Entertainment
10 Upcoming Comedy Movies That You Cannot Miss
No matter the changes in the entertainment landscape, audiences will always fall back on the lighthearted strengths of comedy to create joyous cinematic experiences. The 2020s as a whole have been a great decade for comedy, with many new absolute classics that have delivered in the best way possible. However, the greatness of the genre comes from how it is always evolving and growing, and a great selection of comedies is set to premiere in 2026 that hope to bring that signature sense of charm.
Whether it be long-awaited returns and reboots of beloved franchises or original visions from the most prominent filmmakers of today, there is a great mixture of comedic styles and approaches that make the genre’s future so exciting. Even aside from these standout titles, there are sure to be a wide array of brilliant comedies throughout the year. However, the entries on this list stand out as the most prominent and must-see upcoming titles in the comedy genre.
‘Scary Movie’ – Release Date: June 5th, 2026
Spoof movies have been largely out of favor following the string of terrible releases in the 2010s. Still, with the rise of modern spoof films like The Naked Gun and Fackham Hall, Scary Movie is looking to reclaim its throne as the king of parody filmmaking. While the last entry, 2013’s Scary Movie 5, wasn’t particularly good, the long-awaited return of the Wayans Brothers and both Anna Faris and Regina Hall to the franchise has reinvigorated excitement and interest in this concept.
It also helps that there have been so many great horror movies in recent memory, ripe for satire and over-the-top parody. The trailer is filled to the brim with teases for characters and sequences parodying the likes of The Substance, Longlegs, Smile, Terrifier, and more. However, the clear standout is just how much the film is going to parody the reboot culture that has persisted in modern horror, having its own return of legacy characters. It certainly has the potential to be the absolute best in the Scary Movie franchise.
‘Power Ballad’ – Release Date: June 5th, 2026
The latest musical comedy from John Carney, the acclaimed director of Sing Street, Power Ballad sets out to tell a wildly over-the-top story of betrayal as its ramifications are at a global pop-star scale. The film sees Rick (Paul Rudd), a past-his-prime wedding singer, and Danny (Nick Jonas), a fading boy-band star, who bond over their mutual love of music during a late-night jam session. However, after Rick shares a personal song that he wrote, Danny takes it and turns it into a global sensation, taking all the credit as if he wrote it himself.
Power Ballad‘s instantly engaging premise, combined with some great comedic stars at its center and the proven directing prowess of John Carney, sets it up to be an absolute comedy smash. While it will sadly be going head-to-head with Scary Movie, coming out on the same day, one can hope that this comedy can get its fair shot in the spotlight, as it certainly has all of the pieces to be a modern musical comedy classic.
‘Coyote vs. Acme’ – Release Date: August 28th, 2026
The path to Coyote vs. Acme actually getting a theatrical release has ironically been as wild and unpredictable as a Looney Tunes cartoon. Alas, this previously canceled, now un-canceled live-action animation hybrid comedy is finally getting released this August. The Looney Tunes film sees iconic character Wile E. Coyote, tired of the continuous failures of the products he uses from Acme, hiring a billboard lawyer to sue the Acme Corporation once and for all.
The film is sure to feature the distinct flavor of wild Looney Tunes comedy that has made them absolute icons not just in their classic animated shorts, but also in wildly entertaining comedy films like Space Jam and Looney Tunes: Back in Action. However, the real notoriety and increased buzz surrounding the film has come from how it has been un-canceled, no longer set to be shelved as a tax write-off, and gloriously getting a full theatrical release.
‘Whitney Springs’ – Release Date: TBA
Large parts of the film that many presume to be called Whitney Springs are still shrouded in mystery, but the mix of absolute talent involved, combined with its wildly hilarious and dark premise, makes it a must-watch comedy to keep an eye out for. The film is a collaboration between creators of South Park, Trey Parker and Matt Stone, with legendary 27x Grammy Award winner Kendrick Lamar, a wild musical comedy that satirically tackles race and perceptions in both America’s past and present.
The plot follows a young Black man taking a job performing as a slave at a popular plantation attraction in a living history museum. As if this wasn’t awkward and confusing enough for him to experience on a day-to-day basis, he soon discovers that his girlfriend’s ancestors were, in fact, slave owners who actually owned his ancestors. The premise is overflowing with both distinct dark and satire humor from Parker and Stone as well as striking political commentary similar to Lamar’s music, making it all the more enticing to actually see what the final film will be like.
‘Jackass: Best and Last’ – Release Date: June 26th, 2026
The surprise fifth feature film in the Jackass franchise is set to be their last. Jackass: Best and Last is setting itself up to be a glorious send-off letter with its trademark mix of gross, painful, over-the-top pranks and endearing friendship. It will use both old and new footage, acting as a celebration of all things Jackass and all of their years working together as they hurt each other in the best and worst ways possible.
Jackass has always been an acquired style of comedy that either overwhelmingly hits or overwhelmingly misses with someone, yet this last hurrah truly feels like the end of an era in terms of their absolute chaos. While there will certainly always be people doing dumb things on-screen for comedic intent, the talent at Jackass has been striking comedy gold by hurting themselves in the most depraved and shocking ways, with Best and Last promising to be a beautiful swan song finale.
‘I Want Your Sex’ – Release Date: July 31st, 2026
Returning to the world of comedy, with over a decade since his last comedy film, Gregg Araki has been an icon of underground queer cinema whose work has massively grown more appreciated in recent years. Thus, his new film, I Want Your Sex, is all the more promising. It also helps that it has already premiered at film festivals like Sundance, and it currently has an 88% on Rotten Tomatoes.
The film follows Elliot (Cooper Hoffman), who, after getting a job working for renowned artist Erika Tracy (Olivia Wilde), suddenly has his fantasies come true when she taps him to become her sexual muse. However, this seemingly ideal situation soon takes a turn when Elliot finds himself way out of his depth, with Erika taking him on a journey of profound sexual experiences, delving into a wild world of obsession, power, betrayal and murder that he never could have expected.
‘Wild Horse Nine’ – Release Date: November 6th, 2026
Director Martin McDonagh has been one of the most consistent names in striking and widely appreciated award-winning dark comedy in recent years. Films like Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri and The Banshees of Inisherin are some of the most revered comedies of recent memory. Wild Horse Nine hopes to continue the director’s winning streak, utilizing great comedic talent and an entertaining espionage premise to create witty comedic gold.
The film will see John Malkovich and Sam Rockwell as a duo of CIA agents who have been dispatched to Easter Island shortly before the 1973 Chilean coup. The duo wrestles with both their dark pasts and the conspiracies of the present as they get up to all sorts of mischief on the island. It’s likely that it will premiere at a film festival like Venice or TIFF before its November 6th release date, so we’ll know sooner rather than later if the film lives up to McDonagh’s reputation.
‘The Devil Wears Prada 2’ – Release Date: May 1st, 2026
Legacy sequels to widely acclaimed one-off comedy films from the past have been a tried and true method of success for decades now, as audiences simply love revisiting iconic and beloved characters that they’ve been laughing with for years. The Devil Wears Prada 2 stands out as the prominent comedy legacy sequel to look out for, coming out 20 years after the original iconic fashion comedy, with the same cast, director, and writer all returning.
If the film even comes close to the levels of memorability and strength that the original has, it could certainly be among the all-time greatest legacy sequels in comedy history. The film will largely follow the continued careers of these classic characters, with Andy Sachs (Anne Hathaway) returning to Runway to work alongside Miranda Priestly, who must now adapt to a wildly different landscape than the one we saw 20 years ago.
‘Digger’ – Release Date: October 2nd, 2026
Set to be a wild, highly energizing adventure comedy from legendary Academy Award-winning director Alejandro G. Iñarritu, Digger is the must-see award-hopeful comedy of the year that many are thinking might win Tom Cruise his first acting Oscar. It’s already exciting enough that it is Cruise’s first original film in years, but the prospect of him working with Iñarritu in a comedy film feels like cinematic dreams are coming true.
The crowd-pleasing adventure film still has a lot of details under wraps, but it will supposedly see Cruise as the most powerful man in the world, embarking on a frantic mission to prove to the world that he is the savior of humanity before a disaster that he’s unleashed destroys everything. Its high-flying, electrifying energy can be fully felt from the small teaser for the film, while the overwhelming talent behind and in front of the camera, by itself, sells the film as a must-watch comedy experience.
‘The Invite’ – Release Date: June 26th, 2026
Easily the biggest smash hit from critics and audiences alike that premiered at Sundance a few months ago, it did not take long for The Invite to be picked up by A24 and set up as one of the year’s most enticing and prominent comedy releases. Olivia Wilde’s latest directorial outing has been touted by critics as her greatest work yet, with a 91% on Rotten Tomatoes and utilizing an all-star cast in this performance-centric comedy film.
The film sees Wilde, Seth Rogen, Penélope Cruz, and Edward Norton playing a duo of couples who meet up together for a dinner party before the night spirals into wild and unexpected places. It’s clear that so much of the comedy and strength is coming from surprises and twists, but the clear chemistry and dynamic between these four all-star titans is sure to make this an absolute blast from start to finish. It isn’t even out yet, but The Invite is one of the safest bets for what could be considered the absolute best comedy of the year.
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