28 YEARS LATER: THE BONE TEMPLE (January 16)

I loved 28 Years Later, but I had uncomplicated feelings about the final sequence, finding it tonally jarring after the emotional events beforehand. Still, it left me unbearably curious about what insanity could be waiting in Nia DaCosta’s sequel, The Bone Temple. We’re given a glimpse into young Jimmy’s (Rocco Haynes) traumatic childhood in 28 Years Later’s prologue, and the film’s final sequence gives a taste of the unhinged ways in which it has shaped his life during the zombie apocalypse (portrayed by Jack O’Connell as an adult). I’m looking forward to how this is realized, as well as learning more about the tracksuit-clad, wig-wearing, acrobatic group of Jimmys that seemingly befriends Spike (Alphie Williams). I’m also interested in how DeCosta will communicate the cultural reality of the time, frozen in the 2000s memory. Plus, more of the brilliant Ralph Fiennes' compelling character, Dr Kelson, who was a highlight for me.  — Katie

SHRINKING: SEASON THREE (January 28)

One of my favourite shows in recent memory has been Apple TV's Shrinking. It's the perfect spiritual successor to Ted Lasso, and, in my eyes, has been just as good. In a world where mental health services aren’t as accessible as they should be, this is my therapy. This season is particularly special for me as it marks Michael J. Fox’s return to acting. My two favourite actors have long been Fox and Harrison Ford, so to see them share the screen will be like watching a show that was made especially for me. Beyond that, I’m looking forward to continued character development, continued story advancements, and continued laughter. — Nick

SEND HELP (January 30)

Is January still the worst time of year to release a horror film? Some bad ones have managed to come around, for sure, but over the last decade or so, the month has seen enough good ones to counter that argument. Case in point, I have hope that filmmaker Sam Raimi, a maestro of the genre, will add another January success story with Send Help. It’s exciting enough that this survival thriller, which pits an employee and her boss against each other on a deserted island, is his first original feature in 17 years; however, on-screen talents like Rachel McAdams and Dylan O’Brien, plus a long-awaited reunion with cinematographer Bill Pope (Darkman, Spider-Man 2, Spider-Man 3) add even more intrigue to the proceedings. — Bode

GOOD LUCK, HAVE FUN, DON’T DIE (February 13)

If you know anything about “Director’s Jail,” you’ll know that Gore Verbinski — whose wide-ranging career includes The Ring, the first three Pirates of the Caribbean movies, and Rango — has been part of that club for a long while. Though he hit a dry spell with 2013’s The Lone Ranger and 2016’s A Cure for Wellness, both of which were massive box office flops, there were moments in those films that reminded me of the kinetic filmmaker he can be. That’s why it’s exciting to see him finally return to the big screen with Good Luck, Have Fun, Don’t Die, a sci-fi action comedy about a man from the future (played by Sam Rockwell) who gets sent back in time to stop an AI uprising. Early reviews from last year’s Fantastic Fest called it a return to form, and I’m hoping that it lives up to that hype. — Bode

SCRUBS: SEASON TEN (February 25)

Maybe you were introduced to famed television creator Bill Lawrence through Spin City, or more likely, you became familiar after the wildly successful run of Ted Lasso. But for people of a certain age who grew up on sitcoms in the 2000s, Scrubs was your fix. The heartfeltness of ER mixed with the workplace comedy environment of Cheers, the doctors at Sacred Heart filled our homes with truth about friends, relationships, and the general disdain and sometimes appreciation for our jobs. It concluded after eight glorious seasons (and one very mediocre one), but finally, the reboot talk is not just lip service as its return is imminent. With the braintrust as fully back as it can be, expectations are soaring as high as an eagle! — Robert

THE BRIDE! (March 6)

I love modern re-imaginings of classic stories, so I’m excited to see Maggie Gyllenhaal's take on Frankenstein and the inspiration she draws from James Whale’s Bride of Frankenstein. I really enjoyed Gyllenhaal's feature directorial debut, The Lost Daughter, so I have high hopes for what she can do with this story and the approach to the central character. I’m intrigued by the unique, punk-romance aesthetic seen in the trailer, which, if pulled off, has the potential to be very fun. The Bride! boasts leading performances from Jesse Buckley, playing Frankenstein's bride, and Christian Bale as Frankenstein's monster, and I can't wait to see how they bring their characters’ relationship to life. — Katie

THE BREADWINNER (March 13)

Once comedians conquer the stand-up circuit, they tend to try their hands at writing/producing (and sometimes directing) their own feature-length films. Sometimes, the results are gangbusters (The Big Sick); other times, not so much (Bucky Larson: Born to Be a Star). This spring, Nate Bargatze, the highest grossing stand-up comedian of 2024 and 2025, is bringing us The Breadwinner, about a husband (Bargatze) who must adapt to being the stay-at-home dad after his wife (Mandy Moore) strikes a deal on Shark Tank (quite a last few months for the investor show with this and Marty Supreme). With Eric Appel, the director of Weird: The Al Yankovic Story helming the movie, I expect uproarious laughter, self-deprecation to the max, and hopefully a crazy pool scene with Dr. Demento…but that third thing is negotiable. — Robert

PROJECT HAIL MARY (March 20)

I’ve long said that Hollywood should make more movies about contemporary astronauts (firefighters, too, but I digress…). With Project Hail Mary, it seems someone overheard my cloud-ranting because they managed to put together quite the package. Based on the multi-award-winning novel of the same name by Andy Weir, who also wrote The Martian, Ryan Gosling portrays Ryland Grace, an astronaut trying to save Earth while alone in outer space. If you haven’t seen the trailers, Project Hail Mary has the vibe of Armageddon mixed with The Martian (obviously) and Spaceman. As if the presence of Baby Goose on screen wasn’t enough, you’ve also got directing duo Phil Lord and Christopher Miller behind the camera, directing a script from Drew Goddard. So, a premise I want more of, coming from a team that has proven themselves more than capable? Sign me up for launch, even if, admittedly, those trailers I mentioned might have given too much away already. Maybe just avoid them and take my word for it on this one… — Quentin

EUPHORIA: SEASON THREE (April 12) 

It has been four years since the last season of Euphoria, so the fact that we’re finally getting a third season has me seriously pumped. On top of that, Hans Zimmer is joining Labrinth to co-score this season, and that alone has brought my level of excitement to the next level. With a five-year time jump, creator Sam Levinson has already hinted at where the characters will be in their lives, which only furthers my intrigue. Since the series’ first two seasons, the cast’s careers have absolutely skyrocketed, so seeing them return to the show that launched them is something I’m looking forward to. Sure, Euphoria is messy, but that’s how life is; I can’t wait to catch up with Rue (Zendaya) and the rest of the gang in what could be their final outing. — Paige

MICHAEL (April 24)

Music biopics have not been anything other than standard fare over the past two years, so I am hoping that director Antoine Fuqua’s look at the best artist of all time will give a jolt of life to the genre. I’ve never seen a Fuqua film that didn’t have energy, and looking at the trailer, I am pretty excited to see how Jaafar Jackson portrays his uncle, The King of Pop. In the quick glimpses we’ve seen, there looks to be enough Mike in there to believe the portrayal, but not so much that you lose the young star’s own essence. At least that is what I felt in the very intriguing interaction he has with Quincy Jones (Kendrick Sampson) in the preview. Add in Colman Domingo as “Papa” Joe Jackson, as well as Black Cinema royalty — young and old — in Nia Long, Larenz Tate, Derek Luke, and Laura Harrier, and there’s no way you’re not getting at least one meaty performance out of this. With this director, this cast, and this story, I’m mostly anticipating (aka hoping) for a realistic and entertaining dive into a mega-complicated and mega-talented figure. — Amarú

MOTHER MARY (April 24)

Truth be told, I thought Mother Mary was coming out in 2024, but better late than never, I suppose. In any case, I’ve been a big fan of director David Lowery for a while. Between a couple of mid-Disney remakes (Pete’s Dragon and Peter Pan & Wendy), Lowery has been responsible for three excellent films in A Ghost Story, The Old Man & the Gun, and The Green Knight. He tends to play with several genres, putting fairly esoteric spins on them, and with Mother Mary, he seems to be tapping into some form of psychological horror, with the titular pop star (Anne Hathaway) engaging in a psychosexual affair with her costume designer (Michaela Coel). The trailer looks strange, to say the least, and I can’t make heads or tails of where it might be headed. But the intrigue is high for me, not just as a fan of Lowery, but as someone who likes to be freaked out with a weird vision. — Adriano

MORTAL KOMBAT II (May 8)

I remember being a sweet little six-year old on my birthday in 1994, just leaving the movie theater with my father and brother, when my dad said, “Street Fighter was so bad, maybe we shouldn’t see Mortal Kombat next year.” My brother and I begged and pleaded otherwise, eventually getting him to take us against his better judgment. That is, until we all left the theater eight months later, hella geeked because the 1995 movie was and still is awesome (no matter what you haters say)! Fast forward to my birthday last year, leaving the sweet young age of 36, watching the new Street Fighter trailer. All I could think was, “maybe, just maybe, the back-to-back movie releases of two of the best fighting games ever created will now have two awesome adaptations.” That theory will be tested out when Karl Urban takes over as the main character, Johnny Cage, for the second Mortal Kombat, making us all hope that the unnecessary lead of the first, Cole Young, dies early (sorry, Lewis Tan) so we can finally get to this cool-ass looking tournament! Ok, I wasn’t as down on Cole as everyone else, and I was much higher on the first film after a second watch, so I can’t wait for this campy, bloody, downright badass time to kick off what my six-year-old self dreamed of 32 years ago. — Amarú

OBSESSION (May 15)

One of my favourite things about attending film festivals is when a title comes out of nowhere to instantly catch people's attention. At TIFF 2025, that was Obsession. Praise was heaped upon director Curry Barker and star Inde Navarette in this disturbing indie horror. The film follows a man (Michael Johnston) who uses a supernatural toy to make his crush (Navarette) fall in love with him. But this ain't no rom-com. Originally inspired by The Simpsons episode where Bart gets a monkey paw (“Treehouse of Horror II”), I fully expect insanity to ensue. Unfortunately, I was unable to snag a ticket at the festival, but I'm very excited to finally see this one on the big screen when it comes out in May. — Nick

I LOVE BOOSTERS (May 22)

It’s fittingly absurd just how much director Boots Riley has had a chokehold on me after just one movie. Sorry to Bother You, Riley’s electric debut feature in 2018, instantly became one of my all-time favourite films. In that one film, he was able to showcase a crazy sense of humour and imagination, and I’ve waited way too long for the next time I get to witness his bizarre sensibilities on the big screen (I also loved his Prime series, I’m A Virgo, but I want to see him in theatres, dammit). The wait is almost over because his sophomore feature, I Love Boosters, is coming out in May. It’s being described as a sci-fi comedy (fitting for Riley, at this rate) about a group of shoplifters. That’s genuinely all I know. However, pair Riley’s brain with a cast that includes clears throat Keke Palmer, Naomi Ackie, Taylour Paige, LaKeith Stanfield, Demi Moore, Eiza González, Don Cheadle, and Will Poulter… and I may have to do some shoplifting myself just to afford a ticket for its SXSW premiere. — Adriano

MASTERS OF THE UNIVERSE (June 5)

If I’m being completely honest, “anticipated” isn’t the right word for my feelings on Masters of the Universe. “Curious” is far more appropriate. As an 80s kid, I grew up on He-Man. One of my mom’s favorite stories was about how, in 1984, He-Man toys were the hot gift item that no one could find, except that her and my grandmother luckily and randomly found the key action figures for my third birthday (He-Man & Battle Cat and Skeletor & Panthor, for those that don’t know). She said it was maybe the happiest she’d ever seen me to that point, and so very worth how much they cost. So, the movie, which features a mix of proven favorites (Idris Elba as Man-at-Arms, Alison Brie as Evil-Lyn), unproven up-and-comers (Nicholas Galitzine as He-Man, Camila Mendes as Teela), and questionable eye-rollers (Jared Leto as Skeletor, Kristin Wiig as Roboto) — all from a decent, but not exactly hitmaking, director (Travis Knight) — piques my curiosity given my nostalgic ties, but not necessarily my anticipation. If it does nothing more than make me smile as I think of my mother, that’d probably be enough. But, by the power of Grayskull, I hope it’s more than that. — Quentin

DISCLOSURE DAY (June 12)

Whenever there is a new Steven Spielberg movie coming out, obviously it’s on my radar, but Disclosure Day, specifically, has me beyond hyped. As someone whose favorite Spielberg films are E.T. and Close Encounters of the Third Kind, his return to the alien genre feels like a homecoming and a major reason why this is one of my most anticipated movies of 2026. This film has so much mystique behind it, even with the teaser trailer that dropped in December. There is just so much to ponder as it leaves you questioning what you might do if you learned aliens are real. With Spielberg at the helm, it’s certainly a movie I won’t be missing when it invades theaters this summer. — Paige