When we think of Netflix, nine times out of ten, we think of the exceptional lineup of series the streamer has hosted. In addition to its array of sensational original titles, Netflix has brought some brilliant movies to your screens. Just look at 2025, which featured Guillermo del Toro‘s Frankenstein and Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery.
In 2026, Netflix will be back with a delicious lineup of original movies, some of which are the most anticipated films of the entire year. From Greta Gerwig‘s The Chronicles of Narnia adaptation to the Heartstopper and Peaky Blinders films that will help conclude their brilliant runs, the 2026 calendar year is already shaping up to be a big one for Netflix. Here are 10 highly anticipated Netflix original films coming out during the new year.
10
‘Don’t Say Good Luck’
If there is one thing we theater kids know well, it’s superstitions. The biggest and most universally followed is not saying “good luck” on opening night. Well, someone must have uttered those words, as someone is about to face some drama before the inevitable opening night. In the upcoming comedy Don’t Say Good Luck, Sophie Birenbaum (Sunny Sandler) is ready for the spotlight as the lead in her high school musical — until suddenly she’s living with even more drama at home than on stage. Focusing on themes of resilience and growth, Sophie’s excitement is quickly overshadowed during her mother’s health crisis. Written by Julia Hart, Laura Hankin, and Jordan Horowitz, the upcoming comedy will be produced by Happy Madison Productions, the company founded by her father, Adam Sandler.
Sunny has appeared in many of her father’s Netflix films, including You Are So Not Invited to My Bat Mitzvah and Happy Gilmore 2. Sandler is set to be joined by an all-star lineup including Melanie Lynskey, Max Greenfield, Stephanie Beatriz, Bebe Neuwirth, Jack Champion, and Steve Buscemi. The film is eyeing a March 15 release on the streaming service.
9
‘The Mosquito Bowl’
With an impressive resume that includes titles such as American Primeval and Fright Night Lights, Peter Berg‘s newest film will be inspired by Buzz Bissinger‘s sports narrative, The Mosquito Bowl: A Game of Life and Death in World War II. Depicting the Mosquito Bowl, an American football game played in Guadalcanal during World War II, The Mosquito Bowl follows four top college football stars who set their fame aside to enlist in the Marines following the attack on Pearl Harbor. As they prepare for the brutal invasion of Okinawa, they participate in the legendary game. For many, this will be their last.
Taking on the four central roles are Nicholas Galtizine, Bill Skarsgård, Ray Nicholson, and Tom Francis. Additionally, sports analyst and ESPN host Pat McAfee will appear as a US Marine drill instructor. This is not the first collaboration between director and author, as Bissinger is the author of Friday Night Lights. Having filmed in Australia, Berg told Netflix’s Tudum, “I’m thrilled to be in Queensland filming The Mosquito Bowl with some of the best crews in the world. The landscapes here are cinematic gold — perfect for bringing this story to life.”
8
‘People We Meet on Vacation’
When your soapy, romantic summer reading book makes its way into movie form, you know the hype is high. Such is the case for the upcoming People We Meet on Vacation. Based on Emily Henry‘s bestselling novel of the same name, the film follows two best friends, Poppy (Emily Bader), who wants to explore the world, and Alex (Tom Blyth), who prefers to stay home with a good book. They live far apart, but for a decade, they have spent one week of summer vacation together. After not speaking for almost two years due to a disastrous trip, they are forced to confront their true feelings and a big secret during one last vacation attempt to fix their fractured friendship.
A heartwarming friends-to-lovers story, the film is destined to satisfy devoted book lovers. “This story lives or dies on the chemistry between Alex and Poppy — and Emily and Tom’s chemistry is electric,” director Brett Haley told Tudum. “They capture that opposites-attract dynamic in a way that feels effortless and true.” The cast also features Alan Ruck, Molly Shannon, Sarah Catherine Hook, Jameela Jamil, Lukas Gage, and Miles Heizer. Pack your bags — The People We Meet on Vacation premieres on January 9.
7
‘11817’
Netflix is bringing a brand-new science fiction horror film to the streamer in 2026. Directed by Louis Leterrier and written by Matthew Robinson, 11817 centers on a family of four who are sealed into their home with no way of getting out. To make the situation even worse, their resources are running thin, and they are forced to work together to survive not only a lack of essentials but also the mysterious, looming threat keeping them trapped inside. Starring Greta Lee, Wagner Moura, Gabriel Barbosa, Noah Alexander Sosnowski, Emma Ho, and Riley Chung, the film is destined to scare you out of your own house.
Speaking to Tudum, Leterrier stated, “11817 challenges the idea of a safe haven, turning a family home into a hostile environment where survival demands unity. This is an ordinary family’s worst nightmare, pushing them to their limits to protect each other and exposing the fragility of security — and the desperate fight to reclaim it.” There is no official release date, but the thriller is expected to arrive in 2026.
6
‘The Whisper Man’
Netflix will be getting a major crime thriller thanks to Alex North‘s acclaimed novel The Whisper Man. Directed by James Ashcroft, The Whisper Man follows a widowed crime writer who, after his 8-year-old son is abducted, turns to his estranged father, a retired police detective, for help. He then discovers a connection to his son’s abduction and the decades-old case of a convicted serial killer known as The Whisper Man.
“The Whisper Man is a gripping thriller, but at its core, it is a poignant and complex story of father and son. We are grateful to have one of the finest actors of his generation, Robert De Niro, anchoring that story, and with the remarkable James Ashcroft directing,” AGBO chief creative officer Angela Russo-Otstot told Tudum. The ensemble cast will feature De Niro, Michelle Monaghan, Adam Scott, Michael Keaton, John Carroll Lynch, Hamish Linklater, Owen Teague, and Acston Luca Porto. Although the film went into production last spring, there is no official release date yet.
5
‘The Rip’
2026 will see yet another highly anticipated pairing between long-time best friends Matt Damon and Ben Affleck, as they will reunite again for the upcoming thriller The Rip. Written and directed by Joe Carnahan, The Rip follows a group of Miami cops who discover a cache of millions in cash in a derelict drug house, leading to distrust and betrayal as outsiders learn of the huge seizure and question whom to trust. Tackling greed and corruption in policing, the tense thriller has all the makings of an instant classic. The title comes from Miami cop parlance for ‘taking the bad guy’s stuff,’ according to Carnahan. “In the event of a seizure of cash or drugs or weapons, the confiscation itself is known as the ‘rip,’” he told Tudum.
Additionally, the director praised the collaborative process of working with the New England natives. “Working with Matt and Ben and having two distinctly talented filmmakers, as both creative allies and the studio heads, wound up being the best of both worlds,” Carnahan shared. “I’ve never had as easy an experience on a movie as I had on The Rip. They took exceptionally good care of me and backed my decisions every step of the way.” The duo will be joined by a stacked ensemble including Steven Yeun, Kyle Chandler, Teyana Taylor, Catalina Sandino Moreno, and Sasha Callle. The film is set to drop on January 16.
4
‘Heartstopper Forever’
All good things must come to an end, but how can we truly say goodbye to Nick Nelson and Charlie Spring?! After three extraordinary, tear-jerking, heartwarming seasons, Heartstopper will be wrapping up its story with a feature-length series finale. With Kit Connor and Joe Locke returning to their respective roles as Nick and Charlie, they will also serve as executive producers on the project. Written by Alice Oseman, adapting the sixth volume of her graphic novel, Heartstopper Forever picks up directly from the Season 3 finale as Nick and Charlie step up their relationship to the next level. With Nick preparing to leave for university and Charlie finding new independence at school, the reality of a long-distance relationship begins to weigh on them. Doubts take hold, and their relationship faces its biggest challenge yet. Meanwhile, Nick and Charlie’s friends must navigate the ups and downs of love and friendship, confronting the bittersweet challenges of growing up and moving on.
“The movie will be an exploration of time, memory, love, pain, the changing of the seasons, endings and beginnings, and the core element of Heartstopper: the ordinary magic of our everyday lives,” Oseman told Tudum. While some fans may feel apprehensive about a film’s conclusion, Oseman minimized the concern. “It’s a big change from what we know. It’s something new and unknown, and yes, the runtime will be less than a TV season. Even I needed some time to process and come to terms with the change. But once I began to see the entire vision, I knew it would be something even more beautiful than a regular season could achieve,” she revealed. Filming officially wrapped on July 27, with an adorable social media announcement.
3
‘Peaky Blinders: The Immortal Man’
Tommy Shelby is back on television! Well, on Netflix after a two-week theatrical release. The massively anticipated Peaky Blinders movie, officially titled Peaky Blinders: The Immortal Man, will stream on the platform on March 20, following a brief theatrical run beginning on March 6. Four years after saying goodbye to the Shelby clan in the Peaky Blinders Season 6 finale, Tommy Shelby (Cillian Murphy) and his crew of Birmingham mobsters are returning. Amidst the chaos of WWII, Tommy is driven back from a self-imposed exile to face his most destructive reckoning yet. With the future of the family and the country at stake, Tommy must face his own demons and choose whether to confront his legacy or burn it to the ground.
“It seems like Tommy Shelby wasn’t finished with me,” Murphy told Tudum. “It is very gratifying to be re-collaborating with Steven Knight and Tom Harper on the film version of Peaky Blinders. This is one for the fans.” Series creator Knight followed up by saying, “The country is at war, and so, of course, are our Peaky Blinders. It will be an explosive chapter in the Peaky Blinders story. No holds barred. Full-on Peaky Blinders at war.” The cast of returning favorites includes Murphy as Thomas Shelby, Sophie Rundle as Ada Thorne, Ned Dennehy as Charlie Strong, Packy Lee as Johnny Dogs, Ian Peck as Curly, and Stephen Graham as Hayden Stagg. They will be joined by new additions Rebecca Ferguson, Tim Roth, Jay Lycurgo, and Barry Keoghan.
2
‘Swapped’
Despite a name change, the excitement continues for the original Netflix animated feature, Swapped. Nature’s sworn enemies are teaming up for a wild adventure, as audiences will be dropped into an animal kingdom called the Valley, where a tiny woodland creature and a regal bird, voiced by Michael B. Jordan and Juno Temple, respectively, find themselves in a body-swap mishap. Forced to work together and walk in each other’s shoes, the two new pals will embark on a wild adventure together in the animated feature. Directed by Nathan Greno, who helmed Disney’s Tangled, the film is destined to be an unpredictable, emotional ride full of humor, spectacle, and heart.
“We drew from live-action nature documentaries, exploring the complexity of a wild ecosystem to capture something that feels vibrant and deeply human,” the director shared with Tudum. He also praised his film’s two leads, Jordan and Temple, saying, “Every moment between them feels alive — funny one second, deeply moving the next. Their chemistry lifts the story and gives Swapped its wings.” The fur and feather Freaky Friday film is set to be released in 2026.
1
‘Narnia: The Magician’s Nephew’
It’s the collaboration we’ve been dreaming of: Greta Gerwig rebooting The Chronicles of Narnia book series. Serving as the fourth film adaptation of the book series, following the trilogy from Walden Media, Gerwig’s hyped iteration will start from the actual beginning of the saga. Based on the sixth book from C.S. Lewis‘ series, Narnia: The Magician’s Nephew will tell the origin story of Narnia, how the evil White Witch arrived, and how the magical wardrobe came to be, following London children Digory Kirke and Polly Plummer as they use magic rings to travel to other worlds, witness the creation of Narnia by Aslan’s song, and grapple with temptation and good vs. evil, setting the stage for future adventures.
With years in development and an assortment of names floating around to be attached to the film, the main cast is set to include Emma Mackey as Jadis, the White Witch, Carey Mulligan as Mabel Kirke, David McKenna as Digory Kirke, Beatrice Campbell as Polly Plummer, Tom Bonington as Mr. Potts, Ava Jager as Violet Plummer, with Denise Gough and Daniel Craig in other main roles. Narnia: The Magician’s Nephew is set to arrive on November 26, 2026.