Catch these highly anticipated films hitting the big screen this summer

With Perth’s outdoor cinemas set to thrive until mid-March, summer is the perfect time to catch some new film releases this year. Whether you’re watching the big screen under the stars or in the comfort of an indoor cinema, 2026 is set to offer an exciting range of films for WA audiences to enjoy. Spanning historical fiction, sports drama, comedy-drama and romance genres, explore the most anticipated new releases still to come this summer below.

Hamnet
From Academy Award-winning director Chloé Zhao (Nomadland) comes an adaptation of the Maggie O’Farrell novel of the same name, winner of the Women’s Prize for Fiction. The film tells the untold story of William Shakespeare’s wife Agnes and the loss of their son Hamnet, resulting in the inspiration for the play Hamlet. Paul Mescal’s and Jessie Buckley’s performances have been praised for their depth and sensitivity, with the latter predicted to sweep the major awards categories.

Marty Supreme
Timothée Chalamet stars in Josh Safdie’s first solo directorial project since 2008 and the first since he and his brother Benny Safdie announced that their collaborative directorial efforts would cease in 2024. The sports drama focuses on a fictional table tennis player, Marty Mauser, loosely based on real-life pro Marty Reisman, set on becoming the best in the game. Winner of the Critics’ Choice Award for Best Actor, Chalamet is set to put up a career-best performance (as boasted by himself), alongside a star-studded cast including Gwyneth Paltrow and Fran Drescher.

Is This Thing On?
Bradley Cooper returns to direct following prior features Maestro and A Star Is Born with a comedy-drama about an unravelling marriage, sacrifice, and the different forms of love. Will Arnett and Laura Dern star in the film, praised for its realistic, grounded feel, promising a heartfelt and moving experience.

Wuthering Heights
Off the back of smash-hit Saltburn, Emerald Fennell returns to subvert our expectations with a reimagining of the classic novel Wuthering Heights. No stranger to controversy, Fennell presents an adaptation like we’ve never seen before, exploring the intense and destructive relationship between Catharine Earnshaw (Margot Robbie) and Heathcliff (Jacob Elordi), these casting choices themselves turning heads when they were first announced. With stunning visuals and an original soundtrack by Charli XCX to support the release, this version is set to be one to remember.

The Testament of Ann Lee
Amanda Seyfried is having a massive summer with the release of the thriller The Housemaid and the yet-to-come speculative biopic, The Testament of Ann Lee. Seyfried portrays 18th-century religious leader Ann Lee, founder of the Shaker movement, a sect focusing on gender and social equality. In her pursuit of a utopian society, Lee experiences persecution and tragedy, with Seyfried’s performance labelled a career-best effort for its display of humanity and strength.