Val Morgan Cinema‘s MD Guy Burbidge has outlined why 2026 will be a blockbuster year at the movies, highlighting the must-watch releases across family, youth and affluent audiences and the cultural moments brands can tap into.
With many heavyweight releases on the horizon, Val Morgan has complied its predictions across three high-value demos: Youth, ABs and Families, to help you easily navigate depending on your brand’s target audience. We’ve also collated a ‘Sleeping Giants’ section, covering the titles that have cult followings and are expected to be huge for their target audiences.
So, grab your popcorn. Here are the ones to watch in 2026.
Family audiences
This was Val Morgan’s fastest-growing audience segment last year. There’s a plethora of family titles releasing this year, including globally recognised stories that have proven their place in the hearts of generations, time and time again.
Kicking off the year are a stack of films all releasing around the Easter school holiday period.
On 12 March, GOAT is releasing. The film is produced by NBA superstar Steph Curry and is set to capitalise on the popularity of basketball in Australia, which ranks as the second most popular team sport, according to AusPlay.
Coming to cinemas two weeks later on 26 March is Hoppers, a brand-new creation from animation powerhouse, Pixar, which is also set to be one of the key films of the lucrative Easter period.
The Super Mario Galaxy Movie, the sequel to 2023’s Super Mario Bros. Movie, is releasing on 1 April and is expected to be a guaranteed box office hit.
The Super Mario Bros. Movie broke Shrek 2’s nearly 20-year record to become the highest-grossing animated film of all time. That success was driven by its dual appeal across families and youth audiences, with generations of Australians growing up alongside the games.
Ahead of the winter school holidays, we have what could be the Barbenheimer for kids, with Toy Story 5 and Minions 3 releasing on 18 June.
Both franchises are box office behemoths. Despicable Me is the highest-grossing animated film franchise in the world, with each film consistently delivering nearly $1B at the global box office.
Toy Story was Pixar’s first film, which was released over 30 years ago and has since grown to be one of the most loved family movies. According to Val Morgan’s CineTAM Plus survey, Toy Story 5 ranked as the #1 most anticipated film for 2026 among primary school-aged families.
July will see one of Disney’s most iconic modern princesses, Moana, return to the big screen in live action, just in time for the winter school holidays on 9 July.
The original film remains the most-streamed movie of the past five years, despite its release in 2016. Its sequel, released in 2024, went on to become the second-biggest animated film of all time in Australia, reinforcing the franchise’s ongoing appeal amongst family audiences.
AB audiences
There is no shortage of films set to connect with affluent audiences this year, whether through original content or long-awaited sequels.
Releasing on 19 March is Project Hail Mary, the adaptation of Andy Weir’s 2021 sci-fi novel starring Ryan Gosling. When the trailer launched six months ago, it amassed over 400 million views globally in its first week, making it the most-watched trailer in history for a non-sequel or remake.
Releasing on 30 April is The Devil Wears Prada 2, which is set to be one of the biggest talked-about cultural moments of the year.
The original continues to resonate with new audiences. It is one of the most-streamed films on Disney+ among women under 30 and currently ranks as the #1 most anticipated film of 2026 among Australian women, according to our recent CineTAM Plus survey. It’s a natural fit for premium brands looking to connect with affluent female audiences.
The Odyssey, releasing on 16 July, is Christopher Nolan’s next big film, shot entirely on IMAX cameras. The 70mm IMAX sessions at IMAX Melbourne went on sale a full year in advance and sold out within hours, despite audiences not seen a single frame of footage.
December brings the conclusion to Denis Villeneuve’s modern masterpiece-in-the-making, Dune: Part Three, releasing on 17 December.
The sci-fi franchise launched in 2022 and has already become critically acclaimed. When Dune: Part Two was released, it cemented the franchise as a true cinematic event, pulling in nearly double the box office of the first film, so audience appetite for this upcoming release will be at an all-time high.
Youth audiences
Cinema is the best place to connect with this increasingly hard-to-find demographic, and the 2026 movie line-up shows us why.
After three record-breaking seasons on Disney+, The Mandalorian & Grogu will make the jump to the big screen in what will be a multi-generational cultural event on 21 May.
One in four internet users globally identify as Star Wars fans, so this release will allow brands to align with fandom, legacy, and youth culture all at once, with audiences 1.8x more likely to be within the 14-39 demographic.
On 30 July, Spider-Man: Brand New Day is releasing. The previous instalment, Spider-Man: No Way Home, cemented the character as the world’s biggest superhero when it grossed nearly $2 billion globally and became the seventh highest-grossing film of all time in Australia.
According to Roy Morgan, Spider-Man ranks as the #1 superhero in Australia among Gen Z, so for brands, it’s an ideal title for reaching this young audience. Landing on 17 December, Avengers: Doomsday is set to feature one of the largest superhero casts ever assembled. The previous two Avengers instalments also sit within Australia’s all-time top 10 box office rankings.
On Boxing Day, the final instalment in the modern Jumanji franchise, Jumanji 3, is releasing. This film will skew more towards youth; however, it has true four-quadrant appeal spanning families, kids, teens, and adults.
Sleeping giants
Just in time for Valentine’s Day, the highly anticipated Wuthering Heights is releasing on 12 February, starring two of Australia’s own, Margot Robbie and Jacob Elordi. The film is based on the novel written by Emily Brontë in 1847 and is directed by Emerald Fennell (Saltburn). This title is expected to resonate with audiences that are twice as likely to be females aged 14-39 – perfect for beauty, fashion and lifestyle brands.
The follow-up to last year’s successful film Superman is Supergirl, releasing on 25 June. DC lovers across the P14-39 demographic will be flocking to see this one.
Another Colleen Hoover book to screen adaptation, Verity, is releasing on 1 October, starring Hollywood heavyweights Anne Hathaway, Dakota Johnson and Josh Hartnett. Like many of Hoover’s books, it has a cult-following on BookTok and will be a hit with females across the 25-54 demographic.
Late November (26 November) will also see the return of the legacy comedy franchise, Meet the Parents, with the release of Focker-In-Law. Ben Stiller and Robert De Niro will reunite on the big screen 16 years later, drawing in P25-54 audiences.
The Ones to Watch – in order of release date:
· Wuthering Heights: 12th February
· GOAT: 12th March
· Project Hail Mary: 19th March
· The Super Mario Galaxy Movie: 2nd April
· The Devil Wears Prada 2: 30th April
· The Mandalorian & Grogu: 21st May
· Toy Story 5: 18th June
· Minions 3: 18th June
· Supergirl: 25th June
· Spider-Man: Brand New Day: 30th July
· Moana: 9th July
· The Odyssey: 16th July
· Verity: 1st October
· Focker-In-Law: 26th November
· Dune: Part Three: 17th December
· Avengers: Doomsday: 17th December
· Jumanji 3: 26th December
