Top movies, OTT releases in 2026: King, The Devil Wears Prada 2, Peddi, Wuthering Heights, Bridgerton, Dune 3 & more

Remember the Karate Kid? The one in which Jackie Chan makes the young lad take off his jacket and hang it up, and the jacket keeps falling down? Moviegoers like us are like that. In Mumbai, that quality is called ‘being chikkat’ (sticky). We keep going back to the theatres and OTT platforms every week, wondering what’s new and watching everything despite trailers that will turn you into Han Solo: I’ve got a bad feeling about this!

This week, this optimist (after having watched a terrible wannabe comedy and a horror film) will not subject you to the reviews. I have drawn up a list of movies and shows we should look forward to watching in 2026.

King

Not because one is a die-hard fan of Shah Rukh Khan (why is he looking better and better every year?!), but fans deserve to see him on the big screen soon. Pathan was 2023, and the first look poster - though generic - promised a blood bath. Abhishek Bachchan as the villain? That is a must-see. Have loved him in Ludo as well as Bluffmaster, Guru, and yes, you can beat me up for it, Ravan. The film has Rani Mukerji playing the mother to Suhana Khan (Shah Rukh’s daughter), who is training to be an assassin. The story seems to be as old as Leon, but what to do, we are optimists.

Marty Supreme

Timothee Chalamet says he’s almost 30 years old, but after having a genuinely awe-filled watching of the young lad turn into Bob Dylan in A Complete Unknown and a warrior in the Dune series, everybody should want to watch him as a professional table tennis player who made lots of money playing some insane ping pong! Videos of the real man and his interviews are on YouTube, so check them out.

Manager Kim

K-dramas deserve a listicle all of their own, but then some are more equal than others. A father in search of a missing daughter is a trope as old as time, but then the close-quarters action in this one is as good as The Raid Redemption. So Ji-Sub is the star of the show! As they say, never underestimate the man in glasses.

Honour

Lee Na Young, Jung Eun Chae and Lee Chung Ah are three friends - with a dark past, of course - who run a legal firm to fight injustice of all kinds. While we are still watching evil saas and nasty nanad who torture the nayi bahu on the telly, this show of female solidarity and excellent legal arguments will be an awesome watch indeed.

The Devil Wears Prada 2

Last time Miranda Priestly looked down on a newcomer, she didn’t even care to know her name. She was just an “Emily.” Meryl Streep and Anne Hathaway are back. The shoes in the teaser trailer are so good that one almost wishes the ground beneath our feet were worthy of them. But as I said, this is an optimist’s list. And Maharashtra has just finished voting.

The Bride

Why are we so fascinated by monsters created so that we can play God? The Bride is the unexpected leader of a group - not just Frankenstein’s bride. The scream for help is so visceral that it is a political statement. Plus, there is Christian Bale.

Toy Story 5

Life is not always monsters and fashionable devils, and unbelievably hot Korean stars. We need comfort food for the soul in Woody and Jessie, and the magic of Buzz Lightyear that promises another toy adventure this year. Fans have been waiting since 2019 to see them travel to infinity and beyond! I mean, in the toy room.

Hunger Games: Sunrise on the Reaping

Our thirst for seeing young people choose to put themselves in harm's way so their families can live is alive and well. This film looks different, though. The cast includes a curly-haired, blonde Australian actor, Joseph Zada, who stars with Glen Close, Ralph Fiennes, and others. Will we see Jennifer Lawrence in the films?

Dune 3: Messiah

Denis Villeneuve is about to tackle a tough-to-adapt book-to-screen project in the Dune series, bringing the story forward by many years. Zendaya and Chalamet are still on the dusty planet, their eyes turned blue from the spice. But this time, along with Jason Momoa, his son Nakoa Wolf Momoa is in the film. Don’t forget the cast also includes Robert Pattinson and Javier Bardem.

O Romeo

Vishal Bhardwaj brings Shahid Kapoor and Tripti Dimri in a film whose trailer promises a look into the creation of Mumbai’s underworld post-independence. Rumoured to have been once written for Irrfan Khan, this movie is a different kind of Valentine.

Peddi

In this upcoming Telugu-language sports drama, the hero sets out to set things right for his village. Marketed as a sports rivalry film, the first look suggests a gritty, rustic tone rather than something in the mould of Chak De India or Maidaan. Ram Charan stars in this film, along with Shiva Rajkumar, Jagapathi Babu, Divyenndu Sharma, and yes, Janhvi Kapoor.

Wuthering Heights

The brooding orphan Heathcliff, who falls in love with Catharine Earnshaw but is betrayed when she marries Edgar Linton, returns to the moors to take revenge in Emily Brontë’s unforgettable novel Wuthering Heights. The story is now being adapted into a film starring Margot Robbie as Catharine and Jacob Elordi as Heathcliff, set to release in theatres on Valentine's Day 2026.

Bridgerton Season 4

The elusive Benedict Bridgerton, the second son who is now the prize catch of the ton, is back on Netflix, and we shall once again be sneaking into balls and secret trysts and watching the shenanigans written down by the snarky pen of a once anonymous Penelope. This Regency-era drama began with the girls being given plenty of a duke’s butt since season one, and then genuinely lovely stories of friendship and more. I, for one, am looking for that Cinderella story and absolutely adore the gossipy queen.

The year has so much more to offer, and we shall watch every good and bad movie together! Happy watching! Here's to caramel popcorn, samosas and cups of black coffee!

(Manisha Lakhe is a freelance writer with Mint. She writes on movies, shows, travel, and more.)