As the summer blockbuster portion of the 2026 movie schedule winds down, it doesn't mean we're done with great action movies coming out over the next year or so. So far this year, we’ve had big-screen disaster films, epic sci-fi adventures, and some of the most thrilling spectacles in recent memory. From here out, through the end of this year and into the 2027 movie schedule, we're going to be getting a lot more action thrillers, including some video game adaptations and a whole lot more. Here's what's in store for us with upcoming action movies in 2026 and 2027.
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-François 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. Now I just need to make it through summer…
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 Academy Award nominee 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. Could this be the movie to earn Scott an Oscar? We shall see!
How To Rob A Bank - September 4, 2026
With a filmography that includes John Wick, Atomic Blonde, Deadpool 2, Hobbs & Shaw, Bullet Train, and The Fall Guy, it’s safe to say that David Leitch knows a thing or two about directing big action spectacles. Well, he’ll add another movie to that list this September with the release of How to Rob a Bank. Starring Nicholas Hoult, Anna Sawai, Pete Davidson, and Zoë Kravitz, this crime flick will follow a crew of bank robbers as they find themselves on the run after documenting their heists.
As someone who can’t get enough of great heist films, this one is doing a number on me.
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. I almost don't want to know anything about this sequel and just go in blind, but the teaser is out there, if you want to get an idea of what we'll getting into.
The Hunger Games: Sunrise On The Reaping - November 20, 2026
I love The Hunger Games, and 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 next 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.
Jumanji: Open World - December 25, 2026
As hard as it is to believe, this year marks seven years since Jumanji: The Next Level came out, but the franchise’s drought is about to come to an end with Jumanji: Open World. The big action film starring Dwayne Johnson, Kevin Hart, Jack Black, Karen Gillan, and numerous others will be landing on the big screen on December 25, 2026, meaning I know how I’m spending Christmas.
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.
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.
F.A.S.T. - April 23, 2027
From the title, you might think this is the next installment of the Fast and Furious franchise, but this one comes from the mind of Taylor Sheridan and has nothing to do with the Vin Diesel family flicks. Starring Brandon Sklenar, Juliana Canfield, LaKeith Stanfield, Jason Clarke, Sam Claflin, and Trevante Rhodes, it is described as an action flick about a former special forces soldier charged with bodyguarding a drug kingpin. I'm all in.
John Rambo - June 4, 2027
Street Fighter isn't the only movie starring Noah Centino on this list. Next summer, we're returning to the world of John Rambo in a movie called...well...John Rambo. This is a prequel, but beyond that, we know very little. Presumably, it'll take place during Rambo's time in Vietnam.
As someone who loves action movies and can’t get enough of them, there’s a lot to look forward to in the next calendar year.
