse Eisenberg

After mostly ignoring the Minions for the past few years, the cinephile in me is intrigued by this newest entry, in which the little yellow agents of chaos attempt to make a 1920s monster movie in old Hollywood.

“Moana” (July 10)

Cast: Dwayne Johnson, Catherine Laga’aia

It’s only been ten years since the animated “Moana” won over audiences, and we’re already getting a live-action version, starring newcomer Catherine Laga’aia as the strong-willed youngster and Dwayne Johnson as Maui, the cocky demigod he voiced in the 2016 hit.

“Gail Daughtry and the Celebrity Sex Pass” (July 10)

Cast: Zoey Deutch, Jon Hamm, John Slattery, Ken Marino

This comedy from David Wain (“Wet Hot American Summer”) that takes the idea of a celebrity hall pass literally, with a small-town bride-to-be (Zoey Deutch) heading to Hollywood to find Jon Hamm (played by Jon Hamm) before her wedding night.

“The Odyssey” (July 17) 

Cast: Matt Damon, Tom Holland, Anne Hathaway, Robert Pattinson, Lupita Nyong’o, Zendaya, Charlize Theron

After the massive scope of his Oscar-winning biopic “Oppenheimer,” Christopher Nolan decided to scale back a bit by adapting the most epic tale in the history of written language. Matt Damon plays King Odysseus, who must fend off enemies on his journey home to his beloved Penelope (Anne Hathaway), who is fending off fiends of her own.

“Spider-Man: Brand New Day” (July 31) 

Cast: Tom Holland, Zendaya, Jacob Batalon, Sadie Sink, Jon Bernthal, Mark Ruffalo

It will be interesting to see where Marvel takes the story of Peter Parker (Tom Holland) now that the world’s memory has been collectively wiped by Dr. Strange and his identity as Spider-Man is once again a secret. Equally intriguing is the film’s integration of several Marvel heroes/anti-heroes who previously existed outside the MCU on Netflix: John Bernthal’s Punisher and Charlie Cox’s Daredevil.

August 2026 movie releases

“Tony” (Aug. TBD)

Cast: Dominic Sessa, Emilia Jones, Antonio Banderas

This Anthony Bourdain biopic, filmed in Massachusetts last summer, is a snapshot of the late celebrity chef’s life, chronicling a formative summer that Bourdain (played by Dominic Sessa of “The Holdovers”) spent working in a Provincetown restaurant.

“Super Troopers 3” (Aug. 7) 

Cast: Jay Chandrasekhar, Kevin Heffernan, Steve Lemme, Paul Soter, Erik Stolhanske, Brian Cox

The prank-pulling, syrup-chugging highway patrolmen are back for a third ride, with all five members of the comedy troupe Broken Lizard — Jay Chandrasekhar, Kevin Heffernan, Steve Lemme, Paul Soter and Erik Stolhanske — reprising their roles alongside Brian Cox, Marisa Coughlan, and a number of newcomers who convened for filming in Massachusetts last summer.

“Coyote vs. Acme” (Aug. 28) 

Cast: Will Forte, John Cena, Lana Condor

Despite a rapturous audience response in test screenings, Warner Bros. initially decided to lock “Coyote vs. Acme” in a vault in order to receive a tax write-off. But after public backlash, the studio sold it to Ketchup Entertainment, who will release this high-concept film about Wile E. Coyote suing the Acme Corporation for selling him defective equipment. Will Forte and John Cena play the dueling lawyers, while Wile E. Coyote plays himself.

“The Dog Stars” (Aug. 28)

Cast: Jacob Elordi, Josh Brolin, Margaret Qualley

Ridley Scott (“Alien,” “Blade Runner”) is hoping audiences are ready for post-pandemic storytelling adapting Peter Heller’s novel about the aftermath of a flu epidemic that kills most of the world’s population.

“The Whisper Man” (Aug. 28, Netflix)

Cast: Robert De Niro, Michelle Monaghan, Adam Scott

Based on Alex North’s bestselling novel of the same name, Adam Scott plays a crime writer who turns to his estranged detective father (Robert De Niro) for help after his son goes missing.

September 2026 movie releases

“By Any Means” (Sept. 4)

Cast: Mark Wahlberg, Yahya Abdul-Mateen II, Josh Lucas

Mark Wahlberg is back in this 1960s historic crime thriller, playing real life mob hitman turned informat Gregory Scarpa, who teams up with a young FBI agent to investigate the murders of civil rights leaders in Mississippi.

“Practical Magic 2” (Sept. 11) 

Cast: Nicole Kidman, Sandra Bullock, Joey King, Maisie Williams, Lee Pace

Another legacyquel catering to millennial nostalgia, Nicole Kidman and Sandra Bullock will reprise their roles from the 1998 film based on Alice Hoffman’s novel. The duo play sisters (one uptight, one free-spirited) who are descended from a long line of witches — including their aunts, played by Stockard Channing and Dianne Wiest. The sequel’s cast also includes Maisie Williams (“Game of Thrones”) and Lee Pace (“Pushing Daisies”).

“Resident Evil” (Sept. 18)

Cast: Austin Abrams, Zach Cherry, Kali Reis, Paul Walter Hauser

Zach Cregger (“Barbarian,” “Weapons”) is taking a shot at reviving this reliable horror film franchise, based on the hit video game series of the same name.

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