Most Popular Movies 2026

This chart shows the 2026 movie releases that have attracted the most interest on The Numbers web site over the past 24 hours. A share of 100 corresponds to 1 percent of the total views for all 2026 releases.

See also: Domestic Release Schedule for 2026 - Top 2026 Worldwide

← 2025 Most Popular Overall Most Anticipated 2026 →
  1
Primate
Primate
Director: Johannes Roberts
Lead Roles: Johnny Sequoyah as Lucy, Jessica Alexander as Hannah
Initial Theatrical Release: January 6, 2026 (Wide) by United International Pictures (Poland)
Keywords: Nature Horror, Animal Lead, Animals Gone Bad
Classification: Original Screenplay, Horror, Live Action, Contemporary Fiction
Domestic BO:
$4,550,000

Synopsis

A group of friends’ tropical vacation turns into a terrifying, primal tale of horror and survival when Ben, an adopted chimpanzee, suddenly becomes violent.

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  2
We Bury the Dead
Domestic BO:
$3,168,277
International BO:
$18,304

Synopsis

With her husband missing in the aftermath of a catastrophic military experiment, a desperate woman joins a ‘body retrieval unit’ in the hopes of finding him alive. But her search takes a chilling turn when the corpses she’s burying start showing signs of life…

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  3
People We Meet on Vacation
People We Meet on Vacation
Director: Brett Haley
Lead Roles: Emily Bader as Poppy Wright, Tom Blyth as Alex Nilsen
Initial Theatrical Release: January 9, 2026 (Limited), released as People We Meet on Vacation (Отпуск на двоих) (Russia (CIS))
Keywords: Romantic Comedy, Vacation, Romance, Long Distance Romance
Classification: Based on Fiction Book/Short Story, Romantic Comedy, Live Action, Contemporary Fiction

Synopsis

Poppy’s a free spirit. Alex loves a plan. After years of summer vacations, these polar-opposite pals wonder if they could be a perfect romantic match.

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  4
The RajaSaab
Director: Maruthi Dasari
Lead Roles: Prabhas
Initial Theatrical Release: January 8, 2026 (Wide) by Prathyangira Cinemas , released as The Raja Saab
Keywords: Money Troubles, Romance, Set in India, Horror Comedy, Supernatural, Inheritance
Classification: Original Screenplay, Comedy, Live Action, Contemporary Fiction

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  5
Parasakthi
Director: Sudha Kongara
Initial Theatrical Release: January 10, 2026 (Limited) (Australia)
Keywords: Set in India, 1960s
Classification: Based on Real Life Events, Action, Live Action, Dramatization

Synopsis

Based on the lives of activists and students who participated in the 1965 Anti-Hindi Imposition Movement.

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  6
28 Years Later: The Bone Temple
28 Years Later: The Bone Temple
Director: Nia DaCosta
Lead Roles: Aaron Taylor-Johnson as Jamie, Ralph Fiennes as Dr. Ian Kelson
Initial Theatrical Release: January 1, 2026 (Wide), released as 28 Years Later: The Bone Temple (28 лет спустя: Костяной храм) (Ukraine)
Keywords: Post Apocalypse, Survival Horror, Zombies, Sequels Shot Concurrently, Cults
Classification: Original Screenplay, Horror, Live Action, Contemporary Fiction

Synopsis

In a continuation of the epic story, Dr. Kelson finds himself in a shocking new relationship — with consequences that could change the world as they know it — and Spike’s encounter with Jimmy Crystal becomes a nightmare he can’t escape. In the world of The Bone Temple, the infected are no longer the greatest threat to survival — the inhumanity of the survivors can be stranger and more terrifying.

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  7
Giant
Giant
Director: Rowan Athale
Lead Roles: Pierce Brosnan, Amir El-Masry as Prince Naseem Hamed
Initial Theatrical Release: January 9, 2026 (Limited) by F&P Media (Spain)
Keywords: Boxing, Rags to Riches, 1990s, Underdog
Classification: Based on Real Life Events, Drama, Live Action, Dramatization

Synopsis

Based on the remarkable true story of legendary British-Yemeni boxing champion Prince Naseem “Naz” Hamed and his relationship with Irish boxing trainer Brendan Ingle, GIANT charts Naz’s inspiring rags-to-riches underdog tale from his humble beginnings in Sheffield to becoming champion of the world. With his unorthodox style, cocky persona and sheer dominance of the sport, Naseem faced down the abhorrent racism and islamophobia that swept Britain in the 80’s and 90’s, to become a global sporting icon, both inside and outside of the ring.

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  8
Dead Man’s Wire

Synopsis

Based on a true story, the 1977 kidnapping of a prominent banker grips the nation and turns the abductor into an outlaw folk hero. As the media frenzy peaks, the standoff becomes a spectacle of desperation, defiance and blurred justice, which resonates even today.

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  9
Jana Nayagan
Jana Nayagan
Director: H. Vinoth
Lead Roles: Vijay as Vetri Kondan
Initial Theatrical Release: January 8, 2026 (Limited) by Getam Cine World Europe (Germany)
Keywords: Action Thriller, Political, Revenge
Classification: Original Screenplay, Thriller/Suspense, Live Action, Contemporary Fiction

Synopsis

Clash of ideologies, one fights for the people, the other prospers through control. In the past, they shook the past. Years later, a child’s silent fear reignites the conflict.

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10
Sleepwalker
Sleepwalker
Director: Brandon Auman
Lead Roles: Hayden Panettiere as Sarah
Initial Theatrical Release: January 9, 2026 (Limited) by Brainstorm Media
Keywords: Early / Simultaneous Video-on-Demand release
Classification: Original Screenplay, Horror, Live Action, Contemporary Fiction

Synopsis

Haunted by terrifying visions, Sarah’s sleepwalking episodes begin to intensify, accelerating her descent into darkness.

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11
All You Need Is Kill
All You Need Is Kill
Director: Kenichiro Akimoto
Lead Roles: Ai Mikami as Rita, Natsuki Hanae as Keiji
Initial Theatrical Release: January 9, 2026 (Limited) (Japan)
Keywords: Action Adventure, Alien Invasion, Time Travel, Set in Japan
Classification: Based on Fiction Book/Short Story, Action, Digital Animation, Science Fiction

Synopsis

In the year 20XX, a huge and mysterious flower called “Darol” suddenly appears in Japan. Volunteers like Rita, a resourceful but lonely young woman who does not fit in with her peers, are dispatched to help clean up and rebuild. But one day, Darol suddenly emits a deafening signal, and its surrounding fruit bursts, revealing hordes of creatures that quickly slaughter everyone. Rita makes a valiant attempt to escape but dies in the attempt. Then… she wakes up again, only to witness the same tragedy. And again. Stuck in an inexplicable time loop, Rita struggles until she meets Keiji, a shy young man who is also experiencing the loop alongside her.

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12
Ikkis
Director: Sriram Raghavan
Initial Theatrical Release: January 1, 2026 (Limited) by Yash Raj Films (United Kingdom)
Keywords: Biographical Drama, Biography, War, Set in India, Set in Pakistan, 1970s
Classification: Based on Real Life Events, Drama, Live Action, Dramatization
International BO:
$52,732

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13
Psych Siddhartha
Director: Varun Reddy
Initial Theatrical Release: January 1, 2026 (Limited) (Australia)
Classification: Original Screenplay, Romantic Comedy, Live Action, Contemporary Fiction
International BO:
$5,521

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14

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15
Mr. Nobody Against Putin
Director: David Borenstein, Pavel Talankin
Initial Theatrical Release: January 7, 2026 (Limited) by Loco Films (France)
Classification: Based on Real Life Events, Documentary, Live Action, Factual

Synopsis

As Russia launches its full-scale invasion of Ukraine, primary schools across the country are being transformed into recruitment centers for the war. Faced with the ethical dilemma of working within a system defined by propaganda and violence, a courageous teacher films what is really happening in his own school.

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16
Dragoste la țară
Director: Gabriel Radu
Initial Theatrical Release: January 2, 2026 (Wide) by Vidra Productions (Romania)
Classification: Original Screenplay, Romantic Comedy, Live Action, Contemporary Fiction
International BO:
$1,299,701

Synopsis

Ana, a city girl, raised in comfort and in the mall, managed to upset her father, who kept her as if she were a baby. In order to learn some humility and appreciate life in its simplicity, Ana is “exiled” to the countryside, to live with her grandmother for a while. For Ana, life in the village is a nightmare: her heels sink into the mud, the internet is not so good, and the people seem like they came from another movie. For Adrian, a smart and bold boy, who lives on small combinations, but has enough ambition and ingenuity to succeed in anything he sets his mind to, when he sees Ana for the first time, it is love at first sight. But not for her. A contradictory relationship is born between them, full of ironies and clashes of pride. When David, the mayor’s son, appears on the scene, the guy with the car, money, and casual charm, the rivalry ignites, culminating in an unexpected robbery, and the three of them turn the peace of the village upside down.

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17
The Pout-Pout Fish
The Pout-Pout Fish
Director: Ricard Cusso, Rio Harrington
Lead Roles: Nick Offerman as Mr. Fish, Nina Oyama as Pip
Initial Theatrical Release: January 1, 2026 (Wide) (New Zealand)
Keywords: Family Adventure, Animal Lead, Talking Animals, Underwater, Road Trip
Classification: Based on Fiction Book/Short Story, Adventure, Digital Animation, Kids Fiction
International BO:
$269,042

Synopsis

The story of an unlikely duo: Mr. Fish a pouty introvert and Pip an energetic sea dragon, who embark on a daunting quest to find a legendary fish to grant their wish to save their homes.

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18
Oscar Shaw
Oscar Shaw
Director: Justin Nesbitt, R. Ellis Frazier
Lead Roles: Michael Jai White as Oscar Shaw, Tyrese Gibson, Isaiah Washington
Initial Theatrical Release: January 9, 2026 (Limited) by Samuel Goldwyn Films
Keywords: Early / Simultaneous Video-on-Demand release
Classification: Original Screenplay, Action, Live Action, Contemporary Fiction

Synopsis

After retiring from the police force, a relentless detective haunted by the tragic loss of his closest friend sets out on a perilous quest for vengeance, seeking redemption and fighting to restore justice to the streets he once swore to protect.

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19
Astrósfera
Director: Luis Humberto Navejas Díaz
Initial Theatrical Release: January 8, 2026 (Limited) (Mexico)
Classification: Original Screenplay, Drama, Live Action, Science Fiction

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20
OBEX
OBEX
Director: Albert Birney
Lead Roles: Albert Birney
Initial Theatrical Release: January 9, 2026 (Limited) by Oscilloscope Pictures
Keywords: Retro Black and White, 1980s
Classification: Original Screenplay, Horror, Live Action, Science Fiction

Synopsis

In pre-internet 1987, Conor and his dog Sandy live a life of seclusion, lost in the slow-rendering graphics of early Macs and televisions aglow with late night horror movie marathons. But when he begins playing OBEX, a new and mysterious, state-of-the-art computer game, he finds himself trapped in a low-tech, but high-stakes analog hellscape as the line between reality and game blurs.

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21
Babil-i Cin 2
Director: Anastasiya Duz
Initial Theatrical Release: January 2, 2026 (Limited) by CJ Entertainment (Turkey)
Classification: Original Screenplay, Horror, Live Action, Contemporary Fiction
International BO:
$26,897

Synopsis

The film tells the story of Defne, who finds herself in a deadly battle against malevolent entities brought into her home by the caregiver she hired for her bedridden grandmother.

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22
31 Candles
31 Candles
Director: Jonah Feingold, Jeremy Jacobowitz
Lead Roles: Jonah Feingold, Sarah Coffey
Initial Theatrical Release: January 9, 2026 (Limited) by Level 33
Keywords: Romance
Classification: Original Screenplay, Romantic Comedy, Live Action, Contemporary Fiction

Synopsis

Leo Kadner is a 30-year-old New Yorker, who throws himself a Bar Mitzvah after rekindling sparks with his childhood camp crush by hiring her to be his Torah tutor. To complete his Mitzvah project, Leo must navigate situationships, exes, and family, all while on a deadline.

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23
Starbright
Starbright
Director: Francesco Lucente
Lead Roles: John Rhys-Davies as Raphael
Initial Theatrical Release: January 9, 2026 (Limited) by Ruby Max Entertainment
Classification: Based on Folk Tale/Legend/Fairytale, Adventure, Live Action, Fantasy

Synopsis

When a star falls to earth during an eclipse, Aisling becomes its unlikely guardian, entrusted with the star’s fragile, living light. Hunted by dangerous men, she and Raphael are saved by Joshua, whose bravery and quiet strength turn the chase into a fight for hope. Together, the three embark on a night of peril and discovery, where the light’s true gift is revealed — not in being kept, but in awakening the strength to hope and to change.

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24
Ultimo Schiaffo
Director: Mateo Oleotto
Initial Theatrical Release: January 8, 2026 (Limited) (Italy)
Classification: Original Screenplay, Comedy, Live Action, Contemporary Fiction

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25
Cheetahs Up Close with Bertie Gregory
Director: Jigar Ganatra
Video Release Date: January 2, 2026 by Disney+
Classification: Based on Real Life Events, Documentary, Live Action, Factual

Synopsis

Bertie arrives in the Serengeti as the spectacular wildebeest migration kicks off. He’s here to film the fastest land animal on Earth: the cheetah. He gets close to a mother caring for her tiny cubs and a young group of males executing phenomenal hunts as a team, and learns about the unexpected challenges the species face.

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