Table of Contents
The spring theatrical calendar is shaping up to be a lively mix of family-friendly animation, franchise sequels and high-profile event films. In this preview we run through the titles currently expected to arrive in cinemas, highlight key cast and creative notes, and explain why each entry matters to audiences and the industry. Throughout the piece you will find release dates preserved exactly as announced and short descriptors of central themes.
Below we focus on a handful of major releases due this season: Toy Story 5, the big-screen return of Star Wars: The Mandalorian and Grogu, the sequel The Devil Wears Prada 2, plus concert and family films that aim to bring diverse audiences back to theaters. Each entry includes context about the premise, notable cast, and why it could become a talking point this spring.
Toy Story 5: toys meet tech and longtime voices return
Toy Story 5 promises to confront a modern challenge for playthings: electronics. The film is scheduled for release on 19th June 2026. In the official trailer and production notes, Pixar frames the story around Bonnie and her collection of toys as new digital devices begin to dominate a child’s attention. The central antagonist is a frog-shaped smart tablet named Lilypad, voiced by Greta Lee, that becomes the latest distraction in a world where children split their focus between classic toys and screens.
Tom Hanks and Tim Allen return as Woody and Buzz Lightyear, with Joan Cusack back as Jessie and Tony Hale returning as Forky. The film also teases a subplot involving many collectible Buzz Lightyear figures stuck in an unintended mode, which the filmmakers say will complicate the toys’ mission. Director Andrew Stanton has described this chapter as “toy meets tech,” exploring belonging and obsolescence through animated characters audiences have followed for decades.
Why it matters
The Toy Story series has a history of treating childhood transitions with emotional clarity, and this fifth installment explicitly places that emotional core against contemporary concerns about devices and attention. Expect callbacks to earlier films alongside fresh questions about purpose and connection.
Franchise returns and festival-ready originals
Spring also brings big-name sequels and original films that aim to balance spectacle with character. Disney will bring Star Wars: The Mandalorian and Grogu to cinemas on 22nd May 2026, following the small-screen adventures of Din Djarin and his ward Grogu. The studio positions the film within the post-Empire era, focusing on scattered Imperial warlords and the New Republic’s fragile peace.
Meanwhile, The Devil Wears Prada 2 aims to revisit Miranda Priestley’s world amid the changing landscape of magazine publishing. The sequel is scheduled for 1st May 2026 and will reportedly examine legacy media’s struggle to remain relevant while characters jockey for influence in luxury and advertising.
Notable originals and diverse offerings
Other spring titles include family-friendly fantasies and original features: Hoppers (release date 6th March 2026) presents a premise about hopping human consciousness into lifelike robotic animals; The Magic Faraway Tree lands on 27th March 2026, adapting Enid Blyton’s classic for a new generation; and the relationship-focused The Drama arrives on 3rd April 2026 with Zendaya and Robert Pattinson headlining an A24-style wedding-week unraveling. These films show studios competing across genres for family, adult, and cinephile audiences.
Event cinema and late-spring blockbusters
Event films and tentpoles round out the season. Billie Eilish’s concert film Billie Eilish: Hit Me Hard and Soft – The Tour has already circulated with a release date of 20th March 2026 for its 3D theatrical presentation, offering an example of how live-music cinema remains a draw. For late spring and summer buildup, releases like Disclosure Day (12th June 2026)—a Spielberg-backed sci-fi mystery—and superhero and epic fare such as Supergirl (26th June 2026) and Christopher Nolan’s The Odyssey (17th July 2026) promise large-scale cinematic experiences.
Also on the calendar are high-profile adaptations and franchise continuations slated across 2026, including Spider-Man: Brand New Day on 31st July 2026, Sense and Sensibility on 25th September 2026, family animation like The Cat in the Hat on 6th November 2026, and more seasonal blockbusters through the end of the year.
How to prioritize what to see
Choose films based on mood and company: opt for family animation for shared outings, seek event cinema like concert films for a communal experience, and pick auteur-driven works if you prefer cinematic craft. The spring lineup demonstrates studios’ strategies to combine nostalgia, franchise power, and novel premises to draw audiences back to theaters.
In sum, the season blends familiar characters confronting modern obstacles and new ideas aiming for broad or niche appeal. With exact release dates such as 19th June 2026 for Toy Story 5, 22nd May 2026 for The Mandalorian film and 1st May 2026 for The Devil Wears Prada 2, moviegoers have a clear calendar of what to anticipate as spring unfolds.