Lights up for 2026 Philippine cinema

As the calendar turns to 2026, Philippine cinema greets the new year with renewed confidence and creative momentum. After a period defined by reinvention—where streaming platforms, theatrical comebacks, and bolder storytelling learned to coexist—the local film industry now steps into a year that feels both expansive and assured. The upcoming slate of Filipino films signals not just variety, but ambition: stories that move between romance and memory, history and horror, laughter and loss, all anchored by some of the country’s most respected filmmakers and performers.

What makes 2026 particularly exciting is its range. Veteran auteurs and emerging voices share the same cinematic space. Established stars are paired with younger actors, while genres long considered “risky” are being revisited with confidence. From intimate romance dramas to historical thrillers, from musicals to martial arts films, the year ahead reflects an industry no longer afraid to tell stories on its own terms.

Opening the year is A Werewolf Boy, a romance-supernatural film that immediately sets a daring tone. With Rabin Angeles and Anjela Muji at the center, alongside screen stalwarts Lorna Tolentino and Candy Pangilinan, the film blends fantasy with emotional longing under the direction of Crisanto Aquino. Its January 14 opening positions it as a symbolic curtain-raiser for a year unafraid of genre-mixing.

Memory—both personal and national—emerges as a strong thematic thread across several 2026 releases. Brillante Mendoza’s Until She Remembers brings together Charo Santos, Barbie Forteza, and Boots Anson Roa in what promises to be an intergenerational meditation on identity, trauma, and recollection. Similarly, Jun Robles Lana’s Sisa, a historical thriller starring Hilda Koronel, Eugene Domingo, and Jennica Garcia, revisits a name etched deeply into the Filipino cultural imagination, reframing it through a darker, more urgent cinematic lens.

Romance, long a cornerstone of Filipino filmmaking, also finds fresh expression this year. A Special Memory reunites Bela Padilla and Carlo Aquino in a love story shaped by tenderness and regret, guided by Jason Paul Laxamana’s emotionally grounded direction. Meanwhile, The Loved One, starring Anne Curtis and Jericho Rosales under Irene Villamor, signals a return to sweeping, adult romance—one rooted in nuance rather than spectacle.

Women’s stories and ensemble-driven narratives also stand tall in the 2026 lineup. Adolfo Alix Jr.’s Poon / The Hallowed gathers a formidable cast led by Janice de Belen, Lotlot de Leon, Gina Pareño, and Ara Mina in a suspense drama that leans into faith, fear, and inherited guilt. On a lighter but equally resonant note, Batang Paco delivers comedy with heart, powered by Ai Ai delas Alas, Empoy Marquez, and an expansive supporting cast that reflects everyday Filipino humor and resilience.

Diaspora stories and global settings continue to broaden the scope of local cinema. The Lotto Winner, set in Australia, explores family, fortune, and fate through performances by Albert Martinez and Kylie Padilla, reminding audiences that Filipino stories travel well beyond national borders. Action and physical storytelling also step into the spotlight with Umbag, a martial arts drama that emphasizes discipline, survival, and inner strength.

Music, too, finds its place on the big screen. Songs for Selina, a musical drama featuring Rachel Alejandro, Mica Javier, Gian Magdangal, and Jay R, taps into the enduring power of performance and memory—proof that Filipino cinema continues to experiment with form as much as with theme.

Taken together, these films reveal a clear picture: 2026 is not about chasing trends, but about confidence. It is a year where filmmakers trust Filipino audiences to engage with complex emotions, layered histories, and genre-blending narratives. As the lights dim and screens glow once more, Philippine cinema enters the new year not just hopeful—but ready.

New Filipino films to watch in 2026

A Werewolf Boy (Viva Films, CJ ENM) – Romance, supernatural
Rabin Angeles, Anjela Muji; with Lorna Tolentino, Candy Pangilinan
Directed by Crisanto Aquino | Opens 14 January 2026

Until She Remembers (Solar Pictures) – Drama
Charo Santos, Barbie Forteza, Boots Anson Roa
Directed by Brillante Mendoza | Opens early 2026

Sisa (The Idea First Company) – Historical thriller
Hilda Koronel, Eugene Domingo, Jennica Garcia
Directed by Jun Robles Lana | Opens 04 March 2026

A Special Memory (Viva Films) – Romance drama
Bela Padilla, Carlo Aquino; with Lotlot de Leon, Joel Torre
Directed by Jason Paul Laxamana

The Loved One (Viva Films) – Romance drama
Anne Curtis, Jericho Rosales
Directed by Irene Villamor

Poon / The Hallowed (Banana Entertainment, C-Frame Production) – Suspense drama
Janice de Belen, Lotlot de Leon, Gina Pareño, Ara Mina, JC de Vera
Directed by Adolfo Alix Jr.

Batang Paco (MiVida Productions) – Comedy
Ai Ai delas Alas, Empoy Marquez, Chichi Rita, Ynez Veneracion, Mon Confiado, Kim Rodriguez
Directed by Rechie Del Carmen

The Lotto Winner (Mavx Productions) – Family drama
Albert Martinez, Kylie Padilla
Directed by RC Delos Reyes

Umbag (GBH Studio) – Martial arts drama
Marie D, LJ Ramos, Ricardo Cepeda
Directed by John Ad Castillo

Songs for Selina (Homeworkz) – Musical drama
Rachel Alejandro, Mica Javier, Gian Magdangal, Jay R
Directed by Dean Rosen