Summer 2026 Movie Preview

This summer’s blockbusters will land soon in a multiplex near you.

by

Film

The 2026 summer movie season is officially upon us.  As is usually the case during this time of the year, many highly anticipated blockbusters are set to release soon. 

The summer movie season is usually prime time for tentpole film releases.  Seeing that it is the most vital box office period for the film industry every year, many crowd-pleasing and four-quadrant films are now being released.  This summer looks to be no different. 

From reboots of 80s properties to new installments in decades-long franchises, here are the films to look out for this summer. 

Masters of the Universe (In Theaters June 5)

Masters of the Universe is the highly anticipated cinematic reboot of the 1980s’ He-Man and the Masters of the Universe franchise. It centers on He-Man as he returns to his home planet of Eternia to take it back from the oppressive rule of the villainous Skeletor. 

Directed by Travis Knight (Bumblebee, Kubo and the Two Strings), the film stars Nicholas Galitzine, Jared Leto, Camila Mendes, Idris Elba, Alison Brie and Morena Baccarin.  The last cinematic take on Masters of the Universe released in 1987 with Dolph Lundgren as the titular character.  The upcoming reboot aims to revitalize the franchise for modern audiences. 

Scary Movie (In Theaters June 5)

Scary Movie is the long-awaited sixth installment in the Scary Movie franchise. It features the return of franchise favorites Brenda, Cindy, Shorty and Ray as they attempt to evade another slasher villain while parodying pop culture. 

Directed by Michael Tiddes (A Haunted House, Fifty Shades of Black), the film stars Marlon Wayans, Regina Hall, Anna Faris and Shawn Wayans.  The last entry in the franchise, Scary Movie 5, released in 2011. The upcoming film serves as both a reboot and spiritual sequel to the previous films.  One of the huge selling points of Scary Movie is the return of the Wayans, the creators of the franchise, to the series for the first time since 2001. 

Disclosure Day (In Theaters June 12) 

Disclosure Day is the highly anticipated next film from Steven Spielberg. It focuses on the unraveling of a government conspiracy that involves the reveal of extraterrestrial life to Earth. 

It stars Emily Blunt, Colman Domingo, Colin Firth, Josh O’Connor, Wyatt Russell and Eve Hewson.  Two of the film’s main selling points are its mysterious third act that has not been shown in any of the marketing and Spielberg’s first venture into the sci-fi genre since 2005’s War of the Worlds. 

Toy Story 5 (In Theaters June 19)

Toy Story 5 is the highly anticipated next installment in the Toy Story franchise. It focuses on Buzz Lightyear, Woody, Jessie and the rest of the toys trying to stay relevant as they go up against a tablet named Lilypad for the attention of Bonnie, their owner. 

Directed by Andrew Stanton (Toy Story 2, Finding Nemo), it stars Tom Hanks, Tim Allen, Joan Cusack, Greta Lee, Keanu Reeves and Annie Potts.  One of the film’s main selling points is the plot of the toys going up against technology, since the current youth are more technology dependent than previous generations.   Like the previous films, Toy Story 5 is projected to be a box office juggernaut and even have the highest opening of the year so far with a $150 million-plus domestic haul. 

Supergirl (In Theaters June 26)

Supergirl is the highly anticipated next film in the DC Universe.  Following 2025’s Superman, the film focuses on Supergirl as she goes on an intergalactic adventure with a girl named Ruthye in pursuit of vengeance against Krem of the Yellow Hills. 

Directed by Craig Gillespie (I, Tonya, Cruella), the film stars Milly Alcock, Jason Momoa, Eve Ridley, Emily Beecham, David Krumholtz and Matthias Schoenarts.  The last cinematic take on Supergirl released in 1984 with Helen Slater as the titular character. Since comic book films usually dominate the box office and Supergirl is the first tentpole one of the year, there is a good amount of hype around it. One of the film’s main selling points is Momoa’s debut as popular DC character Lobo. 

The Odyssey (In Theaters July 17)

The Odyssey is the highly anticipated next film from Christopher Nolan.  Adapting Homer’s ancient Greek epic of the same name, the film focuses on Greek king Odysseus’ journey home after the Trojan War. 

It stars Matt Damon, Tom Holland, Anne Hathaway, Robert Pattinson, Lupita Nyong’o, Zendaya and Charlize Theron.  Aside from the cast, one of the film’s main selling points is seeing how Nolan adapts the story, since it is one of the most universally regarded and influential works of fiction in existence. Considering that Nolan is one of today’s most beloved directors and his last film, Oppenheimer, made $975.8 million, there is a lot of excitement surrounding The Odyssey. 

Spider-Man: Brand New Day (In Theaters July 31)

Spider-Man: Brand New Day is the highly anticipated next entry in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. It centers on Peter Parker trying to adjust to life as Spider-Man after the events of 2021’s Spider-Man: No Way Home.

Directed by Destin Daniel Cretton (Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings, Just Mercy), it stars Tom Holland, Zendaya, Jon Bernthal, Mark Ruffalo, Sadie Sink, Marvin Jones III and Jacob Batalon.  Considering that Spider-Man is one of the most popular and profitable characters of all time, it is safe to say that the film will dominate the box office for the rest of the summer. One of the film’s main selling points is Spider-Man returning to his grounded and street level roots after being in multiversal situations in the previous film. 

Considering May’s box office performance and this summer’s projections, there is a possibility that pre-pandemic numbers could be reached or surpassed. According to analysts, the domestic total for the summer box office could top $4.2 billion, a mark that was cleared four times between 2015 and 2019.