20 Most Anticipated Movies Of 2027

Whether you're into superheroes, horror, fantasy, or animated movies, 2027 is going to be a great year for you. There are offerings from both Marvel and DC that will undoubtedly change the course of their respective cinematic universes forever. Plus, we see the return of such beloved franchises as The Lord of the Rings, Shrek, and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. 

Of course, while the most anticipated movies of 2027 are those for which we have an inkling of an idea of what to expect, the best movies of 2026 prove that some of the highlights of the year come way out of left field. Few people likely had "Obsession" on their radar before it became a box office smash, and now, it's all anyone can talk about. 

You'll want to keep an eye on various developments to see what films look good as we head into the next 12 months. One trailer, for example, can change a movie's fortunes. But at this point, these are the movies we're most confident you'll want to mark in your calendar for 2027. 

There's a pretty massive chasm between M. Night Shyamalan's best film and his worst; however, ever since 2015's "The Visit," he's been on a bit of a renaissance. Not everything has hit, but the likes of "Knock at the Cabin" and "Trap" prove he knows how to bring chills within a campy aesthetic. Here's hoping his next venture, "Remain," continues his hot streak.

One of the most interesting things about this upcoming film is that it's a collaboration between Shyamalan and romance author Nicholas Sparks, a pairing we never saw coming. The two worked together to come up with the same story, but then went off to tell it within their respective mediums. Sparks' "Remain" was published in 2025, and we're curious to see how much Shyamalan's version differs. Given his penchant for twists, we wouldn't be surprised if Shyamalan took the story in a completely unique direction compared to Sparks.

The first trailer really piqued our interest, showing architect Tate Gordon (Jake Gyllenhaal) spending time in a lovely Cape Cod home with a young woman named Wren (Phoebe Dynevor). But it seems like Wren isn't everything she seems, and someone appears to be hiding a ghostly secret. Say what you will about his adaptation of "Avatar: The Last Airbender," but when it comes to ghost stories, you don't want to bet against Shyamalan. "Remain" comes out on February 5, 2027.

Following the box office success of "Barbie," everyone assumed director Greta Gerwig had carte blanche to do whatever she wanted next. No one would have blamed her if she pushed ahead with a "Barbie" sequel or maybe pursued an original project. Instead, she surprised everyone with the announcement that she'd be working with Netflix to adapt "The Magician's Nephew," one of the books in C.S. Lewis' "The Chronicles of Narnia" series.

"The Magician's Nephew" is a prequel to "The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe," so it makes sense that Gerwig would start her new adaptation there. Following two children who enter a strange new world, the novel actually depicts the creation of Narnia while offering an origin story for the White Witch. Gerwig has signed on to adapt at least two more Narnia movies for Netflix, and if "The Magician's Nephew" is a hit, we could easily see a lot more from her in this realm. 

Gerwig has also seemingly done the impossible by convincing Netflix to give "The Magician's Nephew" a proper theatrical release. It will arrive exclusively in theaters on February 12 before being made available on Netflix starting April 2. Additionally, the first trailer includes "Stairway to Heaven" by Led Zeppelin, a notoriously difficult song to license — but if anyone is capable of making history like this, it's Gerwig. 

An original Pixar film is always a reason to celebrate, so unless you want to all but guarantee a "Cars 27" at some point, you'll need to support "Gatto." The story feels like classic Pixar as it follows a black cat named Nero (voiced by Mark Ruffalo) living in Venice, Italy who starts questioning whether there's something more he should be doing in life. 

The primary reason to see this movie is that Pixar is doing something it's never tried before — utilizing 2D animation. "Gatto" will combine 3D animation, which Pixar helped pioneer back in the 1990s with "Toy Story," with 2D hand paintings. This will give the movie some classic Pixar sensibilities while also making it look like a moving Van Gogh painting, and to see Pixar pushing the boundaries of what's possible with animation is incredibly exciting. 

Pixar has struggled with its original animated offerings as of late: "Elio" was one of the biggest box office bombs of 2025. However, 2026's "Hoppers" had a surprisingly strong showing. Let's hope "Gatto" can recapture some of that magic when it hits theaters on March 5, 2027. 

Against all odds, Sonic the Hedgehog has transformed into one of the most solidly consistent film franchises based on a video game. And Sonic is the rare series where each movie is ranked better than the last, and considering how good 2024's "Sonic the Hedgehog 3" was, it's safe to say that expectations are high for the fourth installment. 

"Sonic the Hedgehog 3" introduced Shadow (voiced by Keanu Reeves) who seemingly dies at the end of the film, but a post-credits reveal shows that he's still out there. The mid-credits scene then brings in a slew of Metal Sonics and the reveal of Amy Rose, who will be voiced by Kristen Bell in the sequel. Other actors making their debut in "Sonic the Hedgehog 4" include Ben Kingsley, Matt Berry, Nick Offerman, and Richard Ayoade, who all have mystery roles as of this writing. 

Each Sonic movie is also bigger than the last. It's believed the upcoming film will draw heavily from "Sonic CD," which means there could be time travel elements thrown into the mix. You won't want to miss this when it lands in theaters on March 19, 2027. 

Director Adam Wingard took the MonsterVerse to immense heights with "Godzilla vs. Kong" and "Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire." He stepped away to focus on "Onslaught," but he has thrown his support behind the latest film, "Godzilla x Kong: Supernova," which is being helmed by "I Am Mother" director Grant Sputore. Wingard told The Direct, "Honestly, I've heard a lot of really good things on the new movie. I think I've heard that Grant [Sputore] did a really good job."

Toy leaks suggest that the latest threat within the MonsterVerse will be SpaceGodzilla. Given the subtitle of "Supernova," it only makes sense to get a space-based threat this time around rather than venturing further into Hollow Earth. Introduced in the 1994 Toho film "Godzilla vs. SpaceGodzilla," this creature is a crystalline, extraterrestrial clone of Godzilla who was created when Godzilla's G-cells were taken to space and entered a black hole. 

No word on whether "Supernova" will change the monster's origin, but he's a massive threat. And there's another more sentimental reason to watch "Supernova" when it comes out on March 26, 2027. It'll feature a posthumous performance from beloved "Jurassic Park" star Sam Neill, who passed away on July 13, 2026..

Legacy sequels can be a tricky proposition, especially with comedies. Sensibilities change, and no one wants to see another "Zoolander 2" or "Dumb and Dumber To." But there's a lot to be hopeful going into "Spaceballs: The New One." Ultimately, a decade of Disney pumping out a bunch of new Star Wars movies and TV shows will give this sequel plenty of material to pull from. 

The original "Spaceballs" from 1987 is a classic, hilarious riff on Star Wars and other science-fiction properties like Star Trek and "Alien." It's a bit of a shame they didn't decide to name the sequel "Spaceballs: The Search for More Money" to pay off the joke in the first movie, but otherwise, this could be another fantastic romp through this comedic galaxy. 

The legendary Mel Brooks returns to produce and reprise his roles as Yogurt and President Skroob, but perhaps even more exciting is that Rick Moranis will make his return to the big screen by coming back as the villainous Lord Dark Helmet. Moranis walked away from Hollywood 30 years ago to focus on raising his kids following his wife's death. When "Spaceballs: The New One" arrives on April 23, 2027 and audiences see him take off that helmet, it might be hard not to shed a tear.

Given the massive success of the animated "Super Mario Bros." movies, it's no wonder that Nintendo is moving full speed ahead with adapting more of its properties. Next on the docket is "The Legend of Zelda," coming out on April 30, 2027. Unlike those Mario movies, this will be a live-action endeavor, bringing Link (Benjamin Evan Ainsworth), Princess Zelda (Bo Bragason), and the kingdom of Hyrule to life in a way we've never seen before. 

There are numerous "Legend of Zelda" games to pull from, but it's unclear which one the film could channel the most. What's more interesting are some comments from director Wes Ball, who explained to Entertainment Weekly that the fantasy film will be more like a "live-action Miyazaki [movie]" rather than something akin to "The Lord of the Rings." This suggests that the movie will lean into the more whimsical elements of the franchise, while Link tries to foil whatever plot Ganandorf (Uli Latukefu) has in store.

The first live-action Super Mario movie released in 1993 famously made Nintendo wary of adapting the character for several decades. With that in mind, we hope "The Legend of Zelda" is good, so that we don't have to wait another 30 years to see the characters adapted to the big screen once more. 

One of the most incredible success stories to come out of Hollywood in 2026 was how "Obsession" blew everyone away at the box office. Made on a budget of under $1 million, it went on to make over $500 million globally, a feat almost unheard of for a film of its size. It made an instant star out of Inde Navarrette — who will be joining the cast of Marvel Studios' upcoming "X-Men" movie as Rogue — while writer-director Curry Barker can pretty much do whatever he wants at this point. 

That's why we're keeping a close eye on "Anything But Ghosts," due in theaters on May 7, 2027. In addition to directing, Barker also appears in the film as Mouse, a paranormal investigator who has faked plenty of ghost sightings alongside his friend Eddy ("Obsession" actor Cooper Tomlinson) for their business — until they finally encounter some real spectres.

The first week of May typically kickstarts the summer box office with a big, flashy action movie. But the 2027 season will launch with a horror-comedy from one of the most exciting rising voices in the genre. Will it reach the same heights as "Obsession"? That remains to be seen, but we're confident it'll be a great time regardless. 

When all was said and done, "The Mandalorian and Grogu" wound up a box office failure. It was disappointing considering it was the first Star Wars movie in seven years, but there's reason to hold out hope for "Star Wars: Starfighter," which blasts off on May 28, 2027. 

If nothing else, "Starfighter" is an original idea. It's not based on a TV show that a lot of people got tired of by the third season. There's no homework fans need to do before buying a ticket, which could make it more enticing for non-hardcore audiences. Additionally, "Starfighter" has the benefit of coming out in 2027, marking the 50th anniversary of Star Wars. On February 19, 2027, Lucasfilm will rerelease "Star Wars: Episode IV — A New Hope" in theaters. This will be the newly restored original version, without any of the added effects seen in later cuts. With fans undoubtedly going out in force to see the original "Star Wars," that could further build up anticipation for "Starfighter."

On its own, "Starfighter" looks like a fun time. Looper watched the "Starfighter" trailer early at D23 2026, which showcased some of the action set pieces featuring Ryan Gosling's new character, Kade Auberon. "Starfighter" also has the advantage of coming out after the announcement that Lucasfilm is planning another Skywalker trilogy. With the promise of more Star Wars to come, you'll want to see this and stay in the loop in case there are any Easter eggs that become important later. 

This is going to sound hard to believe, but when "Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse" came out in 2023, the plan was for its sequel, "Beyond the Spider-Verse," to come out just one year later. The original release date was March 29, 2024, but one delay after another kept pushing the film back. It didn't help that "Across the Spider-Verse" ended on a massive cliffhanger, with Miles Morales (Shameik Moore) trapped in another reality while his father's life hangs in the balance. But now, it seems like we're finally going to know how Miles' story ends when "Beyond the Spider-Verse" drops on June 18, 2027.

It's understandable that it would take the creative team some extra time to get the story just right. Massive undertakings from a purely visual perspective, the Spider-Verse movies revolutionized the industry by bringing together different animation styles under a single roof. They genuinely look like a comic book brought to life and simply do things that aren't possible within live-action. 

If "Beyond the Spider-Verse" sticks the landing, it'll cement the franchise as one of the best trilogies in cinematic history. With that in mind, the team probably wants to make sure they nail this, so the finale is almost certain to be worth the wait. 

The last "Shrek" movie was "Shrek Forever After" in 2010. The film was a far cry from the heights of "Shrek 2," but given the enduring popularity of the characters and the series as a whole, it's been a bit surprising that it took so long for a follow-up to arrive. We're finally getting that with "Shrek 5," coming out on June 30, 2027. 

There will be a massive time jump by the time the film comes out. Shrek (Mike Myers) and Fiona's (Cameron Diaz) children are older now, and one would assume they'll have larger roles to play within the narrative. But if the trailer is any indication, there will still be plenty of that subversive fairy tale humor the series is known for. At one point, Shrek and his crew drive through a bad part of town only to encounter a snowman who asks, "Wanna date a snowman?" The dig at "Frozen" is a sign that "Shrek 5" won't miss a step when it comes to the jokes, but can the story deliver?

Shrek's kids will be voiced by Zendaya, Skyler Gisondo, and Marcello Hernández, who should help mix up the dynamic nicely. It may have been 17 years since the last "Shrek" movie, but that just means the kids who grew up on "Shrek" may have kids of their own now who they will want to introduce the franchise to.

2025's "Superman" ushered in a new era for DC. It formally established a new cinematic universe while discarding what had come before — the DC Extended Universe — which included the likes of "Man of Steel" and "Justice League." It was a decent success, and new DC Studios co-president James Gunn didn't waste any time expanding this new mythos, with a sequel coming out just two years after "Superman" bowed in theaters. 

"Man of Tomorrow" opens on July 9, 2027. Gunn has teased that the story will see Superman (David Corenswet) and Lex Luthor (Nicholas Hoult) team up to handle a bigger threat in the form of Brainiac (Lars Eidinger). It'll be the first time Brainiac has appeared as the villain in a live-action Superman movie, but it's not for a lack of trying. There have been many attempts to bring him to the big screen before to no avail. At least this means Superman fans will have something new to enjoy rather than seeing the Man of Steel fight Lex Luthor and/or General Zod for the umpteenth time.

Gunn is also expanding the cast in a big way. Aaron Pierre will enter the fray, reprising his role as John Stewart from "Lanterns." However, the most intriguing bit of casting is Adria Arjona as Maxima, although the internet has persistently theorized that she could actually be the new Wonder Woman, which would be a great fit. Such speculation only makes it more intriguing to check out "Man of Tomorrow" and see how it expands the DCU mythology. 

Following a misguided attempt to adapt the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles into live-action in the 2010s, director Jeff Rowe brought them back to basics with 2023's "Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem." It was a breath of fresh air, making the turtles genuinely feel like kids for the first time in a long time. 

The animation style was slick, clearly taking some inspiration from "Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse." And there was a bevy of villainous mutants for them to fight, led by Superfly (Ice Cube). With the likes of Paul Rudd, Seth Rogen, Rose Byrne, and Natasia Demetriou in the cast, "Mutant Mayhem" hands-down became the most hilarious TMNT film to date. 

But bringing all those elements together again isn't necessarily why the "Mutant Mayhem" sequel is one of the most anticipated movies of 2027. While there were a lot of great villains, the film was distinctly lacking the turtles' main foe, Shredder. Fortunately, the ending of "Mutant Mayhem" teased his arrival for the showdown we've all been waiting for. It all goes down on August 13, 2027.

They'll never stop "The Simpsons," and that means it was only a matter of time until another movie came around. The first film, which came out in 2007, sees the U.S. government put a giant dome over Springfield in response to an ecological disaster The Simpsons get out, and then they're the only ones who can save their city. Will the sequel, opening on September 3, 2027, see them face some kind of new city-wide disaster? Or will it branch out and have them save the world (or even the multiverse, since that seems to be the popular thing right now)?

Disney showed a rough animatic of "The New Simpsons Movie" at D23, which didn't provide much in the way of plot. But it did show how the animation department is going all out in making Springfield seem larger than life, as we see Homer (Dan Castellaneta) and a slew of other Springfield residents chase after a home run ball during an Isotopes game. 

"The Simpsons" has been on the air for nearly 40 years now. Many fans will admit the series has seen better days, but the prospect of another movie is enticing. It could reinvigorate interest in the show or even upend the status quo in a way that elicits a response from the series itself. It may seem like "The Simpsons" can never end, but inevitably, it'll have to. Let's enjoy it while we can. 

Following "The Mummy" movies that starred Brendan Fraser, Hollywood tried to kickstart interest in bandaged ghouls with various other projects. There was an attempt to create an entire "Dark Universe" of films with 2017's "The Mummy," starring Tom Cruise, while 2026's "Lee Cronin's The Mummy" tried to bring it back to its more horror-oriented roots. Still, nothing held a candle to seeing Fraser's Rick O'Connell kick some undead butt. 

Out of all the legacy sequels in the works, "The Mummy: Book of the Dead" has us most excited. It'll be the fourth installment of the Fraser-led "Mummy" films; however, rumors suggest that the movie will ignore the events of "The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor," which saw Rachel Weisz replaced with Maria Bello. Since no one tends to really remember that one, its probably for the best.

Seeing Fraser and Weisz team up once again is sure to be a boon for millennials who grew up on the 1999 film. Plus, the film will be directed by Matt Bettinelli-Olpin and Tyler Gillett, who previously made "Ready or Not" and 2022's "Scream." They have a penchant for horror with some self-aware comedic vibes thrown in, so "Book of the Dead" should be a natural fit for them. And it comes out right around spooky season, on October 15, 2027.

Daniel Kwan and Daniel Scheinert completely upended what kind of movies could win Oscars when their previous film, 2022's "Everything Everywhere All at Once," cleaned house. It won best picture, best director(s), and several other awards, so suffice it to say, cinephiles have been waiting to see what the duo known as the Daniels do next. 

Details are sparse for the upcoming film, but it looks to be every bit as ambitious as the multiverse-inspired "Everything Everywhere All at Once." It's been speculated that the movie will incorporate plot points surrounding time travel, global warming, and superheroes. Some leaked set photos seem to confirm the superhero component, as Matt Damon and other actors have shown up dressed in Power Rangers-inspired garb. 

Truth be told, we have no idea what could possibly be going on, and that's just the way we like it. In addition to Damon, the film is also set to star Sandra Oh, Charles Melton, Michael Gandolfini, and PinkPantheress. Time will tell if this will wind up another Oscar favorite, but it's bound to be a zany time once it arrives on November 19, 2027. 

It's safe to say that "Frozen" ushered in a new golden era for Disney. It remains one of the brand's most popular franchises, with both "Frozen" and "Frozen II" making over $1 billion at the box office. And this is one film series Disney is willing to take its time getting right, as "Frozen II" came out in 2019. "Frozen III" is set to debut on November 24, 2027, and parents should begin bracing themselves now for whatever song becomes their kid's new favorite. 

Jennifer Lee returns to write and direct, with Kristen Bell, Idina Menzel, and Josh Gad coming back to voice Anna, Elsa, and Olaf, respectively. However, there's going to be a new voice added to the mix, as the film's description teases a mysterious new royal family member joining the action. There's also going to be a royal wedding, no doubt paying off the end of "Frozen II" when Anna and Kristoff (Jonathan Groff) get engaged. 

It may have taken a while for "Frozen III" to arrive, but it sounds like "Frozen IV" won't be too far off. Lee has confirmed that the creative team has been simultaneously working on both films in order to fully flesh out the epic story they have in mind. 

"21 Jump Street" took Hollywood's obsession with recycled ideas and mining every last drop out of an intellectual property to its most ridiculous conclusion. In fact, its follow-up, "22 Jump Street," ends with a montage of silly ideas for where the series could go next, such as "23 Jump Street: Medical School" and "30 Jump Street: Flight Academy." But perhaps the greatest joke of all is that we were promised all of these great ideas only for none of them to happen — until now.

Over a decade since "22 Jump Street" came out, "24 Jump Street" is finally set to arrive on December 10, 2027. Even skipping "23 Jump Street" feels like a kind of meta-textual commentary that we can't wait to see the threequel deliver on. It remains to be seen where exactly Morton (Jonah Hill) and Greg (Channing Tatum) will go next. The undercover cops have already infiltrated high school and college, and the two actors are both noticeably older at this point.

Whatever will happen, it's bound to be a good time, although we'll always be a little disappointed that "Jump Street" never crossed over with "Men in Black." The franchise already skewered reboots and sequels, so tackling cinematic universes felt like the logical next step. Maybe "24 Jump Street" will still do that or come up with something even better.

Marvel Studios is only releasing one movie in 2027, but it's the granddaddy of all cinematic crossovers — "Avengers: Secret Wars." The follow-up to "Avengers: Doomsday" will inevitably showcase the fallout and resolution of the storyline established in that film: With Doctor Doom (Robert Downey Jr.) making his presence known and the threat of incursions upsetting the balance of the multiverse, Earth's mightiest heroes will have to band together to stop the looming threat. 

The existence of "Avengers: Secret Wars" itself implies that the heroes won't be fully successful in their mission in "Doomsday." And assuming the film borrows heavily from the events of the comic book, heroes and villains should wind up on Battleworld together to duke it out and find a way to set reality straight. Since Battleworld is composed of literal pieces of different realities, it's also an opportunity to bring together past Marvel superheroes, including potentially Hugh Jackman's Wolverine and Tobey Maguire's Spider-Man, to give them final sendoffs.

"Avengers: Secret Wars" will wrap up the Multiverse Saga. From there, we know "Ghost Rider" and "Black Panther 3" are on the horizon in addition to the long-awaited debut of the MCU's version of the X-Men. It's possible "Secret Wars" could even introduce some of these new heroes before they get their own movies. Given the scale of what's possible, there's a real chance "Secret Wars" could make "Avengers: Endgame" look like child's play when it debuts on December 17, 2027.

While 2026 is treating sci-fi and fantasy fans to Dunesday with the arrival of both "Avengers: Doomsday" and "Dune: Part Three" on the same day, we're getting another epic clash of high-profile releases on December 17, 2027, as "The Lord of the Rings: The Hunt for Gollum" and "Avengers: Secret Wars" go head to head.

The "Gollum" story will supposedly be set between the events of "The Hobbit" and "The Lord of the Rings" trilogy, with Gollum (Andy Serkis) knowing the whereabouts of the One Ring. Gandalf the Grey (Ian McKellen) sends a lone ranger named Aragorn (Jamie Dornan) to locate Gollum so that they can acquire the ring before Sauron. In addition to returning to provide motion-capture work for Gollum, Serkis is also directing the film.

And Serkis seems dedicated to recreating the environment that made the original "Lord of the Rings" film trilogy so successful. Serkis has stated that they will shoot on location, use miniatures, and rely more on prosthetics to create creatures like the orcs. All of that is just as exciting as seeing Ian McKellen back as Gandalf in a "Lord of the Rings" movie. The question now becomes: Which movie will you see first in theaters? "Avengers: Secret Wars" or "The Hunt for Gollum?"