Summer 2026 Box Office Preview — Toy Story 5, Fantastic Four: First Steps, and the Movies That Will Dominate Theaters

Summer 2026 Box Office Preview — Toy Story 5, Fantastic Four: First Steps, and the Movies That Will Dominate Theaters

The summer 2026 box office is stacked. After 2025 delivered hits like Thunderbolts* and The Fantastic Four: First Steps set the MCU back on track, this summer is bringing some of the biggest sequels and franchise entries in years. Here's every major release you need to know about.

The Blockbusters That Will Rule the Summer

Toy Story 5 (June 19) — Pixar's crown jewel returns with Tom Hanks and Tim Allen reprising their iconic roles as Woody and Buzz Lightyear. Director Andrew Stanton is back at the helm, and the film reportedly introduces an entirely new generation of toys while exploring what happens when Woody faces his biggest existential crisis yet. The original Toy Story franchise has grossed over $3 billion worldwide — expectations are sky-high for a film that could easily pass $1 billion globally.

Shrek 5 (July 1) — DreamWorks Animation's beloved ogre is back, and this time it's personal. Mike Myers, Eddie Murphy, Cameron Diaz, and Antonio Banderas all return, with the original creators from the first two films involved in the writing process. After the massive success of Puss in Boots: The Last Wish proved that the Shrek universe still has plenty of magic left, Shrek 5 is positioned to be the biggest animated film of the summer.

The Black Phone 2 (June 26) — Scott Derrickson returns to direct the sequel to his 2022 horror hit, with Ethan Hawke reprising his terrifying role as The Grabber. The first film grossed over $165 million worldwide on a modest budget, and the sequel promises to expand the supernatural mythology while delivering the same bone-chilling scares that made the original a sleeper hit.

Dark Horse Candidates

Don't sleep on 28 Years Later: The Bone Temple — Danny Boyle's third chapter in the 28 Days Later franchise has been getting early buzz for being genuinely terrifying. And Eddington, Ari Aster's follow-up to Beau Is Afraid, could be the A24 wildcard that catches everyone off guard.

Summer 2026 at the movies is going to be unforgettable. Grab your popcorn now.