The past few years have given us some awesome new action movies, and it looks like that trend will continue as we kick off the year. Seriously, so far, the 2026 movie schedule has given us Greenland 2: Migration and Shelter, and we’re barely six months into the year.
With a stacked lineup of action flicks this year that includes Mortal Kombat II, Street Fighter, and The Odyssey, plus more in 2027, it’s never been a better time to be a fan of big action movies. That said, here are all the upcoming action flicks I cannot wait to see in the very near future…
Cold Storage - February 13, 2026
Though we won’t be seeing Steve Harrington running around Hawkins and the Upside Down now that Stranger Things has come to an end, that’s not the last we’ll see of Joe Keery. A little more than a month after facing off with Vecna, Keery will star in the long-in-the-works Cold Storage, a sci-fi action comedy about an outbreak of a mysterious parasitic fungus that turns its victims into zombie-like creatures.
Also starring Georgina Campbell and Liam Neeson, this movie looks like an over-the-top, action-packed, and zany good time where everything can and will go wrong. It’s based on the book of the same name by David Koepp, so I have high hopes for this, especially when it comes to the blend of science and suspense.
Crime 101 - February 13, 2026
I have to admit, when I first heard about Crime 101, I didn’t know what to expect. The title and the description – a jewel thief attempts to pull off a heist while a detective is on his trail – didn’t do much for me at first, but then I saw the most recent trailer. Now, Bart Layton’s crime action thriller starring Chris Hemsworth, Halle Berry, Mark Ruffalo, and Barry Keoghan has my attention, and I cannot wait to see this.
I’m not expecting Heat or The Town from this one, but this looks like it could be one of the first great movies of 2026. It looks like it has some intense action sequences, robberies, unhinged characters (what’s going on with Keoghan?), and enough intrigue to keep me on the edge of my seat for two hours.
Good Luck, Have Fun, Don’t Die - February 13, 2026
Gore Verbinski, who directed the first three Pirates of the Caribbean movies, is gearing up to release his next picture, Good Luck, Have Fun, Don’t Die. This sci-fi action film debuting in February 2026 will follow a man from the future who travels back in time to recruit people to help him fight off a rogue artificial intelligence. With a cast that includes Sam Rockwell, Michael Peña, Juno Temple, and Haley Lu Richardson, this movie looks and sounds absolutely bonkers.
If the film is half as hilarious and intense as the first teaser trailer makes it out to be, this could be one of the wildest sci-fi action movies we’ve had in a long time. Or, at least the strangest…
In The Grey - April 10, 2026
Guy Ritchie has put out some of the best action thrillers of the last 30 years, and it doesn’t look like the Snatch and Wrath of Man director is slowing down anytime soon. This April, Ritchie will be releasing In the Grey, which stars Henry Cavill and Jake Gyllenhaal as two extraction specialists tasked with getting a negotiator out of a tight situation.
This one was supposed to come out back in early 2025, but Lionsgate took it off the release schedule back in late 2024, per Deadline. Whatever issues there were at the time have been worked out, as this highly anticipated thriller is set to hit the ground running this April.
Mortal Kombat II - May 15, 2026
As someone who grew up pumping quarters into Mortal Kombat machines at the local arcade (Aladdin’s Castle, I miss you!) and then playing the various ports at home, I’ve long been obsessed with this fighting game franchise. Though the movies have been hit or miss over the years, I have high hopes for Simon McQuoid’s Mortal Kombat 2.
In addition to seeing the debut of Karl Urban’s Johnny Cage, as well as the return of other fan-favorite characters, this highly anticipated sequel to 2021’s Mortal Kombat will also feature the titular combat tournament between fighters from Earth and Outworld. We’ll have to wait a few months longer than expected, though, as Warner Bros. has shifted it to a May 2026 release.
The Odyssey - July 17, 2026
I know, I know, Christopher Nolan’s The Odyssey is going to be more of a fantasy epic than a standard action movie, but I would be remiss in leaving it off this list. Years in the making, the Academy Award winner’s take on Homer’s influential epic poem has the potential to be the biggest film of the year, and perhaps of Nolan’s career. Anyone who’s read The Odyssey knows this thing is going to be full of big set pieces on land, in the sea, and in Odysseus’ (Matt Damon) kingdom.
The first trailer for this upcoming epic left me even more excited to see this thing unfold come July, even if the teaser asked more questions than it answered.
Mutiny - August 21, 2026
Nearly seven months after Jason Statham played a former assassin in Shelter, the prolific action star will be starring in Mutiny, a new action thriller directed by Plane helmer Jean-Francois Richet. This time around, Statham will take on the role of Cole Reed, a private security guard framed for murdering his close friend. So, what does this man with a certain set of skills do? If you guessed “do time for a crime he didn’t commit,” you’re wrong.
Based on everything I’ve been able to dig up about Mutiny, this sounds like it’s going to be a no-nonsense and action-packed one-man crusade for justice and revenge when it opens this August
Cliffhanger - August 28, 2026
There has been talk of a Cliffhanger remake or reboot or retooling for well over a decade now, but it’s actually happening next summer. I didn’t believe it at first, but Jaume Collet-Serra, the director of Non-Stop, House of Wax, and Carry-On, is turning his attention to the reboot of the iconic 1993 movie. Though Sylvester Stallone won’t be returning as Gabe Walker, we will get to see Lily James and Pierce Brosnan play a daughter-father duo in the Dolomites.
It sounds like James’ Naomi Cooper will be the focal point of the 2026 action flick, as she will be tasked with saving her father and sister from a group of terrorists high up in the mountains. There’s no Sylvester Stallone this time around, but I’m excited nonetheless.
The Dog Stars - August 28, 2026
We’re going to be eating well throughout 2026, as acclaimed directors like Steven Spielberg, Christopher Nolan, and Denis Villeneuve all have massive blockbusters coming out. Another name on that list is Ridley Scott, who’ll release his latest feature film, The Dog Stars, before the end of the summer.
With a cast led by Wuthering Heights star Jacob Elordi, the movie is set to follow a pilot as he, a former marine (played by Josh Brolin), and a dog embark upon an epic journey to survive a vast and dangerous dystopian future following a flu outbreak that wiped out much of humanity. I haven’t seen any trailers pop up on the internet yet, but I’m still excited about this one.
Street Fighter - October 16, 2026
The new Street Fighter movie is one of the 2026 releases I can’t stop thinking about. I’m a massive (and unabashed) fan of the 1994 adaptation starring Jean-Claude Van Damme and the late Raul Julia, and Kitao Sakurai’s star-studded fighting movie has me all jazzed up like I’m a kid again.
If the rest of the movie is as wild and stylized as the Street Fighter trailer that dropped back in December 2025, we’re going to be going on one hell of a ride come October. I can’t wait to find out more about one of my most anticipated upcoming video game movies, especially after Cody Rhodes namechecked Van Damme when hyping it up.
Godzilla Minus Zero - November 6, 2026
Three years after Takashi Yamazaki gave the world one of the most terrifying and emotionally gruelling kaiju movies, he’s coming back with the highly anticipated Godzilla Minus Zero. Not a lot is known about the follow-up to 2023’s Minus One, but if it’s half as good as its predecessor, we’re in for one unforgettable journey this November.
It’s not entirely clear if the sequel will follow former kamikaze pilot Kōichi Shikishima (Ryunosuke Kamiki) or his girlfriend Noriko Ōishi (Minami Hamabe), but with the way Minus One ended, I have a feeling this story is going to take another turn. That said, I’m going to be there as soon as this one storms into my city this November.
The Hunger Games: Sunrise On The Reaping - November 20, 2026
I’ll admit that I’m not the biggest fan of The Hunger Games. That said, when I saw the first trailer for Sunrise of the Reaping, I made sure to put this on my list of movies to check out in 2026. Directed by Francis Lawrence, this upcoming book-to-screen adaptation sounds like it’s going to be a fun, dramatic, and intense-as-all-hell origin story for Haymitch Abernathy (Joseph Zada, in place of Woody Harrelson) as he competes in the 50th Hunger Games around a quarter-century before the events of the first film.
With a cast that includes McKenna Grace, Maya Hawke, Ralph Fiennes, Jesse Plemons, Glenn Close, and more than a dozen other big-time stars, this has all the trappings of the next great action spectacle and the next phase for the beloved franchise.
Violent Night 2 - December 4, 2026
Bloodier action, Mrs. Claus, and the North Pole are all things we want to see in Violent Night 2, and maybe, just maybe, that’ll all happen when David Harbour returns as St. Nick this holiday season. Though there’s already a December 2026 release, not a whole lot has been revealed about Tommy Wirkola’s upcoming sequel, outside of the casting of Kristen Bell as Mrs. Claus and other featured players.
That said, if it’s anything like its rude, crude, and merry as all hell 2023 predecessor, we’re in for one hell of a night before Christmas when Santa swoops in to save the day, or at least kick a whole lot of ass again.
New Jumanji Movie - December 11, 2026
I don’t know if I should call this Jumanji 3 or Jumanji 4, as the franchise’s ordering is all over the place. With that out of the way, I cannot wait to see the return of Dwayne Johnson, Kevin Hart, Karen Gillan, and Jack Black in Jake Kasdan’s latest adventure set in a scenic yet deadly video game.
This one will drop before the end of next year with a December 11, 2026, release date. Details are still being kept under wraps at this point, but Dwayne Johnson and Karen Gillan have both shared some behind-the-scenes photos with audiences.
The Beekeeper 2 - January 15, 2027
Though The Beekeeper 2 isn’t yet dated, I feel obligated to add the Jason Statham sequel to this list simply because the first film was such a fun and pleasant surprise in 2024. I mean, I loved pretty much everything about this movie and will defend it until I’m blue in the face. Details about the plot are being kept secret, but I honestly cannot wait to see what Statham’s Adam Clay gets into next after taking down a phishing scheme that went to the top of the United States government.
According to Variety, Nobody 2 and The Night Comes for Us director Timo Tjahjanto is helping the project, which will see the return of Jeremy Irons, Jemma Redgrave, and Emmy Raver-Lampman’s characters alongside new additions like Pom Klementieff and Adam Copeland. Deadline reported in early 2026 that the long-awaited sequel will buzz into theaters in January 2027.
Godzilla x Kong: Supernova - March 26, 2027
Legendary’s Godzilla x Kong movies have given audiences a little bit of everything over the years. There’s imaginative sci-fi, and there’s a whole lot of drama, but there’s also some wild-as-hell action that makes these theatrical experiences so much fun to enjoy. We’re still a ways off until the latest installment hits the big screen, but it’s never too early to be excited for Supernova.
Though I know next to nothing about this hotly anticipated monster film, I honestly cannot wait to see what the iconic movie monsters get up to next. Plus, the cast is looking great, with a returning Dan Stevens and new additions: Kaitlyn Dever, Jack O’Connell, Delroy Lindo, and Sam Neill. Shut up and take my money…
Varanasi - April 7, 2027
Remember a few years ago when RRR took the world by storm? Well, that Bollywood epic’s director, SS Rajamouli, is preparing a new movie that could be bigger, crazier, and more triumphant than anything that’s come before. In April 2027, Rajamouli will release Varanasi, a mysterious saga that will take place over multiple time periods, will feature over-the-top action sequences, and, of course, plenty of musical numbers.
One of my colleagues was invited to attend a special first-look event for the film last fall, and they made it sound like the most intense experience after watching footage on a massive 100-by-132-foot screen. Yeah, this one is going to be BIG!
The Untitled Jack Ryan Movie - TBD
You may recall the Jack Ryan TV show that was big on Prime Video a few years ago. You know, the one starring John Krasinski as Tom Clancy’s most famous character? Well, the series is getting a film continuation at some point in the future, and I, a massive fan of the franchise, cannot be more excited.
I’m not entirely sure how this movie will continue the story started with the Jack Ryan series back in 2019, but this could be a lot of fun, especially if Amazon lets it get a big-screen release. Krasinski posted a shot of the titular character looking over the Dubai skyline on Instagram back in February 2025, so that could mean we’ll see the iconic CIA analyst go to some high-up places when the movie finally drops.
As someone who loves action movies and can’t get enough of them, there’s a lot to look forward to in the next couple of years.
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