Apple TV just pulled the wraps off its full 2026 slate, laying out a busy calendar that leans on buzzy new series, high-wattage films, and returns from audience favorites. It’s a confident follow-up to a strong prior year that saw critical momentum build around originals and returning hits.
The strategy is clear: blend star-driven projects with brand-extending franchises, roll out premieres weekly to extend discovery, and pepper in zeitgeisty bets. Industry trackers like Parrot Analytics have repeatedly noted that Apple’s originals punch above their weight in demand, and this lineup looks calibrated to keep that edge.
New series and premieres headlining Apple TV in 2026
Imperfect Women arrives March 18, a tense, character-first mystery led by Elisabeth Moss, Kerry Washington, and Kate Mara. Based on Araminta Hall’s novel, it probes secrets among lifelong friends after a shocking murder — a premium blend of prestige and page-turner.
Margo’s Got Money Troubles (April 15) adapts Rufi Thorpe’s novel with Elle Fanning as a single mom who finds financial grit — and a viral audience — through a sci-fi alter ego on OnlyFans. Backed by A24 and David E. Kelley, it’s positioned as a sharp, empathetic dramedy about hustle culture and digital identity.
Widow’s Bay (April 29) mixes comedy and chills on a cursed New England island where a tourism push invites supernatural consequences. Matthew Rhys anchors the small-town satire-meets-folklore frightfest.
Maximum Pleasure Guaranteed (May 20) finds Tatiana Maslany as a newly divorced mom who stumbles into crime-solving, blackmail, and self-reinvention. Think suburban noir with sharp elbows and a sense of mischief.
Cape Fear (June 5) reimagines the Scorsese classic as a limited series, pitting Amy Adams and Patrick Wilson’s married attorneys against Javier Bardem’s vengeful Max Cady. The hook: expanding a familiar cat-and-mouse into a slower-burn psychological battle.
Lucky (July 15) casts Anya Taylor-Joy as a con artist caught between the FBI and a furious crime boss after a multimillion-dollar heist goes sideways. Expect sleek set pieces and high-stakes reinvention.
Returning favorites: hit Apple TV series coming back
Shrinking Season 3 is now streaming weekly, keeping Jason Segel and Harrison Ford’s heartfelt therapy comedy squarely in the conversation.
The Last Thing He Told Me returns Feb. 20 with Jennifer Garner navigating a family reunion complicated by old enemies and older secrets.
Monarch: Legacy of Monsters roars back Feb. 27, unleashing Titan X and teasing a Godzilla–Kong tag team. Big-screen scale remains the calling card.
For All Mankind Season 5 lifts off March 27, escalating Mars–Earth tensions and pushing its alternate-space-race timeline into new geopolitical territory.
Your Friends and Neighbors Season 2 drops April 3 as Jon Hamm’s suburban thief faces a nosy new rival — with a Season 3 already locked, pointing to robust word of mouth.
Criminal Record Season 2 (April 22) reunites Peter Capaldi and Cush Jumbo for a case rooted in political extremism and moral compromise.
Sugar Season 2 lands June 19, with Colin Farrell’s noir PI — and secret alien — tracking a disappearance that promises deeper sci-fi reveals.
Ted Lasso resurfaces this summer, shifting the beloved coach back to England to helm a second-division women’s side alongside familiar faces. It’s the rare feel-good juggernaut getting a fresh competitive canvas.
Feature films on deck for Apple TV throughout 2026
Eternity streams Feb. 13, a tender afterlife love triangle starring Elizabeth Olsen and Miles Teller that balances existential questions with gentle humor.
Outcome premieres April 10, with Keanu Reeves as a Hollywood star scrambling to contain a career-ruining video in Jonah Hill’s dark comedy — a star-plus-auteur combo built for social buzz.
The Dink serves July 24 as a pickleball comedy headlined by Jake Johnson. Timely? Absolutely: the Sports & Fitness Industry Association has reported pickleball as the fastest-growing U.S. sport for multiple years, with participation surging by well over 50% year over year.
Mayday flies in Sept. 4, pairing Ryan Reynolds with Kenneth Branagh in an offbeat Cold War survival comedy from the Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves filmmakers — crowd-pleasing pedigree, unexpected tone.
Matchbox The Movie hits Oct. 9, spinning Mattel’s die-cast brand into a globe-trotting caper led by John Cena. Following toy-to-screen breakouts across the industry, Apple is planting a flag in four-quadrant IP.
Way of the Warrior Kid bows Nov. 20, with Chris Pratt mentoring a bullied tween through a SEAL-grade confidence reset. Family-forward inspiration with action credibility built in.
Why this 2026 Apple TV slate matters for the platform
Across the calendar, Apple is triangulating three lanes: extensions of known worlds (Monarch, Cape Fear, Matchbox), star magnets that cut through crowded feeds (Reeves, Taylor-Joy, Reynolds), and distinctive authorial projects (A24’s Margo’s Got Money Troubles). That mix helps discovery while keeping the brand’s “fewer, bigger, better” identity intact.
The weekly cadence — already standard for Apple — stretches conversation windows and can temper churn, a trend firms like Antenna have highlighted across the sector. Meanwhile, demand-side signals from Parrot Analytics show prestige-leaning thrillers and grounded sci-fi consistently over-index for the service, a lane this slate leans into.
Put simply, Apple TV’s 2026 plan is engineered for momentum: a steady drumbeat from February to November, comfort-food returns spaced between ambitious debuts, and films timed to cultural touchpoints. If execution matches ambition, expect a lot of watercooler Mondays.