60. “Sheep in the Box” / “Look Back”
Hirokazu Kore-eda could have a rare double presence in 2026. In “Sheep in the Box,” a near-future drama, a couple takes a state-of-the-art humanoid into their home as their son, blurring the line between programmed behavior and genuine love. Haruka Ayase and Daigo star in what is Kore-eda’s most overtly science-fiction project since “Air Doll,” while remaining rooted in his intimate observations of family and personhood. He’s also behind “Look Back,” a live-action adaptation of Tatsuki Fujimoto’s manga, which follows two young women whose bond forms through making comics and evolves across years of quiet growth and loss. Together, they suggest a filmmaker expanding his emotional vocabulary without abandoning restraint.
Release Date: TBD 2026 (Neon for “Sheep in the Box”; “Look Back” in Japan via K2 Pictures).
59. “Hope”
While he’s starring in a rare series this fall (“The Agency”), Michael Fassbender seemingly doesn’t get out of bed for anything other than racing or auteurs like David Fincher. However, it appears that the needle does move for South Korean filmmaker Na Hong-jin, known for the horror film “The Wailing.” His latest is a science fiction thriller about a mysterious discovery in a remote harbor town that leads to a fight for survival (which started as a collaboration with Alfonso Cuarón). Fassbender’s partner, Alicia Vikander, co-stars along with Hwang Jung-min, Zo In-sung, HoYeon Jung, Taylor Russell, and Cameron Britton.
Release Date: TBD, but it appears to be something that will be showcased at the fall film festival circuit.
58. “Faces of Death”
Daniel Goldhaber, who directed and co-wrote “How to Blow Up a Pipeline,” directs and co-wrote “Faces of Death” with Isa Mazzei. This upcoming American horror film reimagines the controversial 1978 original. The story follows a woman who moderates a YouTube-like platform responsible for filtering violent or offensive content, only to discover a group that seems to be reenacting murders from the original “Faces of Death,” raising unsettling questions about the line between staged violence and absolute horror in the digital age. The cast includes Barbie Ferreira, Dacre Montgomery, Josie Totah, Charli XCX, and Jermaine Fowler, with cinematography by Isaac Bauman and editing by Taylor Levy. The film is produced under the banners of Legendary Entertainment, Divide/Conquer, and Angry Films.
Release Date: TBD.
57. “Remain”
M. Night Shyamalan writes and directs “Remain,” a supernatural romantic thriller developed alongside a novel co-conceived with Nicholas Sparks. Starring Jake Gyllenhaal, Phoebe Dynevor, Ashley Walters, and Julie Hagerty, the film is produced by Blinding Edge Pictures. Shyamalan and Sparks built the movie and book from the same core concept, with the feature positioned as a fall prestige release.
Release Date: October 23, via Warner Bros. Pictures.
56. “Madden”
Nicolas Cage suits up as John Madden in “Madden,” joined by an ensemble that includes Christian Bale, John Mulaney, Kathryn Hahn, Sienna Miller, and Shane Gillis. Directed and co-written by five-time Oscar nominee David O. Russell, the film charts Madden’s evolution from fiery NFL coach to era-defining broadcaster and eventual pop-culture titan through the Madden NFL video-game phenomenon. Shot by legendary cinematographer Robert Richardson, the project promises a volatile blend of performance, personality, and spectacle — the kind of outsized American character study Russell gravitates toward, now anchored by Cage in a role seemingly built for maximalist swing.
Release Date: TBD via Amazon MGM Studios.
55. “Soudain”
After the Oscar-winning high of “Drive My Car,” acclaimed Japanese filmmaker Ryûsuke Hamaguchi heads to Paris for a two-hander also known as “All of a Sudden.” Written by Léa Le Dimna (“Human Comedy in Tokyo”) and loosely inspired by the book “You and I – The Illness Suddenly Get Worse,” the film stars Virginie Efira (“Benedetta”) as a French nursing-home director and Tao Okamoto (“The Wolverine”) as a Japanese theater director, tracing the bond that forms between them as their conversations turn toward illness and death. It’s Hamaguchi in pure dialogue-and-emotion mode—human connection under pressure, intimacy as the drama engine—transplanted to a new city and language register.
Release Date: TBD, but he is a festival favorite, so if it’s ready, all the major fests will vie for it.
54. “Cry to Heaven”
Having not made a film since 2016’s “Nocturnal Animals,” Tom Ford returns to filmmaking with “Cry to Heaven,” a lavish adaptation of Anne Rice’s novel about castrati and revenge in 18th-century Italy. Ford writes, directs, and produces, following Tonio Treschi, a Venetian nobleman mutilated and exiled, and Guido Maffeo, the maestro castrato who mentors him in the world of opera and plots of retribution. The ensemble is stacked: Adele makes her acting debut alongside Nicholas Hoult, Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Colin Firth, Paul Bettany, George MacKay, Hunter Schafer, Lux Pascal, Ciarán Hinds, and Owen Cooper, among others. It’s only scheduled for shooting in early 2026, but the reports claim it’s aiming for a 2026 release. Hmmm, we’ll see, I guess.
Release Date: Autumn 2026, distribution TBA.
53. “Famous”
American provocateur Jody Hill directs “Famous,” a dark comedy thriller starring Zac Efron, Phoebe Dynevor, Nicholas Braun, Debby Ryan, Cory Michael Smith, and Bill Pullman. Written by Chad Hodge, based on the 2010 novel by Blake Crouch, the film follows “Lance” Blue Dunkquist, a man who looks exactly like Oscar-winning movie star James Jansen and decides to steal his life and identity, leading to surreal and terrifying lengths as he blurs the line between imitation and reality. The kicker? Efron plays both roles, which sounds like his most ambitious role ever. Produced by Sam Esmail’s Esmail Corp shingle, among others, it marks Hill’s first feature since “The Legacy of a Whitetail Deer Hunter.”
Release Date: 2026 via A24.
52. “How To Rob A Bank”
David Leitch directs “How to Rob a Bank,” an action thriller starring Nicholas Hoult, Anna Sawai, Pete Davidson, Rhenzy Feliz, Zoë Kravitz, John C. Reilly, and Christian Slater. Written by Derek Kolstad, the film follows a disillusioned man who plans an elaborate heist against the corrupt financial system that ruined his life. Blending Leitch’s trademark precision stuntwork with sly social commentary, it promises a muscular mix of tension, absurdity, and dark humor. Produced by 87North Productions for Universal Pictures, “How to Rob a Bank” continues Leitch’s streak of stylish, morally conflicted antihero stories that balance spectacle with a wink.
Release Date: September 4 via Amazon MGM.
51. “Other Mommy”
“Other Mommy” is an upcoming American supernatural horror film directed by Rob Savage and written by Nathan Elston. Produced by Atomic Monster and Blumhouse, the film adapts Josh Malerman’s short story “Incidents Around the House.” It stars Jessica Chastain, Jay Duplass, Dichen Lachman, Sean Kaufman, and Karen Allen. Returning to the realm of domestic dread, Savage blends psychological unease with supernatural tension in what’s described as a family horror centered on possession and identity.
Release Date: October 9, via Universal Pictures.
