There are several fantasy movies coming out in the next few years which suggest the genre can thrive on the big screen once again. In the past, it has been very hard to get fantasy movies right, since it is difficult to introduce sprawling worlds, explain complex magic systems, and develop intriguing characters in a limited runtime.
The Lord of the Rings movies are widely regarded as the best fantasy films of all time. Every film in The Lord of the Rings trilogy was a major critical and commercial success, but the fantasy genre hasn’t been able to reach heights like this since. Even all the movies in The Hobbit trilogy, which were also directed by Peter Jackson, were seen as underwhelming by many.
The success of Game of Thrones suggested that the genre belongs on the small screen, but many recent fantasy shows, such as The Wheel of Time and Shadow and Bone, have been prematurely canceled. This proves that fantasy is a tricky genre to get right. However, here are six upcoming fantasy movies that could be major successes:
6
The Chronicles Of Narnia Could Be One Of Netflix’s Biggest Movies Ever
There Are Seven Chronicles Of Narnia Books
Following the mᴀssive success of Barbie, critically acclaimed filmmaker Greta Gerwig has signed on to direct two Narnia movies for Netflix. The first of these movies is set to release in about 1000 IMAX theaters on November 26, 2026 before landing on Netflix on Christmas Day.
The upcoming Chronicles of Narnia movie playing on so many IMAX screens ahead of its streaming release is an unprecedented move by Netflix. This suggests that the streamer is confident that Gerwig’s take on the iconic fantasy series will be incredible. The Chronicles of Narnia could end up becoming one of Netflix’s biggest franchises and stem many more projects.
Gerwig’s first Chronicles of Narnia movie will adapt The Magician’s Nephew, which makes sense since, despite being the sixth book released in author C.S. Lewis’ series, it is chronologically the first. After this, Gerwig will direct at least one more Narnia movie, possibly The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe, but it’s likely that Netflix won’t stop there, which is exciting.
5
Masters Of The Universe Will Bring Iconic Action Figures To Live-Action
He-Man Will Return To Live-Action In Masters Of The Universe
Barbie proved to be a major success for Mattel, and hopefully the same will be the case for Masters of the Universe, which will be based on a toy line created by the company. The Masters of the Universe action figures were a huge hit in the 1980s and spawned several animated shows and even a live-action movie in 1987.
It will likely see Prince Adam leave Earth and travel to his home planet of Eternia, alongside his magic sword, to fight as He-Man.
Unfortunately, the previous live-action Masters of the Universe movie was a major critical and commercial failure. However, the luck of the franchise in live-action could change with the new Masters of the Universe movie, which is set to released on June 5, 2025. The upcoming fantasy movie will star Nicholas Galitzine as Prince Adam/He-Man, as well as Camila Mendes, Alisson Brie, Idris Elba, and Jared Leto.
Not many details are known about Masters of the Universe’s story, but it will likely see Prince Adam leave Earth and travel to his home planet of Eternia, alongside his magic sword, to fight as He-Man. In addition to He-Man, the movie will include several popular characters from the original toy line and animated shows, which proves it will be a very entertaining fantasy film.
4
The Odyssey Will Bring The Epic Poem To Life
Nolan’s Take On The Odyssey Should Be Truly Unique
Even though The Odyssey’s release date is still one year away, there’s no doubt that it will be one of the most successful movies of 2026. Following Christopher Nolan’s record-breaking and Best Picture-winning movie Oppenheimer, anticipation is at an all-time high for the director’s next film.
For his next movie, Nolan is adapting Homer’s epic Greek poem The Odyssey, which follows Odysseus as he tries to return home after fighting in the Trojan War. This journey ends up taking Odysseus ten years, and features him encountering several different gods and monsters, which will allow Nolan to showcase how well he can take on the fantasy genre.
The cast of the movie includes notable names such as Matt Damon, Tom Holland, Zendaya, Anne Hathaway, Jon Bernthal, and many more. The first trailer for The Odyssey has already been released, and proves that the film will be a visual masterpiece. The Odyssey is actually the first movie ever to be sH๏τ entirely on IMAX cameras, which means it could be remembered as one of the grandest fantasy films of all time.
3
Children Of Blood And Bone Is Based On A Recent Young Adult Fantasy Novel
This Fantasy Movie Will Be Relevant To The Current State Of The World
While The Odyssey was written thousands of years ago, the upcoming Children of Blood and Bone will adapt a fantasy novel that was released in 2018. The movie will follow Zelie, who will rise up against the king of a mythical African kingdom after he took magic away from his people. The novel, which was written by Tomi Adeyemi, has been critically acclaimed ever since its release.
If Children of Blood and Bone is a success, it could potentially be the first movie in an acclaimed fantasy trilogy.
In the movie, Zelie will be played by Thuso Mbedu. In addition to Mbedu, the cast of Children of Blood and Bone includes Damson Idris, who has been receiving immense acclaim for his role in F1 The Movie, Amandla Stenberg, Idris Elba, Viola Davis, Chiwetel Ejiofor, and Cynthia Erivo. The film will be directed by Gina Prince-Bythewood, who helmed 2022’s The Woman King.
Similar to The Chronicles of Narnia, Children of Blood and Bone could lead to multiple movies. The novel is part of a trilogy that is known as the Legacy of Orïsha series. Therefore, if Children of Blood and Bone is a success, it could potentially be the first movie in an acclaimed fantasy trilogy, which would be amazing.
2
The Legend Of Zelda Is One Of Nintendo’s Most Cherished Franchises
The Iconic Video Game Series Is Finally Coming To The Big Screen
Even though The Legend of Zelda has been one of the most successful Nintendo franchises for many decades, it has never received a movie. For many years, it was thought that a Legend of Zelda movie would be impossible to make, especially since the game’s main characters never actually speak. However, a movie based on the iconic video game series is slated to hit theaters on May 7, 2027.
2023’s The Super Mario Bros. Movie was a mᴀssive success, and it’s clear Nintendo wants to continue turning its properties into film franchises. Therefore, fans of the Zelda games will finally get to see the kingdom of Hyrule on the big screen. It is currently not known what game The Legend of Zelda movie will adapt, but it will definitely feature many popular characters from the franchise.
In fact, Zelda and Link have been cast for the movie. In the upcoming fantasy film, Bo Bragason will play Zelda and Benjamin Evan Ainsworth will play Link. Now that these castings have officially been announced, more details about The Legend of Zelda will probably be released soon, which is exciting, as this could turn into a major fantasy franchise.
1
The Hunt For Gollum Will Bring Middle Earth Back To The Big Screen
Several Lord Of The Rings Characters Could Return In This Movie
One of the most popular fantasy franchises of all time is returning to the big screen with the upcoming Lord of the Rings: The Hunt for Gollum. As mentioned, the original Lord of the Rings trilogy is practically universally praised, so this film needed to be included on this list. While The Hobbit trilogy stumbled with critics in the 2010s, there are plans for several future Lord of the Rings spinoffs.
The first of these spinoffs is The Hunt for Gollum, which is currently set to be released in theaters in December 2027. The movie will be directed by Andy Serkis, who will also reprise his role as Gollum, the former hobbit who became obsessed and corrupted by the One Ring. In addition to Serkis, it’s also possible that Viggo Mortensen and Ian McKellen will reprise their roles as Aragorn and Gandalf, respectively.
This could prove challenging, since it has been many years since either of these actors played their Middle Earth characters. However, no matter what the story of The Hunt for Gollum ends up being, it will be so exciting to see Middle Earth once again on the big screen, as it is arguably the most celebrated fantasy world ever.
