It’s officially summer movie season, meaning lots of new films are hitting theaters. While movies can be successful any time of year – like Project Hail Mary and The Super Mario Bros. Movie earlier this spring – summer is when studios release their biggest, most ambitious projects. A summer release date suggests the studio believes a film will appeal to a wide audience, and this year has several potential blockbusters poised to do exactly that.
As summer begins, we’re previewing the biggest movies expected to come out over the next few months and trying to predict which ones will be the most successful. This summer has so many promising films that even some major titles, like Steven Spielberg’s Disclosure Day, didn’t make our top picks.
7) Supergirl
Following the successful launch of James Gunn’s Superman ($618.7 million worldwide, and the biggest comic book movie of 2025), the DC Universe is back in theaters with Supergirl. Marketing for the new film, set to release in June, is now underway, promising an exciting and heartfelt story about Kara Zor-El’s journey to rescue Krypto. The latest trailer also featured a brief appearance by Superman to generate even more excitement.
It’s unlikely Supergirl will be a failure, and it could even be quite successful. However, it will be difficult for the movie to outperform some of the other major releases this year. While Supergirl is a well-known DC Comics character, she doesn’t have the same level of popularity as Superman, which could affect how well it does in theaters. Adding to the challenge, Supergirl is being released between two other animated films that are expected to be huge hits. Although Supergirl aims for a different audience, it will still face strong competition.
6) The Mandalorian and Grogu
After a seven-year break following Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker, the Star Wars saga is back in theaters. Instead of continuing the popular Disney+ series The Mandalorian with a fourth season as originally planned, Lucasfilm has decided to launch a new series of Star Wars films beginning with The Mandalorian & Grogu. Another film, Star Wars: Starfighter, is already scheduled for release next year.
While it’s great to have Star Wars back in cinemas, The Mandalorian and Grogu is expected to have a modest opening weekend this Memorial Day, especially when compared to other Star Wars films. The movie has faced challenges for a while, with early marketing not quite hitting the mark and some doubts about whether it felt grand enough for a big theatrical release. However, newer trailers have been much better received, and Grogu is still incredibly popular. This, along with the excitement of seeing Star Wars on the big screen again, could lead to a decent, though not spectacular, performance in theaters.
5) Moana
After Snow White didn’t perform well last year, it seemed like Disney might stop making live-action versions of its classic animated movies. However, Lilo & Stitch proved that idea wrong, becoming a huge box office success last summer, earning over $1 billion. This is encouraging news for this year’s remake, Moana, which is based on the popular 2016 film. The success of Lilo & Stitch shows that Disney can still attract audiences with remakes of its more recent animated hits.
Moana has become a hugely successful franchise for Disney. The animated sequel, Moana 2, earned over $1 billion worldwide in 2024, proving how much people love the story. That’s why Disney is making a live-action version. Although July is a busy month for movies, the popularity of Moana combined with Dwayne Johnson’s appeal should make it a top five hit.
4) The Odyssey
Christopher Nolan has a remarkable ability to draw audiences to his films simply because of his reputation. His recent three-hour movie, Oppenheimer, about the making of the atomic bomb, earned nearly $1 billion worldwide. Each new film he releases is a major event, and his latest, The Odyssey, is no exception. People have been eagerly awaiting this film since it was announced, and tickets for IMAX showings sold out a year ahead of time.
Even without premium formats, The Odyssey is expected to be popular, but showing it in those formats will likely increase ticket sales. IMAX theaters have become increasingly common and are now a key part of how people enjoy movies. Audiences actively choose these theaters for an experience they can’t get at home, especially for large-scale films. The Odyssey is perfectly suited for the big screen, and with Christopher Nolan directing, a strong cast, and a classic story, it’s poised to be one of the summer’s biggest blockbusters.
3) Minions & Monsters
The last three films on our list are all expected to be massive hits, potentially earning over $1 billion worldwide, and could easily switch places in ranking. We’ve placed Minions & Monsters in third. As the newest film in the popular Despicable Me franchise – which has been a signature series for Illumination since 2010 – it builds on the success of the Minions. These characters originally broke out as fan favorites and have starred in their own highly successful spin-off movies. The first Minions film earned $1.159 billion, and Minions: The Rise of Gru brought in $940.2 million.
While $940.2 million is a huge amount, the second Minions movie earned less than the first. It will be interesting to see if the new film, Minions & Monsters – which cleverly references classic monster movies – follows the same pattern. Plus, it’s coming out so soon after another big animated sequel, so audiences might not be eager for another family film right now. Despite this, Minions & Monsters is still expected to be the biggest attraction during the Fourth of July weekend.
2) Toy Story 5
As a huge animation fan, I’m really excited that Pixar is giving us another Toy Story movie this summer! Toy Story 5 brings Woody back together with the gang, and this time they’re helping everyone adjust to Bonnie’s new obsession: a tablet named Lilypad. Now, Pixar had a bit of a stumble with Lightyear in 2022 – it just didn’t quite connect with audiences. But I don’t think that means people are tired of Toy Story. Lightyear was a different kind of movie, and even Pixar acknowledges it didn’t hit the mark. Toy Story 5, though? That feels like a guaranteed win – it’s exactly the kind of movie fans have been waiting for.
Pixar’s performance in theaters has been somewhat inconsistent since the start of the pandemic, though Inside Out 2 was a huge success, grossing $1.698 billion globally. While Pixar’s original films haven’t been as dominant as they used to be (though Hoppers showed promise), their sequels continue to be very popular. The last two Toy Story movies both earned over $1 billion, and given how well the franchise appeals to audiences of all ages, it’s likely Toy Story 5 could reach that milestone too.
1) Spider-Man: Brand New Day
Look, Marvel isn’t hitting quite the same heights it used to, but they can still deliver a massive hit. I mean, just last summer, Deadpool & Wolverine was huge – only beaten by Inside Out 2, bringing in over $1.3 billion! It seems like people will always flock to see the biggest, most popular heroes, and that’s really encouraging for Spider-Man: Brand New Day. Honestly, Spider-Man is probably Marvel’s most famous character, and I’m really excited to see Tom Holland back in the suit after almost five years since Spider-Man: No Way Home.
While Brand New Day probably won’t reach the massive $1.9 billion earned by No Way Home, it’s expected to be the biggest film of the summer. Tom Holland’s Spider-Man movies have consistently performed well – Far From Home even made more money worldwide than Toy Story 4 in 2019, proving the character has a strong appeal. Releasing Brand New Day in late July is also smart, as it should continue to draw audiences throughout August with limited competition. And, as the first new Marvel movie in a year, anticipation is incredibly high.
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2026-05-08 22:16