There are quite a few sequels hitting theaters in 2026 that already have quite a bit of anticipation building in their favor. 28 Years Later: The Bone Temple, Scream 7, The Super Mario Galaxy Movie, Mortal Kombat II, Scary Movie 6, Toy Story 5, Spider-Man: Brand New Day, The Hunger Games: Sunrise on the Reaping, Avengers: Doomsday, they all apply. But what about the upcoming sequels that are comparatively flying under the radar? Those are the ones that follow. To be included, though, the upcoming movie needed to genuinely be a sequel as opposed to a reboot (or a standalone like Evil Dead Burn). That means not even Return to Silent Hill counted. It has the same director as the 2006 film, Christophe Gans, but he has made it clear this is a fresh new take, not a continuation.
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The same goes for character debut movies that are nonetheless continuations of an overarching cinematic universe. In other words, the DCU’s Supergirl or Clayface. We have also added tentative release dates but there’s some emphasis on the word tentative there, as debut dates shift frequently as they near.
10) Ready or Not: Here I Come (April 10, 2026)
Ready or Not: Here I Come has wrapped filming and will be in theaters before we know it. And yet, compared to Scream 7 at least, it seems as though no one is talking about it.
Both have a certain connection to Matt Bettinelli-Olpin and Tyler Gillett, however. The duo (known as Radio Silence) directed the 2019 action horror modern classic before going on to reboot Ghostface with Scream and Scream VI. They’re sitting out Scream 7, which makes Ready or Not: Here I Come the more exciting of the two, especially considering Samara Weaving’s return.
Stream Ready or Not on Hulu.
9) The Devil Wears Prada 2 (May 1, 2026)
The Devil Wears Prada 2 is going to be big. The 2006 movie was certainly a hit at the time, but what is most impressive is how the audience’s love for it hasn’t dwindled since time of release.
And now, 20 years later, we’re getting a legacy sequel. Signs are pointing to it recapturing the magic, as it has the same director, the same screenwriter, the same producer, the same cinematographer, and cast members Meryl Streep, Anne Hathaway, Stanley Tucci, and Emily Blunt are all slated to reprise their roles.
Stream The Devil Wears Prada on Hulu.
8) Minions 3 (July 1, 2026)
The Despicable Me franchise is around for the long haul. People still love the Minions, it moves toys like early run SpongeBob SquarePants, and the movies have never been anything short of extremely profitable. The first movie netted almost eight times its budget, Despicable Me 2 almost crossed the $1 billion mark, Minions and Despicable Me 3 did cross the $1 billion mark, and both Minions: The Rise of Gru and Despicable Me 4 still kept the movies at that near $1 billion mark. In other words, it has lost next to none of its commercial appeal in over 15 years.
Yet, as impressive as its run has been, the third Minions film is not the most talked about animated film of 2026. That would be Toy Story 5, which debuts just two weeks before Minions 3 (though one of the two will almost certainly shift their release date).
Stream Minions: The Rise of Gru on Peacock.
7) A Sixth Insidious Film (August 21, 2026)
Initially slated for a 2025 release, the sixth Insidious movie seems to be a soft reboot for the franchise. As of now the only franchise cast member slated to return is Lin Shaye as Elise Rainier, who has been in every installment released thus far.
It’s not surprising that Sony is keeping the Insidious gravy train running, as all of them have grossed over $100 million on paltry budgets. Most recently was Insidious: The Red Door in 2023, which saw Patrick Wilson reprise his role from the first two movies as well as make his directorial debut. The Red Door was the highest grossing of the franchise, so it was inevitable we would get another one but, even still, it’s hard to say that Insidious‘ sixth film is being talked about much at this point in time.
Stream Insidious: The Red Door on Hulu.
6) Practical Magic 2 (September 18, 2026)
Practical Magic is a perfect Fall movie for those who don’t go for straightforward horror movies. And in 2026, nearly 30 years after the first film hit theaters, it’s getting what must be the year’s most unexpected sequel.
And, while no one was really clamoring for this one, it’s pretty exciting, nonetheless. That is primarily because so many who made the first film special are returning for the legacy sequel. Specifically, cast members Sandra Bullock, Nicole Kidman, Stockard Channing, and Dianne Wiest as well as screenwriter Akiva Goldsman, and producer Denise Di Novi. Newcomers include Guardians of the Galaxy‘s Lee Pace, A Family Affair‘s Joey King, Blue Beetle‘s Xolo Maridueña, and Game of Thrones‘ Maisie Williams.
Stream Practical Magic on HBO Max.
5) Focker In-Law (November 25, 2026)
Meet the Parents was a box office smash and remains one of the aughts’ most beloved feel-good films. Meet the Fockers was an even bigger commercial hit but isn’t nearly as oft referenced or rewatched.
Little Fockers (2010), however, wasn’t much of a commercial success. That isn’t so surprising considering it’s 98 minutes of next to no narrative shot for a baffling $100 million. And yet, a whopping sixteen years later, we’re getting Focker In-Law, which admittedly does feature quite a few excellent cast additions including Booksmart‘s Beanie Feldstein, Superman‘s Skyler Gisondo, and Ariana Grande. It’s also directed by John Hamburg, who found success in 2009 as the director of the lovable I Love You, Man.
4) Violent Night 2 (December 4, 2026)
Plenty of sequels to non-blockbuster movies end up skipping the big screen and go to streaming instead. Not the case for Violent Night 2, which will be hitting theaters in time for Christmas 2026.
While David Harbour is returning as Santa, the remainder of the cast is all new to the franchise. Joining Harbour are Daniela Melchior, Kristen Bell, Joe Pantoliano, and Jared Harris, so it will be a star-studded John Wickian Christmas. For those who love the quirky spirit of the original, don’t worry, because Tommy Wirkola is once more sitting in the director’s chair and the duo of Pat Casey and Josh Miller are once more penning the script.
Stream Violent Night on Peacock.
3) A Third (or Fourth) Jumanji Movie (December 11, 2026)
While the original Jumanji was an integral part of many a ’90s kid’s childhood. However, it wasn’t exactly critically beloved. Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle (2017) then pulled off a hat trick. Outside the presence of a game that alters its players reality, it entirely played with the formula, and the result was still something that pleased fans of the original, pleased critics, and made a killing at the box office.
All in all, Welcome to the Jungle cleaned up with $962.5 million against a pretty slim $90 million. Jumanji: The Next Level did nearly as well two years later with just over $800 million against a price tag of at most $132 million. And yet, while both were undoubtedly blockbusters, the second of which ended on a cliffhanger, we haven’t seen a third film for over half a decade. Naturally, Jack Black, Dwayne Johnson, Kevin Hart, and Karen Gillan have been busy, but seven years is still a little too long to go between installments when the first pair came out merely two years apart.
Stream Jumanji: The Next Level on fuboTV.
2) The Angry Birds Movie 3 (December 23, 2026)
2016’s The Angry Birds Movie and 2019’s The Angry Birds Movie 2 were both made cheaply ($73 and $65 million, respectively). However, the sequel only made $152.8 million worldwide whereas the first film pulled in $352.3 million.
That is a concerning and considerable drop, and it makes it easy to see why there hasn’t been a third film for six years. But that changes in 2026, and it seems the lead trio of Jason Sudeikis, Josh Gad, and Danny McBride will all be returning. Perhaps the hiatus between the second and third films will result in a bump closer to the original’s financial territory.
Stream The Angry Birds Movie 2 for free with ads on The Roku Channel.
1) Ice Age: Boiling Point (February 5, 2027)
The mainline Ice Age film franchise has lain dormant for nine years, with Ice Age: Collision Course hitting theaters all the way back in July 2016. That said, a spin-off film, The Ice Age Adventures of Buck Wild, did debut on Disney+ in 2022 to keep the IP relevant.
The franchise was consistent domestically, at least for the first four installments. That changed dramatically for Collision Course, which made about 40% of its predecessor’s domestic haul. Overseas, however, Ice Age has been a juggernaut ever since he second film. And while that figure also took a major hit with Collision Course, it still raked in enough to make the film quite profitable. The IP is undoubtedly past its prime, and 11 years is a long time to go between installments of an animated franchise, but those behind Ice Age: Boiling Point are likely hoping that the break will bring the saga back to the days when the third and fourth movies made almost $900 million worldwide.
Stream Ice Age: Collision Course on Disney+.
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Image courtesy of Focus Features.
