We find ourselves in the beginning of the second quarter of 2026 and the world has changed.
That said, don’t fret, this little blog is about movies and the state of the movie industry, so politics & religion need not apply. No, I am more concerned with popcorn at the moment. And moments have an explicit expiration date so let’s talk about what is coming out this year to theaters & streaming services.
In days of yore when this blog was but a gleam in my eye movies and films were a big part of it. I’d write about what I was excited to see coming to the theaters or the quality of movies presented in the format of Blu-ray in an ongoing article here on these electronic pages, The Blu-ray Dosier. I did that until the rise of streaming, which put Blu-rays on the endangered list of formats along with laserdiscs, Betamax, VHS tapes, & DVDs – not extinct yet, but the herd has been dramatically thinned. The times have changed.
We live in the era of streaming and the age old battle between movie studios and theaters, while still raging, is looking like the studios will have their products beamed directly to their customers immediately, rather than having to rent their wares at movie houses & theaters from sea to shining sea for the lovers of cinema to discover and spend their money on tickets. Ma & Pa theaters are more endangered than Blu-rays. Theaters be they Ma & Pa or big chain operations such as Regal or AMC, have always been strong armed by the studios. If theaters do not play ball, they do not get to be able to show the summer blockbuster(s) that will let them pay their bills & their employees. There is no “flat fee” and the studios take all the profits, leaving little for the theaters to survive on. It been this way since a (as Google told me) supreme court case in 1948, “United States v. Paramount,” to prevent the monopolization of the film industry. Movie studios have leaned on theaters like loan-sharks collecting gambling debts; again, from Google, “Theaters pay studios a percentage of the box office receipts. This typically ranges from 50% to 70%, depending on the movie and how long it has been in theaters.” This is why a bucket of popcorn and a soda are about $40.00 when you go to a theater. They want to keep the lights on, the toilets flushing, the roof of the movie house on, and the staff paid. Prior to ANY of that happening, the studios take their cut…
...Said this Reddit user 15 years ago.
Time marches on. Theaters will continue to decline due to the film industry increasing its profits by eliminating the middleman. I believe that there will always be a place for a communal theatrical experience, but the delivery method of film has shifted and it is not going back.
All that said, what will get me away from this keyboard and into a reclining theater seat from now until the end of 2026? Well, these offerings will! …Also, it should be known, some of the films I am about to list are going directly to stream. Netflix was poised exactly where they needed to be when the zeitgeist changed and out of all the corporate studios, they are in the best position, at present, to offer a glimpse at where the industry is heading in the future. …But that is a story for another time.
Here is what I’m excited about now…
“Remarkably Bright Creatures,” coming to Netflix on May 8th. I loved the book; I think I’ll love the movie. The cast is spot on with Sally Field, Lewis Pullman, Colm Meaney, with Alfred Molina as the voice of Marcellus. This will have a lot of heart.
“Ladies First,” coming to Netflix on May 22. It is with Rosamund Pike & Sacha Baron Cohen in the leads. The manosphere gets the multiverse treatment in this one. Again, excellent casting.
“The Mandalorian & Grogu,” in theaters May 22. I will love this movie. I’m a fan of the TV series. Although, the marketing for this movie has been a bit lack-luster. Perhaps Disney is depending on fans like me to show up and not worrying about a TV show making the leap to the big screen? I don’t know. I do know that a Star Wars movie should have the words, “Star Wars” in the title. This would give a nice line of demarcation between streaming on Disney + and going to the theater. But who am I? Just a fan who is looking forward to what Jon Favreau and Dave Filoni have in store for Din Djarin and his adopted son.
“Disclosure Day,” in theaters June 12. Steven Spielberg is back and I’m here for it! Spielberg and aliens have a long and glorious history, and I am jazzed to see what is up his sleeve for this one.
“Toy Story 5,” in theaters June 19th. McKenna Harris & Andrew Stanton direct this latest offering from Pixar/Disney. When I first heard that a fifth movie was in the works, I asked myself the question, “Why?” I mean, after all, the fourth one spilt up the gang, and I thought that they had painted themselves into a corner with the story. It appears that I was wrong. Woody & Buzz are reuniting to fight their biggest villain yet – electronic devices that are replacing toys. One can never count Pixar out. They will, routinely, punch you in the heart. This will be no exception.
“Supergirl,” in theaters June 26. Milly Alcock is Kara Zor-El, Kal’s cousin. This tale may very well have shades of John Wick to it. Think post-traumatic stress meets the straw that breaks the camel’s back, or rather, you never should have hurt Krypto. Lobo, played by the BEST choice for the role ever, Jason Momoa is coming to James Gunn’s DC universe, too! Yes. I will buy a ticket for this.
“The Odyssey,” in theaters July 17th. Christopher Noland does Homer. Matt Damon is Odysseus. Noland knows how to tell a story and this epic is in very good hands.
“Spider-Man: Brand New Day,” is coming to theaters on July 31st. Say what you will about MARVEL & superhero movies – this one I care about. A street-level Spider-Man with street-level peers (I’m looking at you Frank Castle/Punisher and, I’m calling it right now, DAREDEVIL). And villains, including the Hand and, I’m calling it right now, JEAN GREY. Yes my fellow true believers, the X-Men are coming to the MARVEL movie universe. Oh, yes. I will see this one before some shlub on social media ruins all the twists & comic history is spoiled. Another friendly neighborhood Spider-Man movie? Oh, yes. I’m in.
“The End of Oak Street,” in theaters August 14th. Dollars to donuts, and I could be wrong here, but I’m thinking this is another back-door movie into the Cloverfield universe originated by J.J. Abrams. Anne Hathaway & Ewan McGregor are parents of a family that is experiencing what happens when one universe invades another. Are Kaiju far behind? I’m looking forward to finding out.
“The Dog Stars,” coming to theaters August 28th. Ridley Scott is at the helm of this one inspired by Peter Heller’s book of the same name. A post-apocalyptic pilot and his dog go searching for what’s left of humanity and hope, along the way. I am a sucker for a good speculative tale, and this one has some wonderful possibilities. I have not yet read the book but is now on my radar.
“Avengers: Doomsday,” in theaters sometime in November or December. The Russo Brothers, Anthony & Joe are back with all their friends from MARVEL’s ever-expanding stable of characters. Again, say what you will of tales of gods and men, history & legend are loaded with ‘em. These superhero tales are our modern takes on a classic genre. It is all cyclical. Stories are told and then they are told again, over and over, since the dawn of man, which pretty much started with telling stories. …Anyway, as for this film in particular, has Doctor Doom been pulling the strings in the universe the whole time (the beginning of the MARVEL U in “Iron Man”)? Who are the Fantastic Four? And why are all these mutants suddenly popping up all over the place? How does the old guard usher in the new? Find out in theaters this December. I’m here for it all. …Also, Kevin Feige, the president of MARVEL Studios, knows & loves what he is doing. Doomsday will set the stage for Secret Wars and, I believe, the movies in-between them will bring the X-Men to prominence. As I have mentioned, I’m here for it all.
“DUNE: Part Three,” in theaters December 18th. Denis Villeneuve’s third and final installment of his DUNE trilogy. Villeneuve has done a masterful job of bringing Frank Herbert’s six book epic to the screen. The first two films have been a wonder to behold on the big screen – especially if you have read the books. DUNE asks questions far more reaching than a movie with spaceships & explosions usually asks. Politics, religion, environmentalism are all themes deeply rooted in the world of Arrakis. I’m very curious as to how he joins the next few books in the series, “DUNE Messiah” and “Children of DUNE.” I’ll be there opening night to find out.
“Werwulf,” in theaters December 25th. Robert Eggers gives the world a pagan, folklore laden, werewolf story just in time for Christmas! Eggers knows what he is doing. He pulls on stories and tales that reach down to that part in all of us that is still afraid of the dark. He is the man who brought us, “The VVITCH,” “The Lighthouse,” and “Nosferatu,” so his storytelling is not to be missed. So, once you’ve opened your packages and if you’ve had a bit too much tinsel, turkey, & fruitcake, perhaps a trip to the movies for something disturbingly horrific is just what you’ll need.
These are what I’m looking forward to seeing. I’m sure that there are some great stories that I have missed. If so, let me know for I am a humble word-slinger bobbing as a cork in the internet seas.
Start saving your nickels (since they don’t make pennies anymore), you’re gonna want some popcorn. Buttered.
See you at the movies.
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