Movie Mayhem: What To Expect At The Cinemas In 2026

By Suzanna Kirpichyan

Staff Writer

Meet the Writer

As we enter the new year, we also enter a new era of entertainment created just for teens to enjoy a good hangout with friends, the movies. This year, we get to witness many live-action adaptations and book-to-screen adaptations unfold right in front of our eyes. The list goes on, and students here at SOAR patiently await the new releases. Movies coming out in 2026 include The Odyssey, Wuthering Heights, Hunger Games: Sunrise on the Reaping, Avengers: Doomsday, People We Meet On Vacation, Spider-Man: Brand New Day, Dune part 3, Scream 7, Supergirl, and Michael. 

While some students may enjoy the hobby of reading, or even if you’ve only ever read the first book in The Hunger Games franchise, it’s safe to say that fans are overjoyed and excited for the revival of the book series (and later movie series) that dominated the 2010s. The new novel was released only in 2025, and was immediately marking dates for the cinematic reenactment coming on November 20, 2026. The freshmen class, having read the first book in their first semester, can guarantee a rise in fans that will fly through the series to experience the magic of watching the newest film in the theaters. An original fan who read the newest book as soon as she could states that she is extremely excited and can’t choose a singular scene she wants to see, because she is anticipating the entire film. “I was so excited when it came out because I loved Haymitch so much in the first book and was not disappointed. The book is amazing and heart-shattering!”

With an upcoming movie documenting the story of Michael Jackson’s life, we’re going to get a glimpse that fans have been awaiting for a long time. Students like Ferrah Lupper, who are self-proclaimed MJ enthusiasts, find themselves counting down the days until the release, stating, “My hopes for this movie are through the roof. I've never had higher expectations. I'm definitely going to the theaters with my mom; we need to be in the first showing, or I might explode.” It's definitely safe to ensure every student has a sort of film that makes them this way, and finally, Ferrah Lupper will be able to get a glimpse into her lifelong favorite artists' early stages in their careers.

People We Meet on Vacation, released on January 6th, 2026, gives a fresh start to the new year. It is an adaptation of the novel written by Emily Henry, which had Natalie Lura eyeing the book for a while. After watching the trailer, she was immediately hooked and watched the film. When asked about her favorite scene, Natalie described the highly anticipated rain confession. “They were able to show each other their raw emotions and realize that they loved each other and conclude that they had ALWAYS loved each other but never wanted to admit it, and it was very romantic because who wouldn’t want a confession in the rain at night.”

Whether you're going to the movies to watch the brand new record-breaking marvel movie or to view the latest book adaptation to film from the first solid evidence of Greek mythology, the theaters are going to be crammed this year, and every kind of person has something for them.