100. “Zi”
Well, this one was certainly a surprise. Coming on the heels of his romantic fantasy “Big Bold Beautiful Journey,” his first mainstream studio movie and arguably his first real miss, South Korean-American filmmaker Kogonada returns with the shot-under-the-radar indie, “zi.” Starring Michelle Mao, Kogonada’s “Columbus” star Haley Lu Richardson and Jin Ha (“Pachinko”), the Hong Kong-set drama centers on a young woman haunted by visions of her future self, who meets a stranger who changes the course of her night — and possibly her life. Sounds like the elements of fate that always creep their way through the filmmaker’s work.
Release Date: TBD, but premieres at the Sundance Film Festival.
99. “One Night Only”
Will Gluck directs “One Night Only,” a high-concept romantic comedy set in a world where premarital sex is legal for only one night each year. Monica Barbaro and Callum Turner star as two strangers scrambling to find partners before the night ends, discovering connection amid chaos. Based on Travis Braun’s Black List script, rewritten by Gluck, the film explores the social experiment premise through a blend of satire and heart, combining Braun’s polished comic timing with dystopian absurdity. Molly Ringwald, LeVar Burton, Maya Hawke, Julia Fox, and Este Haim co-star.
Release Date: August 7, via Universal Pictures.
98. “Poetic License”
Maude Apatow makes her feature directorial debut with “Poetic License,” a coming-of-age dramedy she also wrote, starring Cooper Hoffman, Leslie Mann, and Maude Apatow herself. The story follows a college student and aspiring poet as he navigates creative failure, first love, and the complicated dynamics of his mother’s midlife reinvention. Produced by Apatow Productions and Focus Features, the film strikes a balance between humor and melancholy, utilizing a diaristic sensibility that defines Apatow’s acting work. Andrew Barth Feldman, Nico Parker, Maisy Stella, Method Man, Martha Kelly, and Jake Bongiovi co-star.
Release Date: March 15, via Row K Entertainment.
97. “Hoppers”
Daniel Chong (“We Bare Bears”) writes and directs “Hoppers,” an animated science-fiction comedy from Pixar Animation Studios and Walt Disney Pictures. The film follows Mabel, an animal lover whose consciousness is transferred into a robotic beaver, allowing her to communicate directly with the creatures she adores. Featuring the voices of Piper Curda, Bobby Moynihan, and Jon Hamm, the film expands Pixar’s emotional worldbuilding into high-concept territory that blends empathy and absurdist humor. “Hoppers” marks Pixar’s first feature led by a new filmmaker since “Turning Red,” pairing sleek futurism with heartfelt storytelling about identity and understanding.
Release Date: March 6, via Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures.
96. “The Dog Stars”
Ridley Scott directs “The Dog Stars,” a post-apocalyptic drama adapted from Peter Heller’s novel by Mark L. Smith and Christopher Wilkinson. The film stars Jacob Elordi as Hig, with Margaret Qualley, Josh Brolin, Guy Pearce, and Benedict Wong. After a flu pandemic decimates civilization, a civilian pilot and his armed companion protect a remote airfield until a faint signal hints at life beyond their outpost, pushing them into hostile terrain and moral crossroads. Shot by Erik Messerschmidt, the film is produced by Scott Free Productions and distributed by 20th Century Studios.
Release Date: Aug. 28, via 20th Century Studios.
95. “Apex”
A stripped-down survival thriller from Icelandic filmmaker Baltasar Kormákur, “Apex” centers on an adrenaline junkie who sets out to conquer a menacing river, only to discover that nature isn’t the only thing out for blood. Written by Jeremy Robbins, the film stars Charlize Theron alongside Taron Egerton and Eric Bana, pairing elemental danger with escalating human threat. Kormákur’s filmography—spanning survival spectacle “Everest” and the creature thriller “Beast”—has consistently leaned into physical endurance and moral pressure under extreme conditions, and “Apex” fits squarely in that lane.
Release Date: TBD via Netflix, presumably later in the year.
94. “Judgement Day”
Nicholas Stoller (“Forgetting Sarah Marshall”) writes and directs “Judgment Day,” an upcoming American comedy starring Will Ferrell as a reality television judge and Zac Efron as the man who takes him hostage on air after a ruling he believes destroyed his life. The ensemble cast also includes Regina Hall, Jimmy Tatro, Billy Eichner, Priyanka Chopra Jonas, Michael Peña, Bobby Cannavale, Fortune Feimster, Bill Camp, Heidi Gardner, Rachel Hilson, Rory Scovel, Colton Dunn, Hayley Magnus, and Andrew Lopez. The premise centers on the collision of television spectacle and personal grievance in live broadcast chaos.
Release Date: TBD via Amazon MGM Studios.
93. “The Backrooms”
Based on the viral online mythos, “The Backrooms” marks the feature debut of filmmaker Kane Parsons, who created the original short as a teenager. Produced by A24, Atomic Monster, and 21 Laps Entertainment, the horror film stars Chiwetel Ejiofor, Renate Reinsve, Mark Duplass, Finn Bennett, and Lukita Maxwell. The story follows a group of urban explorers who stumble into a seemingly endless labyrinth of yellow-walled liminal spaces where reality unravels. Written by Roberto Patino, the film adapts Parsons’s analog-horror aesthetic to a larger scale while maintaining its eerie sense of banality and dread.
Release Date: TBD via A24.
92. “Rosebush Pruning”
An adaptation of Marco Bellocchio’s 1965 debut feature, “Fists in the Pocket,” about a man who plots the murders of his dysfunctional family, this will be Brazilian filmmaker Karim Aïnouz’s third film in three years, following “Firebrand.” This one features quite a cast, too, including the starring trio of Riley Keough, Callum Turner, and Elle Fanning, as well as Jamie Bell, Lukas Gage, Tracy Letts, Elena Anaya, and Pamela Anderson.
Release Date: TBD, although it appears to have been completed since February 2025, and Cannes is fond of this filmmaker.
91. “Ready or Not 2: Here I Come”
Filmmaking duo Matt Bettinelli-Olpin and Tyler Gillett return for Ready or Not 2: Here I Come, with Samara Weaving, Adam Brody, and Andie MacDowell reprising their roles. Written by Guy Busick and R. Christopher Murphy, the sequel expands on the first film’s darkly comic tone as Grace faces a new family’s deadly initiation ritual. Produced by Radio Silence and Searchlight Pictures, it continues their run of genre-bending, sharp-edged horror-comedy.
Release Date: October 16, via Searchlight Pictures.
