The 26 Most Anticipated Movies of 2026 - The Big Picture Recap

Podcast: The Big Picture

Published: 2026-01-06

Duration: 2 hr 23 min

Guests: Jack Sanders

Summary

Sean Fennessey and Amanda Dobbins discuss their top movie picks for 2026, while also catching up on holiday happenings, box office triumphs, and award season highlights.

What Happened

Sean Fennessey and Amanda Dobbins begin the episode by sharing personal anecdotes from their holiday break, discussing family movie traditions such as Amanda's family watching all the Star Wars films. They touch on how Amanda's daughter is venturing into new movie experiences instead of re-watching old favorites.

The hosts move on to discuss the box office success of recent films, noting 'Avatar: Fire and Ash' reaching over $1 billion in just 18 days, with a significant international contribution. Disney's animated features also dominated, with 'Zootopia 2' and 'Inside Out 2' climbing the ranks among the highest-grossing animated films.

The conversation shifts towards awards season, highlighting the National Society of Film Critics' choice of 'One Battle After Another' as the best picture, a film that has consistently won major awards. The Critics' Choice Awards also saw victories for Timothy Chalamet and Jesse Buckley, with Paul Thomas Anderson taking Best Director.

Sean and Amanda discuss several upcoming films that have piqued their interest for 2026. Maggie Gyllenhaal's 'The Bride,' a modern take on 'The Bride of Frankenstein,' and Danny Boyle's 'Inc.' about Rupert Murdoch are among the highlights.

Ruben Ostlund's 'The Entertainment System is Down,' set on a plane with a failed entertainment system, is noted for its unique premise. Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu's 'Digger,' expected at the Venice Film Festival, stars Tom Cruise, adding to the anticipated lineup.

The episode also covers genre films like Zach Cregger's new 'Resident Evil' film and Tony Gilroy's 'Behemoth' starring Pedro Pascal. Notably, Christopher Nolan's 'The Odyssey' and Steven Spielberg's 'Disclosure Day' are expected to be major cinematic events.

In the superhero realm, 'Avengers Doomsday' promises the return of Steve Rogers and the X-Men, while 'Toy Story 5' introduces a new character, Lily Pad. There is also a buzz around a live-action 'Moana' and a He-Man adaptation funded by Amazon.

Sean and Amanda round out the episode by discussing the anticipated horror releases from Robert Eggers and other directors, ensuring a diverse mix of cinematic offerings for 2026.

Key Insights