With the new year comes new films to binge on! From superhero to sci-fi flicks to mockumentaries and more, here are some upcoming films to put on the watchlist.
“The Moment”
Brat Summer apparently isn’t over as proclaimed by Charli XCX’s upcoming film “The Moment.” A “2024 period piece” mockumentary set during the release of Charli XCX’s “Brat” album and subsequent tour, the film follows Charli as she navigates fame and pressure by the music industry when it comes to how she should follow up her unprecedented success.
Charli XCX aims to provide a comedic yet blunt take on the music industry and the burden of expectations it places on its stars. The film features big-named actors and actresses such as Alexander Skarsgård, Kylie Jenner and Rachel Sennott, with some being completely fictionalized versions of themselves.
“Hoppers”
“We Bare Bears” visionary Daniel Chong mans the helm of the upcoming Pixar film “Hoppers.” Centered around Mabel Tanaka, a 19-year-old college student who has the chance to communicate with animals via having her mind transferred in a robotic beaver, she decides to lead a campaign against humans who are actively trying to destroy their habitat.
With cute animals and broad environmentalist themes, the urge to skip out on “Hoppers” is pretty much nonexistent. The film is also musically blessed as Mark Mothersbaugh is set to be the lead composer. Despite having a plot that seems eerily similar to “Over the Hedge,” there is no doubt that Chong will work the same creative magic seen in “We Bare Bears” in a way that makes the film fresh and exciting for everyone to enjoy.
“Supergirl”
The next film in James Gunn’s restructured Detective Comics (DC) Universe, “Supergirl” is shaping up to be more messy and hardcore than the previously released “Superman.” Kara Zor-El, more famously known to many as “Supergirl,” is far from the level-headed boy scout that is her cousin, the equally famous “Superman.” Her bad attitude, penchant for being drunk and her dog Krypto makes the perfect formula of chaos and mayhem.
Structured as a space odyssey akin to the James Gunn-directed “Guardians of the Galaxy” films, “Supergirl” promises to deliver a boatload of action and grunginess for audiences to relish in. It’s even more awesome considering that Lobo, a wise-cracking space biker and anti-hero who’s yet to make an actually decent appearance within DC films and shows, is set to be in the film played by none other than Jason Momoa.
“The Odyssey”
Following up his critically acclaimed film “Oppenheimer,” Christopher Nolan has decided to grace the screen once more with his adaptation of “The Odyssey.” Being one of the most renowned and bombastic works within the Western literature canon, there is no doubt that Christopher Nolan, as well as a star-studded cast of actors and actresses such as Matt Damon and Anne Hathaway, would do the epic justice.
Unlike the last film adaptation of the work, “The Return,” which on Odysseus’ return from his treacherous voyage, Nolan hopes to capture the whole nine yards from the sacking of Troy to his stay with Circe and his eventual arrival back to the home island of Ithaca. The film is warming up to be a revitalization of the sword-and-sandals genre that has evidently been missing for decades. With a stacked cast, larger-than-life settings and rousing moments of action and awe, one can only hope that Nolan shoehorns in a couple of his practically trademarked references to science and math.
“Dune: Part Three”
Given the failure of the 1984 film adaptation and a long hiatus up until 2021, nobody would’ve expected “Dune” to bounce back into a lucrative, mind-blowing and significant sci-fi franchise among the likes of “Star Wars” and “Aliens.” With the success of Dune parts one and two, Dennis Villeneuve plans to wrap up the trilogy with a final movie based on “Dune Messiah.”
Alongside the return of Paul Atreides, played by Timothée “The Chosen One” Chalamet, the film boasts a return of familiar actors and actresses such as Zendaya and Josh Brolin, as well as newcomers such as Robert Pattison.
“Disclosure Day”
Spielberg’s new film, “Disclosure Day” treads back into familiar science fiction territory. With a plot still kept under wraps, the only thing that the film promises is the presence of aliens, a topic that Spielberg has touched upon in numerous films. The film’s atmosphere harkens back to his earlier science fiction foray, “Close Encounters With the Third Kind,” most likely a showcase of what Spielberg has learned about making original science fiction films up until this point.
With heavy-hitter actors and actresses such as Emily Blunt and Josh O’Connor as well as an unique story about aliens and the unknown, “Disclosure Day” is likely set to be a dark horse candidate when it comes to the best films of 2026.
