WHEN THE LIGHTS GO DOWN
Every row shows the date, the territory it applies to and who announced it. If a slot is not locked, it says so.
Status key
A specific US theatrical date announced by the distributor. Still subject to change, but on the record.
A window, a season or a reported date not yet confirmed by the distributor — or a date already moved once.
Your territory has not been dated separately. Expect it near the US date, but do not assume the same day.
2026 release rows
March
April
May
June
July
November
December
Further out
How to read a release date
A release date is a promise with conditions. When a distributor "dates" a film, it is claiming a weekend in the theatrical calendar so rival studios can plan around it. That claim is public and useful, but it is not a contract with you. Production delays, reshoots, marketing strategy and competition from other titles all move dates. A film that is dated two years out is far more likely to shift than one dated six weeks out with tickets already on sale.
The calendar above lists US theatrical dates because that is how most Hollywood studios announce first. The US date is usually a Friday, though holiday titles often open on a Wednesday. We show the date the distributor has put on the record, and we keep it labelled as a US date until the relevant regional distributor publishes its own.
Territories are not footnotes
In the United Kingdom and Ireland, many big studio films open on the same weekend as the US, sometimes a day or two earlier because UK cinemas traditionally refresh on Fridays while some European markets refresh on Wednesdays. Australia and parts of Asia can open a day ahead of the US thanks to time zones. Animated features and awards-season dramas are the most likely to stagger, sometimes by weeks or months, to fit school holidays or local awards campaigns. Where a split distributor is involved — Michael is handled by Lionsgate in the US and Universal internationally — the overseas date comes from a different company and may arrive on a different schedule.
Premium formats and early access
IMAX, Dolby Cinema and other premium screens are limited, so event releases often book them for a fixed run. Christopher Nolan's The Odyssey is the obvious example this year: if a film is presented in a rare format such as IMAX 70mm, the number of compatible venues worldwide is small and pre-sales open early. Fan-event screenings and "early access" shows a few days before opening are increasingly common; they are real screenings, but they do not change the official release date.
Ratings and certificates
Before a film opens, it needs an age rating for each territory: the MPA in the US, the BBFC in the UK, and national boards elsewhere. A rating is a useful signal that a film is finished and locked. When the BBFC publishes a certificate with a running time, the release is very close.
Desk rule: we change a row only when the distributor or an official cinema listing says so. Reported shifts in trade press appear as "Tentative" until confirmed.
Spotted a date that has moved? Send a release update with the source link.