The big screen is coming to the small screen with some of the most anticipated shows of 2026. While there are a lot of great original series to look forward to in the new year, there are also some very exciting shows that will serve as continuations of popular movie franchises. This follows in the steps of recent hits like Welcome to Derry.
Whether it be prequels, spinoffs, or reimaginings, these shows will excite fans of the franchises while also introducing plenty of new fans to these stories. There is also something for everyone, from sci-fi to horror to comedy, within these promising new shows.
Blade Runner 2099
Though it has never had much success at the box office, Blade Runner is one of the most celebrated sci-fi movie franchises of all time. The original 1982 movie has been hailed as a masterpiece of the genre, influencing countless movies that followed. Blade Runner 2049 was the long-awaited follow-up that has developed its own cult following.
Now, the franchise is making the shift to the small screen with its first live-action series. As the title suggests, Blade Runner 2099 takes place 50 years after the events of the sequel and stars Oscar winner Michelle Yeoh as a replicant who is nearing the end of her life. The Amazon Prime series could launch the franchise in a completely new way.
Elle
Reese Witherspoon became a household name with her performance as Elle Woods in Legally Blonde. While there have been rumors of a third movie for years, the franchise is finally ready to return, but without its star. Instead, Elle will be a prequel series focusing on a young Elle Woods.
Newcomer Lexi Minetree will step into the role of Elle as we get to see her and her unique personality when she was in high school. It might not be the continuation that many fans have been waiting for, but with Witherspoon as one of the producers, it offers an added bit of credibility to the show.
Spider-Noir
Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse opened up a whole universe of Spider-Man stories worth exploring, but it is still surprising that Spider-Noir was chosen as the one to make into a live-action series. What's more, Nicolas Cage, who voiced the role in the animated adventure, will be reprising his role in this new Marvel series.
Set in an alternate universe in the 1930s New York City, Cage plays Ben Reilly, a troubled private investigator who moonlights as a masked vigilante. Seeing the Spider-Man story told through the lens of a noir thriller is a very interesting concept, and the show is likely to have a good bit of the humor that was present in Into the Spider-Verse as well.
Crystal Lake
It is rare to see a popular horror franchise getting a television adaptation, but that's what Crystal Lake will attempt to do. The movie will actually serve as a prequel to Friday the 13th, taking place at the summer camp which would later become the killing grounds for masked villain Jason Voorhees.
It is confirmed that young Jason will be a central character in the show, and it is always risky to explore the backstory of iconic villains. However, the most exciting aspect of the show is that Linda Cardellini will be playing Pamela Voorhees, the mother of Jason and the killer in the original movie.