By Gregor Chalmers, Head of Broadcast, The Kite Factory
We’ve all been there: sat on the sofa after a long day, scrolling past the thumbnails of lots of great content that you want to watch…just not tonight. With so much content available it can be hard to pick just one, so let us take some of the stress away with our guide of the biggest and best shows and movies you can watch, stream or see in cinema in 2026.
Fans of historical romances are set to have a great start to the year. Regency juggernaut Bridgerton (Netflix) returns for a fourth season at the end of January and will likely cause a stir on socials. For those who prefer their romance with extra brooding you can head to the cinema in February to see the latest incarnation of Wuthering Heights. Already dividing opinion on everything from casting to costumes the film, releasing the day before Valentine’s, is set to open what promises to be a strong year for cinema.
On the other hand if you want to flip your romance to brooding ratio, look no further than the second (or fifth, depending on your viewpoint) season of Daredevil: Born Again (Disney+). The 2025 revival was a critical success and is part of a wider resurgence from Marvel: expect a darker, grittier take on superheroes compared to the cinematic versions. Season 2 is set to launch at the start of March.
Perhaps less well-known but critically acclaimed (the first series won 8 Emmys and 3 Golden Globes) Beef (Netflix) returns for a second outing sometime in the middle of the year. As part of its anthology format we’ll be treated to a whole new cast and storyline in what is likely to be intense but gripping TV.
Looking for something a bit more light-hearted? Toy Story 5 bursts onto cinema screens from 19th June, ready to entertain a whole new generation and remind older ones of why they loved the originals. In this latest adventure Woody and the gang must compete for attention with a tablet and this is likely to be one of the largest grossing films of the year. If you prefer to leave the kids at home The Devil Wears Prada 2 is set to release on 1st May and, coming 20 years after the iconic original and boasting the same cast, is one of the most hotly anticipated films of 2026.
Back in 2019, Fleabag creator Phoebe Waller-Bridge signed a $100m content deal with Amazon that, it’s fair to say, hasn’t as yet resulted in any big hits. 2026 could be the year that changes, with Tomb Raider (Amazon Prime) the latest incarnation of beloved computer game protagonist Lara Croft (played by Game of Thrones star Sophie Turner.
While we don’t as yet have a release date there is a lot of buzz surrounding Number 10 (Channel 4). The latest series from Steven Moffat (Doctor Who, Sherlock, Dracula) has the potential to be the British version of the West Wing and provide blockbuster drama. If the drama feels a little too real and you’d rather escape from it all the third season of the lavishly produced The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power (Amazon Prime) returns towards the end of the year.
Speaking of drama, it rarely gets bigger than live sport and this summer will see the men’s World Cup arrive in Canada, Mexico and the United States. England and Scotland will both be there, with the potential for Ireland and one of Wales or Northern Ireland to join them. Coverage will be split across the BBC and ITV and with some favourable kick off times (England are set to play at 9pm UK time in two of their group games and at 10pm for the other) expect drama, high viewing figures and, results depending, some working from home days the next morning.
Not a football fan? Head to the cinema on 17th July to see The Odyssey: boasting a cast that includes Matt Damon and Anne Hathaway, Christopher Nolan’s retelling of the ancient Greek poem is so eagerly anticipated that tickets started to go on sale (and sell out) a year in advance of its release. Rounding off a big year for cinema will be Avengers: Doomsday coming out on the 18th December.
This is just a small sample of what is to come in 2026 and hopefully you’re as excited to watch it as us. Of course everything on this list is available to advertise around and we’d love to have a chat about how to align your brands to such great content.