Movie slate 2026: Val Morgan’s ones to watch.
Originally published on StopPress.
It’s going to be a massive year at the movies.
This year’s cinema slate runs deep in both quantity and quality, with movies that are set to entertain, shape pop culture and fuel conversation. Cinema creates the kind of bankable cultural moments that create emotion, connection and drive brand performance.
With so many heavyweight releases on the horizon, we’ve compiled our predictions across three high value demos: Youth, ABs and Families, to help you easily navigate depending on your brand’s target audience. We’ve also collated a Sleeping Giants section, covering the titles that have cult followings and are expected to be huge for their target audiences.
So, grab your popcorn. Here are the ones to watch in 2026.
Family audiences
Our fastest growing audience segment last year. There’s a plethora of family titles releasing this year, including globally recognised IP and stories that have proven their place in the hearts of generations, time and time again.
Kicking off the year, we have a stack of films all releasing around the Easter school holiday period.
On 19th March, GOAT is releasing. The film is produced by NBA superstar Steph Curry and is set to capitalise on the incredible popularity of basketball in New Zealand, with the sport being the fastest growing in the country and predicted to be the most popular secondary school activity by 2026.*
Coming to cinemas the following week on 26th of March is Hoppers - a brand-new creation from animation powerhouse, Pixar, which is also set to be one of the key films of the lucrative Easter period.
The Super Mario Galaxy Movie, the sequel to 2023’s highly successful Super Mario Bros. Movie, is releasing on 1st April and is expected to be a guaranteed box office hit.
The Super Mario Bros. Movie sits within the top ten animated films of all time. That success was driven by its powerful dual appeal across families and youth audiences, with generations growing up alongside the iconic games.
Ahead of the winter school holidays, two huge family films are releasing, with Toy Story 5 on 18th June and Minions 3 on 25th June.
Both franchises are box office behemoths. Despicable Me is the highest-grossing animated film franchise in the world, with each film consistently delivering nearly $1B at the global box office.
Toy Story was Pixar’s first film, which was released over 30 years ago and has since grown to be one of the most loved family IPs. According to our CineTAM Plus survey, Toy Story 5 ranked as the #1 most anticipated film for 2026 among primary school-aged families.
July will see one of Disney’s most iconic modern princesses, Moana, return to the big screen in live action, in the first week of school holidays on July 9th.
The original film remains the most-streamed movie of the past five years, despite releasing in 2016. Its sequel, released in 2024, went on to become the second-biggest animated film of all time in New Zealand, reinforcing the franchise’s ongoing appeal amongst family audiences
AB audiences
There is no shortage of films set to connect with affluent audiences this year, whether through original content or long-awaited sequels.
Releasing on 19th March is Project Hail Mary – the highly anticipated adaptation of Andy Weir’s 2021 sci-fi novel starring Ryan Gosling. When the trailer launched six months ago, it amassed over 400 million views globally in its first week, making it the most-watched trailer in history for a non-sequel or remake.
Releasing on 30th April is The Devil Wears Prada 2, which is set to be one of the biggest talked about cultural moments of the year.
The original remains iconic and continues to resonate with new audiences. It is one of the most-streamed films on Disney+ among women under 30 and currently ranks as the #1 most anticipated film of 2026 among Kiwi women, according to our recent CineTAM Plus survey. It’s a natural fit for premium brands looking to connect with affluent female audiences.
The Odyssey, releasing on 16th July, is Christopher Nolan’s next action epic shot with brand new IMAX technology. It brings Homer’s foundational saga to the big screen, with an all-star cast including Matt Damon, Tom Holland, Anne Hathaway, Robert Pattinson, Lupita Nyong’o, Zendaya and Charlize Theron.
December brings the epic conclusion to Denis Villeneuve’s modern masterpiece-in-the-making, Dune: Part Three, releasing on 17th December.
The sci-fi franchise launched in 2022 and has already become critically acclaimed. When Dune: Part Two was released, it cemented the franchise as a true cinematic event, pulling in 2.4x the box office of the first film, so we expect that audience appetite for this upcoming release will be at an all-time high.
Youth audiences
Cinema is the best place to connect with this increasingly hard-to-find demographic, and the 2026 movie line-up shows us why.
After three record-breaking seasons on Disney+, The Mandalorian & Grogu will make the jump to the big screen in what will be a multi-generational cultural event on 21st May.
One in four internet users globally identify as Star Wars fans*, so this release will allow brands to align with fandom, legacy, and youth culture all at once, with audiences 38% more likely to be within the 14-39 demographic.
On 30th July, Spider-Man: Brand New Day is releasing. The previous instalment, Spider-Man: No Way Home, cemented the character as the world’s biggest superhero when it grossed nearly $2 billion globally and became the 11th highest-grossing film of all time in New Zealand. Spider-Man: Brand New Day is expected to resonate with audiences that are 2.3x more likely to be M14-39.
Landing on 17th December, Avengers: Doomsday is set to feature one of the largest superhero casts ever assembled. It’s seriously huge. The previous instalment, Avengers: Endgame, sits as the 5th biggest film of all time in New Zealand, so this one is set to be huge.
On Boxing Day, the final instalment in the modern Jumanji franchise, Jumanji 3, is releasing. This film will skew more towards youth, however, it has true four-quadrant appeal spanning families, kids, teens, and adults and is the kind of title that guarantees massive, repeat-visit audience turnout.
Sleeping giants
Just in time for Valentine’s Day, the highly anticipated Wuthering Heights is releasing on 12th February, starring Margot Robbie and Jacob Elordi. The film is based off the novel written by Emily Brontë in 1847 and is directed by Emerald Fennell (Saltburn). This title is expected to resonate with audiences that are 67% more likely to be F14-39.
The follow up to last year’s successful film Superman, is Supergirl, releasing on 25th June. DC lovers across the P14-39 demographic will be flocking to see this one.
Another Colleen Hoover book to screen adaptation, Verity, is releasing on 1st October, starring Hollywood heavyweights Anne Hathaway, Dakota Johnson and Josh Hartnett. Like many of Hoover’s books, it has a cult-following on BookTok and will be a sure hit with females across the 25-54 demographic.
26th November will also see the return of the legacy comedy franchise, Meet the Parents, with the release of Focker-In-Law. Ben Stiller and Robert De Niro will reunite on the big screen 16 years later to draw in P25-54 audiences.
The Ones to Watch - in order of release date:
Wuthering Heights: 12th February
GOAT: 19th March
Project Hail Mary: 19th March
The Super Mario Galaxy Movie: 1st April
The Devil Wears Prada 2: 30th April
The Mandalorian & Grogu: 21st May
Toy Story 5: 18th June
Minions 3: 25th June
Supergirl: 25th June
Spider-Man: Brand New Day: 30th July
Moana: 9th July
The Odyssey: 16th July
Verity: 1st October
Focker-In-Law: 26th November
Dune: Part Three: 17th December
Avengers: Doomsday: 17th December
Jumanji 3: 26th December
Source: CineTAM 2026