The most anticipated comedy movies still to come in 2026
From Chris Rock's Misty Green and Nathan Fielder's Elizabeth Holmes film to Focker-In-Law and a Guadagnino satire on Christmas Day: the comedies worth circling for the rest of 2026.
The last three months of the year are where the big comedies usually hide, and 2026 is no different. A new film from Chris Rock, a deadpan documentary, a fourth trip to the Fockers and two very different Santas are all on the way.
Below are the comedies we're most looking forward to between now and New Year's, in release order. Dates are for the US; UK and other release dates can differ, so check your local listings. Alejandro González Iñárritu's Tom Cruise black comedy Digger opened on October 2, so it's already in cinemas and isn't on the list.
Misty Green
Out: October 9, in cinemas
Chris Rock writes and directs this A24 comedy-drama about an award-winning actress, played by Rosalind Eleazar (Slow Horses), whose career has stalled and who sees a Dreamgirls remake as her way back. Adam Driver, Daniel Kaluuya, Anna Kendrick and Topher Grace are in the supporting cast. A stand-up making a film about the indignities of show business is exactly the kind of thing this site exists for.
Sacrifice
Out: October 16, on Netflix
Romain Gavras directs this dark comedy about a movie star (Chris Evans) taken hostage at a glamorous charity gala in Greece by a radical group led by Anya Taylor-Joy, who believes a volcanic prophecy demands sacrifices. Vincent Cassel, Salma Hayek, John Malkovich and Ambika Mod round out a strange and promising cast.
You Can See Everything
Out: October 16, in cinemas
Strictly speaking this is a documentary, but it's Nathan Fielder's, so it belongs here. Fielder and director Lance Oppenheim moved in with Theranos founder Elizabeth Holmes and her family in the weeks before she went to prison, and the result runs nearly three hours. Early reviews from its surprise Telluride premiere call it gripping and unsettling, and say it never goes long without a laugh.
Wild Horse Nine
Out: November 6, in cinemas
Martin McDonagh (In Bruges, The Banshees of Inisherin) returns with another black comedy. John Malkovich and Sam Rockwell play two CIA officers sent from Santiago to Easter Island just before the 1973 Chilean coup, with Steve Buscemi, Tom Waits and Parker Posey alongside them. Malkovich won best actor at the Venice Film Festival for it.
The Cat in the Hat
Out: November 6, in cinemas
The family pick, but a stacked one for comedy fans. Bill Hader voices the Cat in this animated Dr. Seuss adaptation, with Quinta Brunson, Paula Pell, Bowen Yang and Tituss Burgess also in the voice cast.
Club Kid
Out: November 6, in limited release
Jordan Firstman writes, directs and stars as a washed-up underground party promoter who discovers he has a 10-year-old son. Cara Delevingne and Diego Calva co-star.
How to Rob a Bank
Out: November 13, in cinemas
David Leitch (The Fall Guy) directs a comedy heist about a crew of bank robbers who post their jobs online, and the FBI agent and young hacker trying to catch them. Nicholas Hoult, Anna Sawai, Pete Davidson, Zoë Kravitz and John C. Reilly star.
Steps
Out: November 20, on Netflix
An animated twist on Cinderella told from the point of view of a misunderstood stepsister who steals the Fairy Godmother's wand. The reason it's on a stand-up site: Ali Wong and Nikki Glaser are in the voice cast, alongside Amanda Seyfried, Stephanie Hsu, Daniel Radcliffe and Bette Midler.
Focker-In-Law
Out: November 25, in cinemas
Sixteen years after Little Fockers, Ben Stiller and Robert De Niro are back for a fourth Meet the Parents film. This time Greg and Pam's son Henry is getting married, and his fiancée is a handful. Teri Polo, Blythe Danner and Owen Wilson return, with Ariana Grande, Beanie Feldstein and Eduardo Franco joining.
The Further Mis-Adventures of Cliff Booth
Out: November 25 in IMAX, then on Netflix from December 23
Brad Pitt's stuntman from Once Upon a Time in Hollywood gets his own film, written by Quentin Tarantino and directed by David Fincher, and set in late-1970s Hollywood. It's billed as a comedy-drama, so expect it to lean further toward the drama, but it's one of the biggest films of the season either way.
The Man with the Bag
Out: December 2, on Prime Video
Arnold Schwarzenegger plays Santa Claus, whose sack of gifts has been stolen, forcing him to recruit a former thief (Alan Ritchson) off the naughty list. Adam Shankman directs, and Awkwafina, Liza Koshy, Kyle Mooney and Jane Krakowski co-star.
Violent Night 2
Out: December 4, in cinemas
The other Santa. David Harbour returns as the most violent Santa in cinema, with Kristen Bell and Jared Harris joining the cast. Plot details are being kept quiet.
The Gallerist
Out: December 4, in cinemas
Natalie Portman plays a Miami gallerist whose new centerpiece, a hyperrealist sculpture called "The Emasculator", goes viral and sends the art world into a frenzy. Jenna Ortega, Zach Galifianakis, Da'Vine Joy Randolph, Sterling K. Brown and Catherine Zeta-Jones co-star.
The Debut
Out: December 11, in cinemas
Jesse Eisenberg writes, directs and co-stars in a comedy about a shy housewife (Julianne Moore) who's cast in a community theater production and falls under the spell of its domineering director. Paul Giamatti, Halle Bailey and Bernadette Peters also star.
Bad Day
Out: December 11, on Netflix
Cameron Diaz continues her comeback in an action comedy about a single mom trying to keep a promise to her daughter on the worst day of her life. Ed O'Neill and Danielle Brooks co-star.
Artificial
Out: December 25, in cinemas
Luca Guadagnino's comedic drama about the 2023 firing and rehiring of OpenAI boss Sam Altman, played by Andrew Garfield. A satire of the AI industry, released on Christmas Day, from the director of Challengers: easily one of the oddest and most intriguing films of the year.
Jumanji: Open World
Out: December 25, in cinemas
Dwayne Johnson, Jack Black, Kevin Hart and Karen Gillan return for another Jumanji. If you've seen the last two, you know the deal: Jack Black playing a teenager trapped in his body is still the series' best special effect.
Release dates move all the time, especially for streaming films. We'll update this list as dates change and as reviews come in.