The must-see movies of summer 2026—and a surprising frontrunner

Hollywood’s summer movie season is here and it’s packed with big names, familiar franchises and high-stakes bets at the box office. From "Spider-Man" to "Star Wars," studios are once again leaning on proven hits to draw audiences in. But this year, one film could break through the noise: Christopher Nolan’s "The Odyssey." With a stacked cast and built-in name recognition, it’s emerging as a potential frontrunner in a season that feels more wide open than usual. In this episode of The Excerpt, USA TODAY Movie Critic Brian Truitt breaks down several of the must-see films of the summer. Let us know what you think of this episode by sending an email to [email protected]. Episode transcript available here. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.