From ‘Mortal Kombat II’ To ‘The Angry Birds Movie 3’ Here Are The Most Anticipated Video Games, Movies, And TV Adaptations For 2026
Video games harbour a gold mine of IPs that have been ignored for decades, and now, every big studio has realized their potential thanks to the success of daring projects like The Last Of Us, Fallout, Gangs of London, and A Minecraft Movie. Suddenly, they all seem to be exploring a video game adaptation, leading to the current influx of video game movies and TV. While the fear of these projects backfiring is very real – especially after Until Dawn and Five Nights at Freddy’s 2 flopped in 2025 – players and fans relish the thrill of watching their favorite video-game worlds adapted on the screens, and studios won’t hesitate to cash in on the demand.
2025 saw relative success for video game movies and TV adaptations, with A Minecraft Movie becoming one of the year’s highest-grossing films, while shows such as The Last of Us and Twisted Metal got renewed. The trend is likely to continue in 2026, as we’ll see some of the most popular video games, including Resident Evil and Super Mario Galaxy, receive their time to shine. A host of new and returning TV shows are also set to continue the success of video-game-to-TV projects witnessed in recent years, so here is a look at our most anticipated releases scheduled throughout the year.
Resident Evil (Release Date: September 18, 2026)
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The poor reception of Resident Evil: Welcome to Raccoon City forced a rethink of the series, leading to this upcoming Zack Cregger-directed film, set in Raccoon City, but without characters from the games. Set between Resident Evil 2 and 4, the film follows an organ courier who fights to survive and make his way out of the infected city after an accident leaves him trapped. Resident Evil is also more horror-centric as opposed to the previous action-intensive instalments, with Cregger’s approach favoring increased intensity and claustrophobia, unlike anything the franchise has seen before.
Tomb Raider (Release Date: TBD)
The casting of Sophie Turner to lead the line as Lara Croft in Prime Video’s Live-Action Tomb Raider series raised eyebrows back in 2024. The announcement of the show’s star-studded cast, which includes Sigourney Weaver, Martin Bobb-Semple, and Bill Paterson, has more fans interested in the project, despite Fleabag and Killing Eve director Phoebe Waller-Bridge writing and directing. The release window coincides with Tomb Raider: Legacy of Atlantis and Tomb Raider: Catalyst, which should boost fan interest (theoretically).
Street Fighter (Release Date: October 16, 2026)
Steer Fighter 2026 is another reboot whose cast has turned into a new spectacle for the franchise, which hit a new low with its last film. Directed by Kitao Sakurai (Twisted Metal), the film was always going to be goofier than its predecessors (if that’s even possible). For the lead roles of Ryu and Ken, Sakurai cast Andrew Koji and Noah Centineo. However, the range of diversity in the rest of the cast is mindblowing.
From Hollywood comedy stars Eric André and 50 Cent to Hollywood action mainstay Jason Momoa, as well as a vast array of international talent led by Canadian actress Callina Liang and Bollywood star Vidyut Jammwal. The official synopsis reads, “Street Fighters Ryu and Ken reunite when Chun-Li recruits them for the World Warrior Tournament. As they face a hidden conspiracy, they must confront each other and their past-or face destruction,” suggesting that this will finally be the high-stakes Street Fighter film fans always wanted.
Ark: The Animated Series Part 2 (Release Date: TBD)
Just like Ark: Survival Evolved, the game on which the series is based, Ark: The Animated Series became a surprise hit on Paramount Plus. Boasting a vastly talented voice cast that includes Gerard Butler, Vin Diesel, and Michelle Yeoh, the show took the streamer by storm despite being only six episodes long. It follows Helena Walker (Madeleine Madden), a widowed Aboriginal Australian palaeontologist who wakes up in the mysterious Ark universe after seemingly overdosing on pills.
The animated series embodies the spirit of the game as the brutal prehistoric world tests Helena and the other inhabitants of Ark against the same deadly threats seen in the game. Fans have had to wait for nearly three years for the second part, which is set to advance Helena’s adventure and introduce new characters, including Kor the Prophet, who’s voiced by Russell Crowe.
The Witcher Season 5 (Release Date: TBD)
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The Witcher is based on the books rather than the games, although the show largely owes its popularity to the massive video-game fan base. The transition from Henry Cavill to Liam Hemsworth in the lead role of Geralt in The Witcher Season 4 was far from seamless, which explains the drop in critical ratings from the peak levels of the third season. Despite the reduced interest, the show still enjoys a significant following, many of whom would love to see the story reach its natural conclusion. With the rest of the cast led by Freya Allan and Anya Chalotra remaining largely intact, fans still have lots of familiar faces to root for as the fate of The Continent is determined in the upcoming fifth and final season.
Mortal Kombat II (Release Date: May 8, 2026)
The introduction of Johnny Cage (Karl Urban) in the final scene of Mortal Kombat (2021) set the stage for an explosive sequel. Mortal Kombat II is another story of resilience after the SAG-AFTRA strike delayed its production. Fortunately, fans didn’t have to wait a decade for its release, unlike its predecessor. The assembling of the strongest Earthrealm fighting team is perfectly matched by an equally strong villain team this time around, led by Shao Kahn, portrayed by bodybuilder Martyn Ford. Mortal Kombat II, therefore, has all the ingredients to bring the franchise’s signature high-octane battles to life and showcase characters at their best.
Devil May Cry Anime Season 2 (Release Date: May 12, 2026)
Devil May Cry is another hit Capcom IP that remained unexplored in the Western markets for decades until it became a surprise hit on Netflix after Castlevania creator Adi Shankar brought it to life. It took just a week for the adult anime to be renewed for a second season after earning a massive following on the streamer. Devil May Cry Season 1 got off to a good start thanks to Shankar’s futuristic vision of the project, perfectly reproducing the game world with each video game hero and villain getting a fitting voice-over match. The intensity and punchy one-liners would only make Season 2, which is set to introduce even higher stakes as Dante (Johny Yong Bosch) takes on his evil twin brother Vergil, more interesting.
The Super Mario Galaxy Movie (Release Date: April 1, 2026)
The Super Mario Galaxy Movie is Illumination and Nintendo’s highly anticipated sequel to The Super Mario Bros. Movie, which earned $1.36 billion at the global box office in 2023, breaking multiple records in the process. The film will launch the next stage of Mario and Luigi’s adventure, which is set to be grittier as the brothers, alongside Princess Peach, are joined by Mario’s new friend Yoshi on an adventure through space and across other worlds. The film has retained most of the original cast as well as Mathew Fogel as the writer, which means the tone and punchy one-liners will still dominate its plot.
The Angry Birds Movie 3 (Release Date: Dec 23, 2026)
The Angry Birds Movie 2 grossed $153 million globally, falling short of the franchise’s hit debut film in 2016, which grossed over $350M. The highlight of the franchise has always been its star-studded voice cast led by Jason Sudeikis as Red, Josh Gad as Chuck, and Peter Dinklage as The Mighty Eagle.
The introduction of more celebrities to the cast of The Angry Birds Movie 3, led by the famous YouTuber Mr. Beast, suggests that Rovio and Sega are ready to up the stakes. The threequel, whose distribution shifted to Paramount Pictures from Sony, had its release date moved to December 2026 from the previously stated January 2027 – now coinciding with heavyweights like Avengers: Doomsday and Dune Part 3.
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