As preparation for the 2026 movie slate begins in Hollywood, audiences around the world are buzzing with anticipation. 2026 has everything from monster epics to superhero blockbusters, something for fans of every genre. Horizon High School students weighed in, offering their thoughts on the films they’re most excited to see and what drives them towards these stories.
Sergio Mingura, a senior at Horizon High School, expressed his excitement for Godzilla Minus Zero, the latest entry in the monster franchise. “I love Godzilla Minus One, and I think it sent a very strong message to Hollywood that you don’t need big budgets to make a good movie,” he said. Mingura noted that the previous film had a budget of $15 million but returned $115 million. “If I’m correct, Godzilla Minus has a chance of winning an Oscar either in score, writing, or overall. I hope so because it would send a big message to Hollywood.”
While Mingura shared his excitement for a new monster this year, movie theaters will be treated to a brand new Christopher Nolan’s epic, titled The Odyssey, generating major excitement among both fans and critics alike. Lando McPherson, a junior at Horizon High School, shared, “His [Christoper Nolan] movies are always interesting. Something with Greek mythology, like Odyssey, is ambitious. It’ll probably blow up in popularity.” Similarly, Dominic Ferreira, a Senior at Horizon High School, is looking forward to Nolan’s work along with Marvel’s Avengers Doomsday and the next Spider-Man installment Spider-Man Brand New Day. “I grew up with the Tom Holland ones…I’m a huge Marvel fan, so those movies really catch my attention.”
Animation also remains a strong draw. Colton Helquest, another junior at Horizon High School, offers a unique perspective, admitting he’s curious about Toy Story 5. “I’m interested to see how they try and claw back to their old glory days,” he said. While Helquest was skeptical about Disney’s reliance on franchises, he still wants to see how the studio approaches storytelling in 2026 as opposed to their often lackluster storytelling in recent years.
Excitement is one thing, however many people have different interests and it’s what catches those interests that determines how we connect with a story, and what mattered most to the people was a story that could grab them. Mingura emphasized the importance of music films, recalling Godzilla Minus One it used the score to elevate the scenes and its emotional connection to the audience. “Music is very important to a movie,” he said. McPherson echoed this sentiment, adding, “I focus a lot on storytelling because it’s always fun to see different stories and how they unfold.” McPherson stressed that audiences are getting tired of recycled ideas: “We need more original ideas. Creativity, or the lack of it, is probably the biggest factor behind the decline in the movie industry.”
Despite varied interests, students agreed that original IPs and fresh concepts could shake up the box office. Ferreira described it as a 50-50 balance: “I do like original movies, but existing IPs hook me more because I’ve followed the story for a while. But both can be good.” McPherson added, “Some franchises don’t interest me, so I tend to gravitate toward original films.”
With this in mind, one is right to raise the question, Which Film will make a billion dollars at the global box office and the question is not simple. There are so many factors that can help a movie reach that illustrious billion-dollar mark, popularity, memes, a good story, so many that it can be next to impossible to actually predict. For us fans, it is better to watch the movies we want to watch and enjoy them, no matter if it is a superhero movie, a horror movie, a movie of an existing IP, we should all watch what we want and not let the opinions of others influence our thoughts.
