by Rosa Parra
This 2026 CinemaCon was a nostalgic and exciting experience for me as a millennial who grew up in the 90s. I had the privilege of being in the presence of legendary filmmakers like James Cameron, Steven Spielberg, Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu, Christopher Nolan, Danny Boyle, and Gina Prince-Bythewood. I also enjoyed seeing actors I grew up watching, such as Sandra Bullock, Nicole Kidman, Tom Hanks, Tim Allen, Tom Cruise, Johnny Depp, Robert DeNiro, Ben Stiller, Snoop Dogg, 50 Cent, the Wayans Brothers, Jack Black, Ray Romano, Queen Latifah, Rick Moranis, Bill Pullman, along with some of my favorite wrestlers including Cody Rhodes, Roman Reigns, and The Rock.
2026 promises to be a standout year for new film releases. From what I’ve seen, I’m excited for this summer, fall, and the upcoming awards season. We’ve also gotten a sneak peek at what’s coming early next year, and it looks equally promising.
A notable aspect, unrelated directly to CinemaCon, was the real-life clash between journalists and influencers. During the event, some influencers became loud and disruptive during presentations, while journalists—diligently taking notes and working on their articles—had to ask them to quiet down. I’ve only seen the online debates between influencers and critics/journalists, but this was my first time witnessing it firsthand. It’s obvious that CinemaCon isn’t geared towards fans. Unlike Comic-Con, it specifically targets theater owners, with the press there mainly to report on the event rather than for fandom. Still, the four days provided valuable insights.
Here are my most anticipated films for the remainder of this year and early next year, before the next CinemaCon. For more details, please visit the respective studios’ coverage. The studio releasing each film is noted in parentheses.
10. Hope (Neon)
9. Children of Blood and Bone (Paramount)
8. Young Washington (Angel)
7. Spider-Man: Brand New Day (Sony)
6. Whalefall (Disney)
5. The Odyssey (Universal)
4. Avengers Doomsday (Disney)
3. Disclosure Day (Universal)
2. Dune 3 (Warner Bros)
1. Digger (Warner Bros)