8 Upcoming Sci-Fi Movies, Ranked by Hype

2026 has been a strong and packed year for sci-fi cinema, anchored by both major box office sensations and indie hits. And now, the last stretch of the year is set to get bigger and bolder with some massive blockbusters that are arriving just before the year ends. From blockbuster cosmic spectacles to thought-provoking, human stories, and a brand-new Star Wars film starring Ryan Gosling, there are several highly anticipated sci-fi films to look forward to in the coming months.

2026 has seen several sci-fi hits so far, and the last weeks of the year will see the genre gearing up for an explosive finish with Denis Villeneuve’s Dune: Part Three, arriving just in time for the holidays. Also arriving at the same time is Marvel’s mammoth cinematic event Avengers: Doomsday, bringing the entire MCU together (one last time?). But this streak does not end here and will continue in the coming year. 2027 will also be the year when centenarian Mel Brooks returns with a Spaceballs sequel after four decades. So without further ado, here’s your guide to the most notable upcoming sci-fi movies, ranked by hype.

8

‘Ray Gunn’ (2026)

Releasing on: December 4, 2026 (In Theaters)

Image via Netflix

Directed by Brad Bird and written by Bird and Matthew Robbins, Ray Gunn is an animated sci-fi mystery set in a gigantic city called Metropia, in a retro-futuristic universe where humans and various interplanetary species coexist. The story follows the titular human private detective who takes up a murder case involving a famous multimedia star named Venus Nova, whose stardom is threatened by a scandal. The film stars the voices of Sam Rockwell as Ray and Scarlett Johansson as Venus, with Tom Waits, Matt Berry, Bobby Cannavale, Michelle Rodriguez, Alan Tudyk, and Patton Oswalt as notable characters.

Ray Gunn premiered at the 2026 BFI London Film Festival, where it received strong praise for its animation, action scenes, and voice acting, particularly from Rockwell, Johansson, and Waits. As is evident from its trailer, the film is a high-octane stunner, passionately inspired by Hollywood noir classics, joining the ranks of Brad Bird’s other acclaimed animated films like The Incredibles and Ratatouille. Following its theatrical release, Ray Gunn will also make its streaming debut on Netflix on December 18, 2026.

7

‘Spaceballs: The New One’ (2027)

Releasing on: April 23, 2027

Image via MGM/ Courtesy: Everett Collection.

Mel Brooks’ classic satirical space opera film series returns after four decades with a brand-new sequel, Spaceballs: The New One, which picks up forty years after the events of the original 1987 film. In the upcoming film, villain Dark Helmet has returned, while Lone Starr is in hiding and Queen Vespa attends to her royal duties, so Prince Starburst, Vespa’s son, and Destiny, a royal advisor, are tasked with finding Lone Starr and other allies to defeat the new threat. Brooks, Rick Moranis, Bill Pullman, George Wyner, and Daphne Zuniga reprise their roles from the previous film, with Lewis Pullman, Keke Palmer, Josh Gad, and Anthony Carrigan as new characters.

The new Spaceballs comes from director Josh Greenbaum, whom fans might know from films like Strays and The Dink, and is written by Josh Gad, Dan Hernandez, and Benji Samit. An ’80s cult classic comedy, Spaceballs is among the best sci-fi parody films ever made and a major highlight of Mel Brooks’ career and legacy. Much like the first film, Spaceballs: The New One will mainly spoof the Star Wars franchise but is also expected to be a meta comedy about the modern nostalgia-obsessed culture, massive cinematic universes, and the rising trend of reboot films.

6

‘Not Alone’ (2027)

Releasing on: April 16, 2027

Image via Universal Pictures

Directed by Eric Guillon, Claire Dodgson, and Jonathan del Val, Not Alone is an animated sci-fi rom-com centering on two scientists and clueless romantics, Joe and Fran, who are devising the world’s first plant-fueled rocket. When Joe finds himself harboring three alien fugitives stranded on Earth, he must figure out a way to send them home while also winning Fran’s love before it is too late. Timothée Chalamet and Selena Gomez voice Joe and Fran, respectively, with Brett Goldstein, Rob Brydon, Jamie Demetriou, and Diane Morgan voicing other key characters.

Not Alone marks Illumination’s first original feature since 2023’s Migration and the studio’s first romantic comedy, as well as its first feature film of 2027. As seen in the trailer, the film promises a wild, intergalactic adventure with adorable aliens and a charming love story at its heart that would appeal to everyone. While the film bears Illumination’s signature visual tone and style that has become synonymous with blockbuster animated franchises, Not Alone marks a shift from the studio’s traditional storytelling style, which is generally targeted towards a younger audience.

5

‘Godzilla x Kong: Supernova’ (2027)

Releasing on: March 26, 2027

Image via Legendary Pictures

Directed by Grant Sputore, Godzilla x Kong: Supernova is a sequel to Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire and serves as the sixth film in Legendary Pictures’ Monsterverse franchise. In the film, Godzilla and Kong must team up once again, this time against a cosmic threat in the form of SpaceGodzilla. Dan Stevens reprises his role as Trapper from The New Empire, with Kaitlyn Dever, Jack O’Connell, Alycia Debnam-Carey, Matthew Modine, and Delroy Lindo as new characters, as well as Sam Neill in one of his final film roles.

Godzilla x Kong: Supernova marks the 40th film in the Godzilla franchise and the 14th film in the King Kong franchise, shifting the franchise into cosmic sci-fi territory. SpaceGodzilla first appeared in the 1994 film Godzilla vs. SpaceGodzilla as the main antagonist and is depicted as a crystalline, mutated clone of Godzilla. While the reappearance of two prehistoric behemoths in another earth-shattering monster war is what makes the upcoming film most hyped, Godzilla x Kong: Supernova is expected to dive deeper into the human-monster coexistence dynamic as well.

4

‘The Hunger Games: Sunrise on the Reaping’ (2026)

Release Date: November 20, 2026

Image via Lionsgate

Directed by Francis Lawrence, The Hunger Games: Sunrise on the Reaping is the sixth film in the Hunger Games film series and an adaptation of Suzanne Collins‘ dystopian novel of the same name. Set 24 years before the events of The Hunger Games, Sunrise on the Reaping revolves around a young Haymitch Abernathy, who is selected to compete in the 50th Hunger Games and fight to the death in a televised spectacle. The film stars Joseph Zada, McKenna Grace, Jesse Plemons, Ralph Fiennes, Kieran Culkin, and Elle Fanning as key characters.

Sunrise on the Reaping serves as a sequel to The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes and a prequel to the 2012 film The Hunger Games, with Jennifer Lawrence and Josh Hutcherson reprising their roles from the films. The film premiered in London in October 2026, where it had an overwhelmingly positive reception, with critics praising Zada’s breakout performance and hailing the movie as the best installment in the Hunger Games film series so far. Franchise fans are sure to love the film’s mature and politically charged narrative of cruelty, grief, and rebellion.

3

‘Star Wars: Starfighter’ (2026)

Releasing on: May 28, 2027

Image via Lucasfilm

Among the most anticipated films in the Star Wars franchise is the upcoming Star Wars: Starfighter, starring Ryan Gosling. Directed by Shawn Levy and written by Jonathan Tropper, the film is set five years after the events of 2019’s The Rise of Skywalker and follows Gosling’s cynical rogue pilot Kade Auberon, who is hired to escort a mysterious, Force-sensitive boy across a dangerous, lawless galaxy. The film also stars Amy Adams, Matt Smith, Mia Goth, Flynn Gray, Aaron Pierre, and Daniel Ings.

Star Wars: Starfighter is a standalone Star Wars film with no ties to the Skywalker Saga or legacy characters from the previous films. Produced by Levy and Lucasfilm, the adventure film does not require any prior knowledge of the franchise and its decades-spanning lore, making it accessible to general audiences while keeping the classic Star Wars magic intact. Starfighter is scheduled to release in May 2027, coinciding with the 50th anniversary of the first Star Wars film, which was released in May 1977.

2

‘Dune: Part Three’ (2026)

Releasing on: December 18, 2026

Image via Warner Bros. Pictures

Denis Villeneuve’s epic space opera franchise returns this December with its final chapter, Dune: Part Three, based on Frank Herbert’s 1969 novel Dune Messiah. Set nearly two decades after Timothée Chalamet’s Paul Atreides seized control of the Imperium, the film sees the emperor forced to face the true cost of power and the fate of those he loves as old allies and a long-lost love return and new enemies emerge. Most of the stars from the previous films reprise their roles, including Zendaya, Florence Pugh, Jason Momoa, Josh Brolin, Rebecca Ferguson, and Javier Bardem, with Robert Pattinson, Anya Taylor-Joy, and Isaach de Bankolé as new characters.

Dune: Part Three is one of the most anticipated sci-fi films of 2026 and marks the final installment in Villeneuve’s Dune film trilogy that began in 2021. Before its premiere, the film won the Golden Trailer Award for the original score by Hans Zimmer, who also composed the music for the previous two films. Alongside high-stakes battles and visceral action pieces, Dune: Part Three is expected to be much darker and more intimate than the previous Dune films, serving as a deconstruction of the classic tragic hero’s journey.

1

‘Avengers: Doomsday’ (2026)

Releasing on: December 18, 2026

Image via Marvel Studios

A much-awaited cinematic phenomenon, Anthony and Joe Russo’s Avengers: Doomsday is the 39th MCU film featuring the titular characters from Marvel Comics and a kind of sequel to 2019’s Avengers: Endgame. Intended to be a super-superhero film like never before, the new film brings together the Avengers, New Avengers, Fantastic Four, X-Men, and Wakandans, as well as other iconic characters to stop Doctor Doom and the collapse of the multiverse. Pretty much every MCU star is expected to appear in the film, including Chris Evans’ Steve Rogers / Captain America. Robert Downey Jr.’s return to the MCU in the new role of Victor von Doom is something to look forward to as well.

Arguably the most hyped film of 2026, Avengers: Doomsday is set up to be a massive showcase of the MCU’s legendary characters from all the previous films in an action-packed, CGI spectacle. For fans who might need a refresher on the characters, the multiverse mechanics, and how their arcs come together, Marvel Studios and Disney+ have curated an official “Countdown to Avengers: Doomsday” watch guide featuring a much smaller, streamlined list of essential titles. Releasing in the US following its UK premiere in December 2026, Doomsday will be followed by Avengers: Secret Wars, arriving in 2027.

Release Date

December 18, 2026

Runtime

165 Minutes