is a dense year for franchise sequels, with at least eight dated for wide theatrical release in the United States. The confirmed slate runs from *Ice Age: Boiling Point* in February through *Avengers: Secret Wars* in December, and includes *Sonic the Hedgehog 4*, *Spaceballs 2*, *Spider-Man: Beyond the Spider-Verse*, *Shrek 5*, *Superman: Man of Tomorrow*, and a sequel to *The Simpsons Movie*.
A "dated" release is not the same as a finished film. Several of these titles have already moved once or more, and the ones still shooting or not yet shooting carry the most schedule risk. Below is the calendar as studios have set it, plus where each film actually stands in production.
Table of Contents
- The 2027 franchise sequel calendar
- Which of these are furthest along?
- Why the Spider-Verse sequel moved to late June
- The long-gap sequels
- How to read a release date that is still a year away
- Frequently Asked Questions
The 2027 franchise sequel calendar
Here is the slate in release order, as announced by the studios: Summer carries the weight. Four of the eight land between late June and late July, with *Beyond the Spider-Verse* and *Shrek 5* separated by five days — two animated tentpoles aimed at overlapping family and teen audiences in the same week.
Animation accounts for half the slate. *Ice Age*, *Sonic*, *Beyond the Spider-Verse*, *Shrek 5*, and *The Simpsons* are all animated or animation-driven, which is unusual density for one calendar year and a real constraint on how much any one of them can expect to earn.
- **February 5** — *Ice Age: Boiling Point* (Disney/20th Century), titled and dated at Destination D23 on August 30, 2025
- **March 19** — *Sonic the Hedgehog 4* (Paramount)
- **April 23** — *Spaceballs 2* (Amazon MGM), Mel Brooks' sequel to the 1987 original
- **June 25** — *Spider-Man: Beyond the Spider-Verse* (Sony)
- **June 30** — *Shrek 5* (Universal/DreamWorks Animation)
Which of these are furthest along?
The December 17 date is itself the third one Marvel has used for the film. It was originally announced for May 1, 2026, then moved to May 7, 2027, before landing on its current slot on Marvel's official film page.
- Superman: Man of Tomorrow* is the safest bet on the list. James Gunn announced on Threads in late August 2026 that the film had wrapped principal photography after 93 shooting days, with David Corenswet, Nicholas Hoult and Rachel Brosnahan returning — as Variety reported on August 27, 2026. A film in post-production fourteen months before release is a film that makes its date.
- Avengers: Secret Wars* sits at the other end. Joe and Anthony Russo have said the film was still in pre-production while they were finishing *Avengers: Doomsday*, with principal photography not yet started — and Screen Rant reported Anthony Russo describing the timing as "a little nervous". That is the single largest schedule risk on the 2027 calendar.
Why the Spider-Verse sequel moved to late June
Sony pushed *Spider-Man: Beyond the Spider-Verse* back three weeks, from June 4, 2027 to June 25, 2027. The reason was not production trouble. Studio sources told Variety that 100% of U.S. schools are on summer break by June 25, versus roughly 65% on June 4 — a straightforward calculation about how many kids are free to go.
That logic is worth understanding, because it applies to the whole summer block. An animated film opening before schools break loses a meaningful share of its opening weekend audience, which is why studios fight over the last week of June rather than the first. The film has moved more than once. It was originally set for March 29, 2024 and was pulled to an undated slot in July 2023 during the WGA and SAG-AFTRA strikes, as SlashFilm has documented — making the 2027 window the third attempt at releasing it.
The long-gap sequels
Three of the 2027 titles are revivals rather than continuations of an active series. *Shrek 5* is the first Shrek sequel since 2010, and Universal and DreamWorks Animation moved it from December 23, 2026 to June 30, 2027 — a shift out of the holiday corridor and into the summer family slot.
The *Simpsons* sequel follows a 2007 original. 20th Century Studios set it for July 23, 2027 and announced it via Instagram; the date was a schedule slot vacated by an untitled Marvel film. That detail matters for reading the calendar — several 2027 dates are inherited from films that moved, not territory staked out from scratch.
- Spaceballs 2* is a sequel to a 1987 film. Amazon MGM dated it for wide theatrical release on April 23, 2027, and at the point of announcement had not released plot details or settled on a final title.
How to read a release date that is still a year away
A few practical rules for anyone planning around this slate: The calendar most likely to shift first is December. *Avengers: Secret Wars* has already moved twice, has not begun principal photography, and depends on *Avengers: Doomsday* finishing first — the one 2027 release whose date rests on another film's completion.
- **Production status beats the announcement.** A wrapped film is near-certain; a film that has not started shooting is a date, not a plan.
- **Animated films move less often for production reasons and more often for competitive ones.** *Shrek 5* and *Beyond the Spider-Verse* both moved without anything going wrong on the film itself.
- **A date vacated by another film is a weaker signal than a date fought for.** The *Simpsons* sequel took a slot Marvel gave up.
- **Expect the summer block to thin.** Four wide franchise releases inside five weeks is more than the market usually absorbs, and studios historically resolve that by moving one.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which 2027 franchise sequel is most likely to hold its date?
*Superman: Man of Tomorrow*, dated July 9, 2027. Variety reported it wrapped principal photography in late August 2026 after 93 shooting days, putting it in post-production well ahead of release.
Is *Avengers: Secret Wars* still the direct sequel to *Avengers: Doomsday*?
Yes. Marvel's official film page lists it as the direct sequel, now dated December 17, 2027 after earlier announced dates of May 1, 2026 and May 7, 2027.
Why are two animated sequels opening five days apart in 2027?
*Beyond the Spider-Verse* moved to June 25 to catch full summer break, and *Shrek 5* moved into June 30 from its original December 2026 slot. Neither move was made with the other in mind.