Summer movies are meant to be seen in theaters.
Huge screens, loud sounds and the energy of packed audiences make a great summer release feel like an event. Luckily, there’s no shortage of reasons to buy tickets, grab good seats, and put the phone away for a few hours in the July and August 2026 calendar.
christopher nolan is bringing homer odyssey On the IMAX screen, Disney is returning to Motunui with its live-action Moana And reopening for Camp Firewood’s 25th anniversary wet hot american summer. However, at the top of our watch list is Eli Roth ice cream manA blood-soaked Summerween release that seems tailor-made for collective gasps, screams and horrified laughter.
Listed in release-date order, here are eight movies we can’t wait to see in theaters this summer.
Evil Dead Burn – July 10, 2026
Summer gets pretty bloody evil dead burnThe latest standalone chapter in the long-running horror franchise.
Directed by French filmmaker Sébastien Vanisek, the man behind the 2023 spider-infested horror film victimThe film tells the story of a grieving widow who seeks solace with her late husband’s family. Their gathering in a secluded house soon turns into a Deadite nightmare.
Souhila Yacoub leads a cast that also includes Hunter Doohan, Lucien Buchanan, Tandy Wright and George Puller.
evil dead The series has never been particularly concerned with restraint, and Vanicek appears ready to take its ferocity and physical intensity even further. Created by franchise veterans Sam Raimi and Rob Tapert, this is exactly the kind of horror movie that becomes more fun with a room full of people reacting with you.
evil dead burn Now running in theatres.
Moana – July 10, 2026
Disney is going back to Motunui with its live-action reimagining Moana.
Newcomer Catherine Lagaia stepped into the title role, playing the adventurous daughter of an island chief who travels beyond the reef to restore prosperity to her people. Dwayne Johnson reprises his role as the god Maui, this time appearing in the flesh rather than as an animated character.
Directed by Thomas Kail, whose credits include the stage production and the filmed version hamiltonThe film also stars John Tui, Frankie Adams and Rena Owen.
The sweeping landscapes, seascapes and familiar songs give this adaptation a natural sense of scale. Whether viewers are discovering the story for the first time or returning to it with the whole family, Moana It is designed to be experienced with music on a theater screen.
Moana Now running in theatres.
The Odyssey – July 17, 2026
Christopher Nolan is following oppenheimer With one of his most ambitious productions to date: a large-scale adaptation of Homer odyssey.
Matt Damon plays Odysseus, King of Ithaca, who is attempting to return home after the Trojan War. His journey takes him across treacherous seas and pits him against mythological forces determined to keep him from his wife, Penelope, and their son, Telemachus.
The huge cast includes Anne Hathaway, Tom Holland, Zendaya, Robert Pattinson, Charlize Theron and Samantha Morton.
Nolan shot the epic entirely using IMAX film cameras. Few filmmakers are so committed to the theatrical experience, and few summer movies make the choice of venue so important. Find the biggest screen available, preferably one that’s capable of projecting it in IMAX film, and get on board.
odyssey Will hit theaters on July 17.
I Want Your Sex – July 31, 2026
Should anyone be looking for something weirder and more provocative than the average summer blockbuster i want your sex On their radar.
Directed by Greg Araki, the erotic comedy-thriller stars Cooper Hoffman as Elliot, a young man who gets a job working for renowned artist and provocateur Erica Tracy, played by Olivia Wilde.
His new situation becomes more personal when Erica chooses him as her sexual attraction, and draws him into a world made of desire, passion, power, betrayal, and murder.
Supporting cast includes Charli XCX, Mason Gooding, Chaz Sui Wonders, Daveed Diggs, Johnny Knoxville and Margaret Cho. Following its premiere at the 2026 Sundance Film Festival, Araki’s latest is getting a wide theatrical release — and bold, unexpected independent films deserve that kind of big-screen support.
i want your sex Will hit theaters on July 31.
Ice Cream Man – August 7, 2026
Tops our summer watch list ice cream manEli Roth’s blood-soaked scene at the nostalgic neighborhood ice cream truck.
Co-written by Roth and Noah Belson and directed by Roth, the film takes place in the seemingly idyllic town of Belen Bay. The community descends into a state of madness when a mysterious ice cream vendor begins serving frozen treats that turn local children into suicidal killers.
Ari Millen plays the title character alongside Benjamin Byron Davis, Karen Klich, Dylan Hawco, and Sarah Abbott.
The aggressively summery setting allows Roth to transform childhood nostalgia into something colorful, violent, and completely uncontrolled. The filmmaker has described it as one of his scariest and most extreme projects till date, with the director saying something about cabin Fever, hostel, green hell And Thank you.
This is not a film that can be half-watched at home while scrolling on your phone. The outrageous gore, twisted humor and sheer chaos of its premise demands a dark theatre, a giant screen and an audience prepared to lose their minds simultaneously.
Produced by The Horror Section and released theatrically by Iconic Events Releasing, ice cream man Will be released in theaters on 7th August.
Super Troopers 3 – August 7, 2026
The Vermont Highway Patrol is back on duty, although “duty” might be a generous description of what the Super Troopers are doing.
Broken Lizard, the comedy group’s third film, revolves around Farva’s highly elaborate engagement with Thorney’s sister. As Thorny tries to derail the relationship, the soldiers find themselves investigating a new drug operation while trying to keep the marriage from falling apart.
Jay Chandrasekhar, Kevin Heffernan, Steve Lemme, Paul Soter and Eric Stolhanske return, bringing with them the group’s familiar mix of absurd arguments, elaborate pranks and spectacularly questionable police work.
Comedy benefits audiences more than almost any other genre. A funny joke can become unforgettable when the entire theater echoes around it, making the return of the broken lizard an easy excuse for a night at the movies.
super troopers 3 Will be released in theaters on 7th August.
Tony – August 14, 2026 in Canada
Rather than attempt to summarize Anthony Bourdain’s entire career, Tony The focus has been on summer which helped speed it up.
Dominic Cessa plays 19-year-old Bourdain, who travels to Provincetown and unexpectedly enters the chaotic world of a restaurant kitchen. What begins as a summer job becomes her introduction to the culture, personalities, and pressures that will ultimately shape her life as a chef, writer, and television personality.
It is directed by Matt Johnson, the filmmaker behind blackberryThe A24 release also stars Emilia Jones, Leo Woodall, Antonio Banderas and Stavros Halkias.
gives small scope Tony A place to explore Bourdain before fame, when his future was still uncertain and the kitchen began to draw him in. Johnson’s energetic filmmaking style should make the heat, noise, and controlled panic of restaurant life feel immediate, especially inside the theater.
A24 lists August 7th US release Tony Reaching Canadian theaters on August 14th.
Wet Hot American Summer 25th Anniversary – August 14, 2026
Camp Firewood is reopening for the final stretch of summer.
Twenty-five years after its original release, wet hot american summer is returning to theaters in the United States and Canada for a limited anniversary event.
Directed by David Wain and co-written by Wain and Michael Showalter, the comedy follows the counselors and campers of Camp Firewood on the final, increasingly ridiculous day of summer in 1981.
Its now famous cast includes Paul Rudd, Amy Poehler, Bradley Cooper, Elizabeth Banks, Christopher Meloni, Janeane Garofalo, Molly Shannon, Ken Marino and Joe Lo Truglio.
The film initially struggled at the box office before developing a dedicated cult following. Its return gives longtime fans a rare opportunity to see it with a crowd — and new fans a chance to experience its wonderfully specific brand of anarchy in a theater for the first time.
The 25th anniversary event begins August 14 and runs through August 21 at participating North American theaters.
Streaming has made it easier than ever to access movies, but convenience does not equate to experience. Horror is scarier with a crowd, comedy is funnier when the laughter is infectious and a film shot for IMAX is more watchable than a laptop screen.
This summer, turn off the television, leave the sofa behind and head to the theater. These films were made to be seen there.
