Happy International Women’s Day!!
I know I’m a bit late with this post since it’s nearly evening where I am, but honestly, every day should be International Women’s Day… why limit the celebration of women to just one day out of 365? At FlixChatter, I celebrate women every day by taking part in the 52 Films By Women Challenge, and you can check out the tag #directedbywomen to see ALL the films directed by women that I’ve reviewed or blogged about.
I’ve started strong this year with 14 films by women so far, so 38 more to go until I hit my goal. Hopefully I’ll surpass my 2025 tally of 62!
If you’re on Letterboxd, I log those movies here. This is a screenshot in the order of my rating, from best to worst.
The film calendar for 2026 is shaping up to be a pretty good year for female directors, showcasing everything from major fantasy blockbusters to touching indie films. Take a look at the amazing films directed by women that are set to hit theaters (or are already making a splash) in 2026.
I’m kicking things off with these 5 that have already landed distributors:
1 ) You, Me & Tuscany – directed by Kat Coiro (April 10)
Anna suddenly flies to Tuscany to stay at a stranger’s villa without asking. When the man’s mother finds her in the house, she persuades the woman that she is his fiancée. This small lie quickly turns into a major issue as Anna starts to feel a strong attraction to the stranger’s attractive cousin.
You had me at Tuscany. Put this in the ‘movies set in beautiful places’ category, where the scenic location on the Amalfi Coast is one of the main draws. Regé-Jean Page is back in romantic heartthrob territory after his breakout in Bridgerton in 2020. The pairing with Halle Bailey looks promising, so fingers crossed the plot is as delightful as the Italian scenery.
2 ) 4 Kids Walk Into A Bank – directed by Frankie Shaw (April 17, 2026)
After the death of her mother, Paige’s grandfather becomes her guardian. When criminals demand that Paige’s grandpa join them for one last job, she has a choice: let her grandpa return to his criminal ways or enlist her three best friends.
The title really catches my eye, and I’m a huge fan of heist films. The fact that Liam Neeson is cast is pretty interesting too, especially since it’s directed by his Absolution co-star Frankie Shaw in her first feature film. The plot is inspired by the graphic novel by Matthew Rosenberg and Tyler Boss, and per IMDb, it’s full of ’90s nostalgia. I also like Teresa Palmer, and it’s been a while since I’ve seen her.
3) Bedford Park – directed by Stephanie Ahn
A woman in her 30s, who is Korean American, goes back to her parents’ house after her mom’s car accident. While there, she meets the guy who caused the crash. Even though they come from different backgrounds, they connect over their common experiences of childhood trauma.
This is yet another feature film debut that made its premiere at Sundance, crafted by Stephanie Ahn as both writer and director. It stars South Korean actors Moon Choi and Son Suk-ku as the leads. I dig the concept of an unexpected romantic connection, and the impressive Rotten Tomatoes score definitely piques my interest even further. It snagged the Special Jury Award for Debut Feature, and Sony Pictures Classics has secured the global distribution rights for the film.
4 ) The Invite – directed by Olivia Wilde (June 26)
Joe and Angela’s marriage is on thin ice. When they invite their enigmatic upstairs neighbors for a dinner party, the night spirals into unexpected places when they suggest an orgy.
Honestly, I wasn’t really wowed by Olivia Wilde‘s latest movie, Don’t Worry Darling, but I’m not ready to write her off just yet. Her third feature was one of the hottest films at Sundance and got picked up by A24. The plot is adapted from the Spanish film The People Upstairs and was penned by Rashida Jones and Will McCormack. Wilde also acts in it alongside Seth Rogen, Edward Norton, and Penélope Cruz.
5) Narnia: The Magician’s Nephew – directed by Greta Gerwig (Nov 26)
This marks Greta Gerwig‘s first film after the record-breaking Barbie movie. Netflix and eOne Films have struck a multi-year agreement with the C.S. Lewis Company to create films and TV shows based on The Chronicles of Narnia, making this one of the two films that Gerwig will helm.
This eagerly awaited Netflix/IMAX debut delves into the origins of the Narnian world and features a star-studded cast including Daniel Craig, Carey Mulligan, Emma Mackey, and Denise Gough (who I adore in ANDOR). Rumor has it that Meryl Streep is in talks to lend her voice to the character of Aslan. Can’t wait to check out the trailer!
Now, these are five more highly anticipated female-directed films that premiered at Sundance that don’t have a release date set or have yet to secure distribution (hopefully soon)
6) Carousel – directed by Rachel Lambert
Starring: Chris Pine, Jenny Slate, Abby Ryder Fortson, Sam Waterston, Katey Sagal
Noah’s settled life caring for his anxious daughter and medical practice is disrupted when his high school ex Rebecca returns. Their old spark remains, making them question if love deserves another chance.
I’m always up for seeing a film with Chris Pine in it. The whole ‘second chance at love’ concept has been explored countless times, but when executed well, it can turn into something really unforgettable.
7) Frank & Louis – directed by Petra Biondina Volpe
Starring: Kingsley Ben-Adir, Rob Morgan, Indira Varma
A man serving a life sentence takes an in-prison job caring for infirm prisoners suffering from memory loss. The start of the job was for his parole but it turned into a deep emotional and transformative relationship.
I’ve been a longtime fan of Kingsley Ben-Adir and Indira Varma, so I’m immediately intrigued by their casting. This reminds me a bit of the acclaimed prison drama Sing Sing.
8) Josephine – directed by Beth de Araújo
Starring: Mason Reeves, Gemma Chan, Channing Tatum
After 8-year-old Josephine accidentally witnesses a crime in Golden Gate Park, she acts out in search of a way to regain control of her safety, while adults are helpless to console her.
Everyone’s talking about this film out of Sundance! Josephine won two of the most coveted awards at Sundance: the Grand Jury Prize and the Audience Award in the US dramatic competition. Everything I read about this one sounds like a gripping and emotional drama that explores the ripple effects of trauma. Sumerian Pictures, which is well-known as a record label and is now branching into film, has acquired it in a deal worth 7 figures, but there’s no release date announced yet.
9) Lady – directed by Olive Nwosu
Starring: Jessica Gabriel’s Ujah, Amanda Oruh, Tinuade Jemiseye
A determined taxi driver in Lagos forms an unexpected bond with a group of free-spirited women, leading her into a world of friendship and self-discovery despite the risks along the way.
Having just seen a Nigerian-set film, My Father’s Shadow, I’m keen to return to Lagos and see the city from a woman’s perspective. This film won Sundance’s World Cinema Dramatic Special Jury Award for Acting Ensemble.
10) Time and Water – directed by Sara Dosa
Facing the death of his country’s glaciers and the loss of his beloved grandparents, Icelandic writer Andri Snær Magnason turns his archives into a time capsule to hold what is slipping away — family, memory, time, and water.
I loved the beautiful and heartbreaking doc Fire of Love, and this time, Dosa makes the case for the clear effects of climate change through the lens of a writer’s family. Magnason shines a light on the rapidly dying glaciers across his homeland, which has forged the Icelandic culture for thousands of years.
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In all honesty, not much other than Greta Gerwig’s Narnia film and Josephine. I would add Sofia Coppola’s documentary Marc by Sofia that might come out later this month but that is a 2025 film.
Oh thanks for reminding me about Marc by Sofia. I do want to see that, somehow I thought it was released in theaters already last year. I know Sofia is good friends with Marc Jacobs.
Someone on social noted the coincidence of Women’s day and losing an hour to Daylight Savings the same day. And noted, “women getting short-changed yet again.”🫠😏
Oh wow, I didn’t notice that daylight saving time happens the same day as International Women’s Day! I didn’t look at it as ‘women getting short-changed yet again,’ but you’ve got a point there. If we’re talking about female representation in Hollywood filmmaking, though, we do still have ways to go! I still find it tricky to find films by women to watch for my annual #52FilmsByWomen challenge!
The only one I know about is Narnia: The Magician’s Nephew, I think I enjoyed the original Narnia film back in the 2000s but I have never seen the sequels. But I enjoyed Barbie, so I’m looking forward to what Greta Gerwig can do with this one. I also hope that her career doesn’t end if this one bombs because we have seen so many times that when a woman director made a box office hit but if their film bombs, their career is pretty much over. Look at Patty Jenkins. Wonder Woman was a huge hit but the sequel bombed and she hasn’t done any film since. Her Star Wars project got cancelled right after Wonder Woman 2 was released. Hollywood doesn’t give women directors that many chances but men can have so many box office bombs yet they’re still get to make more movies.
You’re absolutely right, Ted, male directors are given far more grace than female ones. It’s really too bad about Patty Jenkins; I sure hope she gets to direct at least smaller- to mid-budget-range films. With Gerwig, I think she and her husband, Noah Baumbach, have their own production company now, plus she’s built quite a clout now with Margot Robbie, so hopefully she won’t ever end up like Jenkins.
That’s true about Greta Gerwig, she has a production company with her husband and Noah has signed deals with Netflix. Also, the new Narnia film is produced by Netflix and they don’t care about box office numbers, they only care about how many views their movies received. So, the new Narnia should perform well on Netflix.
With The Bride being one of the early box office misfires this year, Maggie Gyllenhaal will likely never get to make another big budget studio film. But if she decides to work with a streaming service, I think they’ll give her big money for the project. I remember reading about how Netflix tried very hard to get The Bride made but Gyllenhaal wanted them to guarantee a long theatrical run. They refused of course and she went with Warner Bros.
True, Netflix has their own metrics of success.
I feel bad for Maggie Gyllenhaal, I didn’t think The Bride! would fail so spectacularly at the box office, esp with that cast and Jessie Buckley is so hot right now with her Oscar nom for HAMNET. Yeah I think she probably can only make stuff for streaming now.
Hey Ruth,
All of these films sound interesting and worthy. They all sound beyond the average commercial enterprise. They sound deep, by and large.
4 Kids Walk Into a Bank is really piquing me.
You, Me and Tuscany sounds like a fun romp. Looking at the brief descriptions and comments you have made, I can see why the 2 of most interest to me have release dates already.
Thanks Ruth! ❦💙❦❦💙❦❦💙❦
4 Kids Walk Into a Bank does sound fascinating, doesn’t it? I love heist movies, esp with Liam Neeson (as a grandpa, no less!). It’s based on a graphic novel too, which intrigues me even more.
You, Me and Tuscany should be a fun escape; I mean, who doesn’t want some dreamy romance on the Amalfi Coast?
Thanks Resa, love your new set of emojis!!
❀⋆˚✿˖° 𐙚° ⊹ ° ♡° ❀° ❦
A fantastic list of female-directed films to look forward to in 2026. All of these titles sound promising to me but the one movie that has most piqued my interest is Narnia: The Magician’s Nephew. I’m a big fan of the Narnia books and grew up reading them during my childhood. I also absolutely admired Andrew Adamson’s 2005 adaptation of the iconic book. Plus, I’m a fan of Greta Gerwig and so far have loved all of her movies with “Little Women” being my personal favourite. I’m curious to see what she will do with this material. Her films tend to be feminist, so I’m curious to see how that will translate into the world of Narnia.
Here’s my thoughts on why I loved the 2005 Narnia movie:
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