Coming after Cannes, Venice and Toronto, the is one of the last on the circuit as the film world gears up for the marathon that is awards season. With a string of films that have shown elsewhere and exclusives, it is always a highlight of the year for film fans based in the UK. 2026 once again delivers plenty of major stars and directors descending on the capital for two weeks. The festival opened with and -led Elsinore, recounting the final days of Chariots of Fire star Ian Charleson and his legendary run as Hamlet.
(In Bruges, The Banshees of Inisherin) returns to the festival with awards contender Wild Horse Nine, starring and as CIA hitmen laying low in Easter Island after a spell in early 70s Chile. Malkovich in particular is earning serious buzz for his lead performance. is another iconic British director gracing the South Bank with Ink, his fast-paced take on the early days of The Sun; is Larry Lamb, while , fresh off an Oscar nom for The Brutalist, is Rupert Murdoch.
On the animation front, it is a strong year with , Netflix’s Noir, Sci-Fi from The Iron Giant and Incredibles director Brad Bird. We also have the long-awaited return of Stop-Motion studio Laika with Wildwood from , an epic fantasy. The original story was written by The Decemberists’ Colin Meloy; the band also provided some of the soundtrack. Duncan Jones’ , an adaptation of the 2000 AD comic, is also a highlight of the animated titles.
, who has had quite the run with Project Hail Mary topping the box office earlier in the year, stars in two hot titles: Rose, a 17th-century set period piece depicting a woman disguised as a man. It earned Hüller the Silver Bear at the Berlin Film Festival in February. The second film with Hüller is Fatherland, the return of iconic Polish director . Set in post-WWII Germany, it follows writer Thomas Mann and his daughter Erika on a road trip. Warmly received at Cannes, it has been shortlisted as Poland’s entry for the 2027 Oscars.
Godzilla Minus One was one of the success stories of 2023, made on a much smaller budget ($10 million) than its American equivalents, it won an Oscar and grossed more than 10 x its budget. Anticipation is naturally high for the sequel, Godzilla Minus Zero that picks up in 1949, a few years after the first film. Based on early reactions out of New York, fans are in for a treat.
The Palme d’Or winner Fjord, starring and , is another of the festival’s Galas from iconic Romanian filmmaker Cristian Mungiu behind the acclaimed 4 Months, 3 Weeks and 2 Days. It looks set to feature prominently come awards season and depicts a family ostracised upon their return to the mother’s birthplace in a quiet Norwegian village.
The closing film The Debut is another that has plenty of hype circling its acting performances. Starring and it is the latest directorial offering from , coming after the success of A Real Pain. Moore’s Mona Friedman is a New Jersey housewife who takes on a musical role, coming under the influence of her director Jerry.
This is just a snapshot of the films featuring with new films also playing from Drive My Car director Ryusuke Hamaguchi, Taika Waititi, Andrew Haigh, Tony Gilroy and Luca Guadagnino (among many others). It promises to be another celebration of the best celluloid has to offer, whetting appetites before the inevitable wait for a wider UK release.
London Film Festival is on now.