If you’re a die-hard zombie fan, you already know the struggle. Every time a new year rolls around, we hope, pray, even that this will be the one where the genre finally rises from the dead and delivers something unforgettable again.
Sure, we’ve seen a few decent releases here and there. But let's be real. The Walking Dead franchise has been carrying the entire undead scene on its back for over a decade, and at this point, it feels like the rest of the genre is just shambling behind it, trying to keep up.
But 2026? 2026 might finally change the game. A bunch of zombie shows and movies are either confirmed or expected to hit screens, and in this article, we’ve shared six that you absolutely need to mark on your radar.
We Bury the Dead
- Theatrical release date: Jan. 2, 2026
Hope you don't have much to watch at the top of next year, because that's when We Bury the Dead is set to hit theaters. This zombie thriller flick stars Daisy Ridley as Ava Newman, a woman on a desperate mission to find her missing husband in the aftermath of a disastrous military experiment. After joining a team tasked with recovering and burying the dead, Ava quickly realizes that the corpses aren’t staying lifeless. Her search then turns into a fight for survival against an unimaginable horror.
The cast is also made up of Mark Coles Smith, Brenton Thwaites, Kym Jackson, Matt Whelan, Deanna Cooney, Salme Geransar, and many others.
28 Years Later: The Bone Temple
- Theatrical release date: Jan. 16, 2026
Technically, 28 Years Later: The Bone Temple is not a zombie movie given that the infected aren’t reanimated corpses but living humans driven into madness by a deadly virus. However, fans of the zombie genre will feel right at home. These infected are just as fast, ferocious, and terrifying as any traditional undead horde.
28 Years Later: The Bone Temple serves as a sequel to 28 Years Later. We follow Dr. Kelson (Ralph Fiennes) as he makes a discovery that could have world-changing consequences. Meanwhile, Spike (Alfie Williams) finds himself trapped in a nightmarish encounter with the ruthless Jimmy Crystal and his cult.
Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Jack O'Connell, Erin Kellyman, Chi Lewis-Parry, Emma Laird, Maura Bird, and Cillian Murphy make up the cast as well.
This Is Not a Test
- Theatrical release year: 2026
Adapted from the popular young adult novel of the same name by Courtney Summers, This Is Not a Test follows a teenage girl named Sloane and a handful of her classmates who barricade themselves in their high school to survive a sudden, catastrophic outbreak that has thrown their hometown into chaos. As danger relentlessly closes in, Sloane finds herself having to face the brutal realities of survival.
Talented actors such as Olivia Holt, Froy Gutierrez, Luke MacFarlane, Corteon Moore, Chloe Avakian, and Carson MacCormac are in the cast.
The Walking Dead: Daryl Dixon season 4
- Release year: 2026
Daryl Dixon season 4 will officially premiere on AMC sometime next year. While we're happy about this, it's also bittersweet because the fourth season will be the show's last. Plot details for season 4 haven't been revealed yet, but it's expected to continue Daryl and Carol's European journey as they try to find a way back home to America.
Of course, we can expect their journey not to be smooth or easy. Besides the undead, they'll likely face more ruthless human adversaries. Norman Reedus and Melissa McBride are set to reprise their respective roles as Daryl and Carol.
The Walking Dead: Dead City season 3
- Expected release year: 2026
Besides Daryl Dixon, Dead City is the only other Walking Dead spinoff still currently ongoing. Unfortunately, we don't have any confirmation of when the third season will premiere on AMC. However, it's expected to start airing sometime in 2026.
Dead City season 3 will see Negan and Maggie set aside their past differences to join forces and build Manhattan’s first successful post-apocalyptic community since the zombie outbreak. But as tensions rise throughout the city, they’ll find themselves reflecting on their past mistakes to see if they’ve actually grown from them. Jeffrey Dean Morgan returns as Negan and Lauren Cohan as Maggie.
Resident Evil
- Theatrical release date: Sept. 18, 2026
Barbarian and Weapons director Zach Cregger is trying his hand at bringing his unique touch to the Resident Evil universe. Set to be released in the fall of 2026, this zombie flick promises an entirely original story set within the familiar world of the iconic video game franchise.
The film's plot is believed to center around a courier tasked with delivering a mysterious package to a secluded hospital. But things quickly spiral out of control when he becomes trapped in the middle of a deadly outbreak, forcing him to battle his way through relentless hordes of the undead. Austin Abrams, Paul Walter Hauser, Zach Cherry, Kali Reis, and Johnno Wilson are in the cast.