It has been a rough time for Hollywood. Box Office ticket sales have been down compared to a decade earlier with no real signs of change. But the doom and gloom is starting to lift after Mario and Project Hail Mary came strolling through cinemas. And now, we’re counting down to other diamonds in the rough—movies in development that we think just might shake the industry and bring audiences back to theaters!
10. Man of Tomorrow
One of the most important films in development for the future of DC Studios, this one could decide whether James Gunn continues in his role or is kicked out by new owners at Paramount. DC officially announced Man of Tomorrow as the follow-up to Superman, with a July 9, 2027 release date, and more recent trade reporting says Adria Arjona has joined the project as Maxima.
Superman and Lex Luthor in a Jim Lee-Created teaser image for the Superman Sequel Man of Tomorrow – X, @JamesGunn
The reason this movie matters is simple. A first movie can introduce a tone. A sequel has to prove that tone can sustain a universe. That is where DC has often struggled in the past. If Man of Tomorrow can build on the tepid goodwill of Superman while expanding the world without becoming bloated, it could do a great deal to stabilize DC’s long-term film strategy. That alone makes it one of the most consequential development projects on this list. Can James Gunn save his skin and get a win for DC?
9. Spaceballs 2
The return of Spaceballs would have sounded like fantasy not long ago. Now it is real. The sequel is set for April 23, 2027, and CinemaCon was all abuzz with Mel Brooks, Rick Moranis, Bill Pullman, and others returning; the new film carryies the official title Spaceballs: The New One.
Rick Moranis in Spaceballs – Amazon MGM Studios, YouTube
READ: Alec Baldwin Shooting Case Heads Back to Court as Civil Trial Moves Forward
That is already the right kind of stupid in the best possible way. The challenge, naturally, is whether a sequel to a spoof classic can still work in a media culture that is much more fragmented than the one the original lampooned. But the upside is tremendous because Hollywood is again drowning in sequels, universes, reboots, and self-serious franchise mythology. In other words, the conditions are perfect for Spaceballs to mock all of it again. If it actually mocks modern Star Wars, all best are off on how much money it could make.
8. Sonic the Hedgehog 4
Paramount is not guessing here. After the success of the earlier films, Sonic the Hedgehog 4 is officially dated for March 19, 2027. Jeff Fowler is returning to direct, Ben Schwartz is back as Sonic, and Kristen Bell joined the cast as Amy Rose. And yes, Jim Carrey is back out of his second or third retirement.
Sonic, Knuckles, and Tails from the Sonic The Hedgehog 3 Trailer – Paramount Pictures
What has made the Sonic movies work better than many expected is that they understand their assignment. They are not embarrassed by the source material, but they also know how to package it for broad family audiences. By the fourth movie, the series has enough confidence, lore, and goodwill to expand even further. It is no longer just a novelty adaptation. It is one of the more reliable modern franchise plays for younger audiences and longtime fans alike.
7. The Odyssey
Christopher Nolan adapting The Odyssey is almost too obvious a fit, which is probably why expectations are so high. The film is slated for July 17, 2026, in IMAX, and reporting has described it as an epic centered on Odysseus’ long journey home after the Trojan War. Nolan’s reputation for scale, structure, and large-format spectacle already makes this one of the safest bets for theatrical importance in the near term.
Shot for the trailer for The Odyssey – Universal Pictures, YouTube
But what really raises anticipation is the possibility that Nolan could turn one of the foundational works of Western literature into something that still feels immediate and presently impactful. If he leans fully into the mythic strangeness, the danger, and the emotional exhaustion of a man trying to get home after war, this could be one of the defining films of its release year. Questions are out there in regards to whether “the message” creeps in, but it’s probably wise to never bet against Nolan.
6. Street Fighter
Video game movies are no longer an industry joke, and Street Fighter is one of the clearest examples of why that matters. The reboot is set for October 16, 2026, with Kitao Sakurai directing, and the cast that has been reported around the film suggests the studio is treating it like a serious commercial play rather than disposable IP filler.
The upside here is enormous because Street Fighter has a deep character roster, instantly recognizable iconography, and a built-in global fan base. The risk, of course, is tonal confusion. A Street Fighter movie can collapse quickly if it becomes either too self-serious or too cartoonish. But that exact balancing act is also why the project is exciting. When a fighting game adaptation gets the style, energy, and personalities right, it can absolutely hit in theaters. The latest trailer knocked it out of the park, albeit spending a bit too much time with Ken, it looks like a huge win could be on the way with a film that totally buys into a never-before-seen aesthetic on the big screen!
5. Toy Story 5
There was a time when many people felt Toy Story 3 had already provided a graceful ending: maybe the best trilogy ever other than Lord of the Rings. That is part of what makes Toy Story 5 such a fascinating challenge. It’s another attempt after another attempt that already felt frivolous and modified the personalities of beloved characters.
Woody and Buzz Lightyear in the Toy Story 5 Teaser Trailer – YouTube, Pixar
Pixar and Disney have set the opening for June 19, 2026, and Andrew Stanton is writing and directing. Disney has also described the story as “Toy meets Tech,” with the toys facing a new threat to playtime from modern devices and screens. One of the reasons Toy Story worked in the first place is that it translated childhood worries into something emotional and universal.
But fears are out there that the movie could delve too deeply into a Bonnie and Jessie story that gender swaps Andy and Woody. While that’s not a bad thing necessarily in isolation, a pattern from Disney in that regard already has audiences wary. Perhaps the better story would have been Andy trying to find his long-lost toys to pass onto his children… but that’s a movie we’re not yet getting. And we may never still.
4. Avengers: Doomsday
Marvel clearly wants Avengers: Doomsday to feel like a major reset point and not just another franchise installment. The movie is officially dated for December 18, 2026 (going up head-to-head with Dune Part Three and its IMAX exclusivity). Marvel brings back Joe and Anthony Russo as directors, with Robert Downey Jr. attached. That alone tells you Marvel is swinging big, along with a reported $700M+ budget for production and marketing.
Cyclops releasing his optic blast in the Avengers: Doomsday trailer – Marvel Entertainment, YouTube
The title suggests something apocalyptic and crossover-heavy, and recent promotional materials and CinemaCon reporting have only reinforced the sense that this is being positioned as one of the central event films of the next phase of the MCU. After a period where Marvel’s momentum looked shakier than it once did, Doomsday feels like the movie that either reestablishes that sense of inevitability or confirms that the old formula no longer works the same way. That uncertainty actually makes it even more interesting.
3. The Legend of Zelda
Nintendo and Sony’s live-action The Legend of Zelda film remains one of the most intriguing bets in the entire studio system. Wes Ball is directing, Nintendo has publicly said the movie is set for May 7, 2027, and the company also stated earlier this year that filming had begun. Speaking of the filming, have you seen the amazing photos where they’re retreading locations that Lord of the Rings once used?
Link and Zelda in the Legend of Zelda movie – Nintendo
What makes Zelda so compelling is that it could go in several directions at once. It could try for prestige fantasy, it could lean into large-scale action adventure, or it could attempt something mythic and emotionally sincere in the spirit of the best Nintendo storytelling. Adapting Zelda is not easy because the games often thrive on mood, discovery, and player immersion more than talky exposition, but if filmmakers actually understand that balance, this has enormous upside.
2. Top Gun 3
For years, Top Gun 3 felt like one of those projects that everybody assumed would happen eventually. Now it is official. Paramount confirmed at CinemaCon that the film is in development, that a script is underway, and that Tom Cruise and producer Jerry Bruckheimer are part of the plan. That alone is enough to make it one of the most anticipated movies currently in development.
Tom Cruise plays Capt. Pete “Maverick” Mitchell in Top Gun: Maverick from Paramount Pictures, Skydance and Jerry Bruckheimer Films.
Top Gun: Maverick did not merely succeed. It became the kind of cultural event Hollywood rarely produces anymore, blending old-school star power with a theatrical experience audiences actually felt they needed to see on the big screen. The big question is whether a third movie can justify itself artistically rather than just commercially. With Cruise involved, the odds are better than usual that this will not be treated like a lazy afterthought.
1. Godzilla Minus Zero
This one comes with a small naming caveat. What fans were first tracking as the sequel to Godzilla Minus One is now officially titled Godzilla Minus Zero, and it already looks like one of the most fascinating monster movies on the horizon. Takashi Yamazaki is back, it is a direct sequel, and early footage shown at CinemaCon suggests the film expands the scale dramatically while still keeping the emotional thread of the earlier story intact.
Godzilla in Godzilla Minus One – Toho
The sequel is set for a November 2026 theatrical release, and the first descriptions have already teased Godzilla in New York, which is quite a shift after the postwar Japanese setting that gave Minus One so much of its identity. If the first movie proved a Godzilla film could be both intimate and devastating, this follow-up looks ready to test whether that formula can become something even bigger. Keep this on your radar as the sleeper hit of the holidays that could dominate all of November and December.
Which of these movies in development do you want to see? Sound off in the comments and let us know!
no to all
I hope somebody got paid for this list, otherwise it’s insane. James Gunn and MCU slop? The Odyssey with race swaps? Girlboss Zelda? MCU-style Street Fighter? Another unnecessary Toy Story sequel? Oof.