Saturday, 25 April 2026
Chelsea Football Club are now four years into the project of owners Clearlake Capital. During that time, they have spent almost £2billion in transfer fees, had 7 different managers, won two minor pieces of silverware and qualified for the Champions League once. As the current season reaches its climax, the fourth of an apparent five year plan, the club sits in 8th place, one defeat away from the bottom half of the table, having lost five in a row without scoring a single goal - the first time this has happened to the club since the sinking of the Titanic. By any metric, the Clearlake era has been a failure. But why?
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It's hard to believe, but as recently as 2021, Chelsea were crowned Champions of Europe, the highest accolade in club football, for the second time in nine years. This victory capped off a glittering 18 year period of ownership under Roman Abramovich which saw the club claim five Premier League titles, two Champions Leagues, five FA Cups, three League Cups, two Europa Leagues, the Super Cup and the former Club World Cup (now Intercontinental Cup). During this time, whatever you might think of them, Chelsea were undoubtedly one of the world's biggest clubs.
During this period, Chelsea even managed to become profitable as a business for the first time in their history. By contrast, the new owners have just recorded the largest single-year loss in Premier League history, and are in very real threat of flunking the already absurdly lenient Financial Fair Play rules. The idea that anyone could take such a successful club, invest so much into that club, and turn them into mid-table club with solvency issues, in a state of constant crisis, is genuinely difficult to believe.
So what is going wrong? To answer this question, let's quickly run through the events of these past four years.
Season 1: 20 players signed, £574 million spent. Successful Champions League winning manager Thomas Tuchel is sacked 1 month into the season. Reason: disagreed with owners' transfer policy. Replaced by Graham Potter, a manager with no track record of silverware whose claim to fame is doing better than one might expect of a club like Brighton. He lasts five months. Frank Lampard comes in, but by then the bottom has already fallen out. Final position: 12th. Silverware: none.
Season 2: 13 players signed, £407 million spent. Well-regarded manager Mauricio Pochettino is brought in. Struggles initially, but by the end of the season has managed to work his available resources into a credible team. Sacked at the end of the season despite the strong finish. Reason: disagreed with the owners' transfer policy. Final position: 6th. Silverware: none.
Season 3: 11 players signed, £220 million spent. Controversially appoints Enzo Maresca, a manager with no top flight experience. Despite all odds, Maresca manages to achieve some consistency and stability, claiming the first pieces of silverware of the Clearlake era, as well as a top four Champions League qualifying finish. Final position: 4th. Silverware: Europa Conference League, Club World Cup.
Season 4: 19 players signed, £311 million spent. Decent start to the season, carrying on from Maresca's promising first season. Competing at the top of the table, with positive results including the 3-0 demolishings of PSG and Barcelina. Maresca sacked half way through the season. Reason: disagreed with the owners' transfer policy. Inexperienced Ligue 1 manager Liam Rosenier brought in. Club slumps into record-breaking loss streak. Sacked after 3 months. Final position: TBD, but currently 6th, bottom half plausible. Silverware: TBD, but none expected.
A few things stand out from these four seasons, but none more so than the managerial turnover. Clearlake's managerial appointments have tended to fall into one of two categories: hopelessly unqualified yesmen, or talented managers who end up leaving over disagreements with the owners over the state of the squad.
What disagreements might these be? Well of the roughly 60 players signed by Clearlake, only 7 have been first-team level defenders. Only 1 has been a first-team level goalkeeper (and not an especially consistent one). A full 20 have been attacking midfielders. Fewer than half have featured for the Chelsea first team more than once. The average age of these players has been just 21 years old.
The result is a Chelsea side that ranks amongst the youngest in the Premier League, blessed with an array of attacking talent, but a paucity of quality or experience in defence. This is a severely unbalanced squad. This fact is most perfectly demonstrated by this season's curtain-raiser, a season which Chelsea entered full of confidence following their Club World Cup victory, with ambitions of challenging for the title. Despite this, the club lined up against Crystal Palace with a starting centre-back pairing that consisted of an untested Academy player on one side, and a left back on the other, with no cover available on the bench. All that money spent, and not one single first team centre-back available. The fact that Chelsea failed to bring in a replacement for Levi Colwill after the star defender's season-ending injury in the summer is quite inexplicable, and reportedly an early source of major discord between the owners and then manager Maresca.
Next, consider the high turnover of playing staff. 60 players signed in 4 years is astonishing. 117 players sold or released during that same period is eye-watering. Now, in fairness, some of that high outgoing is due to the high productivity of the club's academy, but it still paitns a picture. It is no wonder the club can't achieve any level of consistency or chemistry with the constantly shifting personnel. With the vast sums of money spent, we're pretty much locked into a cycle of having to sell in order to balance the books, so don't expect this to change any time soon.
There are the injuries. Chelsea currently top the Premier League injury table with eight first team injuries. This has been pretty consistent across these four years, with double digit injury counts common. This decline in player fitness has coincided with the owners' much reported "reimagining" of the club's medical resources, which included sacking a significant chunk of the medical staff, with many functions outsourced to celebrity doctors with minimal relevant experience.
Then there are the managerial appointments themselves. None have had extensive experience, aside from Pochettino. Most have exited explicitly for not toeing the company line. There is the very real suggestion that the primary qualifying feature of these appointments has been a willingness to defer to Clearlake management and follow orders. I have nothing against Rosenier personally, but for someone so clearly ill-suited for the job to have been appointed, ostensibly just because he wouldn't question his owners' poor squad-building choices, shows an alarming lack of judgement.
I'm barely even touching on the business side of things. Even aside from the financial losses, we are now four years into Clearlake ownership and they haven't been able to sign a shirt sponsor. I can't remember an instance of a top flight club failing to do so even once, let alone four times. It is unthinkable. No wonder the club is bleeding money.
While these issues are all very real and very significant, perhaps the biggest issue has been the simple lack of self-awareness of the owners. Upon their arrival, one of the first statements that Clearlake co-founder Behdad Eghbali made was that the club had not been "terribly well managed on the football, sporting or promotional side" under the previous owners - a comment that has attracted much derision from fans in the years since with how far back the club has moved in every single one of those fronts during that time. In a recent interview, director Danny Finkelstein stated, amongst other things, that it was "pretty fucking obvious" that Clearlake were in the process of building one of the best teams in the world, and that statistics prove that there is no correlation between the manager and results. Meanwhile, in reality, I can't think of a more clear demonstration of the difference a manager can make than the switch from Maresca to Rosenier, which saw a top four-challenging club sink into a record loss-streak, despite consisting of the exact same players.
Clearlake like to frame themselves as radicals looking to upend the sport. But the truth is that nothing they are doing is new, nor has anything they are doing ever proven to produce sustained success. Other clubs have focused their transfer strategy on youth (see late '00s Arsenal) and failed to generate success. Other clubs have focused their transfer strategy on attacking players while neglecting defence (see the worst excesses of Galactico-era Real Madrid) and failed to generate success. Clearlake are proof incarnate that spending money doesn't inevitably bring success if you don't know how to spend it well.
Now, I don't actually think this club is too far off being a competitive outfit. They just need to better balance the squad with some targeted investments in weak positions, mainly defence and goalkeeper. They need a talented and proven manager to run the thing, and they need to actually listen to that manager and let them make the football decisions. Will any of these things happen? I very much doubt it.
I will make no secret of my antipathy for these owners. Despite all of the failures, all of the setbacks, all of the crises, these owners keep doing the same thing over and over, and don't seem to have any capacity to concede that they might be the problem. Every success they have achieved, seems almost to have come about by accident, and at every turn, just when things start to click, they upend everything for no reason beyond their own vanity. May both sides of their pillow be forever too warm.
Saturday, 14 March 2026
Welcome back to The Ephemeric. It is Oscar season again, and you know what that means: more last minute predictions scribbled down during my 2 hours per day of non-working time in March. This year is a tricky one, I have to say. Two obvious contenders for the big prizes: One Battle After Another, an obvious sort of Oscar favourite by a filmmaker the Academy loves, and Sinners, a bit of a surprise package genre-piece that has shocked just about everyone by becoming the single most Oscar-nominated film of all time. Does that make it the best film? Maybe, but the Academy isnt always so logical. As usual, I will predict the likely winner for each prize, and then bore everyone with why I think the Academy was wrong. Ready? Alright, let's get to it.
Best Picture
Nominations:
- Bugonia – Ed Guiney, Andrew Lowe, Yorgos Lanthimos, Emma Stone, and Lars Knudsen, producers
- F1 – Chad Oman, Brad Pitt, Dede Gardner, Jeremy Kleiner, Joseph Kosinski, and Jerry Bruckheimer, producers
- Frankenstein – Guillermo del Toro, J. Miles Dale, and Scott Stuber, producers
- Hamnet – Liza Marshall, Pippa Harris, Nicolas Gonda, Steven Spielberg, and Sam Mendes, producers
- Marty Supreme – Eli Bush, Ronald Bronstein, Josh Safdie, Anthony Katagas, and Timothée Chalamet, producers
- One Battle After Another – Adam Somner (p.n.), Sara Murphy, and Paul Thomas Anderson, producers
- The Secret Agent – Emilie Lesclaux, producer
- Sentimental Value – Maria Ekerhovd and Andrea Berentsen Ottmar, producers
- Sinners – Zinzi Coogler, Sev Ohanian, and Ryan Coogler, producers
- Train Dreams – Marissa McMahon, Teddy Schwarzman, Will Janowitz, Ashley Schlaifer, and Michael Heimler, producers
Who should really win: Sinners
Explanation: Yeah, this is one where I think I am going to be at odds with the Academy. One Battle After Another has long been the odds-on favourite to win this prize, seemingly cemented by the recent victories at both the Producers' and Directors' Guild Awards. I get it. It's a good film, topical, and made by a director who's basically an Academy institution. Was it the best film of 2025 though? Not for me.
Best Director
Nominations:
Who should really win: Ryan Coogler - Sinners
Best Director
Nominations:
- Chloé Zhao – Hamnet
- Josh Safdie – Marty Supreme
- Paul Thomas Anderson – One Battle After Another
- Joachim Trier – Sentimental Value
- Ryan Coogler – Sinners
Who should really win: Ryan Coogler - Sinners
Explanation: Once again, the stars seem to be aligning for Paul Thomas Anderson. I would go the other way on this one. One Battle After Another is a well made film, but in my opinion it doesn't have the intangible Hollywood alchemy that Sinners has, where it manages to somehow be greater than just the sum of its parts. That magic is what makes filmmaking such an incredible artform, and Sinners has it.
Best Actor
Nominations:
- Timothée Chalamet – Marty Supreme as Marty Mauser
- Leonardo DiCaprio – One Battle After Another as Bob Ferguson
- Ethan Hawke – Blue Moon as Lorenz Hart
- Michael B. Jordan – Sinners as Elijah "Smoke" Moore / Elias "Stack" Moore
- Wagner Moura – The Secret Agent as Armando Solimões / Marcelo Alves / Fernando Solimões
Who should really win: Michael B. Jordan – Sinners as Elijah "Smoke" Moore / Elias "Stack" Moore
Explanation: I think this one is likely to go to Jordan for a few reasons. First, and most importantly, he's a wonderful actor who delivers not one, but two brilliant performances. Secondly, this seems to be the way the winds are blowing with the pre-Oscar awards. I think DiCaprio and Chalamet are in with a shout, the Academy loves them after all, but for me this year belongs to Jordan.
Best Actress
Nominations:
Who should really win: Jessie Buckley – Hamnet as Agnes Shakespeare
Best Actress
Nominations:
- Jessie Buckley – Hamnet as Agnes Shakespeare
- Rose Byrne – If I Had Legs I'd Kick You as Linda
- Kate Hudson – Song Sung Blue as Claire Sardina
- Renate Reinsve – Sentimental Value as Nora Borg
- Emma Stone – Bugonia as Michelle Fuller
Who should really win: Jessie Buckley – Hamnet as Agnes Shakespeare
Explanation: I'll go along with this one. Hamnet has really caught something in Hollywood, and with the film unlikely to claim many of the other major awards, I suspect this is where it's going to have its moment.
Best Supporting Actor
Nominations:
Who should really win: Sean Penn – One Battle After Another as Col. Steven J. Lockjaw
Best Supporting Actor
Nominations:
- Benicio del Toro – One Battle After Another as Sensei Sergio St. Carlos
- Jacob Elordi – Frankenstein as The Creature
- Delroy Lindo – Sinners as Delta Slim
- Sean Penn – One Battle After Another as Col. Steven J. Lockjaw
- Stellan Skarsgård – Sentimental Value as Gustav Borg
Who should really win: Sean Penn – One Battle After Another as Col. Steven J. Lockjaw
Explanation: Three in a row, honestly i'm not used to agreeing with the Academy so much. Penn was the highlight of this film for me, and would be my pick (although I am kind of stunned that Miles Caton didn't get a nomination here).
Best Supporting Actress
Nominations:
- Elle Fanning – Sentimental Value as Rachel Kemp
- Inga Ibsdotter Lilleaas – Sentimental Value as Agnes Borg Pettersen
- Amy Madigan – Weapons as Gladys
- Wunmi Mosaku – Sinners as Annie
- Teyana Taylor – One Battle After Another as Perfidia Beverly Hills
Who should really win: Amy Madigan – Weapons as Gladys
Explanation: This is another one I expect to go to One Battle After Another. Teyana Taylor gave a strong performance and just seems to tick so many boxes for the Academy. Personally though, I like a creepy, over the top horror villain. Madigan all the way.
Best Original Screenplay
Nominations:
Who should really win: Sinners – Ryan Coogler
Best Original Screenplay
Nominations:
- Blue Moon – Robert Kaplow
- It Was Just an Accident – Jafar Panahi; in collaboration with Nader Saïvar, Shadmehr Rastin, and Mehdi Mahmoudian
- Marty Supreme – Ronald Bronstein and Josh Safdie
- Sentimental Value – Eskil Vogt and Joachim Trier
- Sinners – Ryan Coogler
Who should really win: Sinners – Ryan Coogler
Explanation: This one feels pretty clear to me. Sinners is one of those movies that has something interesting to say and says it well. If that isn't enough, it conveys it in such a unique, quasi-musical fashion. It's hard for me to see this going anywhere else.
Best Adapted Screenplay
Nominations:
Who should really win: Train Dreams – Clint Bentley and Greg Kwedar; based on the novella by Denis Johnson
Best Adapted Screenplay
Nominations:
- Bugonia – Will Tracy; based on the film Save the Green Planet! by Jang Joon-hwan
- Frankenstein – Guillermo del Toro; based on the novel by Mary Shelley
- Hamnet – Chloé Zhao and Maggie O'Farrell; based on the novel by Maggie O'Farrell
- One Battle After Another – Paul Thomas Anderson; based on the novel Vineland by Thomas Pynchon
- Train Dreams – Clint Bentley and Greg Kwedar; based on the novella by Denis Johnson
Who should really win: Train Dreams – Clint Bentley and Greg Kwedar; based on the novella by Denis Johnson
Explanation: This is one of those awards that I can see getting swept up in a big night of wins for a film like One Battle After Another. Personally, though, I am going for Train Dreams. One of the more underrated films of 2025, with a story that sticks with you more than most. It would be a worthy winner.
So there you have it, The Ephemeric's picks for the year. Enjoy the Oscars tonight, and when the results go as predicted, remember that you heard it here first!
So there you have it, The Ephemeric's picks for the year. Enjoy the Oscars tonight, and when the results go as predicted, remember that you heard it here first!
Monday, 9 March 2026
Hello and welcome back to 2026's final post from the Hot List. This week we will be looking at the most exciting new movies set to hit the big screen in 2026, after the cutoff point for this year's awards season.
We have been saving possibly the best preview for last. 2025 was not a bad year for cinema by any means, but I think it is fair to say that it was a year of many decent films punctuated by a fairly small number of genuinely brilliant films. By contrast, 2026 is looking to be something truly special.
This year has it all: fun genre pictures, classic novel adaptations, exciting up-and-coming actors, and some of the best filmmakers in the world today returning to the big screen. There’s a real sense of variety in what’s coming out, from big, ambitious studio productions alongside smaller, more idiosyncratic projects that look like they could surprise people. This year also sees the release of a few highly anticipated projects that I've been following for years. Films that have had long development journeys, shifting directors, delayed productions, or passionate fanbases waiting to see how they finally turn out. It's a good list and I'm excited to get into it.
So without further delay, the key films to keep an eye on in the coming year (trailers linked in the title where available), starting with number 15:
15. 28 Years Later: The Bone Temple
We start with a fun one, and a rare case of a film appearing on this list that has already been released (and so we already know it's good!). 28 Years Later: The Bone Temple is the sequel to last year's 28 Years Later. It is the second entry in the 28 Years Later trilogy that is itself a sequel to 2002's classic 28 Days Later, a film widely considered to be among the best and most influential in the genre.
This sequel brings back Alfie Williams and Ralph Fiennes, along with a larger role for Jack O'Connell, an actor currently riding a high from his highly praised villainous turn in last year's Sinners.
Franchise co-creator Danny Boyle steps off of directing duties this time around, replaced by relative newcomer Nia DaCosta, while the legendary Alex Garland remains on as screenwriter. This film is already out, and has received some glowing reviews. Definitely one to watch.
Release Date: Out Now
14. The Odyssey
The great Christopher Nolan returns to the big screen in his first project since Oppenheimer with The Odyssey, an ambitious mythic epic that brings Homer’s ancient Greek poem to life on an enormous cinematic scale.
Starring Matt Damon as the legendary king Odysseus, the film follows the hero’s perilous decade-long journey home to Ithaca after the Trojan War, where his loyal wife Penelope (Anne Hathaway) and son Telemachus (Tom Holland) await amid mounting danger. Along the way, Odysseus confronts storms, monsters, and the whims of gods in a world where cunning and endurance are his only hope of survival.
Shot entirely on IMAX film cameras and filmed across multiple countries, the project boasts a star-studded ensemble which also includes Zendaya, Robert Pattinson, Lupita Nyong’o, and Charlize Theron, and aims to transform one of the oldest adventure stories ever told into a sweeping modern spectacle when it arrives in theaters on July 17, 2026..
Release Date: July 2026
13. Cry to Heaven
Next up, a casting announcement that will surprise and intrigue you. Director Tom Ford returns to filmmaking with Cry to Heaven, a lush historical drama adapted from the 1982 novel by Anne Rice and set in the opulent yet brutal world of 18th-century Italian opera.
Starring Nicholas Hoult, Aaron Taylor-Johnson, and a large ensemble that includes Colin Firth, Paul Bettany, Thandiwe Newton, and Adele in her acting debut, the film promises an emotionally charged exploration of ambition, betrayal, music, and identity against the decadent backdrop of baroque Venice.
The film follows Tonio Treschi, a Venetian noble whose life is violently altered when family betrayal leads to his castration, forcing him into the rarefied and controversial ranks of the castrati - male singers famed for their extraordinary soprano voices. As Tonio struggles to reclaim his identity and place in society, he forms an unlikely bond with Guido Maffeo, a once-celebrated castrato whose own tragic past shapes the path ahead. With Ford writing, directing, and producing, Cry to Heaven is expected to arrive in theaters in 2026, although the precise releate date is still to be announced.
Release Date: TBA 2026
12. The Great Beyond
This next entry remains shrouded in mystery at the time of writing. The Great Beyond is the newest project from sci-fi maestro J.J. Abrams, which may or may not be another entry in the Cloverfield franchise.
This original science-fantasy adventure that marks his first film as director since Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker. The story (according to rumours anyway) centers on a bestselling fantasy author who discovers that the mythical world he created in his novels is not fiction at all, pulling him into a dangerous quest inside the very realm he imagined.
Glen Powell leads the cast, joined by Jenna Ortega, Emma Mackey, Sophie Okonedo, Merritt Wever, and Samuel L. Jackson, as the film blends mystery, adventure, and supernatural elements in a story inspired by classic ’80s genre spectacles. Produced by Abrams’s Bad Robot and distributed by Warner Bros., The Great Beyond promises a large-scale cinematic return for the filmmaker when it arrives in theaters on November 13, 2026.
11. The Adventures of Cliff Booth
This is an interesting one, a rare sequel (or possibly spin-off?) of a Quentin Tarantino film. The Adventures of Cliff Booth sees Brad Pitt reprise his role as the titular stuntman, last seen as a supporting character in Once Upon a Time in Hollywood.
Tarantino himself is only attached as producer - he's still dead set on this whole "ten films" limit. But fear not, the great David Fincher is on as director. Pitt is joined by a supporting cast of Scott Caan, Elizabeth Debicki, Carla Gugino and Timothy Olyphant.
The film expands on Tarantino’s alternate-history Hollywood, following Cliff as he navigates the studios, sets, and underbelly of the entertainment world with his trademark cool and mysterious past always close behind him. Produced for Netflix, the release date is still to be announced.
Release Date: TBA 2026
10. Dune: Part Three
Denis Villeneuve returns to conclude his sweeping adaptation of Frank Herbert’s sci-fi saga with Dune: Part Three, the mega-sized continuation of Dune: Part Two.
The film is expected to draw heavily from Herbert’s novel Dune Messiah, exploring the consequences of Paul Atreides’ rise to power after the events of Dune. Timothée Chalamet returns as Paul, now Emperor of the known universe, as he struggles with the political, religious, and personal costs of the galactic jihad carried out in his name. Returning cast members are expected to include Zendaya, Florence Pugh, and Anya Taylor‑Joy, as the story delves deeper into intrigue among the Great Houses, the Bene Gesserit, and forces determined to challenge Paul’s rule.
With Villeneuve aiming to complete his trilogy in grand style, Dune: Part Three promises a darker, more introspective chapter that examines the burden of prophecy and the price of absolute power.
Release Date: December 2026
9. Flowervale Street
Flowervale Street is the upcoming science-fiction adventure from director David Robert Mitchell that blends suburban nostalgia with cosmic mystery.
Set in the 1980s, the story follows a seemingly ordinary family living on a quiet suburban street whose lives are upended when strange phenomena and otherworldly forces begin to intrude on their neighborhood. As reality starts to unravel around them, the family must confront the possibility that something far larger lies just beyond their understanding. The film stars Anne Hathaway, Ewan McGregor, Maisy Stella, and Christian Convery, and is produced by J. J. Abrams through his Bad Robot banner.
Mitchell rose to stardom with his critically acclaimed debut It Follows, in my opinion one of the best horror films of the 21st Century, but has so far not been able to live up to that initial promise with his more recent work. Flowervale Street will be his opportunity to show that he has legs as an elite director.
Release Date: August 2026
8. I Play Rocky
The career trajectory of filmmaker Peter Farrelly has been fascinating. Originally making his name for gross-out comedies such as Dumb and Dumber and There's Something About Mary, he has more recently moved into more substantial fare. His 2018 film, Green Book, went on to garner huge critical acclaim and some three Academy Awards, including two for him personally. His next project I Play Rocky marks a return to this style of filmmaking.
An upcoming biographical drama, I Play Rocky tells the remarkable true story behind the creation of one of cinema’s most iconic underdog heroes. The film follows a young, struggling actor and screenwriter, Sylvester Stallone, as he battles rejection, financial hardship, and industry skepticism while trying to bring his script about an unknown boxer to the screen. Refusing to sell the screenplay unless he could star in it himself, Stallone takes a huge gamble that ultimately leads to the production of Rocky, a modestly budgeted boxing drama that would go on to become a cultural phenomenon and win the Academy Award for Best Picture.
Starring Anthony Ippolito as Stallone, I Play Rocky promises an inspiring behind-the-scenes look at perseverance, ambition, and the unlikely path that led to one of Hollywood’s most beloved sports films.
Release Date: November 2026
7. Jack of Spades
Jack of Spades is the latest project of writer/director Joel Coen, one half of the legendary Coen Brothers duo.
Coen is writing, directing, and producing the project, which is being described as a gothic mystery and stars Josh O’Connor (major, major year for him), Frances McDormand, Lesley Manville, and Damian Lewis. Plot details are still mostly under wraps, but reporting around the production indicates the film was shot in Scotland and is set in 19th-century Scotland, suggesting a moody, period-piece mystery in the vein of Coen’s darker, more atmospheric work.
With Bruno Delbonnel as cinematographer and Carter Burwell scoring the film, Jack of Spades already looks like one of the more intriguing auteur projects on the 2026 horizon.
Release Date: TBA 2026
6. Digger
Digger marks the latest ambitious project from Oscar-winning filmmaker Alejandro González Iñárritu, known for Birdman and The Revenant.
The dark comedy stars Tom Cruise as Digger Rockwell, described as “the most powerful man in the world,” who embarks on a frantic mission to convince humanity that he is its savior before the catastrophic disaster he himself unleashed destroys everything.
Blending satire, spectacle, and existential comedy, the film represents a surprising tonal shift for both Cruise and Iñárritu, who has called it a “comedy of catastrophic proportions.” The ensemble cast includes Sandra Hüller, Jesse Plemons, Riz Ahmed, John Goodman, and Emma D'Arcy. The film is slated for theatrical release on October 2, 2026.
Release Date: October 2026
5. Wild Horse Nine
A new project from writer/director Martin McDonagh is always a cause for celebration. His theatre work is legendary, but it's his more recent Hollywood work, the likes of In Bruges, Three Billboards Outside Ebbing Missouri, and The Banshees of Inisherin, that has made him a global name, and one of the top creatives working in film today.
Wild Horse Nine is a dark drama-thriller with McDonagh’s signature mix of bleak humor and moral intrigue, the film features an eclectic ensemble including Sam Rockwell, John Malkovich, Steve Buscemi, Parker Posey, and Tom Waits.
Set partly against the turbulent political backdrop of 1970s Chile, the story reportedly follows two CIA operatives whose mission from Santiago to the remote landscape of Easter Island begins to test their loyalties and survival instincts. Shot on location in Chile and on Rapa Nui (Easter Island), the film reunites McDonagh with longtime collaborators and promises another sharply written, morally complex tale when Wild Horse Nine arrives in theaters on November 6, 2026.
Release Date: November 2026
4. Klara and the Sun
This is one for all the readers out there. Klara and the Sun is an upcoming adaptation of the acclaimed Kazuo Ishiguro novel of the same name.
This adaptation is directed by Taika Waititi, whose satirical sensibilities make for a perfect match with the speculative dystopian themes of the source material, while the screenplay is penned by Dahvi Waller, with Ishiguro serving as an executive producer. The story centers on Klara, an Artificial Friend designed to alleviate loneliness in teenagers, who becomes determined to save the human family she resides with from heartbreak.
The cast includes Jenna Ortega, Amy Adams, Natasha Lyonne, and Steve Buscemi. As of now, a specific release date has not been announced, but the film is expected to premiere in late 2026.
Release Date: TBA 2026
3. The Social Reckoning
Well this definitely not a project we ever thought we'd see. It's rare that an acclaimed, multi-Oscar winning prestige film gets a sequel - this is hardly franchise fare after all. Yet here we are. The Social Reckoning is the unlikely sequel to The Social Network, a film considered by many to be the best of the 2010s.
Where that first film told the now famous story of how Facebook came to be, this sequel focuses on the latter-day scandals: the data abuses, the Congressional hearings. Aaron Sorkin pens the script once again, but is now also taking directoral duties in lieu of David Fincher. Jesse Eisenberg will not reprise his role as Mark Zuckerberg, with that now being played by Jeremy Allen White. He is joined by a formbidable cast that includes Mikey Madison, Jeremy Strong, and Bill Burr.
It is, frankly, interesting that this film exists. But it's one of those rare situations where the real life events do merit a follow up film. It will undoubtedly be one of the biggest tickets of 2026.
Release Date: October 2026
Disclosure Day is the latest project from legendary filmmaker Steven Spielberg, returning him to large-scale science fiction for the first time in years.
Written by David Koepp, the film centers on a world-changing event in which governments finally reveal definitive evidence of extraterrestrial life, triggering a cascade of political upheaval, social panic, and wonder as humanity grapples with the implications of not being alone.
The ensemble cast includes Emily Blunt, Colman Domingo, Josh O'Connor, Colin Firth, and Eve Hewson. Blending mystery, spectacle, and the human drama that has long defined Spielberg’s work, Disclosure Day promises a thought-provoking and emotional exploration of how the revelation of alien intelligence could reshape civilization when it arrives in theaters in 2026.
Release Date: June 2026
1. Project Hail Mary
And lastly, the long awaited adaptation of the brilliant Andy Weir novel Project Hail Mary. Weir is best known for The Martian, which was itself adapted into a highly acclaimed Hollywood film, but this most recent work of his has been quietly building acclaim as one of the best novels of the 2020s to date.
This adaptation comes from filmmakers Phil Lord and Christopher Miller, two directors best known for highly acclaimed work in animation, such as Spider-Man: Into the Spiderverse, for which the duo rightly won an Academy Award. With such a high quality body of work, it has long been anticipated that they would move into more substantial live-action projects. This could be a big moment for the duo.
The film stars Ryan Gosling as Ryland Grace, a mild-mannered science teacher who awakens alone aboard a spacecraft light-years from Earth with no memory of who he is or why he’s there. As his memories gradually return, Grace realizes he is the sole survivor of a desperate interstellar mission to solve the mystery of a cosmic phenomenon that is causing the Sun to die, threatening all life on Earth.
In a year which is bursting with exciting new projects, this rises easily to the top of our list. It will initially release on March 20 in the United States.
Release Date: March 2026
So there you have it folks: The 2026 Hot List. I will be back with many more articles in due course, but for now let's make 2026 a great year together.
So there you have it folks: The 2026 Hot List. I will be back with many more articles in due course, but for now let's make 2026 a great year together.
Sunday, 22 February 2026
Welcome back to The Ephemeric's 2026 Hot List. This week we will be having a look at the most exciting new music due for release in the coming year.
Music has a habit of sneaking up on you, soundtracking moments you didn’t know needed one, then refusing to let go. As always during this time of year, this blog presents for you, the reader, a curated burst of that energy. Whether you live and breathe new releases or just like something good in your ears on the commute, there’s plenty here to get stuck into. Music is inherently subjective, but as a place to kick off your 2026 listening journey, this is about as strong a primer as you’ll find.
So without further ado, here is our list of the top albums to keep an eye on in 2026, starting with number 15:
15. "Honora" by Flea (New band)
So without further ado, here is our list of the top albums to keep an eye on in 2026, starting with number 15:
15. "Honora" by Flea (New band)
I generally like to start these previews with a new band. Well this one is new... sort of. Honora marks the long-anticipated debut solo studio album from Flea, the iconic bassist of the Red Hot Chili Peppers.
Intriguingly departing from his rock roots, Flea returns to his first musical loves, jazz and the trumpet, composing and arranging the record while performing both bass and trumpet throughout. The album blends six originals with inspired interpretations of works by artists ranging from Frank Ocean to Jimmy Webb, and features notable collaborators including Thom Yorke and Nick Cave, with support from an ensemble of modern jazz visionaries. So far, while it is far from what one would have expected, it seems to be working, with early singles Thinkin Bout You and Traffic Lights genuinely delightful.
Named in tribute to a beloved family member and showcasing Flea’s wide-ranging musical curiosity, Honora promises an intimate, exploratory journey that bridges improvisational jazz textures with Flea’s unmistakable creative voice.
Release Date: March 2026
14. "The Former Site Of" by The New Pornographers
The Former Site Of marks the tenth studio album of Canadian indie-rock staple The New Pornographers, a band known for their distinct brand of addictive, infectiously catchy pop, with tracks such as Falling Down the Stairs of Your Smile and This is The World of the Theatre.
The band's first LP in three years, The Former Site Of spans ten meticulously crafted pop-inflected tracks, blending the group’s signature melodic instincts with narrative vignettes that explore characters at personal and societal extremes.
From its evocative storytelling to its richly textured arrangements, showcased already in singles like Votive, The Former Site Of promises a vivid, character-driven collection that feels both warmly familiar and refreshingly literate, underscoring why The New Pornographers remain a distinctive force in indie music more than two decades after their debut.
Release Date: March 2026
13. "Irreversible" by Brigitte Calls Me Baby
A second album from 2024 Debbie Award runner up Brigitte Calls Me Baby, Irreversible was recorded largely live with producers Yves and Lawrence Rothman, capturing the raw intensity and kinetic energy that defined the group’s sound with their debut.
Lead single Slumber Party showcases frontman Wes Leavins’s emotive vocals backed by propulsive guitars and driving percussion, hinting at a record that blends bold arrangements with emotional depth. Written and road-tested amid sold-out shows and festival appearances, Irreversible promises to expand the band’s signature sound, marrying urgency, heartfelt songwriting, and nostalgia, and firmly establish Brigitte Calls Me Baby as one of the most compelling alt-rock acts emerging today.
Release Date: March 2026
12. Blousey (New band)
London six-piece Blousey are building a reputation on the city’s DIY circuit with a striking blend of garage-rock grit, noir-tinged art-rock textures and swaggering rhythms, and all signs point to their impending debut album being a bold expansion of that sound.
Early singles like Canela Skin with its eerie, sultry energy and visceral lyrical focus, and the crunching, late-night swagger of Chances showcase a band equally at home storming through raw, visceral riffs and weaving in unexpected touches of saxophone, violin and organ that push their arrangements beyond straight rock clichés.
Their debut EP The Precipice already hinted at a cinematic palette that’s gritty and unpredictable, and as Blousey prepare to translate that momentum into a full-length record, listeners can expect something that captures the band’s restless tension, cinematic songwriting and appetite for dramatic contrasts, all the ingredients that have made them one of London’s most intriguing new acts.
Release Date: TBD 2026
11. "High Noon" by Blondie
High Noon marks the long-anticipated twelfth studio album from Blondie, slated for release in spring 2026, and will be the band’s first new record since Pollinator in 2017.
Produced again by John Congleton, who also helmed Pollinator, the album is expected to blend the band’s signature genre-blurring sound with mature, varied songwriting, something frontwoman Debbie Harry has described as both “traditional” in spirit and reflective of the band’s vast stylistic range.
High Noon also carries special emotional weight: it features the final studio drumming of longtime member Clem Burke, who passed away in April 2025, and includes contributions from collaborators such as Johnny Marr and Glen Matlock alongside original material from Harry and guitarist Chris Stein. While details on specific tracks remain under wraps, the record is already generating excitement as a poignant, genre-rich chapter in Blondie’s enduring legacy.
Release Date: Spring 2026
10. "Romanticize the Dive" by Metric
Romanticize the Dive is Metric’s tenth studio album and arrives as a reflective yet invigorated next chapter in the Ontario-based band’s celebrated career, which includes major hits such as Black Sheep and Breathing Underwater.
The first single Victim of Luck serves as both mission statement and emotional lens for the record, with frontwoman Emily Haines framing the album around the romance of a less-than-perfect life and the gritty joy of persevering through uncertainty, a theme grounded in the band’s early years of playing to tiny crowds and embracing creative risk.
Recorded at the iconic Electric Lady Studios with producer Gavin Brown and mixed by John O’Mahoney, Romanticize the Dive spans eleven tracks that balance Metric’s signature blend of incisive songwriting, indie-rock energy, and emotional nuance, promising longtime fans and new listeners alike a record that looks back with gratitude while still pushing forward.
Release Date: April 2026
9. "Hen's Teeth" by Iron & Wine
Next up we have Hen’s Teeth, the eighth studio album from Iron & Wine. Due out February and described by songwriter Sam Beam as a kind of creative twin to his 2024 release Light Verse.
Recorded over the past few years with engineer Dave Way and a tight band of collaborators, the collection leans earthier and more tactile than its predecessor, blending straightforward folk-rock moments with richer genre explorations and evocative arrangements.
Album themes revolve around deep emotional closeness and poetic imagery, from intimate duets to musings on shared existence, framed by track titles like Roses and In Your Ocean. The record features appearances by the acclaimed Americana trio I’m With Her and marks the recording debut of Beam’s daughter, Arden, adding both harmonic depth and personal resonance to the project.
Release Date: February 2026
8. Recoilette (New band)
Emerging from Helsinki’s vibrant indie scene, Recoilette, the musical project of Finnish singer-songwriter and producer Jukka Paajanen, is preparing to unveil his debut full-length album following a series of evocative singles and his The Black Window EP, with new music already on the way.
Drawing on a wide palette that ranges from wistful melancholia to cinematic noir, Recoilette’s work blends elements of electro-pop, psychedelic subtlety, and deeply introspective songwriting rooted in influences from classic ’60s and ’70s rock to Nordic noir atmospheres. Tracks like the recently released single The Turn, among our top tracks of 2025, alongside earlier cuts such as Venus and the Moon showcase his knack for crafting mood-rich soundscapes that feel both intimate and expansive.
While details on the album’s title and tracklist are still emerging, anticipation is building for a record that promises to solidify Recoilette’s distinct voice as one of Finland’s most compelling new songwriters, merging emotional depth with cinematic sonic textures.
Release Date: TBD 2026
It's remarkable how many bands on this year's list hail from Canada, I write as I watch them duke it out in the Olympics gold medal match. This next one ranks among the most influential to have emerged from the crowded early 2000s indie scene.
Remember the Humans is the sixth studio album from the influential Canadian indie-rock collective Broken Social Scene, a band known widely for a string of classic iconic indie tracks such as Anthems For a Seventeen Year Old Girl. Their first full-length in nearly a decade. Reuniting with longtime producer David Newfeld, who shaped their breakthrough early records, the 12-track project opens with lead single Not Around Anymore and traverses themes of nostalgia, connection, and the pull between past and present.
Featuring contributions from familiar collaborators including Feist, Lisa Lobsinger, and Hannah Georgas, Remember the Humans mixes the sprawling, layered indie-rock textures the band is known for with a renewed sense of collective identity after years of individual projects and archival releases. Anchored in both reflection and forward motion, the album promises to be a richly emotional statement from one of the most enduring and inventive forces in the genre.
Release Date: May 2026
6. Westside Cowboy (New band)
Fresh from winning Glastonbury’s Emerging Talent Competition and generating buzz across the UK indie scene, Manchester’s Westside Cowboy are poised to make 2026 their breakout year with a sound they proudly dub “Britainicana”, a loose blend of alt-rock grit, slacker energy, folk-tinged harmonies, and rootsy DNA refracted through a distinctly British DIY lens.
With members Reuben Haycocks, Jimmy Bradbury, Aoife Anson-O’Connell, and Paddy Murphy all singing and contributing to the band’s kinetic five-piece ethos, Westside Cowboy have already released spirited EPs and some memorable tracks like Strange Taxidermy and Don't Throw Rocks, which showcase their restless guitars, visceral grooves, and lyrical vignettes that feel lived-in and immediate.
Alongside a busy touring schedule, the band’s bracing energy and unabashed embrace of raw instrumentation suggest their impending full-length debut (expected later in 2026) will be both a culmination of their fast-rising trajectory and a defining statement for a new wave of British indie rock.
Release Date: TBD 2026
5. Paul McCartney
OK, I’ll admit, I don’t have much to go on with this one. But Sir Paul McCartney says he is working on an album for release in 2026, and that’s good enough to make my list.
I won’t even bother to say the man needs no introduction, because, come on, It’s Paul McCartney. I won’t insult your intelligence by linking some Beatles or some of his solo stuff because, seriously, it’s Paul McCartney. Global treasure.
Production on the new album commences upon conclusion of his tour at the end of 2024, and as of August last year is confirmed to be complete, which means we should start to hear some new material very soon.
Release Date: TBD 2026
4. Braxe + Falcon (New band)
One of the most exciting new projects in music. Braxe + Falcon is a new collaboration of legendary French producers Alan Braxe and DJ Falcon.
Their work, deeply rooted in '70s disco and pioneering production techniques, showcases a reverence for classic sounds while embracing modernity. The duo's first EP, Step By Step, marked a fantastic debut that reflects a seamless blend of timeless music and contemporary flair, featuring the unmistakable vocals of Panda Bear, lead vocalist of Animal Collective and highly successful solo artist in his own right.
The EP was well received, generating hype for what was to come next. A smattering of additional singles and remixes have followed in the last few years to similar praise, but we're all really just waiting now for the inevitable full blown LP. This one has been a feature on this list for a few years running, but I am sticking with it for now. If, as expected, this sees the light of day in 2026, it will be one of the biggest releases in electronic music for the year.
Release Date: TBD 2026
3. "The Mountain" by Gorillaz
Now it's time for another band that needs no introduction. The Mountain is the highly anticipated ninth studio album from British virtual band Gorillaz, and marks the first full-length project since Cracker Island.
Spanning 15 tracks and recorded across locations from London and Devon to India, Turkmenistan, Syria, and the United States, the record embodies Gorillaz’s signature collaborative ethos with contributions from an extraordinary roster of artists, from Sparks and Bizarrap to IDLES, Black Thought, Johnny Marr, Omar Souleyman, and posthumous appearances by Dennis Hopper, Bobby Womack, Tony Allen, and more.
So far it sounds like something of an experimental depature from what one might expect of Gorillaz. The Mountain places songs in multiple languages (Arabic, English, Hindi, Spanish, Yoruba) and has been described as a rich, genre-blurring soundscape that explores deeply emotional themes, including life, death, and connection, reflecting personal experiences of loss by co-founders Damon Albarn and Jamie Hewlett during its creation. Accordingly, the singles released so far, whcih includes The Happy Dictator, Damascus, and Orange County, runs a range of diverse musical styles that meshes world influences with the band’s distinct blend of experimentation, storytelling, and global sonic textures, a bold evolution in the band’s discography.
Release Date: February 2026
2. The xx
After several years of pursuing solo work, The xx are back in the studio and widely expected to unveil a fourth album in 2026, marking their first full new body of group work since I See You in 2017.
With Romy Madley Croft, Oliver Sim, and Jamie xx all bringing fresh perspectives developed through solo projects and collaborations, early studio comments suggest the band’s next record will meld their signature intimate, atmospheric sound with the broader influences they’ve absorbed in recent years. It's been a while, but go on, listen to VCR, Islands, or On Hold and remind yourself of just how good these guys are.
Their return is being teased alongside high-profile live dates, including festival appearances at Coachella and Primavera Sound. While details on a title or tracklist are still under wraps, anticipation is building for a record that could marry the band’s classic emotional precision with new creative edges honed across individual journeys.
Release Date: TBD 2026
1. The Avalanches
And we close off with a somewhat speculative one (that didn't work out too well for our number 1 pick last year, which is still AWOL). We know that legendary Aussie plunderphonics duo The Avalanches is working on a new album. But we don't know a whole lot more than that.
The Avalanches are a near mythical name in electronic music, having exploded onto the scene with the pioneering 2000 album Since I Left You, before vanishing from the face of the Earth for sixteen years, supposedly for a combination of health issues and legal complications relating to the sample rights of their sophomore album. They returned in 2016 with the brilliant Wildflower, and followed it up in 2020 with We Will Always Love You.
The Avalanches are quietly teasing a new studio album in 2026 that many listeners hope will continue the group’s tradition of transformative sound collage and adventurous production. Known for redefining plunderphonics with dense, emotive works like Since I Left You and the lush, collaborative textures of If I Was a Folkstar and The Divine Chord, the Australian duo of Robbie Chater and Tony Di Blasi have built a reputation for albums that feel cinematic, meticulously crafted, and full of hidden details waiting to be discovered. While specific details on title, release date, or guest collaborators have yet to be officially confirmed, every album they have released to date has been a 10 out of 10, and the band’s return to new music in 2026 has sparked excitement among fans and critics alike.
Release Date: TBD 2026
So there you have it folks: 2026 in music. Tune in next week for this year's final Hot List, where we look at the most exciting new movies in 2026.
Saturday, 14 February 2026
Those who know me know that my relationship with theatre has always been deep and longlasting. Why else would I do these posts every year? Sadly, parenthood made finding the time a challenge in 2025, and one of my primary resolutions for 2026 is to make sure I get out to a few more shows, and enjoy the cultural cornucopia that is on offer. One can hope. Dreaming is part of the pleasure after all, and disappointing loyal readers is quite out of the question. So I’ve done the legwork regardless, delving deep into the cultural undergrowth to surface a selection of the most tantalising productions the year has to offer.
So here it is, our list of the top 10 theatrical productions to keep an eye on in 2026, perhaps with a slight London and Zurich bias, starting with number 10:
10. "One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest" by Dale Wasserman, at the Old Vic
Let's begin with a classic. The upcoming revival of One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest at The Old Vic in London runs from 1 April to 23 May.
Directed by acclaimed theatre-maker Clint Dyer, this new staging of Dale Wasserman’s adaptation of Ken Kesey’s iconic novel comes to life in the round, promising an immersive and visceral experience that brings audiences close to its fierce clash of individuality and institutional authority.
The production stars Aaron Pierre as the irrepressible Randle P. McMurphy and Giles Terera as Dale Harding, with Michelle Gomez taking on the chilling role of Nurse Ratched, supported by a richly drawn ensemble of patients and staff whose struggles and rebellions fuel the play’s emotional power. With its sharp social critique and kinetic presentation, this fresh take on a classic story of resistance and humanity is poised to be a standout of London’s 2026 theatre season.
9. "American Pyscho" by Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa and Duncan Sheik, at the Almeida
Another revival. The 2026 return of American Psycho to the Almeida Theatre is one of London’s most talked-about shows this season, running from late January through 14 March 2026 as part of Rupert Goold’s final programme as the theatre’s artistic director, fittingly reopening the musical that launched his Almeida tenure in 2013.
Based on Bret Easton Ellis’s cult 1991 novel and adapted for the stage with a book by Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa and an electrifying ‘80s-inspired score by Duncan Sheik, this darkly satirical musical thriller dissects Wall Street excess, toxic masculinity and consumerist vanity through the chilling eyes of investment banker–by-night serial killer Patrick Bateman, now played by rising star Arty Froushan.
The production’s sleek, visually striking design, blending catwalk-like staging with pulsing electronic numbers and sharp choreography, amplifies both the satire and brutality at its heart, making it a provocative and timely theatrical event that resonates as disturbingly today as it did on its original premiere.
8. "Kimberly Akimbo" by David Lindsay-Abaire and Jeanine Tesori, at the Hampstead Theatre
Hampstead Theatre’s 2026 season brings to London one of contemporary musical theatre’s most beloved hits with the European premiere of Kimberly Akimbo, a brilliantly quirky and heartfelt show with book and lyrics by David Lindsay-Abaire and music by Jeanine Tesori.
Running on the main stage from 28 August to 7 November 2026 under the direction of Michael Longhurst, this intimate new production introduces UK audiences to Kimberly Levaco, a spirited teenager whose rare condition causes her to age at four times the normal rate, giving her the appearance of an elderly woman even as she navigates the universal struggles of adolescence, family chaos and first love. Winner of five 2023 Tony Awards including Best Musical, Best Score and Best Book, Kimberly Akimbo mixes sharp humour with genuine emotional depth, inviting audiences to revel in its blend of whimsy and poignancy as it makes its anticipated London debut at Hampstead Theatre’s Swiss Cottage home.
The Royal Court Theatre’s 2026 staging of Samuel Beckett’s Krapp’s Last Tape returns this seminal one-man play to its historic home as part of the venue’s 70th anniversary season, running in the Jerwood Theatre Downstairs from 8 to 30 May 2026.
In this new production, acclaimed actor Gary Oldman, who first took on the role in a celebrated 2025 run at York Theatre Royal, both directs and stars as Krapp, the solitary, aging man who, seated amid the detritus of his life, listens back to recordings of his younger self and confronts a lifetime of memory, regret and fleeting hope.
Each performance is paired with Godot’s To-Do List, a newly commissioned, Beckett-inspired short play by Jerwood Young Playwright Leo Simpe-Asante, creating a thematically rich double bill that honours Beckett’s minimalist genius while bringing fresh voices and humour into dialogue with his existential meditation on time and self-reflection.
6. "Ivanov" by Anton Chekhov at the Bridge Theatre
The Bridge Theatre’s new staging of Anton Chekhov’s Ivanov arrives in London for summer 2026, running from 4 July to 19 September in a contemporary reimagination by acclaimed Australian playwright-director Simon Stone.
In this modern take on one of Chekhov’s early great dramas, Hollywood star Chris Pine makes his London theatre debut as the melancholic Nikolai Ivanov, a man who, despite a seemingly stable marriage and successful career, finds himself adrift in a life weighed down by debt, existential malaise and personal disillusionment.
With Stone’s signature approach of transporting classic works into the present day and a creative team that includes innovative designers and sound artists, this Ivanov promises to probe timeless questions of fulfillment, identity and societal expectation with fresh immediacy and emotional depth at the Bridge’s striking riverside space.
5. "Monster's Paradise" by Olga Neuwirth, Opernhaus Zurich
Taking a break from London, we have the Zurich Opera House’s 2026 staging of Monster’s Paradise.
This marks the Swiss premiere of one of contemporary opera’s most striking new works, running on the Hauptbühne Opernhaus from 8 March to 12 April 2026. Composed by Olga Neuwirth with a libretto by Elfriede Jelinek, this politically charged, surreal music-theatre piece sends two vampiric avatars on a globe-spanning odyssey through a world in decline, where a grotesque tyrannical King-President and his conjured sea monster clash for power in a blend of tragedy and grotesque satire.
Under the visionary direction of Tobias Kratzer and with Swiss conductor Titus Engel on the podium, the production fuses live orchestra, avant-garde sound design, vivid video and striking visual imagery to explore authoritarianism, ecological collapse and the role of art in a chaotic age, making it one of Zurich’s most talked-about contemporary opera experiences of the season.
4. "War Horse" by Nick Stafford, at the National Theatre
One of the great pieces of British theatre, the revival of War Horse returns to the Olivier Theatre at the National Theatre in spring 2026, running from 16 May to 30 July 2026 as the landmark production comes “home” almost 20 years after its original premiere and following a hugely successful UK and Ireland tour.
Based on Michael Morpurgo’s beloved novel and adapted for the stage by Nick Stafford, this Tony-award-winning theatrical phenomenon blends stirring live music and songs with the ground-breaking puppetry of South Africa’s Handspring Puppet Company, whose life-sized creations bring the horses, especially Joey, the loyal steed at the heart of the story, to vivid, breath-taking life.
Set against the sweep of the First World War, War Horse follows young Albert’s determination to reunite with his beloved horse after Joey is sold to the cavalry, delivering a powerful meditation on love, loss, courage and the ravages of conflict that remains one of the most emotionally affecting and visually inventive experiences in modern theatre.
3. "Arcadia" by Tom Stoppard, at the Old Vic
The Old Vic Theatre in London presents a major revival of Tom Stoppard’s Arcadia from 24 January to 21 March 2026, marking the first time the play has been staged at the historic venue as part of artistic director Matthew Warchus’ final season.
Directed by Carrie Cracknell, this celebrated modern classic, often regarded as Stoppard’s masterpiece, interweaves two timelines within a Derbyshire country house: in 1809, a precocious young genius, Thomasina Coverly, explores mathematics, science and the mysteries of the universe with her tutor Septimus Hodge, while in the present day scholars piece together the clues of the past as they unravel love, loss, thermodynamics and literary intrigue.
With witty, flirtatious dialogue and a visually dynamic in-the-round staging, the production brings Stoppard’s deep blend of romance, intellectual inquiry and human emotion vividly to life for contemporary audiences.
2. "The Story" by Tracey Scott Wilson, at the National Theatre
The National Theatre’s 2026 British premiere of The Story is a gripping, high-stakes newsroom drama playing in the Olivier Theatre from 27 August to 24 October 2026.
Written by acclaimed American playwright Tracey Scott Wilson and directed by Clint Dyer, this taut thriller follows an ambitious Black reporter who defies her editor to pursue an incendiary lead inspired by real events, pushing questions of journalistic ethics, racial politics and the cost of truth-seeking to the forefront.
The production marks the National Theatre debut of BAFTA-winning screen star Letitia Wright in the central role, supported by a strong ensemble that includes Ashley Thomas, Lorraine Toussaint, Aliyah Odoffin and Wilf Scolding, with further casting to be announced. The Story promises to be a compelling blend of adrenaline-fuelled drama and timely social commentary, making it one of the standout new plays of the London season.
1. "Dracula" by Kip Williams, at the Noel Coward Theatre
And finally, our number 1 pick for 2026 in theatre. The Noël Coward Theatre’s 2026 West End production of Dracula isn’t a traditional staging of Bram Stoker’s gothic classic so much as a theatrical reinvention; a bold, immersive solo adaptation that reimagines the iconic vampire tale for a new era.
Directed and adapted by visionary Aussie creator Kip Williams, this electrifying version sees three-time Oscar nominee and Tony, Emmy and Grammy winner Cynthia Erivo return to the London stage in a tour-de-force performance in which she embodies all 23 roles, from the innocent solicitor Jonathan Harker to the terrifying Count himself, in a fusion of live action, video and cinematic techniques that pushes the boundaries of theatrical form.
Opening in February 2026 and running through 30 May 2026, the production blends high-tech storytelling with intimate performance to probe the seductive horror and timeless themes of fear, desire and the monstrous within, making it one of the West End’s most talked-about events of the season.
So there you have it folks: 2026 in theatre. Tune in soon for our next instalment of the Hot List, covering the essential new music coming this year!
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