Everything on the horizon points to 2026 being one of the biggest years for movies in recent memory. That comes after an especially impressive 2025 as well. 2026 should be huge for pretty much every genre, and one that should be great but is kind of flying under the radar is fantasy.

When it comes to fantasy movies arriving in 2026, there are some major blockbusters, especially in a couple of franchises. However, there are also intriguing adaptations of well-known stories, interesting original concepts, and more that combine to make 2026 an exciting time for fantasy films.

Forgotten Island

After the major success of Encanto in 2021, Walt Disney Animation Studios has started to shift its focus to sequels. Strange World and Wish were poorly marketed and failed, while Moana 2 and Zootopia 2 were massive hits at the box office.

The studio has another bona fide hit in store for 2027 with Frozen 3 but before that, they’re trying their hand at something original again. Hexed will be their next project with some big names attached like storyboard artist Josie Trinidad and Moana 2’s Jason Hand as the directors.

The only other things known about Hexed are the release date of November 25 and the premise. That setup tells the story of a teenager who secretly has magic powers and gets transported to a magical world with his mother. Given the people behind it and Disney’s resume, Hexed is something to be excited about.

Ebenezer: A Christmas Carol

Credit: Instar Images

It’s understandable to struggle to rack up hype for yet another take on Charles Dickens’ A Christmas Carol. Over the years, there have been so many adaptations of the story from musicals to animated versions to the iconic iteration starring the Muppets.

Still, the upcoming Ebenezer: A Christmas Carol, out on November 13, sounds like something we should all check out. For one reason, Ti West will be directing it and he has been an impressive filmmaker over the years. This being his first project since his horror trilogy of X, Pearl, and MaXXXine is intriguing because it’s so different.

Ebenezer: A Christmas Carol also has a stellar cast, including Daisy Ridley, Rupert Grint, Sam Claflin, Tramell Tillman, Andrea Riseborough, and Ian McKellan, among others. It also marks the return to the big screen for Johnny Depp. Given West’s filmography, this should be an interesting take on a classic tale.

Wicker

Sometimes, a movie can be exciting despite not a lot being known about the entire thing. Just a cast, a basic premise, and the genre are enough to get film fans to talk about it. That’s the case with Wicker, which is based on Ursula Wills-Jones’ folk tale The Wicker Husband, which premieres at the Sundance Film Festival.

The story follows an ostracized “ugly girl” who gets a basket maker to weave her a handsome husband out of wicker. Themes of true beauty and self-acceptance are at the core of this touching story.

This film adaptation is written and directed by Alex Huston Fischer and Eleanor Wilson, who previously made the well-received Save Yourselves! in 2020. It features a loaded cast of Olivia Colman, Elizabeth Debicki, Alexander Skarsgård, and Peter Dinklage, which is about as good as it gets.

The Magic Faraway Tree

If there’s one place to look for great fantasy films, it’s the animation genre. 2026 is ripe for what with the aforementioned Hexed, DreamWorks’ upcoming Forgotten Island, and the British movie The Magic Faraway Tree.

This film is based on the popular book series of the same name and follows a modern family who must learn how to reconnect after moving to the British countryside. While there, they discover a magical tree that takes them to fantastical magic lands.

The Magic Faraway Tree looks impressive visually from the limited images we’ve seen so far. It also features a tremendous cast of Claire Foy, Andrew Garfield, and Rebecca Ferguson, among others. This should be fun for the whole family on March 27.

Practical Magic 2

It’s clear that legacy sequels have been a mixed bag over the years. However, recent history has been strong to legacy sequels with the likes of Top Gun: Maverick, 28 Years Later, and Twisters being great. September 18 gives us an unexpected legacy sequel in Practical Magic 2.

The original Practical Magic came out back in 1998 and centers on two sisters descended from a long line of witches who deal with a family curse. That was based on a novel and so is this sequel, which is based on 2021’s The Book of Magic. Fans of the original will love this thanks to the returning cast.

Sandra Bullock and Nicole Kidman are back as the sisters, while Dianne Wiest and Stockard Channing are also returning. Joey King, Xolo Maridueña, Maisie Williams, and Lee Pace round out a solid supporting cast as well.

Jumanji Sequel

The massive success that the Jumanji franchise has become is impressive. The 1996 film was a blast and is a classic from the era while the 2005 sequel isn’t known to all that many. Yet the 2017 sequel and the 2019 follow-up were huge hits at the box office.

On December 11, we’re set to get the latest installment, which will once again bring back Dwayne Johnson, Karen Gillan, Jack Black, and Kevin Hart as the core four cast members. Also returning are Nick Jonas, Awkwafina, Alex Wolff, Madison Iseman, and many others.

Like the previous two films, this new Jumanji will clearly see people get sucked into the video game version of Jumanji. Not much else is known, though production started a couple of months ago. Jake Kasdan will also direct and given how fun the past two movies are, we’re excited for this one.

The Super Mario Galaxy Movie

There aren’t many films, regardless of genre, that has more anticipation in 2026 than The Super Mario Galaxy Movie. The first installment from 2023 grossed over $1 billion and has become a staple of family households since its home release.

Thankfully, the sequel looks like it’s going to deliver in spades. It’s clearly being worked on by people who care deeply about the video game franchise, so it seems like it will be handled with care. The film will, at least loosely, be based on the 2007 game Super Mario Galaxy.

The Super Mario Galaxy Movie will bring back the first film’s main cast members like Chris Pratt, Anya Taylor-Joy, Charlie Day, Jack Black, and Keegan-Michael Key. The true intrigue comes from the new additions like Brie Larson as Rosalina and Benny Safdie as Bowser Jr.

Narnia: The Magician’s Nephew

One of the most iconic fantasy novel series of all time is C.S. Lewis’ The Chronicles of Narnia. The stories were adapted for the big screen from 2005 to 2010, and were pretty successful. We’re getting more as Netflix is set to adapt the 1955 novel The Magician’s Nephew.

The Magician’s Nephew works as a prequel to the overall series, even though it was one of the last books written, and sees things like Aslan the lion’s creation of Narnia. On top of the story itself being a reason for excitement, the people involved in the film are why it’s truly something fantasy fans need to see.

For starters, The Magician’s Nephew will be directed by Greta Gerwig in her first movie since Barbie. The cast also sees Emma Mackey as Jadis, the White Witch, Carey Mulligan as Mabel Kirke, and Daniel Craig, among others. There’s also a $200 million budget that shows Netflix’s confidence in the project.

The Hunger Games: Sunrise On The Reaping

The Hunger Games franchise is one of the biggest in all of fantasy. The original trilogy of novels was hugely popular and the four film versions of it were blockbusters. It seemed done but The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes was another widely successful prequel installment.

Now, we’re getting another prequel in Sunrise on the Reaping, which was recently a hit novel. The adaptation is arriving very quickly, the story is centered on the 50th Hunger Game, and it takes place 24 years before the mainline stories, with the protagonist being a young Haymitch Abernathy.

The trailer for Sunrise on the Reaping looks spectacular and the casting choices are stellar. Joseph Zada will be Haymitch, Jesse Plemons is a young Plutarch, and the talented Elle Fanning is a young Effie Trinket. That’s only a few of the fantastic casting selections, helping this film feel especially special.

The Odyssey

Whenever Christopher Nolan releases a new movie, it’s guaranteed to be a big deal. That’s especially true after his previous film, Oppenheimer, grossed over $1 billion and won Best Picture at the Academy Awards.

This time around, Nolan is entering the fantasy genre with an adaptation of Homer’s ancient Greek epic The Odyssey. The story chronicles the Greek king of Ithaca’s long journey home from the Trojan War to reunite with his wife. Knowing Nolan’s history, the scale of this film is going to be something magnificent.

As always, Nolan has put together a fantastic cast. Matt Damon will play Odysseus, Anne Hathaway takes on the role of Penelope, Tom Holland is Telemachus, and that’s not even going into the specifics of Zendaya, Robert Pattinson, Charlize Theron, Mia Goth, Jon Bernthal, and more.