Sony Pictures Entertainment has quietly transformed consistency into spectacle. Over the past year, the studio has achieved something increasingly rare in the modern film landscape: balancing commercial success with cultural relevance by embracing variety instead of relying on a single winning formula. Rather than chasing trends, Sony backed distinct voices, experimented with scale, and met audiences across radically different emotional and genre-driven spaces.
In 2025, two very different films dominated conversations. Materialists, starring Dakota Johnson, Chris Evans, and Pedro Pascal, emerged as a global commercial success driven by strong word-of-mouth and international appeal. Even more significant was the phenomenon of Demon Slayer: Kimetsu No Yaiba – Infinity Castle. Distributed by Sony, the anime juggernaut shattered pre-booking records and went on to become the highest-grossing international animated film of all time in India, reaffirming Sony’s global reach and its mastery of fandom-driven cinema.
That momentum now powers Sony’s ambitious and diverse 2026 slate, which spans high-concept thrillers, prestige dramas, animated spectacles, horror franchises, and event-scale blockbusters built for IMAX and premium formats. It’s a classic studio playbook, refreshed for a fragmented, franchise-hungry era.
The year begins with high-concept thrills. Crime 101, from Amazon MGM Studios and distributed by Sony Pictures International Releasing, arrives on February 13, 2026. Directed by Bart Layton and adapted from Don Winslow’s novella, the film stars Chris Hemsworth as a meticulous thief whose crimes along California’s 101 freeway have baffled authorities for years. Halle Berry plays a disillusioned insurance broker drawn into a dangerous final score, while Mark Ruffalo and Barry Keoghan add grit and tension to the ensemble.
Animation follows close behind with Goat, releasing on February 20, 2026. Reuniting the creative team behind Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse and K-Pop: Demon Hunters, the high-energy animated sports comedy is backed by NBA champion Stephen Curry and promises family-friendly spectacle with heart and humor.
Big ideas take center stage in March with Project Hail Mary, releasing on March 20, 2026 in IMAX and premium formats. Based on Andy Weir’s bestselling novel and directed by Phil Lord and Christopher Miller, the film stars Ryan Gosling as Ryland Grace, an astronaut who awakens alone aboard a mysterious spacecraft with no memory of his mission—or himself—on a desperate quest to save humanity.
May offers a tonal shift with The Sheep Detectives, a witty and original mystery starring Hugh Jackman and Bryan Cranston, releasing on May 8, 2026. June then delivers pure spectacle with Masters of the Universe, directed by Travis Knight, bringing the iconic franchise back to the big screen as an epic live-action sci-fi adventure on June 5, 2026. The second half of the year leans into franchises, fear, and fan power.
Evil Dead Burn arrives on July 24, 2026, continuing the franchise’s standalone horror legacy.
One week later, Spider-Man: Brand New Day swings into theatres on July 31, with Tom Holland returning under director Destin Daniel Cretton. Set in a post-No Way Home world where Peter Parker has been forgotten, the film is already among the most anticipated releases of the year. Horror continues with Insidious on August 21, followed by Resident Evil on September 18, reimagined by director Zach Cregger.
October brings Verity, starring Anne Hathaway, Dakota Johnson, and Josh Hartnett, while Aaron Sorkin’s The Social Reckoning sharpens its focus on tech accountability.
The year closes in blockbuster mode with Jumanji 3 in December 2026. Sony’s 2026 slate isn’t defined by a single title—but by confidence in range, risk, and the enduring power of the big screen.
