‘The Drama,’ ‘Michael&#8217; and More

From now through the middle of June, spring will have been in full swing, ushering in an interesting crop of movie releases. Already wrecking shop at the global box office is Ryan Gosling’s popcorn space flick Project Hail Mary, taking in $301 million to kick off the season.

From there, spring isn’t playing around; you’re getting an engaged Zendaya and Robert Pattinson in A24’s The Drama, which feels like it will be very funny before it gets very serious. We have new video game-based films in Mortal Kombat II and The Super Mario Bros. Galaxy Movie, as well as the long-awaited Michael Jackson biopic. If you’d been looking for some kind of sign that the theaters may be able to bounce back, the start of spring 2026 feels appropriate.

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Sounds like a lot? Don’t worry, we’ve broken down each film’s stars, director, and most importantly, release date, so you can mark your calendars and be ready to watch this spring’s most anticipated movies.

Project Hail Mary

Starring: Ryan Gosling, Sandra Hüller, James Ortiz, Lionel Boyce
Director(s): Phil Lord and Christopher Miller
Release Date: March 20, 2026

Ryan Gosling’s confused-in-space popcorn flick is already warming hearts to the tune of $301 million at the global box office in just two weeks. That reign may end when Super Mario and his brother touch down, but Gosling’s effort brought Amazon MGM Studios it’s biggest opening weekend so far.

The Super Mario Bros. Galaxy Movie

Starring: Chris Pratt, Anya Taylor-Joy, Charlie Day, Jack Black, Keegan-Michael Key, Benny Safdie, Donald Glover, Brie Larson
Director(s): Aaron Horvath, Michael Jelenic
Release Date: April 1, 2026

Nintendo’s iconic Super Mario Bros. franchise was properly brought to the silver screen, with fans throwing $1.361 billion into the tip jar. If they simply keep that momentum going into this sequel, they should be equal if not bigger success.

The Drama

Starring: Zendaya, Robert Pattinson, Mamoudou Athie, Alana Haim, Hailey Gates, Zoë Winters
Director: Kristoffer Borgli
Release Date: April 3, 2026

Might we suggest seeing this opening weekend if you fear spoilers; the only thing they’ve been teasing during the trailers for this A24 flick is that Zendaya and Robert Pattinson are about to get married, but a secret is told that throws everything awry. It’s also the first of Zendaya’s big 2026 film schedule, which also includes Spider-Man: Brand New Day, The Odyssey, and Dune: Part Three, as well as the third season of Euphoria, which also drops in April.

Faces of Death

Starring: Barbie Ferreira, Dacre Montgomery, Josie Totah, Aaron Holliday, Jermaine Fowler, Charli XCX
Director: Daniel Goldhaber
Release Date: April 10, 2026

Speaking of Euphoria, while Barbie Ferreira is no longer on the series, she is dropping a film right before the third season airs, and it’s an interesting twist on the “requel” trend. Ferreira plays Margot, a moderator for a video content site that finds a group apparently recreating the horror seen in the original Faces of Death VHS series. She then has to determine if what she’s seeing is real or not. Talk about plucked from the headlines!

Michael

Starring: Jaafar Jackson, Nia Long, Laura Harrier, Juliano Krue Valdi, Miles Teller, Colman Domingo
Director: Antoine Fuqua
Release Date: April 24, 2026

Fuqua has crafted some of the best Black movies of the ‘90s and the 21st century; this Michael Jackson biopic might be his most important work. Fans of the late King of Pop are already preparing for this one; Colman Domingo as Joe Jackson may be worth the price of admission alone.

Mortal Kombat II

Starring: Karl Urban, Adeline Rudolph, Jessica McNamee, Josh Lawson, Ludi Lin, Mehcad Brooks, Tati Gabrielle, Lewis Tan, Damon Herriman, Chin Han, Tadanobu Asano, Joe Taslim, Hiroyuki Sanada
Director: Simon McQuoid
Release Date: May 8, 2026

Fans of the Mortal Kombat franchise were itching for Johnny Cage after finishing the first film, and Warner Bros. delivered, bringing on Karl Urban (The Boys) as the iconic character helps the Earthrealm champions in the next stage of Shao Khan’s plan. The first film leaned into the blood and gore of the video games, so expect the ante to be upped this time around.

I Love Boosters

Starring: Keke Palmer, Naomi Ackie, Taylour Paige, Poppy Liu, Eiza González, LaKeith Stanfield, Will Poulter, Don Cheadle, Demi Moore
Director: Boots Riley
Release Date: May 22, 2026

If you liked Boots Riley’s directorial debut, Sorry to Bother You, you know that he isn’t thinking like other creatives. That film detailed one guy’s journey to riches (and hell) after codeswitching at his telemarketing job; somehow, Riley’s next film stars Keke Palmer as a booster directly challenging the fashion industry. The bright, colorful film also boasts an intriguing cast that includes both Don Cheadle and Demi Moore!

The Mandalorian and Grogu

Starring: Pedro Pascal, Sigourney Weaver, Jeremy Allen White
Director: Jon Favreau
Release Date: May 22, 2026

With the Hollywood labor disputes of 2023 causing a delay in the production of The Mandalorian Season 4, Jon Favreau and company changed course, opting to make a film starring Pascal’s Mandalorian with the tiny terror Grogu the next film in the Star Wars franchise. This all proves that the series has been the best thing for Star Wars overall. (Just be ready for those who didn’t pay attention to Disney+ to flip for “Baby Yoda” like we haven’t lived through that.)

Backrooms

Starring: Chiwetel Ejiofor, Renate Reinsve, Mark Duplass, Finn Bennett, Lukita Maxwell
Director: Kane Parsons
Release Date: May 29, 2026

A viral 4chan creepypasta about the place one goes when they “noclip out of reality,” The Backrooms phenomenon is the latest internet trend to be turned into a film, but this time, A24 got Kane Parsons, the young filmmaker behind the famous Backrooms series on YouTube, to direct Chiwetel Ejiofor and others through the bleak liminal space.

Scary Movie

Starring: Marlon Wayans, Shawn Wayans, Anna Faris, Regina Hall, Damon Wayans Jr., Gregg Wayans, Kim Wayans, Benny Zielke, Cameron Scott Roberts, Cheri Oteri, Chris Elliott, Dave Sheridan, Heidi Gardner, Lochlyn Munro, Olivia Rose Keegan, Ruby Snowber, Savannah Lee Nassif, Sydney Park
Director: Michael Tiddes
Release Date: June 5, 2026

For the first time since 2001’s Scary Movie 2, the Wayans family (who created and starred in and made hilarious the first Scary Movie) return to the franchise to parody Sinners, Get Out, Nope, Longlegs, and other recent horror films. Sounds like they want to pick up where they left off, and with so many of the Wayans family members working on this in front of and behind the camera, it feels like we’re back. (And be sure to peep the Kai Cenat cameo.)

Disclosure Day

Starring: Emily Blunt, Josh O’Connor, Colin Firth, Eve Hewson, Colman Domingo
Director: Steven Spielberg
Release Date: June 12, 2026

You had us at Spielberg directing; if you go into Disclosure Day thinking it should look or feel like some other extraterrestrial release, you may leave disappointed. Truly, it’s hard to tell what is going on, even after watching the trailer a few times. It’s enough to get us in the cinema off vibes alone.

Toy Story 5

Starring: Tom Hanks, Tim Allen, Joan Cusack, Greta Lee, Conan O’Brien, Tony Hale, Craig Robinson, Shelby Rabara, Scarlett Spears, Mykal-Michelle Harris, Matty Matheson, John Ratzenberger, Wallace Shawn, Blake Clark, Jeff Bergman, Anna Vocino, Annie Potts, Bonnie Hunt, Melissa Villaseñor, John Hopkins, Kristen Schaal, Ernie Hudson, Keanu Reeves
Director: Andrew Stanton
Release Date: June 19, 2026

Are our toys balding? Say it ain’t so! One of the central character sis a Leapfrog-esque tablet? Guess everyone has to grow up, especially three decades after the first film’s release. We just won’t say no whenever you ask if we want more Toy Story; that’s just how this works.