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Don't sleep on these films — they just might blow everyone away! Join us as we count down the upcoming movies that have all the potential to be massive surprise hits! From supernatural thrillers to horror standouts and animated musicals, these are the films flying under the radar that deserve your full attention. Which of these do you think will break out big? Let us know in the comments!
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00:00Welcome to WatchMojo, and today we're counting down our picks for the films on the horizon you do not want
00:05to sleep on.
00:05Verse 9.
00:09K-pop, the debut.
00:10If there's one thing we've learned in the last couple of years, it's to never, under any circumstances, underestimate K
00:16-pop fans.
00:16Trying to dream smile, a little sun adorned, or in the jachiro pindai.
00:24Whether they're on streaming, in theaters, in a music video, or demon hunters, people do not mess around with Korean
00:29music groups.
00:30The song we couldn't write, this is what it sounds like.
00:36So a live-action coming-of-age drama set against poppy music in Korean culture sounds like a slam dunk.
00:41If anything, it'll definitely be a big moment for different creative visions behind the camera.
00:45After all, the debut is already touted as the first major American studio film shot entirely in South Korea.
00:50That's a pretty big deal.
00:51Throw in some incredible Korean talent and a confirmed appearance from K-pop group Cat's Eye, and this one could
00:56be Demon Hunters' levels of big.
00:59River.
01:00On the surface, you may see this as yet another crappy horror film dumped in the doldrum winter months.
01:05What we see is the next big slasher breakout.
01:07To dad.
01:10Following a pair of sisters who want to scatter their dad's ashes in peace,
01:13the film is supposedly bloody, fun, and must-see material.
01:20That's not too surprising considering the repertoire of talent.
01:23River stars Jessica Roth and Jane Levy, who are pretty much Scream Queen royalty.
01:27Don't Breathe and Happy Death Day are still Halloween favorites,
01:30so putting them together is enough to get our butts in seats.
01:32To say nothing of River itself, which ended up at the center of a major bidding war
01:36when it debuted at the Toronto International Film Festival.
01:38Keep coming! Keep coming!
01:40All signs are pointing to this being one for the horror history books.
01:52Alone at Dawn.
01:53Don't let its familiar war movie setup fool you.
01:55Alone at Dawn could pack a serious emotional punch.
01:57Directed by Ron Howard, this book adaptation dramatizes the true story
02:01of a U.S. Air Force combat controller during the Battle of Ta-Kor-Gar.
02:04Straight away, they come under heavy enemy fire from all directions,
02:08and the group quickly become pinned down.
02:10Adam Driver takes the lead alongside Anne Hathaway and Betty Gilpin.
02:14Yeah, that's the cast.
02:15Need we say more?
02:16We will anyway.
02:17How was your journey?
02:18I arrived in good order, for which I give thanks.
02:21Someone has their eye on this behind the scenes,
02:23since Alone at Dawn is also poised for a limited release in December 2027,
02:27before opening wide in 2028.
02:28The fact it's squeezing in before the end of the year implies that it's gunning for some Oscar gold.
02:32With a team this prolific, we wouldn't be surprised if Alone at Dawn becomes a frontrunner
02:36in both awards season and at the box office.
02:38Don't be alone on your doomscroll.
02:39Scan this QR code and join our 24-7 WatchMojo livestream to join the party.
02:44What?
02:47Jason Statham stole my bike.
02:49At this point, it's obvious that when David Leach and Jason Statham are together,
02:52you're in for a good time.
02:53I'm here for Cliff, huh?
02:55It's my turn.
02:57But something about this project has us particularly excited.
03:00In a change of pace from the pairing's usual action schtick,
03:03Stole My Bike is aiming for a bit more comedy.
03:05The title alone is perfectly tongue-in-cheek.
03:06While we're always down for more over-the-top violence,
03:09this genre pivot could lead to a breakout performance.
03:19We all love Jason Statham.
03:20We all love David Leach.
03:21And of course, we all love a good action comedy.
03:23Especially when it's from a duo with this much experience under their belt.
03:26I drove a car off a freeway on top of a train while I was on fire.
03:31Not the car.
03:33I was on fire.
03:34If Jason Statham stole my bike is even half as much fun as its premise,
03:37it could go all the way and more.
03:39Children of Blood and Bone.
03:41Ordinarily, we'd say you never want to doubt a popular book-to-movie adaptation.
03:44But this one has a bit more baggage than most.
03:46Orisha was once a land where magic flowed through our people.
03:50The cast sounds impeccable.
03:52Tussauds Mbedu, Amandla Stenberg, Damson Idris, Viola Davis, and Idris Elba.
03:57But despite their talent, author Tomi Adeyemi has some very serious concerns about colorism.
04:01She made her displeasure known,
04:02which has led to a lot of mudslinging on both sides of production.
04:05The book's fantastical story of empowerment and self-worth is sure to still resonate with viewers,
04:09but it remains to be seen whether Children of Blood and Bone can transcend its contentious production or not.
04:13You can bring magic back.
04:16Will it alienate its fans, or is this a there's no such thing as bad press situation?
04:21Only time will tell.
04:32Bad fairies.
04:33In a Hollywood landscape dominated by franchises and reboots,
04:36original animation is always a tough sell.
04:38Baby, come back.
04:40Any kind of food could see.
04:42But if we had to put our money on one to break the mold, it's Bad Fairies.
04:45Instead of a Disney princess, green ogre, or web-slinging superhero,
04:49this animated feature is all about fairies who don't like rules.
04:52That's a fine start, but the real claim to fame is its composers.
04:54Yeah, Bad Fairies is a musical, and the songs are written by Tobey Marlowe and Lucy Moss,
04:58who are best known for their work on Six.
05:00Listen up, let me tell you a story.
05:03Considering that score received both Tony and Olivier award attention,
05:07it's safe to say these two know a bit about writing viral songs.
05:10And who will be singing them, you ask?
05:11Oh, no one big, just a little Oscar-nominated superstar named Cynthia Erivo.
05:15I'd still learn by defying gravity.
05:21We're telling you now, mark your calendars for Bad Fairies.
05:23Its soundtrack is going to be legendary.
05:26Free to take a crown in glory for I'm all in it.
05:31The Housemaid's Secret.
05:33Another day, another book turned into a blockbuster franchise.
05:35This time, it's The Housemaid, a Frida McFadden series that's returning to screens in 2027.
05:40I want you to feel safe here.
05:44I do.
05:45In case you need a refresher, the first saw Amanda Seyfried and Sidney Sweeney indulge in all kinds of glorious
05:49soap opera thrills.
05:51It's paid off in spades.
05:51And box office, for that matter.
05:53While we usually approach sequels with trepidation,
05:55the fact they're adapting the second book in the series has us cautiously optimistic.
05:59I mean, I can't afford that.
06:01I don't care.
06:02It was your mistake, you're going to cover it.
06:03To really seal the deal, The Housemaid's Secret is also adding the incomparable Kirsten Dunst to the cast.
06:08Look, we're simple people.
06:09We see three amazing actresses on screen, and we buy a movie ticket.
06:12Assuming the movie lives up to the hype,
06:13and The Housemaid's Secret could make this hit series into a true generational tentpole.
06:18I told you to run.
06:19Can't run.
06:21Run for all, remember?
06:23The Exorcist Martyrs.
06:24Okay, we admit, the last several Exorcist films have been less than amazing, to put it nicely.
06:28Really, everything after the first has ranged from disappointing to outright awful.
06:32But against our better judgment, we just can't resist getting excited about a Mike Flanagan movie.
06:35The FBI didn't start interviewing serial killers until the 1970s.
06:40He spent the last several years at Netflix creating some of the best horror television you'll ever see.
06:44The Haunting of Hill House, anyone?
06:45But now Flanagan's finally back behind the camera of a big-budget Hollywood feature,
06:49and it's The Freaking Exorcist.
06:50With Scarlett Johansson starring.
06:51If anyone can get this franchise back to its scary roots, it's these two.
06:57While we understand some people may not want to get their hopes up again,
07:00we have to acknowledge the potential here.
07:022026 was an amazing year for the horror genre.
07:04Who's to say 2027 can't continue that trend?
07:07What is it, Mari?
07:12I'd appreciate if you didn't call me that.
07:17Anything but ghosts.
07:18What's so special about a supernatural comedy?
07:20We're so glad you asked.
07:21Anything but ghosts happens to be written and directed by Curry Barker,
07:24who also helmed a little movie you may have heard of, Obsession.
07:27Is Nicky happy?
07:30Does Nicky like me?
07:33Yeah.
07:42I'm your freaky Nicky.
07:44His vision took a small indie feature and turned it into one of the most successful films of all time.
07:48So, yeah, you could say there's a lot of eyes on his follow-up.
07:51You love me more than anyone in the world?
07:58Yes, more than anyone.
08:01Thankfully, things are already looking promising for anything but ghosts.
08:04It's about two fake paranormal investigators who have to contend with actual malevolent spirits.
08:08That's a good enough elevator pitch on its own, but add in the Curry Barker of it all,
08:11and there's a good chance anything but ghosts turns into the must-see event of the summer.
08:15What can we say?
08:16We're practically obsessed.
08:17No one on this earth will ever comprehend what it feels like to love someone as much as I love
08:25you.
08:30If you love games, be sure to check out WatchMojo's new game, Terrible Influence.
08:34Just launched for purchase at TerribleInfluence.com.
08:37Terrible Influence is a satirical board game about the dark side of fame
08:41from the writer of the most popular girls in school and us, WatchMojo.
08:45Boom.
08:45I can make an apology video.
08:47Oh, you so would.
08:48Click on the link in the description to check out the game and be the first to play Terrible Influence.
08:54Remain.
08:55There are two kinds of M. Night Shyamalan films.
08:57Some are the greatest of all time and some, well, are not.
09:00What?
09:01No.
09:02No matter which side Remain falls on, it's sure to be a conversation starter.
09:06I brought you something.
09:07You did?
09:09What is it?
09:11Shyamalan is back writing, directing, and producing the film,
09:13which is based on an idea he had with author Nicholas Sparks.
09:16You're playing these games for me, aren't you?
09:18Truth is run.
09:19You're not like anybody I've ever met.
09:20It stars Jake Gyllenhaal on his build as a supernatural romantic thriller.
09:24Color us intrigue.
09:25When Shyamalan's on, he's really on,
09:26so there's always a sliver of possibility this could be a dazzling return to form.
09:35At the very least, it'll probably inspire a few more legendary memes,
09:38which is a success in its own right.
09:39Whether it finds any kind of critical or commercial success remains to be seen.
09:43Pun fully intended.
09:50What movie do you think will be a surprise hit,
09:52and which will be a total bomb?
09:53Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.