(This article first appeared in the February print edition of the Hendersonian.)
Thanks largely to the staying power of Avatar: Fire and Ash, Zootopia 2, and the decent performance of several December holdovers, the 2026 box office has started off much better than a year ago. There wasn’t a breakout along the lines of 2016’s Get Out (which is somehow 10 years old now), but minor contributors like 28 Years Later: The Bone Temple and Primate managed to scare up some January horror money. This month, no significant wide releases are hitting screens until the midway point, thanks in part to the one-two combination of the 2026 Winter Olympics and Super Bowl Sunday keeping would-be audiences home and in front of their screens. Despite those releases being so close to Valentine’s Day, only one bona fide romance is slated to capture the dinner and a movie crowd, so make sure you check out the listings for your favorite Showplace Cinemas or AMC Theaters location, or you may not get that second date!
Wuthering Heights (February 13) – Writer/director Emerald Fennell teams up with megastar Margot Robbie and Saltburn alum Jacob Elordi for this highly stylized adaptation of the classic Emily Brontë novel that has ensnared the hearts of generations of lovers. Emmy and Golden Globe winner Owen Cooper (Adolescence) and Oscar nominee Hong Chow (The Whale, The Menu) co-star.
GOAT (February 13) – In this animated basketball fantasy produced by NBA legend Stephen Curry, a small goat with big dreams gets his shot at playing against some of the fiercest creatures in the world. The voice cast includes two Stranger Things alums (David Harbour and Caleb McLaughlin), Gabrielle Union (Bring It On), Nick Kroll (Sausage Party), and multihyphenate Jennifer Hudson. Veteran Animators Tyree Dillihay and Adam Rosette co-direct.
Good Luck, Have Fun, Don’t Die (February 13) – Director Gore Verbinski (Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl, Rango) casts Academy Award winner Sam Rockwell (Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri) as a man from the future that must recruit a group of diner patrons to help him save the world from an AI uprising. This madcap sci-fi adventure co-stars Michael Peña, Zazie Beetz, Haley Lu Richardson, and Juno Temple.
Crime 101 (February 13) – A career thief looking for his last score crosses paths with a disillusioned insurance broker and begins planning a multi-million-dollar heist, despite a relentless detective desperate to thwart their plan. The all-star cast includes Chris Hemsworth, Mark Ruffalo, Halle Berry, Barry Keoghan, Jennifer Jason Leigh, and Nick Nolte. Bart Layton (American Animals) writes and directs what is sure to be a thrilling crime drama.
How to Make a Killing (February 20) – Glen Powell stars as a blue-collar man disowned by his wealthy family who will stop at nothing to reclaim his inheritance. Margaret Qualley (The Substance), Topher Grace (Spider-Man 3), Bill Camp (too many great performances to name), and Oscar winner Ed Harris (also too many great performances to name) co-star. John Patton Ford (Emily the Criminal) writes and directs this A24 drama/thriller.
Baz Luhrmann’s EPiC: Elvis Presley in Concert (February 27) – During the production of Baz Luhrmann’s version of Elvis, behind-the-scenes footage long thought lost was discovered, chronicling Elvis at one of his late-career Las Vegas residencies. Other never-before-seen footage has been added to this must-see for all fans of The King of Rock and Roll, especially when it plays a week-long engagement on IMAX screens!
Scream 7 (February 27) – Franchise creator Kevin Williamson finally takes the reins and returns to the director’s chair for the first time since 1999’s Teaching Mrs. Tingle. In this latest installment, Sydney Prescott’s (series favorite Neve Campbell) new life is upended by the return of Ghostface, who targets Sydney’s daughter (Isabel May). Courtney Cox and David Arquette also return to the scene of the crime, joined by a slew of young actors (Michelle Randolph and Mckenna Grace) and potential red herrings (Timothy Simons, Scott Foley, and Joel McHale).
Henderson resident Dr. McManus Woodend is an Assistant Professor of Digital Media at the University of Southern Indiana and has worked in film, television and commercials for more than 20 years. To see some of his work, visit www.mcmanuswoodend.com.
