The current Netflix and Warner Bros merger is the biggest talking point in the film and entertainment industry at the moment! Lots of questions and uncertainty remains in the minds of moviegoers all across the globe, especially in regards to the future of movie theaters and physical media! I would’ve made a piece on this whole deal by now but quite frankly, I’m not quite sure how exactly I can coherently put my thoughts into proper words about this! There is so much mixed messaging and miscommunication in regards to what Netflix’s ambition is with buying Warner Bros and how exactly they will affect movies and tv shows from WB for the future that it’s hard to not what to believe about it at this point!
I’ll just say for right now that this whole merger is guaranteed to be a long and tedious process, not even fully beginning until Warner Bros splits fully with Discovery sometime in the next several months! And considering how long the Disney-Fox merger took place (it was announced in December 2017 and didn’t come into fruition until March 2019), I wouldn’t be shocked if this merger is not completed by the end of this year and will probably won’t be finished until early 2027! And that’s even assuming they will be able to go throw all the hoops and ladders to get this deal approved from governments and systems from ALL around the globe!
Warner Bros has contracts which guarantees theatrical releases of their films through 2029, says IMAX CEO Rich Gelfond
It is also worth mentioning that Warner Bros have theatrical deals with their upcoming films that won’t expire until 2029! Even if the merger goes through before then, Netflix will have to honor those contracts for upcoming WB films through at least the rest of the decade. Unless they are willing to go through a bunch of different lawsuits (similar to how AT&T had to with directors from Warner Bros projects in 2021 after it was announced that year’s film releases would come out for both theaters and HBO max simultaneously), I’m willing to bet that Netflix wouldn’t want to screw that up and allow those films to get a proper theatrical release.
So when I talk about Warner Bros needing to move Dune: Part Three from it’s current theatrical release date of December 18th, that has NOTHING to do with the whole Netflix merger fiasco that’s currently happening. What it DOES have to do with is the fact that there will be a strong chance that Dune 3 will get crushed from the other big film that is set to release on that exact same day, Avengers: Doomsday! Not only potentially surrendering the proper IMAX release that will kill nearly HALF of the reasons to see the film in theaters but it will more than certainly get buried at the box office by the power of multiverse shenanigans and pure 2010s nostalgia.
Now, I know the first thing that someone will point out in regards to releasing two highly anticipated films in the exact same weekend is how that exact strategy worked out perfectly when Barbie and Oppenheimer released alongside each other during the summer of 2023, properly titled Barbenheimer! What started off as a glorified meme turned into a pop culture phenomenon, with both films playing off of each other PERFECTLY and making for one of the most celebrated theatrical events of the 2020s thus far, with Barbie earning a WHOPPING $1.4 billion worldwide and Oppenheimer earning a STELLAR $975 million worldwide at the box office! However, I do NOT believe that Dunesday (that’s what the kids seem to be calling it right now) will be able to capture that same lightning in a bottle!
First off, the main reason why Barbenheimer was able to work as incredibly as it did was because both Barbie and Oppenheimer were two COMPLETELY different films made with COMPLETELY different target demographics in mind. With Barbie, it was able to deliver the big budget flick that multiple generations of women and girls that grew up with the Barbie brand were finally given the chance to see. With Oppenheimer, it was able to deliver the R-rated biopic of “the destroyer of worlds” that men, historians, and fans of Christopher Nolan were dying to see on the big screen. That’s not to say that men didn’t go see and enjoy Barbie or women didn’t go see and enjoy Oppenheimer but both Greta Gerwig and Christopher Nolan knew EXACTLY the kind of films they were making and the exact kind of demographics that their films were made for. With Dune: Part Three and Avengers: Doomsday, that is simply not the case whatsoever.
When using info surrounding the percentage of each gender that watches films surrounding sci-fi and superhero films, most analysts would tell you that the general audience for these kinds of films are largely male. Again, that’s NOT to say that women can’t or don’t enjoy these kind of films as well but a good majority of the time, men are more likely to buy tickets for these movies than women. And considering Dune: Part Three is pure sci-fi intelligence and Avengers: Doomsday is pure superhero junk food, I imagine the target audience for these films are largely the same.
Because of that and the current state of the economy, there’s a good chance that the male demographic will have to chose in seeing ONE of these flicks during their initial opening weekend and not both of them. While we still have yet to get more info from Dune 3, Doomsday clearly has ALL the momentum right now to absolute DOMINATE it’s opening weekend, if the billion views throughout all of it’s four early teaser trailers are any indication.
The big question now is where do you move Dune 3 too? I’m sure Warner Bros would NOT want to push it back to 2027 because a.) that would screw up the award season for the coming year and the cast and crew would be forced to wait another 12 months to get it’s proper recognition during awards season and 2.) director Denis Villeneuve most likely has his eyes completely set on his next major project in 007 for Amazon MGM (currently set for a 2028 release date) and wants to move on from this film ASAP! Well, the answer is to move the release date up!
If it was up to me, I would have Dune: Part Three switch spots with Warner Bros’ own Digger, the newest film from director Alejandro González Iñárritu (Birdman & The Revenant) and Tom Cruise. If that were to be the case, Dune: Part Three would come out on October 2nd while Digger would get Dune’s original release date of December 18th! When you think about it, this would be a win-win situation for BOTH films here!
For Dune: Part Three, it would not only get the full IMAX release that Villeneuve will DESPERATELY want for this final film of his acclaimed sci-fi trilogy but it would also give October the big blockbuster they will need for that month, especially after the ABSYMAL theatrical performance in October last year (the lowest month that movie theaters have had in over 30 years)! For Digger, WB can operate the theatrical release the same way that 20th Century Fox did with Iñárritu’s own The Revenant over a decade ago. They can give Digger a limited theatrical release to have it qualify for that year’s Academy Awards to release alongside Avengers while later giving the film a full theatrical release the very next month to kick off 2027! Even better, Iñárritu and Cruise can then give themselves a proper IMAX release for their film just three to four weeks after Doomsday’s initial run to get the best possible theater experience out of it. These release dates would be a match made in HEAVEN and would certainly give the best possible outcome for both of these films!
As fun as the Dunesday memes would be if WB sticks to it’s December 18th release date (the Actors on Actors Variety interview between RDJ and Timothée Chalamet would be GOLDEN!), I do think for the sake of themselves and the theatrical experience, it would be for the best if Dune: Part Three switches release dates with Digger, letting Dr. Doom crush the Avengers during Christmas while Paul Atreides can end his journey during Halloween season!
Unless the post-production for Dune 3 takes longer than expected, I don’t see why Mr. Villeneuve would be oppose to this release date change. He clearly wants to deliver the best possible theatrical experience for his latest film, delivering the full IMAX screenings and giving it the proper legs it will need for a deep run at the box office. He also most certainly has his mind on James Bond and wants to move STRAIGHT into production with that film pronto! I also believe Tom Cruise and Alejandro González Iñárritu would be satisfied in making sure their latest film is secured for next award season while getting a full theatrical release to start off 2027 without the pressure of needing to deliver for movie theaters like they would if the film came out in October to avoid a second straight awful fall season. A film based off a well-known IP like Dune is more likely to thrive in theaters to kick off the fall than a completely original flick made from a director who hasn’t directed a main theater release since 2015. Those kind of films can thrive in January, a much quieter month for movies, than in October!
I’m sure Warner Bros is still strongly considering sticking to it’s December release date, paving the way for the Dunesday phenomenon that the internet will be talking about all throughout 2026! But for me, I’m rooting for Diggersday!
Make it happen Santa! I promise I will be a good boy this year!
Last summer, Danny Boyle and Alex Garland teamed up once again to bring us 28 Years Later, a sequel that was nearly TWO decades in the making for this series! On paper, this should’ve been a textbook example on how to revive a franchise! Not only because you are bringing back the original blood from the original 28 Days Later but so much so time had past since the last installment in 28 Weeks Later that releasing a new installment now made perfect sense in terms of franchise continuity and this current age of horror we are currently living in. However, there was something that felt quite off!
Whether that was because of Boyle’s bold directing style he’s always been known for, it’s very uneven tone, and ending in a way that felt so out of left field that it never felt like it belonged in the same ballpark to begin with, 28 Years Later wasn’t the pitch perfect relaunch needed to justify an entire new trilogy of films, nagging loose ends be damned. It’s not that the humanity wasn’t presence behind and in front of the camera but it’s more that it got plagued by the virus.
However, that didn’t stop Sony Pictures from wanting to shoot back-to-back new entries to the 28 Days Later franchise in an attempt to jump on the same “welcome back” horror train that have made the new Scream movies a success! Instead of Danny Boyle, it’s Nia DaCosta (Candyman (2021) & The Marvels) that would be in charge of following up on the previous film’s divisive ending in the hopes to keep the franchise’s engine running, (although writer Alex Garland did return for this installment as well). While I’m not sure she will be able to do that from a box office standpoint, she CERTAINLY did it from a quality standpoint!
28 Years Later: The Bone Temple feels like the film that most audiences members were wanting the first time around! It offers a much greater expansion of the post-apocalyptic setting that this series has been set in since day one, it has more layers to the overall themes surrounding humanity and survival, a much better and more balanced tone that never takes you out of the picture, and laying out bread crumbs in ways that actually feel satisfying rather than manipulative. While some of the flaws from the previous film are carried over (shaky cam, certain characters faith left in the air, an extremely juicy cliffhanger, etc..), The Bone Temple is able to pick up where the original 28 Years Later left off in the best and most satisfying way possible.
Premise: As Spike (Alfie Williams) is inducted into Jimmy Crystal’s (Jack O’Connell) gang on the mainland, Dr. Kelson (Ralph Fiennes) makes a discovery that could alter the world.
What makes The Bone Temple a successful second impression for 28 Years Later is not only improving upon what didn’t work about the previous film but also expanding upon the things that did. The main aspect being a deeper dive into this post-virus world and the people that have survived/suffered from it. The main driving force here is the exploration of the alpha infected and the forever pantsless, raising the question of which side generally has more humanity than the other regardless of how they were impacted by the virus. While, yes, we have seen stories surrounding zombie-like creatures discovering more humanity within themselves (A.K.A. Day of the Dead), there’s something a bit extra when viewed from the perspective of a literal scientist!
That exploration is on full display between the scenes with Ralph Fiennes’ Dr. Ian Kelson and Chi Lewis-Parry’s Samson. Not only because both actors are able to sell the hell out of each moment they are on screen together but because it gives the deepest dives into the overall message about how everyone in any universe will always have humanity within their grasp, all they have to do is reach for it. Even if these kind of themes have become a staple of these post- apocalypse flicks, the aesthetics performances, and subversive narrative choices is able to help present it in a fresh new light.
When it comes to the virus-infected group presented, the Fingers gang is about as brutal and creepy as they come. While they do have an introduction that comes close to capturing the same over-the-top energy that brought down the previous film, it is able to show great restraint throughout the movie , where you have those moments of goofy levity but are still able to get satisfying gore and take them seriously as a legit threat. And yes, the Fingers gang is clearly motivated based on overly religious faith but it still serves as a nice contrast to everything that has gone wrong in the world that the characters are set in, showcasing the downfall of society in isolation, with the (no pun intended) KILLER performances from Jack O’Connell as the main fingers leader, Jimmy and Erin Kellyman as a more sympathetic fingers member as Kelly. This aids in making the dynamic between Dr. Kelson and the Fingers all the more compelling, the contrast of two different kinds of people who based their actions on either proven science or twisted beliefs.
The main MVP here has to be the woman behind the camera in Nia DaCosta. While she unfortunately got thrown under the bus with her taste with the MCU machinery with The Marvels (which I still enjoy for what it was), she is able to carry over her masterful directorial skills with horror that she displayed with Candyman (2021), with possibly even better results here. While far less camera tricks or random bullet time moments that Boyle did the last time around, she is still able to provide her own significant stamp here. The camera work is beautiful, the atmosphere is haunting yet mesmerizing, the brutality from the fingers clan delivers the skin-crawling horror set pieces that’s needed for a film like this, and even the sound designs offers a few new tricks up it’s sleeve during important key moments that makes the film feel more appropriate to see in a theater. Ms. DaCosta is able to provide her own distinctive voice that is able to feel appropriate to the franchise and NOT off putting.
It’s not quite a 100% though. There are certain sequences that is plagued with that awkward shaky cam that the previously film suffered from, making a handful of moments uncomfortable to watch because of how poorly it’s framed and NOT because it’s legit horrifying. There’s also Alfie Williams’ Spike that feels a bit like a footnote this time around. While his arc here is functional and works well enough in it’s own right, he doesn’t have as much importance to the narrative as he did the first time around, lacking that family dynamic hook that made his character compelling from the previous film. And while there is a surprise character played by a surprise actor (That got me nearly as excited as seeing Tobey Maguire in No Way Home!) that does leave the door open about what a potential third film could deliver, it will certainly make for a VERY depressing “what if?” scenario if we never do get that third film in the near future.
It made have taken a second try but 28 Years Later: The Bone Temple is able to deliver the complete full package I wanted from the last film, while standing as perhaps the best installment in this franchise since the original. The acting is terrific, the horror and gore will disgust you in the most delightful ways imaginable, and it is still able to follow the franchise’s overall themes by continuing to offer fresh, new, and different perspectives about a world that has plunged into total chaos without taking you out of it or even inviting comparisons to the world that we are currently live in. I sure hope this is able to find it’s audience because if not, then MAN are they missing out!
That’s right! I’m back with a new sports piece on here for the first time in forever! I know there’s at least a couple of my followers that have been waiting for something like this. Since the NFL playoffs are on the rise, why not do my own predictions on how I believe things are going to go down in the postseason for 2026? Will I be wrong on nearly every single pick? Possibly, but hey, these are fun to make anyways!
American Football Conference Wild Card Rounds
Houston Texans (#5 Seed) vs Pittsburgh Steelers (#4 Seed)
Date: Monday, January 12th, 7:15 PM CST
Pick: Houston Texans
Reason: Another year, another incredibly mid Steelers team that’s able to pixie dust their way to another record over .500, keeping Mike Tomlin’s winning streak as head coach alive. However, just like the past several playoff trips for Pittsburgh, this is where the end of the road will likely be. Even if Houston’s offense leaves much to be desired, the Texans defense will keep the Steelers at bay very easily. The Steelers will be exposed once again as frauds and literally NO ONE but Pittsburgh ownership will be shocked by this.
Buffalo Bills (#6 Seed) vs Jacksonville Jaguars (#3 Seed)
Date: Sunday, January 11th, 12:00 PM CST
Pick: Buffalo Bills
Reason: When looking at playoff history, analytics and odds favor Jacksonville. The Jaguars are 4-1 at home in playoff games, while Josh Allen himself has yet to win a single playoff game on the road. Not to mention, Liam Coen has been the perfect fit in coaching Trevor Lawrence, who has been red hot for the past five stats. So, why would I go with the Bills here? Because Allen can carry a playoff run, Buffalo still has a running game around James Cook, and the Bills have had enough playoff experience to be able to match the moment this time around. Plus, with no Patrick Mahomes in the way, you just know Allen won’t tolerate one playoff game and go home! While the Jaguars have elite talent, the Bills have more experience in the playoffs and will use that to achieve victory!
Los Angeles Chargers (#7 Seed) vs New England Patriots (#2 Seed)
Date: Saturday, January 11th, 7:15 PM CST
Pick: New England Patriots
Reason: As much jokes have been made about the cake walk schedule that the Patriots have had all year, they are facing an absolute perfect storm in the LA Chargers! Their offensive lines are beat to hell, their defense hasn’t been much better, nearly all their free agent signings have been flops, and I don’t think there is a playoff team that has been bitten by the injury bug this hard. New England is still a far cry for what they once were from their two-decade long dynasty but they will have enough here to at least make it past one round.
National Football Conference Wild Card Rounds
Los Angeles Rams (#5 Seed) vs Carolina Panthers (#4 Seed)
Date: Saturday, January 10th, 3:30 PM CST
Pick: Los Angeles Rams
Reason: Some might cry foul on this predictions after Carolina’s recent victory against Los Angeles in Week 13. However, as history tends to show, the playoffs is a different animal all together. The Rams will most certainly learn from this experience, studying every move that the Panthers will make and come back stronger than before. Matthew Stafford getting Davante Adams back will definitely give the team a big boost along with beating aided by Puka Nacua, Krysten Williams, and the NFL’s best scoring offense. The Rams offensive lines will be too much for them to handle, certainly exposing the Panthers for playing in a garbage fire of a division.
San Francisco 49ers (#6 Seed) vs Philadelphia Eagles (#3 Seed)
Date: Saturday, January 11th, 3:30 PM CST
Pick: Philadelphia Eagles
Reason: San Francisco has had a good run but they are way too battered up right now. Trent Williams and Ricky Pearsall are key pieces that are injured, Brock Purdy has been sloppy the last four games (73.4% completion percentage in that time span), and the defense has allowed over 145 rushing yards per game in the past two contests. Not to mention, Philadelphia is 4-0 S/U at home when it had 100 rushing yards. For once, I’m going with what analytics says and go with the defending champs! Unless the 49ers are able to continue spreading their pixie dust, it will all run out here.
Green Bay Packers (#7 Seed) vs Chicago Bears (#2 Seed)
Date: Saturday, January 10th, 7:00 PM CST
Pick: Green Bay Packers
Reason: The good news for the Bears is that they are finally good again. The bad news for the Bears is that this might be where the road ends. This should be a tight game all around, with both teams being evenly match, as their two showdowns during the regular season proved. However, I can’t help but get the feeling that Jordan Love will shine under the spotlight, with Matt LaFleur keeping the aggression on offense. Chicago will have to rely too much on the running game and Caleb Williams won’t be able to match Love on the passing and throwing gain. It’s nice to have the Bears playing in important games but they are not ready to take the next step forward this year.
American Football Conference Divisional Rounds
Houston Texans (#5 Seed) vs Denver Broncos (#1 Seed)
Date: TBD
Pick: Denver Broncos
Reason: I know it’s easy to favor Houston here since Denver will CLEARLY be plagued with the #1 seed curse. To be fair, I can see the concerns. While their defense has been excellent with the most amount of sacks from any team, their offense has been inconsistent as hell and only seems to pull the UNO wildcard when the timing is convenient. The thing is, the EXACT same thing can be said about the Texans! And considering Denver has home field advantage and proven they can thrive in super close games, I still say Houston’s success will stop here and Denver will move on!
Buffalo Bills (#6 Seed) vs New England Patriots (#2 Seed)
Date: TBD
Pick: Buffalo Bills
Reason: While New England’s can succeed against a injured-plagued mess like the Chargers, Buffalo is a different story. Despite the glaring flaws of the Bills, they are a team of scrappy dudes and grinders. Josh Allen will continue to carry the team on his back along with his masterful running mates while the youth of the Patriots will not be able to thrive in the spotlights this time around. It’ll still be a good year overall for New England! Take this core and build upon it for the future!
National Football Conference Divisional Rounds
Los Angeles Rams (#5 Seed) vs Seattle Seahawks (#1 Seed)
Date: TBD
Pick: Los Angeles Rams
Reason: This will be Seattle’s worst nightmare. The Rams are Sam Darnold’s kryptonite, they know his every move and expose him as hard as TMZ when they cover a big celebrity! Not to mention, Seahawks offense lines always tend to need time to settle in each game, something which they can not afford against LA’s stellar offense lines. LA will advance and the memes of Sam Darnold will be eternal!
Green Bay Packers (#7 Seed) vs Philadelphia Eagles (#3 Seed)
Date: TBD
Pick: Philadelphia Eagles
Reason: The Packs flaws will be on full display here, a solid enough offense line that will not be able to overcome their messy and beaten up defense. The Eagles will overcome their also messy and flawed offense by keeping Green Bay in check on the defensive of side. Once again, the tush push will prevail! Philly better hope that the NFL doesn’t ban it because all they can do and spam it to even sniff at the Super Bowl for a second year in a row!
American Football Conference Round
Buffalo Bills (#6 Seed) vs Denver Broncos (#1 Seed)
Date: TBD
Pick: Buffalo Bills
Reason: Denver’s luck will run out here! Buffalo’s offensive lines will cause them problems too early and by the time they have some momentum, the damage will be done and it will be far too late! All it takes is for the Broncos to be out of their comfort zone and they will be finished. That tends to be the case with most #1 seeded teams! The Bills will pass and literally run their way to victory, leading Allen to his first Super Bowl appearance in his career!
National Football Conference Round
Los Angeles Rams (#5 Seed) vs Philadelphia Eagles (#3 Seed)
Date: TBD
Pick: Los Angeles Rams
Reason: I don’t know how or why but I just got the gut feeling the football gods will randomly give LA mega powers and take out the defending champs on their home turf, preventing a second straight SB appearance and third of this decade. I can see the Eagles putting up a fight but since the sports gods want to torture me, they will allow the team owned by Satan himself in is Stan Kroenke to another Super Bowl appearance! Please, don’t fail me again, Josh! You are my only hope!
Super Bowl LX
Buffalo Bills (#6 Seed) vs Los Angeles Rams (#5) Seed
Date: Sunday, February 8th, 5:30 PM CST
Pick: Buffalo Bills
Reason: This will be Buffalo’s year! I can feel it! The Bills have probably the most wide-open change imaginable to secure their first ever Super Bowl trophy than I think they ever will for the immediate future! No Mahomes, No Burrow, and No Jackson! Josh Allen will play the game of his life, Bill’s No. 1 rushing attack will lead the charge and expose the holes in the LA Rams, and Buffalo’s rather flawed defense might do a LOT of bending but they will NOT break! This may not be the best Bills team of this core or the best NFL team on paper but as we have seen many times before, the best team on paper is NEVER guaranteed a championship! Congrats, Mr. Hailee Steinfeld! You finally got your ring!
Well, welcome back to reviewing to me! That’s right! After a year long hiatus, I am back baby! To celebrate, let’s review a new movie that absolutely NO ONE is talking about!
We Bury The Dead is a new zombie survival horror flick that is written and directed by Zak Hilditch and stars the INCREDIBLY lovable Daisy Ridley! Here we follow a woman named Ava (Daisy Ridley) as she goes on a journey to find her missing husband while being forced to confront grief, loss, and the undead that keeps haunting her throughout! She meets a couple of folks along the way who help guide her but soon Ava discovers that the more she tries to discover the truth about her husband’s disappearance and the land of zombies, the more heartbreaking the truth might actually be.
Admittedly, there’s not a ton that can be said about We Bury The Dead other than what you would expect to be based on the cover and premise of the film. It offers a fresh take on the zombie subgenre, that unlocks a very unique vision from the perspective of Hilditich of the land of the undead, while being able to dive into the kind of themes mentioned before in ways that wasn’t done in from similar films such as World War Z, The Walking Dead, and The Last of Us. It certainly does take it’s sweet ass time to get from Point A to Point B and does occasionally slip into those plot conveniences and coincidences that tend to be a staple for these kind of flicks but for the most part, We Bury The Dead is solid and engaging enough that it won’t have you thinking too much about them before the credits roll.
Daisy Ridley is the main driving force of the film and manage to keeps that same engaging presence she always gives no matter what film she is in. She contains great chemistry with the limited cast she is able to interact in, particularly Brenton Thwaites. So much so that most of the film’s momentum comes to a screech halt every time Thwaites is NOT onscreen and only regains that momentum again once another zombie gets thrown into the mix.
However, for a film that is clearly prioritizing atmosphere over action, it does it job about as remarkably as it can. The cinematography is breathtaking, the tone is as grim as the way the zombies look, the visuals is able to assist in the film’s telling of a story about seeking closure in the wake of absolute tragedy, and the haunting score by Clark is able to give off more of that tension, cluster phobic vibe than all the Resident Evil films combined (Don’t let me down this time, Zach Cregger!). While you still get your occasional zombie kill beat here and there, it’s the film’s overall approach to it’s atmosphere and scary vibes that are the main driving force here.
It’s definitely not a perfect movie by any means but the flaws aren’t enough to squander this picture. Like I said, this is a rather slow moving motion picture, which is a warning to those that are going into this purely for the zombie kills and blood gore fest. And the way it resolves certain plotlines, while makes perfect sense thematically, might make one feel empty emotionally and as part of the whole picture. Then again, I feel like if ANY of us become a part of a zombie apolaypse, we would have very little to actually be happy about afterwards.
Regardless, We Bury The Dead is a damn good time for what it’s going for. It’s an engaging another horror flick that checks all the boxes you want out of these post-apocalyptic films while also finding enough of a new voice of it’s own that makes it go well with the shelf of other recent zombie horror flicks. It’ll likely not be on your mind too much just days after you watch it, but hey as a way of kick starting of what will likely be ANOTHER chaotic year, it does it’s job perfectly well.
Other comments:
Sorry if this is a rather short review but I figured I needed to flex my muscles a bit because it’s been over a year since I last done a full review for this blog! I do expect to go more in depth with future reviews but also, I wouldn’t mind doing mini-reviews for films once I become incredibly busy in my personal life.
Also, have a very happy new year! Whatever your New Years resolutions are, I really hope you stick with them because they are important!
2025 has concluded, which means we are now off to 2026! And what better way to start this year off with a bang (Recent global events aside!) then to share what new films I’m looking forward to the most in 2026!
When looking through all the big and small movies to come out this year, 2026 has potential to be the biggest year for movies in the post-Covid era. This has to do with the fact that a.) more people are more comfortable going back to theaters than before and b.) the latest strikes in the entertainment industry let to plenty of projects get pushed back. Because of that, this might just be the kick in the pants that the industry needs to get things back into full gear before it’s too late. At least until Netflix gets their full greasy hands on Warner Bros!
The most impressive thing I’ve discovered when doing research of all the main films slated for 2026 is how there seems to be more variety between original projects and upcoming installments in long-running franchise IPs. If the majority of them are able to deliver, then 2026 should be a strong year in film and especially in theaters due to having the kind of film for any sort of demographic.
2026 has potential to be such a massive year for films that I couldn’t boggled down my most anticipated list to just 10 or 15! Instead, I’m gonna do a top 20 because why not!
No honorable mentions, no amount of time wasting! I’m just kick things right into gear and give you all my 20 most anticipated films of 2026!
20.) 28 Years Later: The Bone Temple
While I was more mixed on last year’s 28 Years Later than I expected to be, 28 Years Later: The Bone Temple has potential to more than make up for it is able to stick the landing! Acting as the second movie of the multiple sequels that’s been in the making for nearly two decades now, director Nia Dacosta is hoping to finish what Danny Boyle started in giving the 28 Days Later series a proper wrap-up after being on hiatus for so long! Regardless of how you felt about the last installment, I imagine you will at least be somewhat curious to see how things end here!
19.) Ready or Not 2: Here I Come
The original Ready or Not was a massive surprise when it came out in 2019! After adoring that film so much, no doubt that I’m curious to check out the sequel! Samara Weaving is returning to her role that made her a scream queen and this time she is not alone! She will be joined by newcomer scream queen, Kathryn Newton, and the O.G. scream queen that is NOT Neve Campell and Jamie Lee Curtis in Sarah Michelle Gellar, Buffy the vampire slayer herself! Oh, and Elijah Wood is here too! Although the seven-year long gap does raise concern and I’m not too sure if a sequel is justified, Ready or Not: Here I Come certainly has my curiosity peak.
18.) Toy Story 5
Speaking of seven-year long gaps and sequels that probably shouldn’t exist, we have Toy Story 5! There’s plenty of reasons to raise eyebrows at this one! The Toy Story franchise already had at least two definite endings up to this point and the fact that another one is being made just goes to show how creatively bankrupt Disney and Pixar has become! However, I can’t help but be intrigued by the film’s supposed premise, with the idea that toys are becoming irrelevant and being replaced by tech and electronics! If that’s not relevant to our times, then I don’t know what is! There’s also the fact that longtime Pixar veteran Andrew Stanton (Finding Nemo, Finding Dory, Wall-E, and co-writer of all four Toy Story films) is returning to writing and directing does ease some major concern as well! I just wonder how the heck are they gonna explain Woody’s return after the way the last one ended?
17.) Forgotten Island
In case you don’t know, there are plenty of original animated films that is expected to be released by some of the major western animated studios! Sony Animation has Goat coming out in February, Pixar has Hoppers releasing in March, and Disney themselves has Hexed as their major Thanksgiving release! However, the one original animated film for 2026 that I am the most curious about is Forgotten Island, the latest original animated film by DreamWorks. And the main reason for that being that is being directed by Joel Crawford, the man that helped make the animated masterpiece that is Puss In Boots: The Last Wish! While it’s definitely great that Sony and Disney are trying their best on making more modern animated classics that can hopefully messed well with their sequels, I would put all my eggs in the basket that DreamWorks will be able to deliver the best in that department with Forgotten Island.
16.) Coyote vs Acme
Coyote vs Acme existing at all seems like some sort of miracle! After originally being obtained as being a tax write-off, Warner Bros decided to reverse their controversial decision and give this film a full theatrical release! While that alone is enough to put this on a most anticipated list, the reason is on here is that the overall premise could between the Coyote and Acme could make for the perfect cross between live-action and animation that the Tom & Jerry movie tried and failed to be! I also have good vibes from Warner Bros Animation after enjoying The Day The Earth Blew Up so much last year! I just hope most people put their money with their mouth is and actually show up to see this one in theaters!
15.) Digger
Here’s an intriguing new film that I never would’ve expect! An original black comedy film from the director of Birdman and The Revenant that stars Tom Cruise! If that is not enough to get you intrigued, then I don’t know what will! While there is little that we know about other than the fact that this is an original film that is being made by the people I just mentioned, the fact that we are still capable of getting original films like this is proof that creativity isn’t 100% dead in Hollywood! My only advice to Warner Bros is to have this film switch release dates with Dune: Part Three! I might make a piece on that soon enough!
14.) Masters of the Universe
There are a lot of reasons to be optimistic about this latest iteration of Masters of the Universe! It’s got a very talented director in Travis Knight (Kubo & The Two Strings, Bumblebee), a very talented producer in Chris Butler (ParaNorman), and a very talented cast (Minus ONE major exception!) that can help make this an instant modern classic! Oh, and early test screenings have been very positive for this one as well! The only major hurdle for this film to overcome is Jared Leto! That guy ALWAYS seems to be a bad luck charm (At least if the likes of Suicide Squad, Morbius, Haunted Mansion, and Tron: Ares is anything to go by!). I don’t know why Hollywood keeps trying to make him a thing but like……please stop!
13.) Send Help
It’s a newly original horror flick made by the godfather of horror in Sam Raimi! I don’t think I need to explain anymore!
12.) Narnia: The Magician’s Nephew
Just like with most recent new takes of beloved classic IPs I properly wouldn’t have been interested in otherwise, the main thing that is carrying Narnia: The Magician’s Nephew is Greta Gerwig behind the camera! Mrs. Gerwig’s follow-up to the monster smash hit that was 2023’s Barbie is a brand new film from The Chronicles of Narnia that will be based off the 1955 novel, The Magician’s Nephew! And even though this is being disturbed by Netflix, this film is actually getting a full IMAX theatrical screening release before being sent to streaming! Whether that’s intended to be sneak preview of what to expect from Netflix once they get their hands on Warner Bros or not, the fact that a new Netflix film gets a full theatrical release like that does give me slight hope for movie theaters in the future! Anyways, I’m curious to check this one out!
11.) Michael
Michael Jackson is no doubt the most popular musician of all time. With the high trailer numbers and the multiple generations of fans that MJ has gained throughout the course of several decades, there should be no reason to doubt his annual biopic will be a huge theatrical success. And considering the cast and crew that’s involved with this one, there’s little doubt that this shouldn’t be an enjoyable and (mostly) accurate biopic of the most famous singer that is NOT Boeheim Rhapsody! My only concern is how far they are willing to dive into the controversy surrounding Mr. Jackson, if not at all! That seems like it can be a real “damned if you do, damned if you don’t” scenario that no matter what happens, the filmmakers will lose! Although that alone is what prevents this from sneaking into the main top 10, this biopic should still make for a genuine crowdpleaser come spring!
10.) The Super Mario Galaxy Movie
Mario is back baby and this time around, he is going out into a galaxy far, far away! With the inclusion of fan favorite characters such as Yoshi, Rosalina, and Bowser Jr. to adapting what is widely considered to be two of the best Mario games (if not the best video games) of all time in the Super Mario Galaxy series, I have little doubt that our beloved Italia….I’m sorry BROOKLYN plumbers will be able to make lightning strike twice! Even if the plot ends up being all over the place, this will no doubt be a visual wonder for the eyes that was made to be seen on the big screen! In these crazy, chaotic times we are living in, we need more cartoony nonsense than ever before! And The Super Mario Galaxy Movie looks to be delivering just that!
9.) Avengers: Doomsday
The drum has already been beat many times about how Marvel is NOT what it once was! However, one still can’t help but be intrigued with what’s going on with Avengers: Doomsday! With the return of Robert Downey Jr. as Iron Ma…….I mean Doctor Doom, Chris Evans as Captain America, Chris Hemsworth as Thor, and the original X-Men from the Fox Marvel universe, Marvel will certainly be looking to capitalize on the familiarly and nostalgia of their past to make this the gigantic hit it will need to be! Oh, and you also got the Fantastic Four, Thunderbolts*, Wakandians, and whoever the heck the latest Avengers are supposed to be to join the party as well! Regardless of your feelings of the MCU post-Endgame, this and the upcoming Secret Wars film is what the entire Multiverse saga has been building to! Even if I’m far more curious than excited about this one, I still can’t help but be so darn curious of what’s to come in theaters this Christmas!
8.) Disclosure Day
A new original UFO flick from the great Steven Spielberg?! I never thought that would be possible in the year 2026! In all honesty, I believe it is time to take each new Steven Spielberg film more seriously than before! With the legendary director approaching his 80s and possibly on thin supply, who knows when his last film will come? With Disclosure Day, this looks to be a modern telling of how humanity would respond in this current day and age to aliens actually existing. To tell this story, we have Steven teaming up with longtime screenwriter David Koepp (Jurassic Park, Spider-Man (2002), War of the Worlds) and an incredibly talented cast in Emily Blunt, Josh O’Connor, and Colman Domingo! Whatever this ends up being as foretelling as Spielberg’s own A.I. Artificial Intelligence remains to be seen but this should remain one very fascinating new sci-fi film!
7.) Supergirl (2026)
Some might be surprised to see Supergirl be THIS high on the list but that’s for two main reasons. 1.) You have director Craig Gillespie, who has helmed previously successful female-led films in I, Tonya and Cruella and 2.) it’s highly acclaimed Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow series that the film is based on, which turned Kara from being her usual flawless looking girl power superheroine to being a more relatable and pure messy failure that is still haunted by her tragic past. After celebrating her 23rd birthday, Supergirl is expected to travel across the galaxy with her lovable dog Krypto where she will meet a young Ruthye Maryne Kroll that will lead her to a quest of revenge! If this is able to keep up the punk rock energy that James Gunn was able to provide with Superman (2025), Supergirl (2026) might make for more than a worthy companion piece to that along with expanding the new DC Universe in real fascinating ways!
6.) Dune: Part Three
There will be plenty that will bark for this not being higher on the list! After two incredibly well done and satisfying entries, I do expect Timothée Chalamet and Denis Villeneuve to deliver as satisfying of a conclusion as one possibly can with the series! However, the main concern comes from being an adaption of Dune: Prophecy, a rather divisive story that has been constantly debated among fans since the book was published back in 1969. It follows up the story of Paul Atreides in rather unexpected and subversive ways, which many people deemed to be very unsatisfying and unfulfilling to his story. While I am more than interested to see how that exact story will be adopted onto the big screen, Dune: Part Three will have to been seen to be believed that it will be able to fire all cylinders for the third time in a row! Please, just move that release date, Warner Bros! You do NOT want to have this film be buried by Avengers and give Netflix more ammo to NOT what to release your films in theaters!
5.) Werwulf
What can I say! Robert Eggers is one of the best filmmakers working today and I thoroughly enjoyed his take on Nosferatu! Take those two elements together and no doubt I would be greatly excited for his next feature horror film with his take on Werwulf! There’s just something about a filmmaker whose excels greatly at making films that take place FAR removed from our own timeline and into a complete different century itself! Recruiting some of his main players from previous films such as Aaron-Taylor Johnson, Lily-Rose Depp, and the ALWAYS delightful William Dafoe, Werwulf should certainly be on the radar for any horror film fan out there!
4.) Spider-Man: Brand New Day
Even in an era where superhero fatigue is at an all-time high, Spider-Man will ALWAYS have major anticipation with each new film that is released! Five years removed from the box office juggernaut that was No Way Home, we see Tom Holland return as the iconic web swinger that will likely see Peter Parker in a role which he puts his superhero side of him above his personal life side. Also, we have Shang-Chi director Destin Daniel Cretton taking the helm, which should CERTAINLY help with the film’s action and major set pieces! Between the additions of fan favorite Marvel characters such as The Punisher, Hulk, and whoever the heck Sadie Sink is suppose to be playing along with being a potential building bridge towards Avengers: Doomsday, Brand New Day will act like the golden era of Marvel never left and should very easily be a success for Sony and Marvel.
3.) Project Hail Mary
I’m surprised more people aren’t talking about this one being among their most excited films for the year! It’s based off a beloved recent book that was written by the author of The Martian, it has perhaps the most creative and talented duo working in Hollywood in Phil Lord & Chris Miller (Their first film they’ve directed together since 22 Jump Street back in 2014!), and how can you not be enthralled by the star power of Ryan Gosling! If the cast and crew here are able to work their magic like Ridley Scott and Matt Damon did with The Martian over a decade ago, then I don’t see how this won’t end up being among the most satisfying mainstream releases of 2026!
2.) Godzilla: Minus Zero
Many people probably didn’t know that this film was coming out this year but after doing my research and seeing what films is suppose to come out in 2026, I HAD to put this one on the list! After the massively delightful surprise that was Godzilla: Minus One, Takashi Yamazaki is returning to the director’s chair to helm the very anticipated sequel in Godzilla: Minus Zero! With how excellent Minus One was and how perfectly captured the nature of not just Godzilla but the best of humanity itself, there is just no reason to NOT be excited for this sequel or have any doubt that Mr. Yamazaki will NOT be able to deliver here. I don’t need to know much about this film other than the fact that it’s a sequel to Godzilla: Minus One and it’s suppose to come out in 2026 to have it up THIS high on the list! BRING ME GOJIRA!!!
1.) The Odyssey
If there is one director working today that can get people excited based on their name alone, it’s Christopher Nolan! If there is one director that you can contained will give 110% effort into every film that they make, it’s Christopher Nolan! If there is one director whose film will give everyone their full money’s worth for their IMAX ticket, it’s Christopher Nolan! If there is one director that gives you a slight bit of hope for the future of cinema, it’s Christopher Nolan! With an extraordinary cast and crew in front of and behind the camera, source material that was made to be adapted to the big screen, and made by a filmmaker whose desire is to make films the way they are suppose to be made and seen on the big screen, I have little reason to NOT put The Odyssey as my most anticipated film of 2026! If this ends up becoming the cultural and box office phenomenon that Oppenheimer managed to be in the summer of 2023, then there might just a reason to be optimistic for the future of films! Bring it on Matt Damon and Christopher Nolan! I’ll will be there day one!
Hello, everybody! I hope you are having a very happy new year thus far! I just wanted to give you all a quick update on my plans for 2026 on this blog and what to look forward to in the future!
To be honest, I don’t have much to say that is entirely new that I didn’t mention in my last blog update. But since I deleted that a few days ago to save some space for this year, I figure I would go over again what I want to do for this blog for 2026!
As many who follow me through this blog probably know, 2025 was a very up and down year for me! I couldn’t upload as much as I wanted to because there was just too many personal life distractions for me. Because of that, most of the pieces throughout 2025 involved top 10 lists or rankings of certain franchises or directors. Those are usually very easy for me to do, which is why I was able to crank them out throughout the year.
However, I am looking to turn over a new leaf for next year. By that I mean that I am looking to be much more productive throughout 2026! Not only through my personal life but on here as well! I am looking to be much more active and make more pieces on here per week!
2026 is shaping up to be a MASSIVE year in terms of films, entertainment, and pop culture! I want to capitalize on that as much as I can, being able to keep up to date with the latest news surrounding entertainment and even sports! Because of that, I want to go back to making reviews on the latest movies and video games that I am interested in. I even have a plan to do one on the first movie I plan to see this weekend, We Buy The Dead! I will also have a list of my most anticipated films of 2026 that should be out tomorrow!
And that’s about it! I am very much looking forward to 2026 and what pure chaos awaits me! Thanks to everyone out there in the world that takes the time out of their day to read up on what I have to say on here! I owe you all my life!
Look forward to more content on here and cheers for a merry 2026!
Another year of entertainment has come and gone so it’s time to look back at some of the very best that it had to offer in terms of films. It’s been a wild and chaotic year and 2026 is looking to be even more wild and chaotic! That’s why it’s now time to share my picks for the top ten best films of 2026 (that I actually saw)!
I did not see EVERY film I wanted to see by the end of the year. These include films that have gotten rave reviews from critics and audiences such as Bugonia, Drop, Good Boy, and The Long Walk. I’ll see them whenever I can but I couldn’t see them on time for this list. Perhaps in the future, I’ll make an updated list of the best films of 2025 and I might include them once I see them. But for now, just know that I couldn’t see every critically darling to come out in 2024.
Before we get started with the list, I decided to bring back something I entirely skipped out on last year but decided to bring it back this year. That being a special mention AND an unqualifiable mention!
The special mention refers to a specific film that I couldn’t find room to put into my best-of lists but I do think it’s at least worth a shoutout. Whether it’s from a personal bias or a film that has been overlooked/undiscovered, this category is reserved specifically for those kind of films.
The unqualifiable mention refers to a specific film that could be destined to be an all-time classic or even a game changer for the genre or medium it’s a part of but it’s quality is strongly dependent on how it will stand the test of time in either the current moment of the franchise it’s a part of or the current moment of pop culture or even just events in general.
Special Mention:
There was a brand new 2D animated Looney Tunes adventure that came out this year and nobody went to see it. The Day The Earth Blew Up felt like being transported back in time, a time to where you would see fresh and exciting 2D animated adventures on the big screen with no reservations whatsoever! This is a loving throwback to the early Looney Tunes animation, it moves at a brisk pace with physical comedy left and right, and it felt nice that films like this are still able to sneak their way into theaters and make for a very enjoyable theatrical experience. If you have been someone that has been STARVING for brand new 2D animated flicks, make sure to check out The Day The Earth Blew Up!
Unqualifiable Mention:
I don’t think there has been a film that captures this exact moment we are living it in terms of current events and encapsulates how absolutely f**ked up the 2020s has been to our insanity! I’m not the biggest Paul Thomas Anderson fan but he absolutely brought his A-game here! It’s about as perfectly shot, acted, and directed as a film can get! The main thing on my mind about One Battle After Another is how will history look back upon this picture as the political landscape changes in the next several years, ESPECIALLY in a post-Donald Trump world! Will history look back on it as Democrats making a point about how illegal immigration should be treated with much proper care and that I.C.E. was NEVER the answer to it?! Will history look back on it as Republicans being in the right and shows how insane the left has gotten since 2016?! And the biggest one of them all: will film studios allows more films like this to be made as not just political landscapes changes but also more and more studios start to emerge with one another, with billionaire corporations taken over and jeopardizing the entire idea around creative filmmaking? Regardless, One Battle After Another has developed quite the reputation since it’s release and will continue to do so as the years go boy. As we enter to what many are considered the “post-woke” era of America, I imagine this film could be seen as Hollywood’s one last bold statement about these uncertain and troubling times we are living in!
Now here are a handful of films that just BARELY missed this list
The Naked Gun (2025)
Ne Zha 2
Demon Slayer: Infinite Castle
The Housemaid
Now onto the main top ten!
10.) Companion
Remember when these kind of films where mocked and ridiculed because the idea of men wanting to have sex with robots was considered too unrealistic?! (*laughs* 2013’s Her *laughs*) In all seriousness (or at least as serious as I can make it be), this about as tight (and scarily realistic) exploration of humanity engaging with A.I. in more ways than one! It’s certainly pulpy but it knows that and is proudly so. The entire cast is great (with Sophie Thatcher being PURE robot mother), the direction is sublime, and it’s able to have a good sense of humor that doesn’t take you out of the experience! Although this might become a film that will get harder to watch for me as these sexbots could possibly become more common (Finger crossed it doesn’t!), Companion does make for one very engaging sci-fi thriller that should not be missed!
9.) Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery
Rian Johnson and Daniel Craig return once again to deliver a mystery thriller that’s not only just an excuse to show off an expansive cast that Mr. Johnson was able to get during their free time but also has delicious commentary on religion and Christianity. It’s a good showcase as to how one’s religious faith can be corrupted if they refuse to see through any other lenses and how Christian nationalism can turn people away if they go too far in injecting their beliefs onto others. As someone that grew up as a Christian, that message and it’s overall examination of my religion really hit home with me. Throw in perhaps the most compelling mystery in any one of these films to date with an intriguing setting and a cast that always looks like they are having fun in these movies, Wake Up Dead Man shows that the mystery/thriller genre is really where Rian Johnson hits home at. Even though this is the third Knives Out adventure to date, I can see this working to those that either loved or hated the previous two films.
8.) Superman (2025)
James Gunn arrived to save the day with his own take on the man of tomorrow while also aiming to give DC a second leash on live with a rebooted cinematic universe. Superman (2025) presents us with a Clark Kent we can all get behind and root for, acting as the perfect counter-culture hero who values kindness in a world that no longer calls for that. And after over a decade of Superman portrayals that have ranged from him being moody and depressed to being flat out evil, it’s more than refreshing to see Superman here being someone that represents hope, optimism, and has absolutely NO agenda other than wanting to be a good person that saves people. The cast is all near perfect (the main trio of David Corneswet’s Clark Kent, Rachel Brosnahan’s Lois Lane & Nicholas Hoult’s Lex Luthor could not have played off each other better), the tone feels right at home with classic Superman, the spectacle is cool, and it even has those traditional superhero elements from earlier superhero films such as Sam Raimi’s Spider-Man that I have missed in these kinds of movies for so long. I don’t know how the future of Mr. Gunn’s DC Universe will hold after the inevitable WB merger with either Netflix or Paramount but I’m still glad we are able to still get superhero flicks that reminds us all why we love superheroes!
7.) F1
Coming off the highs of the box office juggernaut that was 2022’s Top Gun Maverick, director Joseph Kosinski follows that up with yet another incredibly well made and genuine crowd pleaser that was just made to be seen on the big screen! Brad Pitt proves he still has a bit of star power in him as he enters his 60s and Damson Idris is a young movie star just waiting to burst out onto the scenes (Marvel Studios better have him casted as King T’Challa whenever the timing is right!) The incredible racing sequences and off-the-chart sound designs made the experience worth the extra few dollars for IMAX, there’s a solid pace and momentum throughout despite the 150+ minute long runtime, the character drama works, the themes surrounding tough love, mentorship, teamwork, and redemption are all executed to near perfection, and even the standard cliches you would expect for these kind of racing movies have their special place here. While I’m not entirely sure this is an experience that will be as satisfying to watch at home as opposed to the big screen, F1 are the kind of old-school summer blockbusters films that we need more of now than possibly ever before!
6.) Weapons
After delivering an instant horror classic with 2022’s Barbarian, Zach Cregger is able to deliver a masterful follow-up in Weapons that is better in just about every way! This is like if you take Prisoners, Pulp Fiction, Insidious, Barbarian, and Evil Dead, put them all in a blender, and you get this absolute delightful treat as an result! It’s intense, perfectly paced, engaging as hell, will get under your skin in the best way possible, and will have you put together the pieces in very satisfying ways as soon as the credits roll. Plus, it might just have probably the most satisfying payoff of a climax that I have seen in a movie in 2025! Between this and one other possible mention on this list, it’s nice to know that not only excellent original horror films are still getting made but they are able to be solid crowd pleasers that even the mainstream audience can get behind! I can only hope that this is a sign to come that Hollywood is willing to take more chances with not just horror movies but original films in general.
5.) K-Pop: Demon Hunters
I never would’ve guessed that an animated film made by Sony would end up having the biggest impact among pop culture of all film released in 2025 but nevertheless, the animated Netflix exclusive, K-Pop Demon Hunters is worth all the hype and then some! I don’t think we have seen an animated musical being this hyped up and celebrated since Frozen! We follow a group of young female K-Pop superstars as they must juggle their work/personal life balance of being beloved rockstars while also during their part-time duty with slaying demons. Once they clash with a boy band, who happen to be rockstars but also demons at the same time, the girls are put to the test with trying to accomplish the best versions of themselves as singers and demon slayers. The animation is breathtaking, the characters are endearing, it moves at such a fast clip that it’s hard to not be entertained by anything happening, and the songs will be living rent free in your area for quite some time. K-Pop Demon Hunters represents a miracle for original animation, proving that there might indeed be some creative spark left for original animated properites!
4.) Warfare
Based on the real-life experiences of Ray Mendoza during his service in the Iraq war as a U.S. Navy SEAL, Warfare act as an re-enactment of an encounter he and his platoon experienced on November 19, 2006, in the wake of the Battle of Ramadi. Warfare is a war film that has no goal other than showcasing the life-changing events that shattered the life and mental stability of a group of hard fighting soldiers that were sent to a war that they had ZERO business being part of (Thanks, Mr. Bush and Mr. Cheney (R.I.P. Bozo!)). There’s no traditional Hollywood war tropes, no forms of military or American propaganda, and never tries to waste your time with filler of any kind. It’s 90 minutes of horror, intensity, and filling you in the shoes of being an everyday soldier in the army. The cast shines, every action sequence will have you on the edge of your seat, and it’s so refreshing to see a film where the filmmakers try to be 100% as accurate to the true events it’s based on as possible. If Garland wants to continue making films with real-life and important subject matter, hopefully he takes the rights notes from this film and NOT with say Men (*insert PTSD*) and he might just get even better in the future.
3.) Guillermo Del Toro’s Frankenstein
If you want to talk about a filmmaking match made in heaven, look no further than with Guillermo Del Toro’s Frankenstein! Monster flicks like this are ALWAYS a passion project for Guillermo and man that is absolutely NOT an exception here! It’s beautifully crafted, masterfully directed, perfectly performed by the cast (Oscar Isaac being a main standout as the lead), and it’s able to dig into themes surrounding narcissism, humanity, and identity that are in the novel that the film is based on about as faithfully as it can be. It’s able to take a familiar story but tell it in a new and exciting way that it more than justifies it’s existence. Oh, and big props to Jacob Elordi for making me eat my words and deliver an excellent performance as the Creature! I think everyone knew that Gilluermo Del Toro would always be the perfect fit to helm a modern Frankenstein movie and he’s able to fully deliver on all of those expectations! I only wish I could’ve seen this in theaters!
At least we are supposedly getting a physical media copy for this film! I guess there may still be a God after all!
2.) Marty Supreme
If you thought the Safdies couldn’t get more intense than Uncut Gems, Marty Supreme makes that film look like child’s play in comparison! Here we have a film that is (partially) based on true events of Marty Mauser, a man who had to go through hell and back to become the best table-tennis player on the planet! Once again, Safdie leaves no stone unturned in crafting a film that will make for the most batsh*t crazy experience imaginable but one you can NEVER look away from. I can’t recall a film in recent memory where it just left me GLUED to the seat and left me wondering after every scene, “WTF IS GONNA HAPPEN NEXT?!” It’s sharply directed, moves as about as good as a pace as one can in a film that’s over two hours and it cleverly subverts your expectations from expecting a basic biopic of a typical table tennis player to showing a young man rushing his way into adulthood and facing all kinds of consequences for it. And yes, Timothée Chalamet is an absolute movie star in the making, the kind we absolutely do NOT get anymore! While there will be plenty of people barking at the historical accuracy of this motion picture, that doesn’t change the fact that Marty Supreme will still go down as one of the most exhilarating films of 2025!
1.) Sinners
In a time where Hollywood desperately needs more creative voices than ever, Ryan Coogler comes on in to craft what is perhaps the most original and unique blockbuster in recent memory! Sinners is more than just an expertly well done horror period flick but it’s a genuine glimmer of light of the creatively bankrupted nature in Hollywood. It’s prove that there are still distinct, creative voices in Hollywood and directors that are looking to push boundaries of what filmmaking can be in the year of our lord and savior in 2025! The cast is top tier from top to bottom (especially with Michael B Jordan and Mrs. Josh Allen), it has the right mix of blood, gore, scares, and glorious amounts of sexiness that you don’t get from most films nowadays, the production values are top notch, and nearly every single plot point and thematic arc gets a payoff of some sort by the end. It’s even impressive to have post-credits scenes that don’t just exist to give a tease for the sequel or a cheap gag but to actually expand upon the complete ending of the full complete picture. The fact that this film was able to make more domestically than ANY Marvel Studios film released this year just goes to show that there is indeed a desire for original stories, studios just need to bother putting the effort into it! As the future of the film industry remains dire and uncertain with more studios and corporations taking over and merging with one another, Sinners is a reminder of what modern films can be when you let the titled director cook and take a chance on a new idea! Because of that and more, Sinners is my absolute favorite film of 2025!
We are about to enter 2026 and because of that, I thought it would be fun to make some predictions on how I will think certain movies will do at the box office next year!
As we head into the second half of the 2020s, there is a LOT of uncertainty surrounding movie theaters and the film industry in general. From the emergence of A.I. to yet another massive company merger between Netflix (or Paramount), Hollywood is changing in ways that could dangerously affect filmmaking and entertainment in the immediate future.
However, there have been many analysts that predict that 2026 will be the biggest year at the box office since Covid happened. Because of that, many still believe that there could be a possibility that movie theaters will be seeing a MASSIVE comeback next year, proving to studios that there is still a large audience out there that do love going to movie theaters. While I can certainly understand the optimism, I do think certain people NEED to come back to reality in regards to their box office predictions for next year.
Yes, I do believe that there will be plenty of heavy hitters next year that will find its fair share of box office success but it’s simply not 2019 anymore! A market that consists of six to eight billion dollar grossers is just not sustainable in today’s economy. (And the less said about the inevitable A.I. bubble burst that could affect the already shitty economy in massive ways, the better!) Because of that, I still don’t see the box office in 2026 being on the same level as it was in a pre-covid world and I don’t think we ever will see that ever again!
Keep in mind, I DO hope there are many hits at the box office this year! I DO hope that we get as many billion dollar grossers as possible! I want the theater experience to continue being alive and well! I’ve been going to movie theaters for over the past two decades and I still make very fond memories of the theatrical experience every single year that I go! But since we are now entering the sixth year in a post-covid timeline, I have to be as realistic as possible with my predictions of how the movie will do in theaters for 2026 and for the foreseeable future! And I have to make those predictions based on the box office results that we have gotten for the past four to five years!
I decided I will give my predictions on 20 films that are currently set to be released in 2026! Ten of those movies will be what I believe will be the top 10 highest grossing films of 2026 worldwide! The other ten will be ranked based on release date and will contain films that I think will either surprise people in the best way or absolutely disappoint them in the worst ways at the box office!
And I promise I am NOT making these box office predictions for movies in any personal biased way. I am making the predictions strictly based on how I personally think these movies will do at the box office. So if you get mad at me, I’m sorry but I gotta go with what my gut feeling is on how I think each individual film will do in theaters next year!
Let’s not waste any more time and dive straight into what I believe will be the #1 highest grossing film of 2026!
1.) The Super Mario Galaxy Movie
Release Date: April 3rd
Box Office Prediction: $1.7+ Billion
That’s right! I have Mario winning it all in 2026! After the past few years and seeing what has ended up being the most successful films of the decade thus far, I think it might be time we stop UNDERESTIMATING animated family films and video game adaptations while stop OVERESTIMATING superhero flicks. The Super Mario Bros. Movie was able to gross over $1.3+ billion worldwide in 2023 and I expect this sequel to gross even more than that. It’s gotten only more popular on streaming and I imagine young kids are hyped as heck to see the sequel when it comes out!
With the inclusion of fan favorite characters such as Yoshi, Rosalina, and Bowser Jr. to adapting what is widely considered to be two of the best Mario games (if not the best video games) of all time in the Super Mario Galaxy series, I have little doubt that our beloved Italia….I’m sorry BROOKLYN plumbers will be able to make lightning strike twice once again! From what we’ve seen in the trailers, it looks like it will give the audiences what they enjoyed about the first movie and perhaps even more. Some might consider $1.7+ Billion to be a somewhat unrealistic number for a Mario movie sequel but then again, I’m pretty sure the same thing was said for the likes of Inside Out 2 and Zootopia 2, which I strongly believe will follow in similar footsteps.
With how animated family films and video game adaptations have been dominating at the box office in the 2020s just as superhero films dominated the box office in the 2010s, I have very little doubt that The Super Mario Galaxy Movie will take the crown as the highest grossing film of 2026! No amount of RDJ and Chris Evans returning to the MCU will be able to stop the inevitable that is Chris Pratt as Star Lor…..I mean Mario and Brie Larson as Captain Marv…….I mean Rosalina!
2.) Avengers: Doomsday
Release Date: December 18th
Box Office Prediction: $1.5+ Billion
Marvel is not the juggernaut it once was! It’s very unlikely they will ever be able to recapture that same consistent lightning in the bottle they were able to from 2012 to 2019! However, films like Deadpool & Wolverine have proven that audiences will still show up to these movies if it includes characters that they are deeply invested in and/or at least STRONGLY familiar with! And with the return of Robert Downey Jr. as Iron Ma…….I mean Doctor Doom, Chris Evans as Captain America, Chris Hemsworth as Thor, and the original X-Men from the Fox Marvel universe, Marvel will certainly be looking to capitalize on the familiarly and nostalgia of their past to make this the gigantic hit it will need to be!
The main question though is how much longer can they lean into that before audiences are sick and tired of it all together?! Will there be enough easter eggs, callbacks, and fan service cameos to overcome it’s messy and rushed development cycle and make back on what certainly will be an INCREDIBLY bloated budget?! Can they end this film in a way that will get audiences excited for Secret Wars in 2027 and whatever comes next for the MCU after that? The Russo Brothers have had a remarkable level of success with Marvel in the past but they might just have their work cut out for them here!
Still, if it does end up somehow sticking the landing on what has been an uneven as hell multiverse saga, I can see Doomsday doing Age of Ultron-level numbers (Remember when THAT was considered a box office disappointment for Marvel?) or right around the numbers of the first Avengers movie. If not, then I can see this being another Rise of Skywalker situation, in just BARELY making it past the billion dollar mark and putting this franchise on hold for several years, forced to several rethink their strategy for the future. While this will still do more than enough to be qualified as one of the highest grossing films of the year, whether or not this will change the “post-Endgame MCU bad” narrative remains to be seen!
3.) Spider-Man: Brand New Day
Release Date: July 31st
Box Office Prediction: $1.2+ Billion
Even in an era where superhero fatigue is at an all-time high, Spider-Man will ALWAYS be a box office draw no matter what! Him and Batman have proven themselves constantly to be perhaps the lone superhero IPs that can still draw box office hits in the most uncertain times of the genre based on their names alone, at least if the success of No Way Home ($1.9+ billion), The Batman ($772+ million), and Across the Spider-Verse ($690+ million) is anything to go by.
And NO, this will NOT be a No Way Home box office juggernaut but that should be expected considering this will (likely) not have the nostalgia of the good old days with William Dafoe and Tobey Maguire attached to it. A more reasonable comparison should be that of Far From Home, which was able to successfully ride the cocktails of Avengers: Endgame with $1.1+ billion. I expect similar numbers to that, if not a bit more.
Between the additions of fan favorite Marvel characters such as The Punisher, Hulk, and whoever the heck Sadie Sink is suppose to be playing along with there being a decent amount of time since the last Spider-Man movie came out to generate hype (No Way Home turns HALF a decade old this year btw!), Brand New Day will act like the golden era of Marvel never left and should very easily be a success for Sony and Marvel.
4.) Michael
Release Date: April 24th
Box Office Prediction: $950+ Million
Now, THIS is one that I can see being a global phenomenon. Michael Jackson is no doubt the most popular musician of all time. With the high trailer numbers and the multiple generations of fans that MJ has gained throughout the course of several decades, there should be no reason to doubt his annual biopic will be a huge theatrical success. Except for one thing: his controversial backstory.
And I’m not just talking about the supposed made-up rumors of his past that have been debunked numerous times! I’m talking more of what’s come out recently with his connections to a certain someone that shall not be named because I don’t want to get banned from this website! Although MJ still has yet to be proven guilty of any particular involvement, I do wonder if more info comes out of of that before the film’s release, could that possibly affect the box office numbers for this movie and the overall reputation of Mr. Jackson?
If not, then I could easily see Michael topping Bohemian Rhapsody as the highest grossing musical biopic of all time, possibly hovering around or even reaching the billion dollar mark. This seems like the kind of film that will get people who don’t go to theaters anymore off their couch, similar to the likes of Top Gun: Maverick and Barbenheimer. Even though this film will be released in April, this will likey be seen as the true kick-off to the summer movie season of 2026!
5.) Toy Story 5
Release Date: June 19th
Box Office Prediction: $900+ Million
Toy Story is back…….again! For the supposed final (?) time……again! Yeah, as much as we all love to complain about Disney and Pixar making nonstop sequels, we all know why they get made! Because they are basically the only thing that makes Mickey Mouse and Woody a butt load of money nowadays! Just look at the box office numbers of Inside Out 2 and Zootopia 2 compared to Wish and Elio! However, I do think it will fall short of the billion dollars that Disney and Pixar expect this to make!
To compare the box office numbers of the last two Toy Story movies, Toy Story 4 made $1.073+ billion about nine years after Toy Story 3, which made around $1.066+ billion. That’s less than a seven million dollar increase between these two films despite being nearly a decade apart! Thrown in the negative scrutiny that has hit Toy Story 4 (At least online!) since its release in 2019 and the overall fatigue of this franchise (Remember the spectacular bomb that was Lightyear?!) and I can see this missing the billion dollar mark this time around!
There will still be plenty of kids and families that will go see this film in drones to make it at least flirt with the billion dollar mark but I do expect Toy Story 5 to take a bit of a nosedive from previous films when it comes to box office numbers! It should still do strong, just not the best!
6.) Minions 3
Release Date: July 1st
Box Office Prediction: $850+ Million
I may not understand the appeal of these films but there’s no denying that this is a very consistent franchise at the box office! Since 2010, Illumination Animation has been able to crack the code on how to make crowd pleasing animated flicks for young kids, forcing their parents to take them to the movie theaters every other summer to see the newest Despicable Me and Minions movie that comes out.
In regards to the installments that have come from this franchise post-covid, Minions: The Rise of Guru was able to make $940+ million in 2022 and Despicable Me 4 made $971+ million in 2024! Due to a much more crowded summer than in 2022 and 2024, having to compete with other family flicks such as Toy Story 5 and Moana (2026), I do expect this one to take a tad decline as well, in a similar way to Jurassic World: Rebirth was with Universal’s other money making franchise. Much like the latest installment last summer in the dino-verse, this will do strong and have more legs compared to other big franchises out there but not nearly enough to break all-time records or shock the world in amazement!
Between Minions 3 and The Super Mario Galaxy Movie, Illumination Animation will definitely be eating GOOD for 2026! Somewhere, Disney must be sweating!
7.) The Odyssey
Release Date: July 17th
Box Office Projection: $750+ Million
I feel like I need to defend myself here when I really shouldn’t! To be sure, a film like this making at least 750 million dollar signs in this day and age should be seen as a MAJOR accomplishment! There is no other filmmaker working today other than Christopher Nolan that could generate this level of excitement with a project such as The Odyssey! When you have people pre-ordering their tickets for a film that won’t even be out in a year, you know you have a big hit on your hand!
However, I don’t see this being on the same level as Oppenheimer (which made $975+ million) as it won’t have the “Barbenheimer” hype attached to it and will have to compete against much stronger films throughout the summer compared to what Nolan had to compete against in 2023. Not to mention, the potential loss of its IMAX screens after it’s first two weeks due to Spider-Man: Brand New Day could greatly affect repeated viewings for its theatrical release!
This will still certainly be in the top 10 highest grossing films of the year! Christopher Nolan is perhaps the one director working today to where his name attached to a film alone will guarantee box office success (Every film that Nolan has directed since The Dark Knight has been able to achieve this mark, even Tenet during the covid year!). However, the road to doing Oppenheimer level numbers will be much tougher for Mr. Nolan this time around!
8.) Moana (2026)
Release Date: July 10th
Box Office Prediction: $700+ Million
This is the one that I’m probably gonna get the most hate for but I have my reasons to NOT put this among the potential billion dollar grossers of the year! Moana is undoubtedly one of the most popular Disney brands right now, with the original animated film being the most streamed movie ever on Disney Plus and its sequel making a billion dollars just a year ago! What will likely hold this film back other than the crowded family summer movie season is its lack of nostalgia factor!
Live-action remakes like The Lion King (2019) and Lilo & Stitch (2025) were able to be the billion dollar grossers they did BECAUSE of the nostalgia attached to those films, which gave kids enough time to grow up, become nostalgic for the original animated Disney classics, and have raised kids of their own to share the theatrical experience with! Moana (2026) will be coming out at a time where the original animated film won’t even be fully 10 years old yet and just a year and a half after its animated sequel came out! Nostalgia only works when you give the kids enough time to actually grow up and become nostalgic for something.
It will still be a solid success since the Moana brand is still strong and has grown even stronger in recent years but I’m just not sure there will be enough support from kids and families this time around to watch a (likely) inferior live-action version of an original animated film they already love to guarantee a billion dollars!
9.) Jumanji 4
Release Date: December 11th
Box Office Prediction: $650+ Million
Did you know that a new Jumanji movie is coming out next December? You don’t?! Well, there is! After a seven-year absence (that seems to be quite a trend), Sony is bringing back the Jumanji crew once again with a 4th installment that has still yet to be officially titled!
Jumanji: Welcome To The Jungle was able to gross nearly a billion dollars worldwide back in 2017 at a total finish of $962.5 million! The Next Level took a dip in 2019 but still grossed a strong $800+ million! Considering how much time has passed between the last installment and how much the theatrical landscape has changed since then, I do expect the next installment to make less than the last two. If the budget is in check, it should be considered a modest hit that should satisfy the higher ups at Sony and at least FLIRT with the idea of a fifth one.
The only question is here is whether or not Avengers: Doomsday and (at least at that moment) Dune: Part Three will kill any sort of legs and momentum this film could contain, just like how Barbenheimer was able to successfully bury Mission: Impossible- Dead Reckoning during the summer of 2023! Time will tell but considering how well-received the last two installments were, this should do just fine!
10.) Dune: Part Three
Release Date: December 18th
Box Office Prediction: $600+ Million
To make some clarifications, this prediction is NOT because I actually think Warner Bros is gonna stick with that December release date alongside Avengers: Doomsday! Despite what it’s been reported, I’m more than confident that the release date will be pushed up to October, switching with one of the other films that WB has planned for the fall, probably with either Tom Cruise’s Digger or M. Night Shyamalan’s Remain. Mr. Villeneuve likely wants to move on from this film ASAP so he can focus on the James Bond film he is currently attached to that’s set for release in 2028. And also NO, this is NOT based on the Netflix and Warner Bros merger because a.) I don’t even think the merger will be 100% complete by then and b.) WB still has films contracted to be in theater screens through 2029, which Netflix MUST respect if they want to avoid lawsuits. This prediction alone is based on the book which this third chapter is based on, Dune Messiah.
Not to give too many spoilers but Messiah was a rather divisive story that has been constantly debated among fans since the book was published back in 1969. It follows up the story of Paul Atreides in rather unexpected and subversive ways, which many people deemed to be very unsatisfying and unfulfilling to his story. And following the negative reactions to a film like Joker Folie A Deux, a whole “pull the rug from underneath” approach to storytelling can be quite alienating to common moviegoers!
I still do trust Denis Villeneuve to find some way to make the conclusion to Paul’s story satisfying in ways that will leave most audiences satisfied! But at its worst, I wouldn’t be surprised for Dune: Part Three to fall short of its predecessor similarly to how Wicked: For Good did (which is currently set to make at least 200 million dollars LESS than it’s predecessor). I guess there can be a price to pay for sticking too closely to the source material! Just ask Edgar Wright!
And now here are predictions for ten other films that are currently set to be released in 2026! This is not in order of box office success but by the current release dates.
28 Years Later: The Bone Temple
Release Date: January 16th
Box Office Prediction- $100+ Million
28 Years Later was able to gross $150+ million during the summer last year but its divisive reception could sink this one a bit down. If The Bone Temple is able to finish what its predecessor started in a satisfying way, it might push a bit higher. If not, then I expect quite a decrease from it, possibly putting a potential third movie in peril.
Scream 7
Release Date: February 27th
Box Office Prediction-$150+ Million
It’s nice to see Neve Campbell return after her brief hiatus in Scream VI along with all the members of the cast from the original Scream but Paramount’s firing of Melissa Barrera and the absence of Jenna Ortega has put quite a rain cloud above this installment. It should still do fine as I imagine most mainstream audiences are unaware of the behind the scenes drama here. However, the controversy surrounding Scream 7 among the fanbase will likely cause it to make less than the previous film.
Hoppers
Release Date: March 6th
Box Office Prediction-$300+ Million
I’m a LITTLE higher on this one than most people. The fact this latest Pixar film will involve a talking furry animal of some sort will attract international markets this time around (Just ask Zootopia 2!), unlike their latest flop in Elio. Plus, it will have the benefit of acting as the sole theatrically released animated kids film until Mario comes out the next month. That being said, original animated films are a TOUGH sell nowadays. Between Hoppers, Disney’s Hexed, DreamWorks’s Forgotten Island, and Sony’s Goat, western animation studios will have to work hard to get their latest original animated films to be a success.
Project Hail Mary
Release Date: March 27th
Box Office Prediction-$575+ Million
I’m surprised more people aren’t talking about this being a modest box office hit! The Martian was able to gross $630+ million in 2015 and I can see this doing similar numbers to that. It’s got a likable lead in Ryan Gosling, an extremely talented directing duo in Phil Lord & Chris Miller (Their first film they’ve received full director credit for since 2014’s 22 Jump Street!) and is based off a very popular book from the same author as The Martian. If the cast and crew are able to work their magic, I can see Project Hail Mary fighting for a spot in the top 10 highest grossing films both domestically AND worldwide! Word of mouth will have to carry this one but if it does, this should be easily Amazon MGM’s most successful film at the box office to date!
The Devil Wears Prada 2
Release Date: May 1st
Box Office Prediction- $475+ Million
Here’s another box office hit that I think will be a delightful surprise. The original Devil Wears Prada has certainly earned a cult following since its release in 2006 and I truly believe fans of the original will show up to support Meryl Streep and Anne Hathaway once again 20 years later. Between this, Barbie, and Wicked, it seems like Hollywood has finally got the memo that women will show up to movies if you actually make movies that cater to them!
Mortal Kombat II
Release Date: May 15th
Box Office Prediction-$200+ Million
The first Mortal Kombat film was a flop when it came out in 2021 but that was during a time when there was so much uncertainty surrounding covid and Warner Bros were releasing their films on streaming on the same day as theaters. With the sequel getting a more proper theatrical release and the trailers indicating this will deliver the goods that fans wanted from the first film, I can see this doing quite well this time around, at least around on par with the Five Nights At Freddy’s movies.
The Mandalorian & Grogu
Release Date: May 22nd
Box Office Prediction- $400+ Million
Whoever at Lucasfilm thought that the first Star Wars movie released in seven years should be an extension of a Disney Plus show that ended three years ago deserves to be banned from Hollywood! The recognition of Mando & Baby Yoda will (hopefully) get this one to cross the 400 million dollar mark but that’s it! Whatever momentum that Star Wars gained last year with the theatrical re-release of Revenge of the Sith and the second season of Andor will be GREATLY swiped away here!
Supergirl
Release Date: June 26th
Box Office Prediction- $375+ Million
I will definitely get tomatoes thrown at me for this one but there are PLENTY of reasons for concern here. While Superman (2025) did fine overall and just enough to land in the top 10 of the year, its international numbers have shown that audiences overseas are just not into (most) superhero movies the way they were a decade ago. Also, being sandwiched in between Toy Story 5 and Minions 3 along with being followed up by Moana (2026), The Odyssey, and Spider-Man: Brand New Day certainly doesn’t help either. Perhaps good reviews and word-of-mouth might get this over $400+ million but I can’t help but feel like Supergirl will be 2026’s Furiosa/Ballerina, a well-received female-led film in a mostly male dominated genre that general audiences couldn’t be bothered to go see in theaters. Just like what Supergirl said in the trailer, Superman might see the good in everything but I see the truth!
Clayface
Release Date: September 11th
Box Office Prediction- $250+ Million
I don’t know who in the world was asking for a Clayface movie but if it is has a tight budget and is a satisfying crowd pleaser, this will be another successful story in the horror genre!
The Hunger Games: Sunrise on the Reaping
Release Date: November 26th
Box Office Prediction- $500+ Million
Here’s a sequel that I can see doing much better than the last film! With a much more expansive cast (including the return of Jennifer Lawrence and Josh Hutcherson) and being based on a critically acclaimed book, there’s little doubt in my mind that this Hunger Games prequel will top the previous film in just about every way! May the odds be forever in MY favor!
Avatar: Fire & Ash is now out in theaters and it is absolutely CRUSHING it at the box office, just passing over one billion dollars worldwide. With that, there are now a total of 61 movies to have made a billion dollars at the box office. Regardless if inflation or re-releases also helps with that (which they both do), a movie has made a total of over seven bills at least 61 times throughout cinema history. Because of that, I decided to go ahead and do a ranking of every single one of these since I’ve actually seen all of these movies at least one time.
This will make for a rather complicated list, even more so than other lists I make on here. This will be a fine mix between what I believe is the best movie from an objective standpoint, what I believe is the best from a subjective standpoint, and the impact each one has had on pop culture for better and worse. I’ve thought about this for quite awhile now so it’s time for me to rank them.
If you disagree with this list, then by all means disagree but please don’t be a jerk about it. We have enough of those on the internet. I really don’t take much pride in these lists and rankings other than to have some fun. Opinions change everyday and this ranking is just how I feel at the exact moment that I’m publishing this list.
Also, since it’s going to be 61 movies, I’m not gonna go into detail on any one of those and just show the number I have ranked for each movie. I’ll just say which movie is ranked where and show off a trailer for it because why not? I might even update the list once another movie comes around that makes a billion dollars and see how much of my opinion on this list has changed since then.
Let’s not waste anymore time and get right down to it.
SpongeBob SquarePants has been going on for over 25+ years now. And in that 25+ year long gap, he has started in six different feature movies. While the original SpongeBob SquarePants movie was designed as being the epilogue of the entire television series back in 2004, his popularity for Nickelodeon has been off the charts for the past two decades, leading to the show’s continuation to this very day and five more feature movies that have been released since then. Since Search for SquarePants is now out on in theaters, it’s time to rank the six feature-length SpongeBob movies we have thus far from worst to best.
6.) Saving Bikini Bottom: The Sandy Cheeks Movie
Saving Bikini Bottom: A Sandy Cheeks Movie is one of the worst things to ever happened to SpongeBob SquarePants and is perhaps the worst of all of the SpongeBob movies. It takes nearly every problem of the very worst of SpongeBob medium and cranks it up to 11. The plot is non-existent, the characters are at their most one-note and nonsensical, there’s not a single joke that isn’t stolen from older SpongeBob material, the direction and special effects for the live-action sequences are jaw droppingly awful, and the main villain is one of the worst, obnoxious, and most cringeworthy villains ever put to film. Not even previous saving graces from other bad SpongeBob movies and episodes such as the animation and voice work are good here. It’s ironic how the main thing going with the villains is that they are a big corporation that is wanting to capture SpongeBob and the rest of Bikini Bottom for the sake of merchandises and branding. When watching the movie, it comes across as Nickelodeon patching itself on the back for letting SpongeBob be what he has become for the past two decades. And especially after the passing of Stephen Hillenburg, that is about the worst possible feeling imaginable.
5.) The SpongeBob Movie: Sponge On The Run
There are plenty of things to talk about with Sponge on the Run that has been talked about in length by hardcore fans. Like how the film acts like snails are incredibly rare now in the ocean despite the show having plenty of different snails in multiple episodes. Or that SpongeBob and Patrick can now go into a casino even though they are technically still kids. Or how SpongeBob literally now has a name for his stove at work. Or how SpongeBob literally says the word, “crappy” in the movie. It all just makes you wonder what Sponge On The Run would have been like if Stephen Hillenburg was still alive throughout the entire production. While there are definitely hints at what the man was trying to accomplish throughout Sponge On The Run, it can never escape that sense of cynicism and studio meddling that I imagine Tim Hill and crew really wanted to break out of from the clutches of the evil corporation of Nickelodeon themselves. Driven forward by a derivative/non-existent plot, contradictions to the SpongeBob lore, and the most forced advertisements for Kamp Koral imaginable, Sponge On The Run feels more like a broken shadow of SpongeBob’s older, peak self than one that feels like a worthy edition to him. At least it’s pretty to look at….I guess.
4.) The SpongeBob Movie: Search for SquarePants
The newest SpongeBob movie is FAR from the worst thing that has ever happened to our beloved yellow sponge! This does offers a nice expansion upon the father/son-like relationship between Mr. Krabs and SpongeBob (even if that is likely because of the fact this was originally suppose to be a spin-off series with Mr. Krabs) and a hilariously over-the-top performance with Mark Hamill as the Flying Dutchman! However, Search for SquarePants still can’t shake the feeling off ofjust feeling like yet another SpongeBob movie! SpongeBob’s overall arc about wanting to become a “big guy” feels like a water down version of his “wanting to become a man” arc from the first movie, most of the jokes fall flat, and the overall payoffs to each individual subplots are ones that even the youngest of kid will be able to see coming from a mile away. Does it makes for a mildly passable SpongeBob adventure for kids? Sure! Does it makes for a worthy big screen outing that you should absolutely take the whole family to see in theaters instead of waiting for it to come on streaming or television? Nope!
Although, if you do go see this movie in theaters, you get a rock solid Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Vs A.I. short! I guess that’s something!
3.) Plankton: The Movie
Never in a million years would I guess that a spin-off movie with Plankton would be among the better of the SpongeBob movies but here we are. On the surface, Plankton: The Movie comes across as yet another example of a pointless spin-off and something that just existed for the sake of having content on a streaming service. While that might be true on the business side of things, when it comes to the artistic side of things, this has more heart and charm than you would expected. You really get to see the relationship between Plankton and Karen get explored more here than ever before in the series, while still keeping the sense of humor and lightheartness that the series has always been known for. Not to mention, most of the female characters such as Sandy, Pearl, and Mrs. Puffs get their moments to shine here. There are certain gags that are quite repetitive and a retcon or two that will likely annoy the most diehard of fans but if you were someone that has been disappointed with the more recent SpongeBob movies, Plankton: The Movie makes for a nice palate cleanser and shows that perhaps SpongeBob spin-offs can indeed work.
2.) The SpongeBob Movie: Sponge Out Of Water
I can totally understand why The SpongeBob Movie: Sponge Out of Water is as divisive as it is among the fanbase. It contains some of the very best, very worst, and very “meh” parts of all of the SpongeBob movies thus far. That is basically what you get when you go with a whole “throw everything but the kitchen sink” approach to a movie. However, I can’t help but respect Sponge Out of Water for going as far and bonkers as it dares to go. It still has most of the characters that I love from the show, some of which got very little to do in the first movie and have more to do here, it’s got some crazy visuals that I thought I would never see in a SpongeBob movie, some of the movie spoofs it provides were quite fun, and there is a moral, while simplistic and predictable, that I think can resonate with kids the way the first film’s “kids rock” message resonated with me. When looking at it through those lenses, I would give Sponge Out of Water a thumbs up and a recommendation to anyone curious. I can’t say for certain it will work for you nor will you find the movie to be necessary but if you are just looking for an excuse to hang with SpongeBob and his friends for an hour and a half with enough visuals and gags to keep you entertained, I think this will fill that SpongeBob hole for you in ways that other SpongeBob sequels and spin-offs have not.
1.) The SpongeBob SquarePants Movie
The SpongeBob SquarePants Movie still remains an all-time classic in my eyes and the very best SpongeBob movie to date! Regardless of whether you view this as an adaption of the show, the epilogue of a beloved franchise, or even just as a simple kids/family film, it all works in every way it possibly can. Even if the clear target audience is for kids, I do think there is something for everyone to get out of no matter how old they are. Beautifully animated, perfectly written, immensely funny, and emotional beats that all feel earned (You are a robot sent from Skyler if you didn’t cry at SpongeBob and Patrick’s “death scene”!), I could not ask for a better SpongeBob movie than what Stephen and company was able to provide to the big screens back in 2004. Even as someone that’s turn 28 years old this year, I can’t help but have a strong attachment to this film as I get older. No matter what age I am, I will always feel proud to call myself a goofy goober! Even though this did not end up being the very last of the series like it was originally intended to, this still works perfectly as a definite end to the franchise. Despite the fact that multiple seasons and films involving SpongeBob have come along over the past two decades, it doesn’t change the fact that the timeless nature of it makes this feel like the main stopping point and everything that came after basically just what came before chronologically. It’s the way that Stephen Hillenburg always intended and quite frankly, it works all the better for it.
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