The actors and directors we are most excited about for 2026

3 hours ago 2

It takes a special kind of talent to break through these days. But each year, a few new faces catch our eye with their keen skills both in front of and behind the camera.

This year, 16-year-old Owen Cooper won an Emmy for his role in Adolescence, and Chase Infiniti shone in One Battle After Another. Meanwhile, French-American director Eva Victor broke into the mainstream with the critically acclaimed Sorry, Baby, and Scarlett Johansson swapped call-sheets for clapperboards with her directorial debut Eleanor the Great.

It’s all but certain that 2026 will unleash a new wave of emerging talent vying for our attention. So, here are some of the most intriguing up-and-coming directors and actors to keep an eye on over the next 12 months.

Directors

Kristen Stewart

Kristen Stewart has well and truly graduated from Twilight. After starring in the dramatic indie production Love Lies Bleeding last year, she has now transitioned to the director’s chair with The Chronology of Water.

The film, based on Lidia Yuknavitch’s memoir, received a 6½-minute standing ovation at Cannes this year, and has been applauded for its visual experimentation. A project eight years in the making, it’s yet to secure an Australian release date (it has already had a limited US run), but viewers can expect a story about “birth, death and rebirth”, a creation Stewart refers to as her “favourite scar”.

″⁣There are certain pieces that unlock you.″⁣

Harry Lighton

British director Harry Lighton is expected to come out the gate strong with his feature debut Pillion, a rom-drama that the Guardian has described as “what Fifty Shades of Grey should have been”.

Starring Alexander Skarsgård and Harry Melling, the film raises questions around where sexual role-play ends and coercive control begins. Deftly weaving together scenes that are touching, thought-provoking, funny and salacious, Lighton rewrites the classic love story in an entirely non-judgmental way.

Pillion will hit Australian cinemas on February 19.

Harris Dickinson

Despite a late 2025 release, Harris Dickinson’s dramatic debut Urchin, released on Boxing Day, is riveting enough to attract viewers well into the new year.

The actor-turned-writer/director, best known for his roles in Palme d’Or winner Triangle of Sadness and Babygirl, has created a heartbreaking account of homelessness and addiction. With a captivating performance from Frank Dillane, Dickinson’s film is extremely raw with moments of surreal absurdity – hopefully his first of many.

You may know him from Babygirl, but with Urchin, Harris Dickinson (right) has proven he can direct as well as he can act.

Sarah Goher

Having already won Best International Narrative Feature and the Nora Ephron Award at Tribeca this year, Egyptian-American director Sarah Goher’s Happy Birthday will make waves upon its (as yet unconfirmed) release.

Known previously for producing works such as Marvel’s TV series Moon Knight, Happy Birthday is her directorial debut. It’s a coming-of-age drama exploring classism in modern-day Cairo through a child maid who wants her employer’s daughter to have an enjoyable birthday. It’s Egypt’s official entry for the 98th Academy Awards.

Akinola Davies Jr

British-Nigerian filmmaker Akinola Davies Jr’s feature debut enjoyed some attention at Cannes this year, receiving a special mention for the Caméra d’Or and being the first Nigerian film in the festival’s official selection.

My Father’s Shadow follows two brothers and their estranged father during Nigeria’s 1993 election. Examining themes of absent fatherhood and masculinity, Davies’ film has been hailed for its poetic, high-style drama as it awaits wider international distribution.

Akinola Davies Jr’s My Father’s Shadow is sure to get people talking in 2026.

Actors

Charli XCX

She’s not exactly a new name, but Charli XCX will put her acting chops to the test next year with The Moment, a quasi-mockumentary style film that follows a rising pop star preparing for their first arena tour.

Granted, the singer has already featured in a few titles (Sacrifice, Erupcja and Prime Video’s Overcompensating), but this will mark her first foray into a lead role, to be directed by famed music photographer Aiden Zamiri.

Joseph Zada

Following breakout television roles in Invisible Boys and We Were Liars, Joseph Zada will storm onto a much bigger screen next year with Sunrise on the Reaping, the sixth instalment in the box office-breaking Hunger Games franchise.

The 20-year-old Sydneysider immediately turned heads upon being announced as the new Haymitch, taking over for Woody Harrelson. Given the series’ history of turning emerging actors into household names (Jennifer Lawrence), this film – landing in cinemas on November 19 – could fast-track Zada’s path to mega fame.

Joseph Zada has been increasingly visible on TV, but starring as the lead in a Hunger Games movie is of a different order.

Yerin Ha

Unless you’re a big Halo fan, you probably haven’t heard of Korean-Australian actress Yerin Ha. Expect that to change in 2026.

Ha will appear in the fourth season of Shonda Rhimes’ Bridgerton (the first part of which will land on Netflix on January 29 and the second on February 26). She’ll assume the role of Sophie Baek, a masked maid who catches the eye of the second-eldest Bridgerton brother at a masquerade ball.

Yerin Ha has already featured in The Survivors alongside Charlie Vickers. Next up, Bridgerton.

With Bridgerton being one of Netflix’s most-watched shows ever, this will be Ha’s most prominent role to date following her turn as Kwan Ha in Halo, as well as roles in smaller productions Bad Behaviour and The Survivors.

Jaafar Jackson

No matter your views on the controversial coming Michael Jackson biopic, it’s bound to send its leading star – the late pop star’s actual nephew Jaafar Jackson – into early stardom. It will be the 29-year-old’s first foray into acting, having focused on music until now (he released his debut single Got Me Singing in 2019).

Michael will land in cinemas on April 23.

Sophie Wilde

Another emerging Australian name to watch is Sophie Wilde. After impressing in Talk to Me (2022), the Philippou brothers’ debut feature horror, the Sydneysider is slated to star in a rather mind-boggling number of productions next year, including Alejandro G. Iñárritu’s Digger (also starring Tom Cruise), the A24 Halloween thriller October, and the Ubisoft adaptation Watch Dogs.