For movies, nostalgia is the new normal

SINGAPORE – In 2026, the torrent of sequels will continue as Hollywood studios limp along in survival mode. The cost of making movies rises every year, even as ticket prices climb. Audiences then get pickier, especially when there is a wealth of streaming options at home.

The only safe bet is the franchise movie. Perhaps the studios have a point – in 2024, a historic milestone was reached when every film in the global box-office top 10 list was a sequel or part of a franchise.

So it might be appropriate to start the list of 2026’s most anticipated films by naming two not based on a previous movie, video game or television show.

Science-fiction adventure Project Hail Mary (opens on March 19) is adapted from the bestseller of the same name by American writer Andy Weir. He also authored the novel adapted into English director Ridley Scott’s popular space adventure The Martian (2015).

Canadian actor Ryan Gosling stars as Ryland Grace, an astronaut who wakes up mid-spaceflight with his memories wiped. He has to first save himself, then save the earth from a catastrophe.

Legendary American film-maker Steven Spielberg is returning to blockbuster territory with alien encounter epic Disclosure Day (opens on June 11). The film marks his first attempt at a UFO story since 2005’s War Of The Worlds.

There is a worldwide revelation of extraterrestrial existence and the consequences are explored. It stars British actress Emily Blunt as a meteorologist who involuntarily becomes the voice for an alien force during a live broadcast, as shown in the film’s much-discussed teaser trailer.

English actor Josh O’Connor portrays an investigator determined to prove that the government knows more than it is telling the world.

The other non-sequel on the list is also adapted from an existing text, written roughly 2,700 years ago. The Odyssey (opens on July 16) is based on Homer’s ancient Greek epic of the same name.

British-American Christopher Nolan (Oppenheimer, 2023) writes and directs the epic myth that has attracted film-makers since the silent movie era.

American actor Matt Damon is the king Odysseus, who leaves home to fight in the Trojan War and who must fight monsters to return to his wife Penelope, played by Anne Hathaway.

The American actress is also in the first sequel on this list: The Devil Wears Prada 2 (opens on April 30), the sequel to the hit 2006 drama-comedy that earned American actress Meryl Streep a Golden Globe and an Oscar nomination for playing the witheringly icy fashion magazine chief editor Miranda Priestley.

In the new film, Miranda has to cope with the decline of her print empire. Blunt returns as Emily Charlton, Miranda’s put-upon former assistant, now a top executive in a luxury group.

Pixar’s Toy Story 5 (opens on June 18) has big cowboy boots to fill. Toy Story 4 (2019) won the Academy Award for Best Animated Feature, while earning more than US$1 billion (S$1.29 billion) at the global box office.

Will the magic hold? American actors Tom Hanks and Tim Allen return as Woody the cowboy and Buzz Lightyear the spaceman. They are dismayed to see that Lilypad, a smart tablet voiced by American actress Greta Lee, has captured the heart of their human, Bonnie.

The first superhero blockbuster of the year to arrive is Supergirl (opens on June 25). Australian actress Milly Alcock, as Supergirl, made a cameo appearance in Superman (2025).

In 2026, Kara Zor-El/Supergirl, cousin of Kal-El/Superman, is flying through the galaxy, celebrating her 23rd birthday. She meets the girl Ruthye (British actress Eve Ridley), an encounter that will lead to tragedy and a mission of revenge.

The next superhero movie on the list is Spider-Man: Brand New Day (opens on July 30), coming after the phenomenal success of Spider-Man: No Way Home (2021).

English actor Tom Holland, American actress Zendaya and American actor Jacob Batalon return as Peter Parker/Spider-Man, MJ and Spidey’s buddy Ned respectively.

This movie is a reset of sorts. After the spell cast by Dr Strange (English actor Benedict Cumberbatch) towards the end of No Way Home, the idea of Peter Parker has been wiped from every mind, therefore keeping Spider-Man’s real identity a secret.

Peter – now a stranger to his loved ones, but with his secret safe – can focus on keeping New York safe from crime. Expect Marvel heroes like Bruce Banner/Hulk (American actor Mark Ruffalo) and others to appear.

Jumping ahead to December is the movie that has torn Marvel Cinematic Universe fandom apart. Avengers: Doomsday (opens on Dec 17) has been hyped by Marvel as a landmark movie, but unhappy fans see it as a betrayal of the multiversal story arcs set up in movies and on Disney+ streaming in the years following Avengers: Endgame (2019).

Whatever one’s opinion is, the set-up appears to rely heavily on nostalgia. Endgame’s Russo brothers return to direct, and actors from previous phases, such as Australian actor Chris Hemsworth (Thor), American actor Paul Rudd (Ant-Man) and British actor Tom Hiddleston (Loki), make a return.

Even the central villain, Doctor Doom, is played by Marvel alumnus Robert Downey Jr, who played Tony Stark/Iron Man in a previous phase.

The studio’s policy of doubling down on familiarity was proven right in 2024 with the success of Deadpool & Wolverine. The movie gave audiences an overload of nostalgic vibes with the return of Marvel alumni such as American actors Wesley Snipes as Blade, Jennifer Garner as Elektra and Chris Evans as Johnny Storm/Human Torch.

The movie’s US$1.3 billion take at the global box office towered over the sums earned by new-character movies The Marvels (2023) or The Eternals (2021). From this, the studios got the message – nostalgia is king.

Rounding out 2026 is the concluding chapter of the science-fiction epic Dune. Dune: Part 3 (opens on Dec 18) returns to the planet Arrakis. Young nobleman Paul Atreides (American-French actor Timothee Chalamet), following the events of Dune: Part Two (2024), is now the Emperor. His sister Alia, played by US-born actress Anya Taylor-Joy, and Princess Irulan, played by English actress Florence Pugh, become more fully fledged as characters.

As foreshadowed, Paul’s rise triggers bloodshed across the galaxy. Finally, the idea of the Chosen One, central to the religious beliefs of the native Fremen, is revealed for what it is.