The 15 Summer Movies People Literally Can’t Wait To Talk About

by

It’s been a great year for movies so far. After a difficult period with the pandemic and the actors’ and writers’ strikes in 2023, we’re finally seeing a good range of films in theaters. Some of these are even becoming major cultural moments.

While sequels like The Super Mario Bros. Movie and a potential The Devil Wears Prada 2 predictably did well, some unexpected films also became major successes. Project Hail Mary proved that original sci-fi could be a big draw, and Obsession turned strong reviews into a surprising box office hit – it’s poised to be one of the very few films made for under $1 million to earn over $100 million. As we head further into the busy 2026 summer movie season, with lots of big studio releases and independent films competing for viewers, grabbing our attention will become even more challenging.

Certain movies already had a big advantage – people were eagerly discussing them even before they came out. Working with Diesel Labs, a company that analyzes media trends, ScreenRant investigated which films scheduled for release in June, July, and August generated the most buzz beforehand. They ranked the top five most talked-about movies for each month based on “Attention Signals.” These signals measure online activity – like likes, shares, comments, and views on platforms like Facebook and YouTube – and reflect the total amount of discussion over a year, up to April 27, 2026.

Because movie marketing builds momentum and creates increasing interest, we looked at the top five most engaging campaigns from each month, instead of creating one overall ranking. The list below is organized by month and ranked by how much attention each campaign received.

June #1: Toy Story 5

Attention Signal: 605,349,726

I’m so excited for the new Toy Story movie! It feels like everyone is anticipating it – it’s already looking like it could be one of the biggest films of 2026. I’ve been following the news since Disney first announced it back in 2023, and that first teaser trailer in November 2025 really got me hooked. The idea of Woody and the gang competing with a new tablet named Lilypad for Bonnie’s attention is a really interesting challenge for them, and I can’t wait to see how it all plays out when it comes out on June 19th!

June #2: Supergirl

Attention Signal: 304,169,641

Many of the most anticipated movies are part of established franchises, and that’s not just due to studio marketing. These sequels and interconnected films build on stories audiences already know, keeping the conversation going. For example, the upcoming Superman movie, launching the rebooted DC Universe in 2025, generated significant buzz. In fact, it created over half the attention of Toy Story 5, making it the second most talked-about movie scheduled for release in June. It stars Milly Alcock as a new take on Superman, a character briefly introduced at the end of the previous Superman film.

June #3: Scary Movie (2026)

Attention Signal: 200,071,846

Despite being the sixth film in a long-running series and arriving 13 years after the last one – a time when the franchise had lost much of its popularity – the new movie is generating a lot of buzz. It’s already on track to have one of the biggest openings in June. Fans are excited to see the Wayans family return to the series for the first time since 2001’s Scary Movie 2, especially with the recent success of the Scream movies. This new film promises to bring back the fun of parodying horror movies in theaters when it’s released on June 5th.

June #4: Disclosure Day

Attention Signal: 161,074,530

Steven Spielberg is widely considered Hollywood’s most successful director, and despite a recent creative surge, his last two films haven’t performed well in theaters. His upcoming movie, currently ranked as the fourth-highest potential June 2026 release, aims to reverse that trend, debuting on June 12th. Unlike other films this month tied to existing franchises, this project relies on Spielberg’s return to large-scale science fiction – specifically, a story inspired by alien encounters. The marketing has focused on building suspense, starting with mysterious billboards that appeared last December, and excitement has been growing ever since.

June #5: Masters Of The Universe

Attention Signal: 154,826,932

Following closely behind Spielberg’s latest film, a different kind of risk is heading to theaters on June 5th. This new movie reimagines the He-Man franchise, which first became popular in the 1980s. It’s the second attempt to bring He-Man to life in a live-action movie, but the first one in 1987 wasn’t well-received by critics or audiences. Now, Amazon MGM is counting on director Travis Knight and actor Nicholas Galitzine to make this version a big success, and early buzz suggests it’s already generating interest.

July #1: Spider-Man: Brand New Day

Attention Signal: 2,629,533,123

The most popular movie in July also generated the most online buzz. This Marvel film, the fourth starring Tom Holland as Spider-Man, built anticipation slowly with carefully released teasers. A costume reveal in August 2025 and trailer snippets in March created a lot of discussion, especially when it was announced the film wouldn’t be shown in IMAX due to a deal with another movie, The Odyssey. Ultimately, audiences were eagerly awaiting Brand New Day by July 31st, and it’s a strong contender for the most anticipated film of the year.

July #2: Moana (2026)

Attention Signal: 429,891,157

Disney is clearly succeeding with its marketing strategies. Following the strong buzz around Toy Story 5 which generated the most online attention in June, the live-action remake of Moana, set to release on July 10th, comes in second for attention this month. Continuing Disney’s trend of reimagining its animated classics, this new film retells the story of the 2016 hit Moana, starring newcomer Catherine Laga’aia in the lead role. Dwayne Johnson will return as Maui. Like with Toy Story 5, Disney released a first look trailer six months ago, allowing audiences ample time to talk about the movie.

July #3: Minions & Monsters

Attention Signal: 296,365,431

Although it came in third with just over 11% of the total audience, this is a great result for the new Spider-Man movie, which is expected to be a major summer hit. The Despicable Me films and the Minions series have consistently been popular with audiences and at the box office – the ‘Gentleminions’ trend around Minions: The Rise of Gru perfectly illustrates how social media has changed the way people experience movies. Universal kept the plot of this new movie under wraps until the Super Bowl, but the idea of the Minions unleashing real monsters in 1920s Hollywood quickly generated excitement. With a release date of July 1st, it’s perfectly positioned to dominate the July 4th holiday weekend.

July #4: The Odyssey

Attention Signal: 286,353,258

It’s understandable why people thought this would be even higher on the list – the film generated a lot of buzz by selling out 70mm IMAX tickets a year before it even came out. However, considering it has the strongest audience interest of any original movie on this list, its current position is actually quite remarkable. Universal Pictures has skillfully kept the film in the public eye, first by releasing a teaser only in theaters and then by carefully controlling information about Christopher Nolan’s take on the classic story of The Odyssey.

July #5: Evil Dead Burn

Attention Signal: 15,106,796

Fifth place is quite a bit behind the leader; its attention signal is only 0.57% of what Spider-Man: No Way Home achieved. We expect this to change as marketing ramps up for other July releases. Evil Dead Burn’s position is particularly noteworthy because its full trailer came out after the data collection period ended. The initial teaser – a fast-paced, single-shot video – generated the most conversation during the time we measured. We can anticipate a significant increase in attention for this film before its release on July 10th.

Read More

2026-05-29 20:10