It’s the end of January, and so much reality has already happened. It’s time to counteract all that by getting back to the movies. While the real world may be uncertain and unpredictable, we can at least have an idea of what to expect on the big screen this year – a bit of escapism always comes in handy when the actual news is stranger than fiction. Here are the most interesting, anticipated films to look out for in the first half of what hopefully, for the movies at least, will be a good year.
Dead Man’s Wire – 23 January
Indie pioneer Gus Van Sant goes sort of mainstream with this hostage drama based on real events. Bill Skarsgård stars as Tony Kiritsis, a mad-as-hell everyman who, in February 1977, walked into the offices of the Meridian Mortgage Company and took its president hostage with a “dead man’s wire” – a sawed-off shotgun wired to Kiritsis’ own neck.
Send Help – 30 January
Legendary horror B-movie superfan, director Sam Raimi, oversees this gory horror adventure in which Rachel McAdams and Dylan O’Brien star as colleagues stranded on a desert island after a plane crash. They’re forced to overcome their issues and use their wits to keep alive.
Hamnet – 30 January
Oscar winning director Chloé Zhao (Nomadland) directs this adaptation of the novel by Maggie O’Farrell which stars Paul Mescal as William Shakespeare and Jessie Buckley as his wife Agnes, who, after losing their son to plague, must grapple with overwhelming grief in a period in the Bard’s life that, it’s posited, inspired his masterpiece, Hamlet.
Melania – 30 January
This one’s here just for the sheer WTF-ness of it. Disgraced director Brett Ratner – the subject of multiple allegations of sexual misconduct - was paid a whopping $40m by Amazon for the production of this documentary and a follow-up series about the life and times of the former model turned two-time US First Lady Melania Trump. It’s the kind of bad idea that may just attract enough car-crash interest to lure audiences in for its opening weekend.
Is This Thing On? – 06 February
Bradley Cooper takes a break from being in front of the camera to direct Will Arnett and Lara Dern as a couple whose marriage is unravelling in this drama that sees Arnett’s middle-aged grey man finding a new lease on life as a stand-up comedian.
Wuthering Heights – 13 February
Keyboard warriors have already created an unhappy buzz around Emerald Fennel’s new adaptation of the gothic love story classic because of the whitewashing of its lead character, Heathcliff, played by Jacob Elordi, and the over-sexualized spiciness of his relationship with Margot Robbie’s Cathy. Just in time for Valentine’s Day, audiences will finally get to judge for themselves what the Saltburn director has in store for Emily Brontë’s doomed lovers.
Crime 101 – 20 February
Chris Hemsworth, Mark Ruffalo, Halle Berry and Barry Keoghan lead the starry cast of director Bart Layton’s gritty heist thriller that sees an elusive thief team up with a desperate insurance broker for a final major score that a relentless detective is determined to stop.
Die My Love – 20 February
It’s better late than never for the release of pioneering Scottish director Lynne Ramsay’s Palme d’Or nominated, critic-dividing drama from last year’s Cannes festival. Jennifer Lawrence gives a Golden Globe-nominated performance as a young woman in the grip of increasingly terrifying postpartum psychosis that threatens to tear her life and her relationship with her partner (Robert Pattinson) irrevocably apart.
Ella McCay – 20 February
Director James L. Brooks, the 85-year-old Hollywood comedy pioneer, returns to screens with this dramedy starring Emma Mackey and Jamie Lee Curtis. It focusses on a modern-day young woman trying to juggle the chaotic demands of her family and professional life.
How to Make a Killing – 27 February
Glen Powell stars as the disowned son of an outlandishly wealthy family bent on securing his inheritance and taking revenge by any means necessary in John Patton Ford’s dark comedy thriller.
Hoppers – 06 March
After a disappointing 2025, Pixar is betting big on this year’s zany animated adventure that follows a 19-year-old animal lover who uses technology to place her consciousness in a robotic beaver to unlock the secrets of the animal world.
The Bride! – 06 March
Maggie Gyllenhaal directs brother Jake and Jessie Buckley in this darkly satirical take on the Frankenstein legend set in 1930s Chicago, imagining the chaos unleashed on pre-World War 2 American patriarchal society when the good Dr Euphronious agrees to the monster’s request to create him a bride from the body of a murdered woman.
The Testament of Ann Lee – 13 March
Mona Fastvold and husband Brady Corbet swap roles after their critically acclaimed drama The Brutalist with Fastvold directing and Corbet co-writing this experimentally innovative take on the life of Shaker Movement founder Ann Lee (Amanda Seyfried) who was worshipped as the female Christ by her followers.
Project Hail Mary – 20 March
Ryan Gosling goes to space again in Spider-Verse directors Phil Lord and Christopher Miller’s adaptation of the novel by The Martian author Andy Weir in which Gosling plays an astronaut trying desperately to save the planet while alone in outer space.
The Dog Stars – 27 March
Ridley Scott shows no signs of slowing down in his 88th year as he returns to the dystopian, post-apocalyptic cinematic landscape with this adaptation of the novel by Peter Heller. In a world where a virus has wiped out humanity, survivors must battle groups of roving scavengers. Starring Jacob Elordi, Josh Brolin, Margaret Qualley and Guy Pearce.
The Drama – 03 April
Robert Pattinson and Zendaya team up for this romantic comedy from director Kristoffer Borgli in which they star as a happily engaged couple whose dream wedding week takes an unexpected turn that will test them to the limit.
The Magic Faraway Tree – 03 April
Enid Blyton’s beloved children’s classic gets a glossy, magic-filled, family-friendly adaptation written by Paddington 2 and Wonka screenwriter Simon Farnaby, and starring Andrew Garfield and Claire Foy.
Michael – 24 April
Director Antoine Fuqua’s long-anticipated biopic of the King of Pop finally arrives, starring Jafar Jackson, Miles Teller and Colman Domingo.
Mother Mary – 24 April
The Green Knight director David Lowery writes and directs this behind-the-scenes costume drama starring Anne Hathaway as a pop diva who, on the eve of her much-anticipated comeback performance, reunites with her former best friend and costume designer, played by Michaela Coel.
The Devil Wears Prada 2 – 01 May
Anne Hathaway re-teams with Meryl Streep for the long-awaited, fashion-world comedy sequel that sees Streep’s formidable Miranda Priestly competing with Hathaway’s Emily – former assistant turned rival fashion executive. Sydney Sweeney joins the cast.
The Sheep Detectives – 08 May
Hugh Jackman is the beloved shepherd to a group of sheep who are the real stars of Kyle Balda’s gently funny take on the traditional murder mystery genre that sees the flock solve his murder by using the knowledge they’ve gained from years of being read murder mystery’s aloud to.
The Mandalorian & Grogu – 22 May
The Star Wars universe boldly goes into new territory with Jon Favreau’s feature film expansion of the much-loved, small-screen series following the adventures of bounty hunter Mandalorian Din Djarin and his apprentice Grogu.
Masters of the Universe – 05 June
Almost 40 years after the cult-classic but commercially disastrous attempt to bring the world of He-Man and his Mattel toy world to screen, director Travis Knight and writer Chris Butler make a new attempt to capture the hearts and wallets of a new generation with this version starring Nicholas Galitzine as He-Man, Jared Leto as his nemesis Skeletor ,and Idris Elba as the Man-at-Arms.
Disclosure Day – 12 June
Steven Spielberg returns to the realms of the ‘we’re-not-alone’ sci-fi drama that made his fortunes in the 1980s with this thriller starring Josh O’Connor and Emily Blunt. It asks, if you were shown proof that we weren’t alone in the universe … would you believe it?
Toy Story 5 – 19 June
Woody, Buzz and the rest of the gang return for a bigger, funnier new adventure as they face the threat posed by electronics to the toys and their playtime paradise.
Supergirl – 26 June
Milly Alcock stars as Kara Zor-El in director Craig Gillespie’s Supergirl pre-earth arrival story in the latest push by DC Studios to change its blockbuster fortunes.
The Odyssey – 17 July
At a rumoured $250m budget, Christopher Nolan’s first film since Oppenheimer will be his biggest and most ambitious. Shot in 70mm and scheduled for a wide IMAX release, it’s the year’s most anticipated and physically impressive blockbuster. Starring Matt Damon as Odysseus and featuring a star-studded cast that includes Tom Holland, Zendaya, Anne Hathaway, Robert Pattinson, Lupita Nyong’o and Charlize Theron, hopes for a worthy onscreen adaptation of Homer’s epic adventure have never been higher.
*All release dates provided by distributors but are subject to change
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