By JJ Ledewitz, Senior Arts and Culture Editor
Every new year brings a new slate of anticipated movies and television shows. Whether you love action, horror or you’re into rom-coms, there’s definitely going to be something for you this year. I am a lover of almost every genre, so I present to you: three movies and three TV shows I am looking forward to in 2026, and ones that I think you should too.
Good Luck, Have Fun, Don’t Die
Gore Verbinski, best known for directing The Ring, the first three Pirates of the Caribbean films and the animated movie Rango, is officially back directing his first movie in almost ten years. Good Luck, Have Fun, Don’t Die is an action-adventure comedy starring Sam Rockwell as a seemingly insane man who claims to be from the future and has come back in time to recruit patrons at a diner to help stop a rogue AI.
The teaser trailer makes sure to remind viewers that Gore Verbinski is “completely unhinged,” marketing Good Luck, Have Fun, Don’t Die as something mind-blowing and also downright insane, begging for a large audience at the big screen. With critics calling it “unapologetically irreverent,” and a cast that includes Michael Peña, Zazie Beetz, Juno Temple and Haley Lu Richardson, it is clear that no other movie of 2026 will be as weird and wacky as this one. Films this strange and fun are so rare, and it’s great to see Gore Verbinski making a comeback.
Good Luck, Have Fun, Don’t Die is in theaters now.
The Sheep Detectives
The Sheep Detectives has a simple yet genius synopsis: “George (Hugh Jackman) is a shepherd who reads detective novels to his beloved sheep every night, assuming they can’t possibly understand. But when a mysterious incident disrupts life on the farm, the sheep realize they must become the detectives. As they follow the clues and investigate human suspects, they prove that even sheep can be brilliant crime-solvers.”
The film has a stacked cast, including not only Hugh Jackman, but also Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Bryan Cranston and Patrick Stewart. Its absurd premise, paired with a script from hilarious screenwriter Craig Mazin, hints at the crazy antics that will take place during the film’s runtime. In a world full of lazy and generic ideas, The Sheep Detectives stands out as something truly zany, perfect for a night at the movies with friends.
The Sheep Detectives comes to theaters on May 8.
Werwulf
After The Witch, The Lighthouse, The Northman and Nosferatu, director Robert Eggers is back with another period drama. Werwulf, his fifth film, will take a crack at 13th-century England, but with a horror spin.
Werewolf films can be very hard to get right. Eggers, however, has proven he knows what he’s doing. After mastering witches, mermaids and vampires, he can no doubt craft another masterpiece. Starring Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Lily Rose-Depp, Willem Dafoe and Ralph Ineson, the movie wrapped filming in England and Wales last month.
Werwulf comes to theaters on December 25.
Ted: Season 2
One of my favorite shows of 2024 was the comedy series Ted, a prequel to the 2012 film of the same name. Like the film, the series was created by Family Guy legend Seth MacFarlane. MacFarlane voices Ted, a teddy bear who has come to life and is best friends with 16-year-old John Bennett.
Season 1 was genuinely outstanding and hilarious. It successfully managed to replicate the humor of the original film almost 15 years later, while still bringing something new to the table. Unlike the film, where John is in his 30s and struggling with his love life, the series follows John in high school, dealing with all of the issues that come along with the teenage experience. The TV show does a great job balancing its crude humor with surprising emotional depth.
Season 2 already seems like it will be a worthy follow up to the first season. The trailer gives a convincing sneak peek at John finally in his senior year of high school, dealing with experiences like prom, promising many more laughs.
Ted: Season 2 will drop on Peacock on March 5.
Beef: Season 2
Beef was my favorite TV series of 2023 and probably one of the most thrilling TV shows Netflix has ever released. Season 1 follows the lives of two characters, Danny and Amy, after a road rage incident brings them together. As the series progresses, the anger and tension between these two characters spirals out of control, building a mind-blowing experience until the season finale crafted by showrunner Lee Sung Jin.
Season 2 of Beef will feature an entirely new story, as well as a new cast of actors, including Oscar Isaac, Carey Mulligan, Charles Melton and Cailee Spaeny. The synopsis promises a story about two couples (Isaac and Mulligan and Spaeny and Melton) vying for the approval of their billionaire boss, who herself is entangled in a scandal involving her second husband. With such a strong cast and the same incredible showrunner returning, I’m sure we’re looking at another exciting and explosive season of television.
Beef: Season 2 comes to Netflix on April 16.
Spider-Noir
Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse might be one of the most memorable animated films of the 21st century. Now, in 2026, one of its characters will be getting his own show — in live action — on MGM+ starring the iconic Nicolas Cage.
Spider-Noir follows an older version of Spider-Man Noir, voiced by Cage in Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse, a former superhero turned private investigator. The series puts a classic noir spin on the Spider-Man world that we all know. Rounding out the cast is Lamorne Morris as Daily Bugle journalist Robbie Robertson and Brendan Gleeson as Silvermane, a philosophic New York mob boss. The entire series has an interesting premise. You really can’t ask for more.
Spider-Noir comes to Prime Video on May 27.
2026 looks like a stacked year for film and television. Of course, there will also be blockbusters like Dune: Part Three and Avengers: Doomsday, as well as large-scale shows like Euphoria season 3 and The Boys season 5. But sometimes you just need something a little less crazy, something to enjoy after an exhausting day that’ll let you forget your troubles. That’s exactly what I think this list offers.
Photo Credit: Unsplash