Fantasy is a genre that will always have fervent fans. Whether or not these fans are interested in the mythological classics, fairy tales, high fantasy, or the more modern genre-bending options, the genre ranges far and wide and accepts all. This is partly why fantasy is such an excellent genre to adapt for films and television, because although some pieces might be harder to adapt than others, there will always be a built-in audience.
That being said, fantasy fans are already looking ahead to the new movie releases they can obsess about for 2026 and 2027. Some are animated, some are remakes of classic stories or video games, and others are add-ons to already exciting worlds. But all of them seem to have a sense of grandness to them, promising both visual and storytelling excellence, and therefore becoming welcome additions to the magical world of fantasy.
Wildwood Highlights Stunning Animation
Oregon-based Laika has solidified its status as a powerhouse in the world of animation, with movies like Coraline and Kubo and the Two Strings under its belt. Fans are always eager for their next adventure, but the nature of stop-motion animation means that production time is slow, so fans have to get by with only small kernels of information for a long time. The first time the word “Wildwood” was mentioned was in 2011, after Laika mentioned their plans to adapt the novel by Colin Melroy. Then, after 2019’s Missing Link film, Laika announced in 2021 that the production for Wildwood was underway, and on May 13, 2026, the first trailer was released.
Set for an October 23, 2026, release, Wildwood is meant to follow the novel and show a young girl named Prue who has to venture into a mysterious forest near Portland, Oregon, in order to retrieve her little brother after he was taken from her by crows. With only a trailer and a few images out, the film has already been lauded for its fantastical animation style and color palette. Thought of as a love story to Oregon, the movie looks like it’ll showcase many famous Oregon and Portland-specific attractions.
The Legend of Zelda Remains a Puzzle To Be Unlocked
The famous video game “The Legend of Zelda” follows Link and Princess Zelda as they attempt to save Hyrule, which is under threat from the warlock Ganon. Although the storyline isn’t as much of an integral part of the Nintendo game, players were meant to explore the world and unlock clues through puzzles and adventures in an attempt to protect the Triforce.
Very little information has been released about this live-action remake so far, with only the release date (April 30, 2027), a few images, and the actors for Link and Zelda (Benjamin Evan Ainsworth and Bo Bragason, respectively) being shared. Fans know that the movie was shot in New Zealand and has finished filming, but other than the general idea of following Link and Zelda to protect Hyrule, not much is known about the storyline. However, given that the director Wes Bell is well-versed in motion capture technology after his work on Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes, fans are confident that he can bring their favorite mythical world to life.
The Odyssey Remakes a Famous Greek Legend
One of the most famous tales ever told, as well as one of the oldest remaining written stories, The Odyssey has roots all the way back to the 8th century. It follows Odysseus, the king of Ithaca, who tries to go home after the legendary Trojan War. Unfortunately, the war itself took ten years to complete, his journey will take another ten, and in his absence, he has been presumed dead, and other men hunger for all he left behind.
The upcoming movie set to be released on July 17, 2026, is meant to follow this timeline as best it can (the original tale was divided into 24 individual books after all). With famous director Christopher Nolan at the head of this project, fans remain in a state of high anticipation, but it cannot be denied that this adaptation of the famous story has been met with much criticism. Among casting choices, vocabulary choices, the lack of Greek actors in a Greek story, costume critiques, filming location controversies, and more, it’s undeniable that The Odyssey has a lot of negativity to overcome upon its release.
The Lord of the Rings: The Hunt for Gollum Uses a Working Title To Preserve a Bit of Mystery
The entirety of this movie is based on only a few paragraphs that J.R.R Tolkien left in the appendices of The Lord of the Rings (more specifically, Appendix B – The Tale of Years) and in a few lines from Unfinished Tales. In these, a bit of the timeline left mainly unsaid in The Fellowship of the Ring is revealed, from the time Bilbo leaves the Shire and the One Ring behind, to Gandalf coming back to Frodo and setting him on his journey. During this time, there is a hunt for Gollum, organized by Gandalf but enacted by Aragorn, where they try to find the creature after his release from Sauron’s dungeons in order to ensure he cannot accidentally lead Sauron’s forces to the One Ring.
There is a scene in The Fellowship of the Ring movie that touches on this briefly: “[Gandalf] looked everywhere for the creature, Gollum. But the enemy found him first.” The upcoming movie following these lines and timeline is set to be released in theaters by December 17, 2027, with many roles from the original films being reprised (with the exception of Aragorn, who has been replaced by Jamie Dornan). But, as the storyline even in previous works was never fully developed, fans are eager to see what director (and Gollum actor) Andy Serkis has in store for Middle-earth, as even the title “The Lord of the Rings: The Hunt for Gollum” is still only a working title.
Narnia: The Magician’s Nephew Is the First Screen Adaptation of the Beloved Fantasy Franchise’s Prequel
The fantasy series The Chronicles of Narnia has had many film adaptations, with the most famous being the three movies released from 2005 to 2010 that covered The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, Prince Caspian, and The Voyage of the Dawn Treader. But there has never been a screen adaptation of the prequel book, The Magician’s Nephew. Although it comes first chronologically in the series, the book was published sixth and is meant to showcase the beginning of how Narnia was created, along with how Digory Kirke and his friend Polly Plummer became involved.
In 2023, Netflix announced that Greta Gerwig would take the reins as director for at least two Narnia films. Later, it was announced that the first would be The Magician’s Nephew, and that it would be released in theaters on February 12, 2027, before being released on Netflix on April 2, 2027. Fans of the series were overjoyed to see Gerwig take the helm and eagerly wait to see how she can bring the fantasy land to life. There is a particular hope that her directing and writing style will help offset the misogyny that C.S. Lewis is known for in his books, and that if the first two released films do well, she might stay on to finish them all.