The 36 Most Anticipated Movies of Summer 2026

By David Fear

David Fear

Contact David Fear on X View all posts by David Fear May 1, 2026

Once again, summer’s here, and the time is right for dancing in the streets — or, should it be too hot out to dance, to find refuge in the lovely, air-conditioned environment of your local movie theater. The summer movie season technically kicks off on Memorial Day weekend, but there are a few early May entries you’ll want add to your list of things to check out over the next few months.

And there’s definitely a lot to see from now until the dog days of August: superhero franchise flicks (naturally), a new Star Wars spin-off, a James Cameron-directed concert film, a sex comedy or two, some oddball character studies, an anti-capitalism satire, a farewell from the Jackass gang, a little bit of arthouse fodder, and a whole lotta horror. Here are the 36 movies you need to know about from now ’til Labor Day.

• ‘The Devil Wears Prada 2’ (May 1)

  

  First off, it’s nice to know that the Prince of Darkness still has great taste in designers. Second, this sequel to the beloved 2006 rom-com — in which Anne Hathaway dealt with a demanding boss who is definitely not based on anyone in real life, nope, not at all or even a little bit — reunites the Les Mis Oscar-winner with her old co-stars Meryl Streep, Emily Blunt, and Stanley “the Tooch” Tucci for more misadventures in the fashion-mag industry. Plus, the original’s director and screenwriter, David Frankel and Aline Brosh McKenna, respectively, are back in the fold as well. Joining the veterans: Lucy Liu, Justin Theroux, Kenneth Branagh, Rachel Bloom, Lady Gaga, and Donatella Versace. Let’s find out if details of an assistant’s incompetence still don’t interest Miranda Priestly, shall we?