Riding the horror glow-up that kicked off in 2025 with Sinners, 28 Years Later, and Frankenstein, the first half of 2026 gave us record-breaking films like Obsession and Backrooms, marking an unexpectedly strong year for the genre already.
A24’s Backrooms, an original horror film inspired by the “Backrooms” creepypasta, grossed over $363 million worldwide, overtaking the studio’s own Marty Supreme (2025) to become its highest-grossing film to date.
Other genres also performed well this year, with The Devil Wears Prada 2, Project Hail Mary, and Michael all hitting major box-office milestones. As we enter the second half of 2026 with major releases like The Odyssey, we also look to 2027 for the next wave of cinematic breakthroughs.
Based on current production schedules and announcements, here are the most anticipated films fans are expecting in 2027!
Godzilla x Kong: Supernova
Godzilla x Kong: Supernova was announced in May of 2024, just months after the success of its predecessor Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire (2024) which has since grossed over $572 million worldwide. The film will reportedly be a sequel to Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire which followed Kong as he explored an underground world while Godzilla battled threats on the surface, eventually forcing the two to team up against a powerful new enemy threatening both their worlds. Godzilla x Kong: Supernova will be distributed by Warner Bros. with a scheduled a release date of March 26, 2027 in theaters.
Star Wars: Starfighter
Directed by Shawn Levy and distributed by Disney, Star Wars: Starfighter will be another addition to the Star Wars franchise, set five years after the events of Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker (2019). The film was announced at the Star Wars Celebration in Tokyo in 2025, and will star Ryan Gosling. Not a lot is known about the plot of the film. A teaser trailer was released in 2025, and the film is scheduled to come out in theaters on May 28, 2027.
The Conjuring: First Communion
Ever since the start of the Conjuring film franchise in 2013 with The Conjuring, the highly successful franchise grossed a combined $2.7 billion worldwide. The films follow paranormal investigators as they take on a string of real-life-inspired hauntings and demonic cases. Following the success of The Conjuring: Last Rites (2025), a prequel titled The Conjuring: First Communion was announced with a release date of September 10, 2027.
Spider-Man: Beyond the Spider-Verse
The 2023 animated Spider-Man film Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse ended with Miles trapped in the wrong universe and facing off against his own alternate self, while his allies raced across dimensions to reach him before the Spot could carry out his attack back home. The cliffhanger ending set the stage for Spider-Man: Beyond the Spider-Verse which will see fan-favorite characters return and have a “very satisfying conclusion” according to co-writer Phil Lord quoted in an article by Deadline. Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse grossed a whopping $690 million worldwide, getting a 95% rating among verified audiences on Rotten Tomatoes. The much anticipated sequel will be the last film in the trilogy, and is scheduled for a release on June 18, 2027.
A Quiet Place Part III
The post apocalyptic horror film A Quiet Place (2018) broke new ground and set itself apart in horror through its creative use of sound, or rather, lack of sound, in its world building. The central element of all films in the series are blind alien creatures with a super-intensified sense of hearing that hunt down and kill everything that makes sound. The first film was widely praised for its concept execution, winning numerous awards and grossing over $340 million with a budget of just $17 million. A Quiet Place Part II (2020) continued the story of the first film before A Quiet Place: Day One (2024) revealed the initial days of the invasion. A Quiet Place Part III will be the fourth installment in the film series, set for a release date of July 30, 2027.
Honorable mentions
Honorable mentions for 2027 include Avengers: Secret Wars, set for a December 2027 release, and a sequel to The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor (2008), set for release in October 2027. The 2008 film followed adventurer Rick O’Connell and his family as they awaken and battle a resurrected ancient Chinese emperor. There has also been speculation that a third Smile film could be released in 2027, though no official release date has been confirmed by Paramount.
2027 is shaping up to be a diverse and ambitious year in cinema. Whether you’re a fan of cosmic battles or the quiet terror of an alien invasion, or somewhere in between, there’s something on the horizon worth getting excited about!
