Summer Movie Preview 2026: The 12 Films We Can’t Wait to See

Mark your calendars for a hot season of raucous comedies, historical dramas and popcorn blockbusters!

Chris Nashawaty,

AARP

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Published May 08, 2026

colman domingo in a scene from disclosure day

Colman Domingo co-stars in "Disclosure Day," directed by Steven Spielberg and coming to theaters June 12, 2026.

Courtesy Universal

Summer is the season when Hollywood rolls out its biggest, splashiest blockbusters. So what’s on the marquee this summer? Check out our picks for the dozen movies coming to the multiplex (and, in some cases, your living room) this season that are worth your watch.

Tom Clancy’s Jack Ryan: Ghost War, R

In this made-for-streaming Prime Video thriller, John Krasinski returns as Tom Clancy’s intrepid CIA analyst hero, Jack Ryan. In his latest outing, Ryan is pulled back into the cloak-and-dagger world of espionage and goes on the run from a rogue black-ops unit, leading him into a treacherous web of high-stakes action and deadly betrayal. Sienna Miller and the always welcome Wendell Pierce, 62, costar.

On Prime Video May 20

The Mandalorian and Grogu, PG-13

Back in the day, we waited years for a new Star Wars movie. Then, all of a sudden, it seemed like there was a new one every week. These days, we’re somewhere in between those two extremes. Which brings us to the latest dispatch from our favorite galaxy far, far away. After three solid seasons on Disney+, the fearsome bounty hunter (Pedro Pascal, 51, under the helmet) and his pint-size green wingman, Grogu (a.k.a. Baby Yoda) blast off on a brand-new big-screen adventure. Sigourney Weaver, 76, costars.

In theaters May 22

Pressure, PG-13

Oscar-winning actor and recent AARP The Magazine cover star Brendan Fraser, 57, plays General Dwight D. Eisenhower in this historical drama about a very important weather forecast and a very underappreciated meteorologist named James Stagg (played by Andrew Scott) in the stormy days leading up to the Allies’ D-Day invasion. This is one of those remarkable, little-told stories that are like catnip for armchair historians (you know who you are). Kerry Condon and Damian Lewis, 55, costar.

In theaters May 29

The Breadwinner, PG

Nate Bargatze is one of the funniest stand-up comics in America. And anyone who’s seen his guest-hosting stints on SNL knows he can do more than just deliver punch lines from the stage of a darkened comedy club. In his first real bid for A-list movie stardom, Bargatze plays a 40-something husband forced into the role of clueless stay-at-home dad when his wife (Mandy Moore) becomes a Shark Tank–endorsed entrepreneur.

In theaters May 29

Office Romance, R

If you don't feel like looking for the car keys and driving to the nearest multiplex, fear not. Some of the summer’s must-see movies don’t require getting out of your pj’s — or even leaving the sofa, really. Take this breezy Netflix romantic comedy starring Jennifer Lopez, 56, as a high-powered airline CEO and Ted Lasso’s Brett Goldstein as the company’s new lawyer. Will this pair give in to temptation and mix work with pleasure? Fasten your seatbelt, put your tray tables in the upright position and find out.

On Netflix June 5

Disclosure Day, PG-13

Steven Spielberg, 79, is synonymous with the summer blockbuster. In fact, he all but invented the term with 1975’s Jaws. After that, he just kept cranking them out: Raiders of the Lost Ark, E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial and Jurassic Park, to name a few. So it makes sense that he’s releasing his latest big-budget spectacle smack-dab in the middle of June. The plot hinges on how humanity will react faced with undeniable proof of alien life. The billion-dollar question: Will the film’s E.T.s be warm and fuzzy like, well, E.T., or cold and deadly like in War of the Worlds?

In theaters June 12

The Death of Robin Hood, R

Even before Mel Brooks spoofed Sherwood Forest’s most famous denizen in 1993’s Robin Hood: Men in Tights, the classic steal-from-the-rich vehicle was out of fresh ideas. Many have tried to breathe new life into the legend, but none have been able to match the swashbuckling charisma that Errol Flynn brought to the role in the 1930s. And yet, we’re very excited about this revisionist take on Robin Hood for two reasons. First, it reveals a darker and more haunted side of the character in middle age. And second, because it stars Hugh Jackman, 57. Sold!

In theaters June 19

The Odyssey, NR

Christopher Nolan is one of the few Hollywood filmmakers who regularly deliver big-ticket blockbusters that don’t insult the audience’s intelligence. He mixes smarts with spectacle. In his first movie since the best picture-winning Oppenheimer, Nolan, 55, fashions an epic retelling of Homer’s classical adventure about a soldier’s perilous, 10-year journey home following the Trojan War. Matt Damon, 55, is the wandering hero, Odysseus, and Anne Hathaway plays his very patient wife, Penelope.

In theaters July 17

The End of Oak Street, NR

If you’re looking for a new riff on Poltergeist or a summer movie with serious Stephen King vibes, this suburban sci-fi chiller from producer J.J. Abrams, 59, should fit the bill nicely. Anne Hathaway and Ewan McGregor, 55, star as a married couple whose quiet, family-friendly neighborhood becomes the epicenter of some very strange happenings. Probably best to know as little as possible going into this one.

In theaters August 14

Cliffhanger, NR

The original, 1993 high-altitude action thriller Cliffhanger had everything you could want from a ’90s blockbuster: a daring rock climber (Sylvester Stallone), a mustache-twirling villain and suitcases full of ill-gotten cash atop a snowy peak. This reboot (starring Pierce Brosnan, 72, and Lily James) aims to deliver all the same spills and thrills of the original — minus Stallone, 79, who’s sitting this one out.

In theaters August 28

The Dog Stars, R

When Ridley Scott, 88, comes out with a big sci-fi movie, it tends to be worth checking out. The visionary director of Alien, Blade Runner and The Martian goes back to the future once again for this dystopian survival tale about the aftermath of a deadly flu pandemic that wipes out most of humanity. The excellent ensemble includes Jacob Elordi, Margaret Qualley, Josh Brolin, 58, Guy Pearce, 58, and Allison Janney, 66.

In theaters August 28

Coyote vs. Acme, PG

When you would watch Road Runner cartoons as a kid, chances are you howled whenever Wile E. Coyote’s booby traps backfired. But as a grownup, you might find yourself more likely to side with the poor victim of countless faulty Acme products. That’s the premise of this daffy comedy starring SNL veteran Will Forte, 55, as a small-time lawyer out to win the legal battle of the title. The film, which also stars John Cena, cleverly mixes live-action and animation like a 21st-century Who Framed Roger Rabbit.

In theaters August 28

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Chris Nashawaty, former film critic for Entertainment Weekly, is the author of Caddyshack: The Making of a Hollywood Cinderella Story and a contributor to Esquire, Vanity Fair, The New York Times and The Wall Street Journal.