15 Upcoming Movies Directed By Women We’re Excited To See

There’s been a lot of game-changing movies directed by women in recent years, but films helmed by women still continue to be much less common than male-directed features. That being said, there’s a lot of releases on the way over the next year that we wanted to bring attention to. It’s exciting to see more women filmmakers than ever with their name all across a variety of genres across the 2026 movie release calendar and beyond. Let’s talk about them:

You, Me & Tuscany - Kat Coiro (April 10, 2026)

One female-helmed romantic comedy to look forward to is this spring’s You, Me & Tuscany starring Halle Bailey and Regé-Jean Page. The movie is directed by Kat Coiro, who also did Marry Me, A Case Of You and many She-Hulk episodes. It's about a young woman (Bailey) who decides to crash at a beautiful Tuscan villa after meeting an Italian man named Matteo who tips her off that it often sits there empty. However, once she gets there she runs into his mother, and lies that she’s his fiancé. As she gets to know his family, sparks fly when she meets his gorgeous cousin Michael (Page). It looks like a swoonworthy romance to take the girls to!

Roommates - Chandler Levack (April 17, 2026)

We’re also looking forward to Roommates, which is a comedy about two college freshman girls who share a dorm. It stars Adam Sandler’s daughter Sadie Sandler as Devon, a naive college student, who gets paired up with Chloe East’s much more confident character of Celeste, and what happens when they share the same space. It’s helmed by new filmmaker Chandler Levack, and produced by Adam Sandler. I’m so happy this story is being told through the lens of a woman director. It sounds like a fun time.

4 Kids Walk Into A Bank - Frankie Shaw (April 17, 2026)

We’ll get the chance to see the directorial debut of Frankie Shaw, who has been an actor for the past twenty years, and previously created and starred in the Showtimes series, Smilf. 4 Kids Walk Into A Bank is a black comedy heist movie starring the likes of Liam Neeson, Talia Ryder, Whitney Peak, Jack Dylan Grazer, Spike Fearn and Jim Sturgess. It’s based on a graphic novel of the same name and was filmed in Ireland.

Remarkably Bright Creatures - Olivia Newman (May 8, 2026)

After director Olivia Newman previously directed Where The Crawdads Sing, she’s returned to the tough feat of turning a beloved story to a movie with Remarkably Bright Creatures. The story is about a 70-year-old widow named Tova who forms a bond with a giant Pacific octopus while working nights at her local aquarium. Sally Field is set to play Tova, and her co-stars include Lewis Pullman, Joan Chen, Kathy Baker and Alfred Molina (who voices the octopus). We can’t wait to see this heartwarming novel about friendship and grief join upcoming book-to-screen adaptations.

Is God Is - Aleshea Harris (May 15, 2026)

It’s rather rare to hear the original playwright behind their own play is helming a movie based on their work, but that’s the case for Aleshea Harris’s Is God Is. The thriller will be Harris’s first time directing a movie, and boasts a cast including Sterling K. Brown, Vivica A. Fox and Janelle Monáe. It’s about twin sisters who are ordered by their mother to kill their abusive father.

Poetic License - Maude Apatow (May 15, 2026)

Maude Apatow, the daughter of Judd Apatow and Leslie Mann, has made her first movie called Poetic License. It stars her mom as a former therapist and empty nester who gets in the middle of two best friends / college seniors (played by Cooper Hoffman and Andrew Barth Feldman). It premiered already to positive thoughts from critics.

Girls Like Girls - Hayley Kiyoko (June 19, 2026)

Pop star Hayley Kiyoko published her own YA novel, Girls Like Girls, back in 2023 about two teen girls who fall in love while also coming-of-age into their queer identities. It centers on a 17-year-old named Coley, who’s just moved to rural Oregon shortly after losing her mom. In her new town, she meets Sonya, who she immediately starts crushing on. Kiyoko co-wrote the screenplay and helmed the film herself. We love to see her so involved in one of this year’s most exciting LGBTQ+ movies.

The Invite - Olivia Wilde (June 26, 2026)

While Olivia Wilde initially started out in Hollywood as an actor, she proved to be a filmmaker to watch in 2019 when she made the very hilarious comedy, Booksmart. She followed up her debut with the controversial sci-fi film, Don’t Worry, Darling in 2022. Well, her third directorial effort is almost here with The Invite. It’s a comedy starring herself, Seth Rogen, Penélope Cruz and Edward Norton. It’s about a married couple going through a rough patch who get invited by their neighbors to their weekly orgies.

Practical Magic 2 - Susanne Bier (September 18, 2026)

Almost two decades after Sandra Bullock and Nicole Kidman played witches in Practical Magic, they’ll continue the story, this time with a female director behind it. Suzanne Bier has made a lot of movies over the years, but has notably already directed Practical Magic 2’s stars before – Bullock in Bird Box and Kidman in The Perfect Couple. The movie, which wrapped filming this past fall, also includes Stockard Channing and Dianne Wiest again and Joey King and Maisie Williams will be representing the new generation of young women. We’re hyped to see where these sisters are these days – and their midnight margaritas, of course.

The Legend Of Aang - Lauren Montgomery (October 9, 2026)

Director Lauren Montgomery has a massive resume of being a storyboard artist and director in the animated space for 20 years primarily on DC animated projects, but The Legend of Aang is her highest-profile movie to date. The movie is about adult Aang as he goes on a new quest to save his culture from extinction. While the movie was originally going to get a theatrical release, sadly, it will now debut exclusively for those with a Paramount+ subscription this fall.

Sense & Sensibility - Georgia Oakley (October 16, 2026)

Jane Austen’s debut novel is getting another movie after the Emma Thompson version from 1996. This one stars Daisy Edgar-Jones, Caitríona Balfe, George MacKay and Fiona Shaw, and will be helmed by Georgia Oakley. This will be Oakley’s first big film after finding her debut in a small film called Blue Jean in 2022.

Frozen 3 - Jennifer Lee (November 24, 2026)

The Frozen movies have been a couple of the most successful films starring women in recent years, and Disney fans like us are so curious about how Anna and Elsa’s story will go from here. For Frozen 3, it will be the first time a sole female director is behind them (Chris Buck co-directed the past two films). Jennifer Lee is definitely the right person for the job given she wrote the scripts for the first two movies herself, and was CCO at Walt Disney Animation Studios from 2018 to 2024.

Narnia: The Magician’s Nephew - Greta Gerwig (November 26, 2026)

After Greta Gerwig’s Barbie movie became a phenomenon of a blockbuster in 2023, the filmmaker is back this winter with her take on C.S. Lewis’s classic fantasy series, Narnia. The movie produced by Netflix stars Emma Mackey, Carey Mulligan, Denise Gough, Daniel Craig and Meryl Streep. It’s based on the sixth book from the series, which actually served as a prequel about how Narnia became visible for Earthlings to visit in the first place.

Children Of Blood & Bone - Gina Prince-Bythewood (January 15, 2027)

Gina Prince-Bythewood is one Hollywood’s most impressive filmmakers with an eye for telling Black-led stories, between Love & Basketball, The Secret Life of Bees and The Woman King, and her latest, Children of Blood and Bone sounds like her most ambitious yet. It’s based on the YA fantasy series rooted in West African mythology and Yoruba culture. The movie has a huge cast including Amandla Stenberg, Damson Idris, Lashana Lynch, Idris Elba, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Cynthia Erivo, Viola Davis and Regina King, and was filmed for IMAX.

Get Lite - Teyana Taylor (April 9, 2027)

One Battle After Another Oscar nominee Teyana Taylor is getting behind the camera for her directorial debut, Get Lite. The movie stars Euphoria’s Storm Reid as a dance student who finds inspiration in the subways of New York City, per Variety. We’re excited to see what Taylor’s movie will look like after she’s worked with directors like Paul Thomas Anderson, Tyler Perry and Craig Brewer.

We'll keep you updated as this list continues to change. Go out and support these women-fronted projects.