A new weekend means brand new movies playing at the movie theater. We can already taste the warm, buttered popcorn and crisp, icy fountain soda!
This weekend (Friday, January 23, 2026) at the movie theater you can catch a spooky new horror movie based on a popular video games series. Plus, check out a new sci-fi thriller starring a Hollywood A-lister, as well as a heartfelt drama based on a true story.
In addition to this weekend’s new movie releases, there are also plenty of new-ish, recent releases still in theaters.
If you’re itching to get out of the house, discover the best new movies playing in theaters this weekend in the list below. Be sure to check your local theater listings for availability and showtimes.
Not keen to venture out of the house this weekend? No worries—you can check out all the new movies streaming at home this weekend right here.
This Weekend’s New Movie Releases in Theaters
Return to Silent Hill
Based on the hit Silent Hill video game series, Return to Silent Hill follows a man named James who receives a letter calling him to the mysterious and terrifying town of Silent Hill following the loss of his wife. The supernatural horror film is rated R.
Return to Silent Hill is in theaters Friday, January 23.
Mercy
Chris Pratt and Rebecca Ferguson star in this dystopian sci-fi film about a police detective forced to prove his innocence in the murder of his wife in just 90 minutes, all while his life hangs in the balance under trial by a powerful AI judge. The futuristic action-thriller is rated PG-13.
Mercy is in theaters Friday, January 23.
H Is for Hawk
Based on the memoir of the same name, Claire Foy plays a grieving woman who confronts her father’s sudden passing by unexpectedly bonding with and training a fierce forest hawk in this tender drama. The film is rated PG-13.
H Is for Hawk is in theaters Friday, January 23.
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New Movies Still in Theaters This Weekend
28 Years Later: The Bone Temple
28 Years Later, the critically acclaimed 2025 installment in the 28 Years Later franchise, continues in The Bone Temple as young Spike joins a cult-like gang and Dr. Kelson makes a world-altering discovery regarding the Rage Virus that has devastated the U.K. The apocalyptic horror is rated R.
28 Years Later: The Bone Temple was released in theaters on January 16.
Primate
Ben, a domesticated pet chimpanzee, goes on a deadly, violent rampage against a group of vacationing teens after being bitten by a rapid critter in this gory animal attack throwback horror movie. The survival slasher is rated R.
Primate was released in theaters on January 9.
Avatar: Fire and Ash
Jake Sully, Neytiri, and their spirited children return in this third film installment in James Cameron’s Avatar franchise, which sees the family face a new threat: a tribe of warmongering Na’vi who have teamed up with the RDA and Colonel Quaritch. The sci-fi epic starring Sam Worthington, Zoe Saldaña, Stephen Lang, and more is rated PG-13.
Avatar: Fire and Ash was released in theaters on December 19, 2025.
The Housemaid
Based on the 2022 novel of the same name, Sydney Sweeney and Amanda Seyfried star in this psychological thriller about a desperate young woman who takes a job as a live-in nanny and housekeeper for a seemingly perfect, wealthy family, only to discover a shocking series of dark secrets. The mystery-thriller is rated R.
The Housemaid was released in theaters on December 19, 2025.
Zootopia 2
Bunny police officer Judy Hopps and her new fox partner Nick Wilde return to investigate a conspiracy surrounding a mysterious new reptile in their city in this sequel to Disney’s hit 2016 animated film, Zootopia. The family-friendly comedy is rated PG.
Zootopia 2 was released in theaters on November 26, 2025.
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Gallery Credit: Erica Russell
