New Movies May 2026: Complete US Theatrical & Streaming Release Calendar

May 2026 packs a heavy slate. Memorial Day weekend belongs to Star Wars: The Mandalorian and Grogu. The first weekend of the month opens with The Devil Wears Prada 2 and Andy Serkis's Animal Farm. Streaming gets a Krasinski-led Jack Ryan continuation, a James Cameron-directed Billie Eilish concert film, and a Sacha Baron Cohen comedy on Netflix. Below is the verified, chronological release calendar — every entry cross-checked against IMDb, Box Office Mojo, FirstShowing, and Wikipedia.

May 2026 Movie Release Calendar

Memorial Day Weekend Tentpoles Compared

Friday, May 1

1. The Devil Wears Prada 2

Theaters (20th Century Studios) — May 1

Director: David Frankel. Cast: Meryl Streep, Anne Hathaway, Emily Blunt, Stanley Tucci. Twenty years after the original, Miranda Priestly is fighting to keep Runway alive in a collapsing print-media landscape. Now she has to bargain with Emily Charlton, her one-time assistant turned luxury-brand executive, while Andy Sachs gets pulled back into the orbit she swore she had escaped. Streep, Hathaway, and Blunt are all confirmed at full screen time. Early box-office tracking has it opening above $50M. Get tickets on Fandango.

2. Animal Farm

Theaters (Angel Studios) — May 1

Director: Andy Serkis. Voice cast: Seth Rogen, Glenn Close, Woody Harrelson, Kieran Culkin. A lavish CG adaptation of Orwell's 1945 fable, the first feature-length animated take on the novella in decades. Serkis treats it with the same digital-character craftsmanship he brought to Caesar in Planet of the Apes. Aimed at older teens and adults rather than kids.

3. Hokum

Theaters (IFC/Shudder) — May 1

Director: Damian McCarthy. Cast: Adam Scott, David Wilmot, Austin Amelio. A horror novelist arrives at a remote Irish inn to scatter his parents' ashes and learns the property is haunted by an old witch. Critically loved out of SXSW. McCarthy directed Caveat and Oddity — this is his American breakout.

4. Swapped

Netflix — May 1

An animated buddy comedy headlined by Michael B. Jordan, who also produces. A breezy family-friendly streaming launch for the month. Stream on Netflix.

Friday, May 8

5. Mortal Kombat II

Theaters + IMAX (Warner Bros.) — May 8

Director: Simon McQuoid. Cast: Karl Urban (Johnny Cage), Joe Taslim, Hiroyuki Sanada. The long-delayed sequel finally lands, leaning hard into the games' weirder lore as Earthrealm's fighters head into the actual Mortal Kombat tournament. Karl Urban as Johnny Cage is the casting that has fans most excited. R-rated, fatality-heavy. Buy tickets on Fandango.

6. Remarkably Bright Creatures

Netflix — May 8

Director: Olivia Newman. Cast: Sally Field, Lewis Pullman, Alfred Molina (voice). Adapted from Shelby Van Pelt's bestseller, a lonely widow working night shifts at an aquarium befriends a giant Pacific octopus and a drifting young musician. Field anchors what's likely Netflix's prestige drama play of the month.

7. Billie Eilish — Hit Me Hard and Soft: The Tour (Live in 3D)

Theaters — May 8

Director: James Cameron. Cameron's 3D-shot capture of Eilish's 2024-25 arena run. The same technical playbook as his Avatar work, applied to a concert film for the first time. IMAX 3D screenings only — limited engagement.

Friday, May 15

8. In the Grey

Theaters — May 15

Director: Guy Ritchie. Cast: Jake Gyllenhaal, Henry Cavill, Eiza González, Rosamund Pike. A covert team of operatives is sent to claw back a billion-dollar fortune from a despot. The "impossible heist" mutates into open warfare. Ritchie's most expensive original in years and the only major theatrical release of the weekend — counterprogramming to whatever's still in second weekends. Get tickets.

Wednesday, May 20

9. Tom Clancy's Jack Ryan: Ghost War

Prime Video — May 20

Director: Andrew Bernstein. Cast: John Krasinski, Sienna Miller, Wendell Pierce, Michael Kelly. Krasinski returns as Ryan in a feature continuation of the Prime series. A botched covert mission exposes a rogue black-ops unit, forcing Ryan back into the field with Mike November and James Greer. Same writers' room as the show, theatrical-quality production. Watch on Prime Video.

Thursday, May 21

10. Stolen Kingdom

Theaters (limited) — May 21

Director: Joshua Bailey. The strange true story of urban explorers breaking into closed Walt Disney World attractions — and the 2018 theft of "Buzzy," a half-million-dollar Epcot animatronic. A tightly told 86-minute documentary. Limited theatrical, then digital later in May.

Friday, May 22 — Memorial Day Weekend

11. Star Wars: The Mandalorian and Grogu

Theaters + IMAX (Disney/Lucasfilm) — May 22

Director: Jon Favreau. Cast: Pedro Pascal, Sigourney Weaver, Jeremy Allen White. The big tentpole. Din Djarin and Grogu hit the big screen for the first time, in a post-Empire galaxy still shaking off its scars. Score by Ludwig Göransson. The first theatrical Star Wars in over six years and Disney's biggest May 2026 bet — likely a $200M+ opening weekend. Reserve IMAX seats now.

12. Passenger

Theaters (Paramount) — May 22

Director: André Øvredal. Cast: Jacob Scipio, Lou Llobell, Melissa Leo. A young couple on a van-life road trip witnesses a fatal crash — and inherits the demonic entity that caused it. Øvredal's follow-up to The Last Voyage of the Demeter; counterprogramming horror against the Star Wars opening.

13. Tuner

Theaters (limited) — May 22

Director: Daniel Roher. Cast: Leo Woodall, Dustin Hoffman. A piano tuner with hyperacusis is recruited by criminals who realize his perfect pitch can crack any safe. A 94% Rotten Tomatoes Sundance breakout and one of the most-loved films of early 2026. Hoffman's first major role in years.

14. I Love Boosters

Theaters (Neon) — May 22

Director: Boots Riley. Cast: Keke Palmer, Demi Moore. A crew of professional shoplifters targets a ruthless fashion mogul. Riley's follow-up to I'm a Virgo; expect the same satirical-political register.

15. Ladies First

Netflix — May 22

Director: Thea Sharrock. Cast: Sacha Baron Cohen, Rosamund Pike, Richard E. Grant. A sleazy male executive wakes up in a parallel world dominated by women and finds himself reporting to the underling he used to belittle. English-language remake of the French film I Am Not an Easy Man. The Memorial Day Netflix anchor.

Friday, May 29

16. Pressure

Theaters + IMAX (Focus Features) — May 29

Director: Anthony Maras. Cast: Brendan Fraser (as Eisenhower), Andrew Scott, Kerry Condon. The 72 hours before D-Day, told as a war room weather-forecast standoff between Eisenhower and meteorologist James Stagg. Fraser's first major role since The Whale Oscar — and reportedly transformative.

17. Backrooms

Theaters (A24) — May 29

Director: Kane Parsons. Cast: Chiwetel Ejiofor, Renate Reinsve, Mark Duplass. A therapist follows a missing patient into a liminal otherworldly dimension. The feature debut of 19-year-old Parsons, adapted from his viral YouTube series; produced by James Wan and Shawn Levy. The strangest commercial bet of the month.

18. Power Ballad

Theaters (limited) — May 29

Director: John Carney. Cast: Paul Rudd, Nick Jonas, Havana Rose Liu. A washed-up wedding singer discovers the fading boy-band star who befriended him has stolen his original song and turned it into a comeback hit. Carney's Once/Begin Again formula with Rudd's comic timing.

What to Watch First: Our Top 5 Picks

1. Star Wars: The Mandalorian and Grogu (May 22) — The undisputed event movie of the month. See it in IMAX opening weekend.
2. The Devil Wears Prada 2 (May 1) — A genuine reunion film, not a soft reboot. Worth the theater.
3. Tuner (May 22) — The critical darling. Hoffman + Woodall + a 94% Rotten Tomatoes score is rare.
4. Pressure (May 29) — Brendan Fraser as Eisenhower in a lean war-room thriller. Awards-season tease.
5. Mortal Kombat II (May 8) — If you liked the first one, this is the obvious popcorn pick.

Frequently Asked Questions

What's the biggest movie of May 2026? By a wide margin, Star Wars: The Mandalorian and Grogu on May 22. It's Disney's flagship Memorial Day release and the first theatrical Star Wars film since 2019. Industry tracking has it opening at $200M+ domestic.

What new Netflix movies are dropping in May 2026? Three major Netflix originals: Swapped (May 1, animated comedy with Michael B. Jordan), Remarkably Bright Creatures (May 8, Sally Field drama), and Ladies First (May 22, Sacha Baron Cohen comedy). Plus the usual library refresh.

Is The Devil Wears Prada 2 a sequel or a reboot? A direct sequel, set 20 years after the original. Streep, Hathaway, Blunt, and Tucci all return in their original roles, with David Frankel back to direct.

What's the best horror movie of the month? Two strong contenders: Hokum (May 1) is an SXSW-acclaimed Irish folk horror with Adam Scott, while Backrooms (May 29) is the A24 sci-fi horror adaptation of the viral YouTube series. Different vibes — pick by mood.

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Sources

• Box Office Mojo Release Calendar
• IMDb US Release Calendar
• FirstShowing.net 2026 Schedule