The movie business is thriving. Following the success of films like Project Hail Mary and The Super Mario Galaxy Movie, the industry is preparing to premiere even more exciting projects in the weeks to come. Indeed, we’re now entering the busiest period for the filmmaking industry, which means we’ll be getting one movie after another for the next four months, as the summer season takes shape before our eyes.
From horrors like Lee Cronin’s The Mummy to ambitious thriller dramas like David Lowery‘s Mother Mary to action offerings like the Lena Headey-fronted Ballistic, the next month is packed with titles that will do their best to compel you to watch them in the movie theater. However, a few are probably far more compelling than others, whether because of their premises, cast, standing, or a combination of all these factors. These upcoming movies premiere within the next month and are unmissable, so you’ll probably want to catch them on the big screen, if only to be part of the conversation.
‘Michael’ – April 24
Musical biopics are having a comeback. Kickstarted by the critical and Oscar success of 2018’s Bohemian Rhapsody, the musical biopic genre came back to life, producing solid efforts like the criminally underrated Rocketman, the delightfully offbeat Weird: The Al Yankovic Story, and the Oscar-nominated A Complete Unknown. This year, the genre will get its best chance at another record-breaking success since BoRap with Michael, Antoine Fuqua‘s biopic about the early life of the King of Pop himself, Michael Jackson.
Michael has every element one could ask for in a musical biopic: a larger-than-life figure whose influence on the entertainment world is considerable enough to warrant a movie, a collection of behind-the-scenes talent that seems too big to fail, and one of the strongest and most iconic music catalogues in the American songbook. Moreover, Jackson remains a divisive figure, which is bound to make the film even more of a subject of conversation. Michael‘s teaser became the most-viewed trailer for a musical biopic, meaning the film is already delivering on all the lofty promises it’s making. How far it will go, we cannot yet say, but BoRap made nearly a billion in 2018 — can the King of Pop actually cross that milestone? It seems unlikely, but far from impossible.
‘The Devil Wears Prada 2’ – May 1
The Devil Wears Prada is one of the undeniable cinematic institutions of the new millennium. The film, which stars Meryl Streep, Anne Hathaway, Emily Blunt, and Stanley Tucci, is based on the eponymous novel by Lauren Weisberger and is widely accepted to be based on her experiences working as the assistant to then-Vogue editor-in-chief Anna Wintour. The plot sees Hathaway’s Andy Sachs working for Streep’s Miranda Priestly, the icy editor-in-chief for premiere fashion magazine Runway. Blunt plays Emily, Miranda’s other assistant, while Tucci plays the magazine’s creative director, Nigel.
For years, plans for a sequel remained nothing more than rumors. However, as the film’s standing increased and the careers of the four main characters kept growing, the idea of a sequel became more enticing than ever. Finally, in mid-2024, the sequel was confirmed with all four stars slated to return alongside original director David Frankel. Details about the plot remain under wraps, but the basic idea is that Andy returns to Runway to help Miranda navigate the new media landscape. Few movies are more highly anticipated than The Devil Wears Prada 2. Upon its release, the trailer smashed records, all but confirming just how high the demand for this sequel is. Now, fans eagerly await seeing if it can match its predecessor, however unlikely that may seem. Still, the mere fact that we’re seeing these four acting titans together again, and that we’ll hear Miranda’s silent “That’s all” again, is reason enough to have everyone put on their best outfits and flood the movie theater.
‘Mortal Kombat II’ – May 8
Mortal Kombat II has had a complicated road. In 2021, Mortal Kombat defied all expectations and became an unexpected critical and commercial success, proving that a movie based on the popular video game could indeed thrive. A sequel went into production, shooting in late 2023 but being interrupted by the SAG-AFTRA strikes and resuming in November. Originally, the film was meant to come out in October 2025 but was delayed first to May 15, 2026, before settling on May 08.
Eager fans are more than ready to go back into this fascinating world of martial arts and mystical powers, and the film promises to be worth the wait. It features a large ensemble cast, including returning cast members Lewis Tan as original character Cole Young, Mehcad Brooks as Jax, Ludi Lin as Liu Kang, Joe Taslim as Noob Saibot, and Hiroyuki Sanada as Scorpion, joined by Tati Gabrielle as Jade, Adeline Rudolph as Kitana, and, of course, Karl Urban as Johnny Cage. The first film surprised everyone with its mix of self-aware humor and action, and its loyalty to the source material. Thus, we can expect more of the same from this belated sequel that promises to start the summer season with a healthy dose of blood, gore, and fatalities.