Graphic made By Leah Ioane
2026 is shaping up to be a strong and successful year for films, so here are some of the most highly anticipated ones to look forward to.
“Wuthering Heights”
On February 13, the new “Wuthering Heights,” adaptation starring Margot Robbie and Jacob Elordi is set to release and people are not quite sure how to feel. The film is about the obsessive and destructive relationship between characters Heathcliff and Catherine Earnshaw and explores the desire, vengeance and societal divides with intense passion. It has gotten controversial backlash due to it seeming nothing like the original novel written by Emily Brontë. It seems to get its backlash due to the raunchy changes made to the film, while the novel focuses on themes of race and class. Another thing that has fans of the beloved novel angry is the casting choices. Margot Robbie, who is playing Catherine, looks nothing like how the character is supposed to. Catherine is described as a 17-year-old girl with a wild spirit, beautiful dark brown curly hair and penetrating eyes. Margot Robbie is a 35-year-old woman with blonde hair and blue eyes. Jacob Elordi, who is playing Heathcliff is white, while Heathcliff is described as, “dark-skinned,” and of non-European descent. Despite the fact that they whitewashed Heathcliff, fans are also worried that he lacks the rugged and dark intensity that the classic character was so well known for. Despite getting major backlash though, many people are looking forward to seeing the film due to being fans of the main actors and hoping that they may do it justice.
“Scream 7”
Towards the end of February, ”Scream 7,” will be released and fans are anticipating its arrival. The film follows Sidney Prescott and her new life in Pine Grove, Indiana, though things do not stay good for long because a new Ghostface targets her daughter, Tatum, and forces Sidney to confront her trauma to protect her family and end the killings. Fans have high hopes for this film because Kevin Williamson will be directing this new film and he was best known for having written the scripts for “Scream,” “Scream 2” and “Scream 4,” with those being the fan-favorite Scream films. Many fans are excited for this film to come out but there are some who are disappointed about the cast exits of Jenna Ortega and Melissa Barrera who played sisters Tara and Sam Carpenter in “Scream,” (2022) and “Scream VI.” They left the franchise due to some chaos surrounding, “Scream 7.” Melissa Barrera was fired from the franchise by Spyglass Media for her social media posts about the Israel-Hamas war, which the studio deemed antisemitic. Jenna Ortega then left after citing that the project was “falling apart” and she felt that it was not right to continue without Barrera. Though fans are sad about the departures, many fans are ecstatic about original cast member Matthew Lillard returning as character Stu Macher. The interesting thing about Lillard returning is that his character died in the first film and nobody seems to know why he would be in the upcoming one. In the trailer for “Scream 7,” “This is gonna be fun” Lillard said at the very end which left many people excited and curious.
“I am excited to see Scream 7. Although I had watched other horror movies before, I went and saw Scream 5 for my 13th birthday and my love for horror movies skyrocketed. I am super excited to see the movie and see where the storyline goes,” Amiyah sanders ‘27 said.
“Michael”
In the middle of April, Michael Jackson fans will be lining up at theaters to watch the new biopic, “Michael” The film follows the life of pop star Michael Jackson and he is portrayed by his biological nephew, Jaafar Jackson. The film will give some insight into his childhood and how Jackson 5 was formed, as well as showing his creative process for recording his iconic albums, such as, “Thriller,” and shine some light on his famous performances. “Michael” will also explore Jackson’s personal life, showing the influence his father had on his struggles. The film will also address some of Jackson’s controversies, which will show the impact of the criminal allegations against him. There will also be features to Jackson’s iconic Neverland Valley Ranch, which was his home and private amusement park from 1988 to 2005, when he left due to his child abuse allegations. The biopic will conclude with the devastating and unexpected death of Jackson. The film aims to be riveting and honest and show viewers the highs and lows of Jackson’s life and career.
“The Devil Wears Prada 2”
“The Devil Wears Prada 2,” is set to release at the very beginning of May and fans of the original are anticipating the arrival. “The Devil Wears Prada 2,” has gotten massive attention online with fans excited about the return of the iconic cast which includes Meryl Streep, Anne Hathaway, Emily Blunt and Stanley Tucci. The new film follows Miranda Priestly who starts navigating the dying print media world when she then clashes with her former assistant, Emily Charlton, who is now a powerful executive who controls crucial ad money for “Runway.” Miranda must get along and negotiate with Emily to help save her magazine. Fans of the film are slightly worried that the new film will not live up to the original. The director and writer of the original film will be writing and directing the remake which has fans hopes up high with the returning team. “The Devil Wears Prada 2,” is based off of the second book written by Lauren Weisberger, Revenge Wears Prada which was released on June 4, 2013, ten years after the original novel was released and seven years after the original movie was released.
“The Hunger Games: Sunrise on the Reaping”
“The Hunger Games” fans are eager for the arrival of “The Hunger Games: Sunrise on the Reaping” which will be available to watch in theaters in mid-November. The film follows young Haymitch Abernathy’s experience in the grim 50th Hunger Games. The storyline is set 24 years before Katniss Everdeen’s story starts, focusing on his fight to survive, his romance with character Lenore Dove and planting early seeds of rebellion against the Capitol. The film features legendary actors and actresses Jennifer Lawrence, Josh Hutcherson, Elle Fanning, McKenna Grace, Maya Hawke, Joseph Zada, Kieran Culkin, and many more. The marketing team for the film had dramatic reveals on social media to show fans who would be playing who. The marketing team later announced on social media that they would cast someone from TikTok into the movie if they created a submission video, used required hashtags, tagged the official account, be a legal resident of the 50 U.S. states as well as be 18 years of age. They officially cast TikToker Devon Singletary as the role of Blair after his heartfelt audition he submitted to TikTok. “The Hunger Games: Sunrise on the Reaping” will surely leave fans feeling devastated and hopeful after watching it. Something unique and disastrous is that instead of there being two tributes from each district, there will be four, leading to more heartbreak and chaos. The film will also show the viewer how Haymitch fell into his alcohol problem and how that changed who he is.
“I am most excited to see The Hunger Games prequel, Sunrise on the Reaping, because the book was amazing, Haymitch is one of my favorite characters, and I have been a fan of the series since I was eight years old,” McKayla Peck ‘27 said.
“Avengers: Doomsday”
The anticipation for “Avengers: Doomsday” has fans on cloud nine and it is hard for them to wait until the release in mid-December. The film focuses on heroes from across realities battling an existential threat-hinted to be Doctor Doom-as the multiverse unravels which pushes characters to their limits. There may be massive losses and a universe-altering reset. Fans of this universe should expect epic scale, emotional depth and many surprises. The film is directed by Anthony and Joe Russo and written by Stephen McFeely. Some of the prominent cast includes Vanessa Kirby, James Marsden, Florence Pugh, Lewis Pullman, Robert Downey Jr., Chris Evans and Pedro Pascal. Alan Silvestri confirmed that he will be composing the music for the upcoming film which is exciting fans because he previously composed music for, “Infinity War,” “Endgame” and other Marvel Cinematic Universe films. The beloved characters from Thunderbolts, Avengers, Wakandans, Fantastic Four, New Avengers and the “original” X-Men. On December 18, 2025 the Russo brothers released a teaser trailer to mark the one year countdown until the film will be released. The film was originally supposed to be released on May 2, 2025, but then got pushed until May 6, 2026 due to the 2023 Writers Guild of America Strike which then pushed the film to be released on its set date December 18, 2026. The Marvel Cinematic Universe has a grand total of 37 films and the more recent ones have fallen flat, which has given fans the hope that this new movie will make up for all the others.
“I am most excited to see Avengers: Doomsday because it has been years since we have had a good marvel movie and I have gotten my hopes way up,” Eleanor Zapien ‘29 said.
