Few film genres are as immediately memorable and mass-appealing in the eyes of the general public as a comedy movie, as the sheer pleasure of laughter at a great joke can make all of the difference in terms of a film’s staying power in the eyes of the public. This leads to all sorts of anticipation growing towards the prominent comedy releases of the future, whether they be the latest installments in long-running comedy franchises or a new original story from a tried and true comedic voice.
It’s a part of the fundamental DNA of Hollywood filmmaking for audiences to be aware of the existence of such high-profile releases long before they ever end up in theaters and even before production and filming start for these projects. Still, hype quickly grows for these projects due to the prospects and excitement for the comedic wit and jokes that will surely delight audiences in the future. These are far from the only standout comedy movies to look forward to, yet these films consistently stand out as the comedy movies that audiences are most excited to laugh at.
8
‘Rush Hour 4’
Release Date: TBA
It’s been nearly 20 years since the last entry in the Rush Hour franchise, as audiences have been demanding a new installment in this beloved action-comedy series, as very few other action-comedy franchises can scratch a similar itch. However, after a long wait and a multitude of behind-the-scenes issues, it finally seems like the legendary series is making a return to the big screen with Rush Hour 4. Ironically, the final push that allowed this to finally happen came from the most unlikely of places: direct pressure from President Donald Trump.
No matter what the reason behind its greenlighting, it’s easy to get excited about the classic antics and chemistry between Jackie Chan and Chris Tucker that made the previous trilogy of films so iconic. While filming hasn’t started just yet, the now-political pressure to deliver on the film is exactly the push that the franchise needs to make a glorious return that can deliver the same classic comedy as before. One can only hope that the film will be able to grace the big screen before the end of the decade.
7
‘Red, White & Royal Wedding’
Release Date: TBA
With so many comedy movies being released on the various streaming services in the modern age, it can be incredibly difficult for one of these streaming-exclusive comedies to not only stand out from the crowd, but maintain interest after its initial weeks of release. This is exactly what made Red, White & Royal Blue such a massive hit for Amazon Prime, as the coming-of-age LGBTQ+ romcom between the president’s son and a royal prince ended up being a direct hit with a niche yet passionate audience, leading to the greenlighting of the sequel, Red, White & Royal Wedding.
The stars have aligned for Red, White & Royal Wedding not just to be a massive hit on the same level as the original film, but to easily surpass it in terms of quality and popularity. It majorly helps that LGBTQ+ romance has seen a massive surge in popularity following the release of Heated Rivalry, as well as the star power of Nicholas Galitzine growing more and more with each year. However, the real reason to keep an eye on this streaming sequel is the prominence of the new director, Jamie Babbit, best known for her work directing cult classic LGBTQ+ comedies like But I’m a Cheerleader and Itty Bitty Titty Committee.
6
‘The New Simpsons Movie’
Release Date: September 3rd, 2027
Despite releasing long after the series had gone sour in the eyes of fans, The Simpsons Movie still stands as a highlight of animated comedies and still has a dedicated following to this day. While it feels like everybody’s favorite yellow family should have returned to theaters much sooner, The New Simpsons Movie is looking to make up for lost time, releasing 20 years after the original Simpsons film. While there had always been murmurs about the potential of a sequel, this long-awaited fan dream is finally coming to fruition thanks largely to the new management following Disney’s purchase of 20th Century Fox.
Not much is known about the plot, yet with the film being less than a year away and just recently having a massive showing at the D23 Expo, it won’t be long before audiences learn exactly what Homer and the rest of the Simpsons family will be up to in this sequel. Especially with a lot of the same creative team that worked on the first film returning for the sequel, the potential is there for this to be some of the best Simpsons comedy in years.
5
‘Gremlins 3’
Release Date: October 6th, 2028
With the original film being a definitive icon of 80s pop culture and its 1990 sequel being an underrated cult classic, audiences have been clamoring for a Gremlins 3 for decades now, yet this long-awaited fan request is finally coming to fruition in just 2 years. Even more exciting is the fact that Chris Columbus, responsible for writing the original 1984 classic, is returning not just to screenwriter this reboot, but also to direct the film and provide the same charm he brought to films like Home Alone and Mrs. Doubtfire.
With the first teaser for the film being shown off just recently, the floodgates of hype have opened up as many people are delighting in the prospect of returning to this Christmas classic. It also feels like the absolute perfect time to bring Gremlins back, with horror comedy being more successful than ever and just about every other 80s property returning to the big screen. If the film even has a fraction of the charm and magic of the original films, then fans will absolutely be in good hands.
4
‘The Entertainment System is Down’
Release Date: TBA
Swedish director Ruben Östlund has proven himself to be one of the defining must-watch comedy directors of the 21st century, with his signature style of shocking black comedy and satire leading to some massively celebrated comedy films like Force Majeure and Triangle of Sadness. However, his upcoming project, The Entertainment System is Down, seems to have all the pieces to make for what could easily be his biggest and most prominent release to date.
The premise is perfectly in line with Östund’s style of satirizing the disconnect of high-class society, following the passengers of a lengthy flight doing whatever they can to deal with their boredom after the plane’s entertainment system is broken. However, the real major selling point of the film is that it’s Östlund’s first time with a real A-list Hollywood cast. While Triangle of Sadness toyed with name actors with the likes of Woody Harrelson, The Entertainment System is Down is going all out, with a cast including Keanu Reeves, Kirsten Dunst, Daniel Brühl, and Nicholas Braun. With a large chunk of the film already being shot, a festival debut feels right around the corner for the film.
3
‘Spaceballs: The New One’
Release Date: April 23rd, 2027
A sequel to the parody cult classic Spaceballs has certainly been a long-time coming, considering the fact that even the original film made fun of and mocked the idea of a sequel, calling it “Spaceballs: The Quest for More Money.” While it may not share the title jokingly given to it years ago, the potential for comedic brilliance within Spaceballs: The New One is all too real. The path to success is clear and obvious for the return of this Star Wars parody, as it is set up to riff on the modern reboot trilogy of Star Wars films and other modern Star Wars media.
The top-notch cast consisting of both old and new talent is one of the major selling points of this reboot sequel, between Rick Moranis returning to reprise his role after being retired for 20 years and Lewis Pullman joining the cast and sharing the screen with his father, Bill Pullman. For what might just be the last Mel Brooks comedy film, the film is setting up to cap off a lifetime of legendary comedy filmmaking as well as following up on the prominent return of parody after the success of reboots for The Naked Gun and Scary Movie.
2
‘Artificial’
Release Date: December 25th, 2026
Releasing right at the tail end of the year to be one of the last massive comedy events of 2026, Luca Guadagnino‘s Artificial is shaping up to be a powerful, incredibly relevant comedy drama that is looking to take aim at one of the biggest talking points of the modern day: artificial intelligence. The film sees Andrew Garfield as Sam Altman, CEO of OpenAI, as the film tells the story of his controversial firing and rehiring in 2023. The fact that this $50 million film was dropped by Amazon and subsequently passed on by so many other studios, only to be picked up by NEON, paints a fabulous picture of just how anti-AI this film may end up being.
Even outside of the direct correlation and importance to topical issues in the modern age, the film has a spectacular amount of talent involved, from Guadagnino in the director’s chair to an all-star supporting cast including Yura Borisov, Cooper Hoffman, Monica Barbaro, and Ike Barinholtz. All eyes are on its festival premiere at the New York Film Festival in a few days to see if it can live up to all of the hype and excitement placed upon the film.
1
‘Anything But Ghosts’
Release Date: May 7th, 2027
The breakout filmmaker who made themselves a household name overnight in the wake of their success is Curry Barker, whose horror masterpiece Obsession took the world by storm in a way very few horror movies have been able to do. However, the internet-era filmmaker got his start in sketch comedy, like many great horror visionaries of recent times, making it all the more exciting that Barker’s next film, Anything But Ghosts, is set to be a wild horror buddy comedy.
The film will see Barker and his longtime collaborator Cooper Tomlinson playing a duo of fake paranormal investigators who get in way over their heads when they end up face to face with actual ghosts. Joining this proven comedic duo is an array of great Hollywood stars to bolster the film’s potential, including Aaron Paul, Bryce Dallas Howard, and Violet McGraw. Especially after Obsession was such a massive hit and display of pure filmmaking and screenwriting talent, it’s no wonder that unimaginable hype has been placed upon Barker’s follow-up that has already wrapped filming.
