10 HUGE Upcoming Movies Will They Flop or Fly

10 HUGE Upcoming Movies Will They Flop or Fly

Welcome to WatchMojo, and today we’re looking at ten of the most highly-anticipated summer movies and predicting their pop culture dominance.

“The Mandalorian and Grogu” (2026)

This is the way... to the top of the box office! “Star Wars” is finally returning to the silver screen, and it’s bringing its most universally-liked modern characters. Gen Alpha still views Grogu as a premium, must-have merchandising icon, and Pedro Pascal is still enormous with older Gen Z and millennials. And any new adorable Grogu antic is instant GIF material, so the memeability here is sky high. That, and “The Mandalorian” is probably the most beloved thing that “Star Wars” has done in decades. While it probably won’t reach the jaw-dropping billion-dollar heights of the sequel trilogy due to some broader franchise fatigue, this movie is still an incredibly safe bet. The force is definitely strong enough to make “The Mandalorian and Grogu” a huge hit.

“Masters of the Universe” (2026)

By the power of Grayskull, this one might be in trouble! While Gen X and older millennials hold a deep, nostalgic love for He-Man, this upcoming live action reboot faces a huge uphill battle to capture the youth market. Let’s be real here, He-Man holds almost zero cultural relevance for the younger crowd today. If you went to a middle school today and asked them who their favorite “Masters of the Universe” character is, you’d be met with the deadest of dead stares. Unless the marketing takes a hyper-meta and self-aware approach like “Barbie,” modern audiences simply won’t engage. Nostalgia alone cannot carry a movie with a $200 million budget, and without a youth-culture hook or a viral TikTok trend to boost its visibility, this one will be DOA.

“Scary Movie” (2026)

What’s your favorite scary movie to meme? The Y2K aesthetic is hot right now, and fans of the original have kept the franchise relevant for decades. Old clips are still being quoted and shared online on the regular. Plus, the chaotic, absurdist humor of the franchise fits flawlessly into modern internet culture. This reboot is promising to spoof recent horror heavyweights like “Longlegs”, “M3GAN,” and “Sinners,” so you can guarantee strong cultural relevance here. Silly parodies like this are also famously cost-effective to produce and boast a built-in Friday night teen audience looking for easy laughs and the freshest memes. By perfectly balancing modern horror tropes with that classic slapstick energy, we are predicting a highly profitable viral hit.

“Disclosure Day” (2026)

Steven Spielberg returning to classic UFO thrillers sounds awesome, but “Disclosure Day” is a bit of a mixed bag. Of course, Spielberg holds enormous sway with older viewers, and watching him return to the types of movies that made him famous is pure nostalgia. But it’s also fair to say that Spielberg is now more of a “legacy” director, and he hasn’t had a hit in years. That said, this thing is primed for deep-dive explanation videos and lore breakdowns on YouTube, and both conspiracy theories and aliens are big draws. The secretive trailer will also draw in people who just want to know what’s going on. Think of this as the “Oppenheimer” counter-programming for the early summer season. It’s an original event film helmed by the master, and it will absolutely draw the adult demographic. We’ll just have to wait and see how it performs with the kids. After all, that’s where the money is.

“Toy Story 5” (2026)

Like “Disclosure Day,” this one is pretty tricky to gauge. “Toy Story” is obviously huge, but there’s definitely a growing cynicism around both the franchise itself and Hollywood’s continued insistence on milking things dry. Explosive viral potential usually relies on a breakout new character like Forky, so we’ll see how Lilypad performs. Online discussion has also centered around restraint rather than excitement, with many people noticing how old the cast sounds. But despite the endless murmurs of “franchise fatigue,” we can’t bet against Woody and Buzz. We all said the same thing about “Toy Story 4,” and then that made over $1 billion. At the end of the day, nostalgic parents will be taking their kids to the theater, and this will probably rake in some fantastic money.

“Supergirl” (2026)

Is superhero fatigue finally setting in? Maybe, but James Gunn’s new DC Universe is offering a fresh, desperately needed slate. Milly Alcock stepping into the cape appeals heavily to the BookTok and fantasy-loving Gen Z crowds looking for a grittier approach to their comic book movies. We also expect some heavy aesthetic-edit culture on social media, similar to the moody, atmospheric online presence of “The Batman” and “Dune.” This visually distinct space epic looks to have a unique style, the cynical tone is perfect for younger crowds, and Alcock is a big draw. James Gunn being involved also helps. People want superhero movies to be good again, and we expect that with this much-needed youthful energy, Kara Zor-El will fly high this summer.

“Minions & Monsters” (2026)

Never ever ever bet against the Minions. We know they’re annoying. That doesn’t matter in the slightest. Illumination are the adorable masters of cross-generational appeal, and they are arguably the most “it” animation studio right now. The massive “Gentleminions” suit-and-tie trend proved that Gen Z loves this franchise ironically, while Gen Alpha adores it genuinely. In fact, Illumination actively caters its marketing directly to TikTok algorithms, so the internet footprint for this entry will be completely inescapable. Adding literal monsters to the established formula is basically pure sensory joy for younger kids, and the memeability will be off the charts. With universal appeal baked into its core DNA, this animated juggernaut is an absolute lock to be one of the highest-grossing films of the year. Expect a billie.

“Moana” (2026)

Make way, make way, because Disney is heading back to “Moana”! After…ten years? This live-action remake has faced some choppy waters online. People have become increasingly critical of Disney’s live action remakes, often (and maybe rightfully) dismissing them as unnecessary cash grabs. The trailer certainly didn’t help, with many laughing at The Rock’s goofy appearance and the copy-pasted shots from the original. But let’s be honest and look at the cold, hard facts here. The original film is still a cultural juggernaut, The Rock has huge star power (goofy looks aside), the soundtrack will be everywhere, and strong family turnout is an absolute lock. Expect this one to join movies like “The Lion King” in the “we didn’t need this but it will still make well over a billion” crowd.

“The Odyssey” (2026)

Just take a look at this lineup. Christopher Nolan. Tom Holland. Zendaya. Jon Bernthal. Matt Damon. Robert Pattinson. There’s no way in Homer this thing flops. “The Odyssey” is what would happen if Letterboxd made a movie, and the FilmTok community is already championing this as the defining cinematic event of the entire year. It will probably inspire endless prestige edits, viral red carpet fashion moments, and “this is what movies are all about” posts. Heck, they even have the older and more academic demographic simply by virtue of being a Homer adaptation. Nolan’s legendary name alone practically guarantees a blockbuster turnout. When you combine his unparalleled eye for spectacle with a top tier cast like this, you get a guaranteed cultural juggernaut. Prepare yourselves, because “The Odyssey” will be everywhere this summer.

“Spider-Man: Brand New Day” (2026)

If there’s one movie that can beat “The Odyssey” this summer, it’s this one. Spider-Man remains the single most bulletproof superhero across all demographics. Tom Holland and Zendaya are pop culture royalty, and the movie’s grounded, street-level story is exactly what the older fans have been begging for for years. MCU movies inherently generate massive internet chatter, memorabilia, and video game tie-ins, so you can guarantee an inescapable cultural footprint here. And following the monumental success of “No Way Home” and the record-breaking trailer, the hype train for “Brand New Day” is more than chugging along. Peter Parker is poised to effortlessly dominate the late summer box office and probably swing away with the year’s biggest pile of cash.

What do you think - flop or fly? Let us know in the comments below!