Anne Hathaway on 5 films in 2026: 'This is very fun, extremely surreal'
Synopsis
Anne Hathaway is having a career moment that even she finds hard to believe — five films in a single year, a Christopher Nolan epic, a long-awaited sequel, and a pregnancy, all at once. Her candid admission that she knows 'stuff like this doesn’t last forever' makes the wave she’s riding feel all the more striking.
Key Takeaways
Anne Hathaway is set to release five films in 2026 , one of the most prolific years of her career.
She is currently pregnant with her third child .
Her upcoming slate includes The Odyssey (directed by Sir Christopher Nolan ), The Devil Wears Prada 2 , Mother Mary , The End of Oak Street , and Verity .
Hathaway said her Mother Mary dance performance was inspired by actress Jessica Chastain .
The actress described the current phase of her career as ‘extremely surreal’ and said she intends to ‘surf this wave for as long as it lasts.’
Hollywood actress Anne Hathaway says she is embracing one of the most prolific chapters of her career with open arms, describing the moment as “very, very fun” and “extremely surreal.” The Oscar-winning star is on track to release five films in 2026, a remarkable run that comes while she is pregnant with her third child.
A Career Wave She Intends to Ride
Speaking to people.com, Hathaway reflected on the unusual intensity of this period. “I’m at an age and a moment in my career where I know stuff like this doesn’t come around very often, and certainly doesn’t last forever,” she said. Rather than feeling pressure, she appears energised: “I’m just gonna surf this wave for as long as it lasts, I’m going to enjoy being on my board, and then when I fall in the water — that’ll be that moment.”
The Odyssey and a Star-Studded Ensemble
The centrepiece of Hathaway’s 2026 slate is The Odyssey, directed by Sir Christopher Nolan. The fantasy epic features an ensemble that includes Matt Damon, Tom Holland, Robert Pattinson, Lupita Nyong’o, Samantha Morton, Zendaya, and Charlize Theron. A Nolan project of this scale, with this cast, positions Hathaway squarely at the centre of one of the most anticipated releases of the year.
Recent Work and Upcoming Releases
Hathaway recently appeared in Mother Mary and The Devil Wears Prada 2, the long-awaited sequel to the 2006 cult classic. Two further titles — The End of Oak Street and Verity — are slated for release later in 2026. The breadth of genres across these projects, from psychological thriller to fantasy epic to sequel, underscores a deliberate range in her choices.
The 'Possessed' Dance That Defined Mother Mary
Hathaway has revealed that her performance in Mother Mary, a psychological drama-thriller, drew unexpected inspiration from her close friend and fellow actress Jessica Chastain. The film featured a notably unsettling dance sequence, and Hathaway said the key was mastering the art of looking “possessed.” “It’s not just about the performance, it’s about looking like something else is coming through, that you are actually possessed by something,” she explained. Chastain, she noted, was central to unlocking that quality in her portrayal.
From Princess Diaries to Nolan: A Career in Full
Hathaway’s trajectory — from The Princess Diaries to The Devil Wears Prada to Les Misérables, for which she won the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress — has been marked by reinvention. Her current run suggests she has entered yet another creative gear, one defined by high-profile collaborations and a conscious willingness to take on challenging, varied material. With two more releases still to come this year, the wave she speaks of shows no sign of breaking just yet.
Point of View
And the fact that it includes a Nolan ensemble picture alongside a decades-delayed sequel suggests this is less coincidence and more a calculated re-centring of her brand. What’s underreported is the creative range on display: the same actress doing a possession-driven psychological thriller and a Christopher Nolan fantasy epic in the same calendar year. The Jessica Chastain detail is also telling — it points to a peer network that actively shapes her craft, not just her profile. The question mainstream coverage skips is whether the volume itself becomes the story, or whether individual performances cut through. For Hathaway, who has navigated public perception carefully since her Oscar win, the framing of 'surfing a wave' is as strategic as it is sincere.
NationPress
21 Jul 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
How many films is Anne Hathaway releasing in 2026?
Anne Hathaway is on track to release five films in 2026: The Odyssey, Mother Mary, The Devil Wears Prada 2, The End of Oak Street, and Verity. It is one of the most prolific single-year runs of her career.
What is The Odyssey and who else stars in it?
The Odyssey is a fantasy film directed by Sir Christopher Nolan, featuring an ensemble cast that includes Matt Damon, Tom Holland, Robert Pattinson, Lupita Nyong’o, Samantha Morton, Zendaya, and Charlize Theron alongside Hathaway.
Who inspired Anne Hathaway's performance in Mother Mary?
Hathaway has said that actress Jessica Chastain inspired her dance performance in Mother Mary. She described the key to the role as learning to look 'possessed' — conveying that something beyond herself was coming through in the performance.
Is Anne Hathaway pregnant?
Yes, Anne Hathaway is currently pregnant with her third child, according to reports, even as she navigates one of the busiest release schedules of her career.
What are Anne Hathaway's most notable past films?
Hathaway is known for The Princess Diaries, The Devil Wears Prada, and Les Misérables, for which she won the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress. Her career spans romantic comedies, musicals, and dramatic thrillers.
