Malayalam cinema has largely stuck to releasing grand ventures during festival and holiday seasons. Now, it appears that this norm is set to repeat once again, with several highly anticipated films set to release in the same window. Here are some ventures you should check out.
9 Malayalam films to release in summer 2026
1. Peach 3
- Mould: Jayasuriya, Saiju Kurup, Vinayakan, Vijay Babu, Sunny Wayne, Dharmajan Bolgatty, Bhagat Manuel, Indrans, Renji Panikkar
- Director: Midhun Manuel Thomas
- Style: epic fantasy comic adventure
- Release date: March 19, 2026 (tentatively)
After the huge success of Aadu 2, Jayasurya and the rest of the team are all set to return to the big screen with the third installment, titled Aadu 3. Directed by Midhun Manuel Thomas, the film is expected to mark a significant genre shift compared to its previous installments.
Recently, the producers unveiled character posters, showing each character from the original films in their past, each with their own story. Although the film appears to include period segments, it is unclear whether it will be a parallel story or a time-travel concept.
2. Nivin Pauly-B Unnikrishnan Movie
- Mould: Nivin Pauly, Ann Augustine, Balachandra Menon
- Director: B. Unnikrishnan
- Style: political thriller drama
- Release date: March 26, 2026 (tentatively)
Nivin Pauly and director B. Unnikrishnan are collaborating for the first time for an untitled political thriller. Production began with a puja ceremony in September 2025, and the project is expected to begin large-scale operations.
The upcoming film is Nivin’s next release after ventures like Sarvam Maya and Baby Girl.
3. Drishyam 3
- Mould: Mohanlal, Meena, Ansiba Hassan, Esther Anil, Asha Sharath, Siddique, Shanti Mayadevi, Irshad Ali, Ganesh Kumar, Murali Gopi
- Director: jeetu joseph
- Style: crime thriller drama
- Release date: 2 April 2026
After the success of Drishyam 2 and Neru, Mohanlal and Jeethu Joseph have once again joined hands for the third installment of the Drishyam franchise, titled Drishyam 3. The film is undoubtedly one of the most anticipated Malayalam releases of the year, with audiences expecting many twists and revelations.
However, in recent interviews, Jeethu Joseph revealed that the upcoming installment will focus more on Georgekutty and the emotional journey he undertakes after the events of the first two films.
4. Waza II: A Billion Brothers Biopic
- Mould: Alphonse Puthren, Hashir, Alan Bin Siraj, Ajin Joy, Vinayak, Amin, Nihal Nizam, Nibraz Naushad, Shahubas, Sabir S
- Director: Savin S.A
- Style: Coming-of-age comedy drama
- Release date: 2 April 2026
Waza: Biopic of a Billion Boys (2024) was a major theatrical success and received positive reviews from critics. Riding on the success of the first installment, the makers are continuing the story, with YouTube content creators Hashir, Alan Bin Siraj, Ajin Joy and Vinayak directing the sequel.
In the first installment, the gang played supporting roles, and the sequel is expected to explore more aspects of their lives, setting the stage for everyday adventures.
5. Pallichattambi
- Mould: Tovino Thomas, Kayadu Lohar, Vijayaraghavan, Johnny Antony, Sudhir Karamana, TG Ravi, Prithviraj Sukumaran (cameo)
- Director: Dijo Jose Antony
- Style: action drama
- Release date: 9 April 2026
Jana Gana Mana fame Dijo Jose Antony is all set to return to the big screen with his upcoming action drama Pallichattambi, titled by Tovino Thomas. Planned as a pan-India release, the film will be released in multiple languages including Malayalam, Tamil, Telugu, Hindi and Kannada.
Tovino Thomas is expected to be seen in a high-octane action avatar in the film, as seen in the glimpse.
6. Patriot
- Mould: Mammootty, Mohanlal, Fahadh Faasil, Nayanthara, Kunchacko Boban, Rajeev Menon, Revathi, Darshan Rajendran.
- Director: Mahesh Narayanan
- Style: spy action drama
- Release date: 23 April 2026
Decades after their last collaboration, Mammootty and Mohanlal are sharing screen space once again in the spy action drama Patriot. Directed by Mahesh Narayanan of Malik fame, the film explores a controversial intelligence mission and stars Fahadh Faasil, Kunchacko Boban and Nayanthara in lead roles.
Although more details have been kept under wraps, the makers recently unveiled interesting character posters of the lead cast.
7. Kattalan
- Mould: Antony Varghese Pepe, Sunil, Kabir Duhan Singh, Parth Tiwari, Jagdish, Dussehra Vijayan, Siddique, Raj Tirandasu, Hanan Shah, Shaun Joy, Anson Paul
- Director: paul george
- Style: action drama
- Release date: 14 May 2026
Marco producer Antony Varghese returns to theaters with action drama Kattalan starring Pepe. Set in the jungle, the film explores the intense world of action centered around smuggling.
8. Athiradi
- Mould: Tovino Thomas, Basil Joseph, Vineeth Srinivasan, Darshan Rajendran, Zareen Shihab, Riya Shibu
- Director: Arun Anirudhan
- Style: action thriller
- Release date: 14 May 2026
Athiradi is an upcoming action thriller directed by Arun Anirudhan, who previously wrote the screenplay for Minnal Murali. The story revolves around two hot-headed rivals who are in conflict with a third person, who despises both of them and disrupts their dynamics with his cunning strategies.
The film tells what happens when the three unleash their rivalry against each other and how the conflict ultimately unfolds.
9. Mollywood Times
- Mould: Neslen, Prashant Alexander
- Director: Abhinav Sundar Nayak
- Style: black comedy satire
- Release date: 15 May 2026
After the widely acclaimed Advocate Mukundan Unni, director-editor Abhinav Sundar is all set to return to the big screen with Nayak Mollywood Times.
The black comedy satire, starring Neslen, revolves around the Malayalam film industry of the early 2000s and has been described as a love-hate letter to cinema.
The above mentioned films are expected to release in theaters this summer, although some may face postponements. Additionally, Dileep-starrer D152, directed by Jagan Shaji Kailash, is also expected to release during the same window.
Also read: Va Vaathiyar OTT release: When and where to watch Karthi’s action comedy two weeks after theatrical release
