Paul MacGregor.
Paul MacGregor, Director of Strategy and Marketing - Val Morgan Group.
The hardest audiences to reach are the ones who can afford to avoid advertising. These elusive affluent consumers live in increasingly ad-free media environments, opting out of low-value environments and into curating their lives around experiences that feel worth their time and products that enhance them.
Among this group are New Economic Order consumers, or NEOs - the most valuable consumers on the planet. They willingly pay a premium for quality, gravitating toward emotionally rich products and experiences that elevate the everyday, like cinema.
Cinema-goers are 63% more likely to be NEOs, and the top 10% most valuable consumers in Australia, Hyper-NEOs, are 126% more likely to be cinema-goers. They don’t stumble into a movie - they plan for it, pay for it, and see it as part of a lifestyle that prioritises quality and experience.
Premium experiences like IMAX event releases to Event Cinemas and Village Cinemas Gold Class, HOYTS LUX, and immersive formats like 4DX and ScreenX, meet their expectations head on. For brands, they're opportunities to show up within high value moments. Beyond the screen, cinema allows brands to integrate into the experience itself, driving trial, loyalty and long-term brand preference in a way few channels can replicate.
In 2026, we have the strongest, most diverse movie slates in recent years, anchored by true event releases that these affluent audiences will actively seek out. These are films that will make cinema a deliberate and repeat destination for this audience throughout the year.
So, what are these big movie moments in 2026? Well, grab your popcorn:
Project Hail Mary – 19th March
Project Hail Mary prepares for launch with blockbuster-level momentum, delivering the biggest trailer debut ever for an original film with more than 400 million views in its first week.
Adapted from the number one New York Times bestseller by Andy Weir, the author of The Martian, Project Hail Mary brings one of modern sci-fi’s most gripping stories to the big screen. Starring Ryan Gosling, the film appeals strongly to affluent male audiences seeking scale and striking visuals.
Michael – 23rd April
The appetite for biopics continues to grow, with Michael already capturing worldwide attention. The film’s teaser launch became the most-watched biopic trailer of all time, generating 116 million views and surpassing Bohemian Rhapsody.
Following the trailer’s release, Michael Jackson became the first artist in history to chart Top 10 hits across six decades, reinforcing the enduring, multigenerational power of his legacy. For brands, Michael offers a powerful opportunity to engage AB and NEO audiences with broad, cross-generational appeal.
Jaafar Jackson takes on the role of his uncle, Michael Jackson, in Michael.
The Devil Wears Prada 2 – 30th April
Gird your loins for the most anticipated female event film of the year. The Devil Wears Prada 2 has delivered the most viewed 20th Century Studios trailer of all time, generating 222 million views in its first 24 hours. Ranking as the 9th biggest trailer launch ever, the film joins cultural juggernauts Deadpool & Wolverine, Spider-Man: No Way Home and Avengers: Endgame.
With its nostalgic pull and iconic high-fashion setting, the sequel creates a compelling environment for brands to engage affluent female audiences, with fashion conscious consumers expected to index highly (155ix).
Disclosure Day – 11th June
When Steven Spielberg’s name is attached to a film, cinephiles come flocking to cinemas. Early comparisons are already being drawn to Close Encounters of the Third Kind, a box office sensation that earned multiple Academy Award nominations and remains one of his most celebrated works.
Disclosure Day presents brands with a high-value opportunity to engage affluent audiences, with NEOs expected to over-index (200ix), leveraging Steven Spielberg’s creative authority within a genre commanding big screen attention this year.
Academy Award-nominated actress Emily Blunt stars in Disclosure Day.
The Odyssey – 16th July
No film better represents premium storytelling than The Odyssey. As the first film ever to be shot entirely on IMAX cameras, it is built to be seen on the biggest screen, with IMAX 70mm tickets selling out a full year in advance.
Led by an ensemble cast of Hollywood heavyweights including Matt Damon, Tom Holland, Zendaya and Anne Hathaway, the film brings together prestige, scale and star power, positioning it as an IMAX-first event that affluent audiences will actively seek out.
Digger – 1st October
Digger has all the hallmarks of a breakout, bringing Tom Cruise back to comedy under the direction of two-time Academy Award winner Alejandro González Iñárritu, the filmmaker behind Birdman and The Revenant.
Shot for IMAX, the film brings together A-list performances and bold direction, appealing strongly to affluent audiences. Cruise’s return to comedy enhances the breadth of this year's slate, positioning Digger as a high-interest release with serious awards-season buzz potential.
Tom Cruise pictured with Digger director Alejandro González Iñárritu.
The Social Reckoning – 8th October
Aaron Sorkin’s work is a proven magnet for premium audiences. With critically acclaimed titles such as Moneyball, The West Wing and, of course, The Social Network under his belt, Sorkin returns with The Social Reckoning. A sequel and companion piece to The Social Network, the film fast forwards to 2021, examining the Facebook leak exposed by whistleblower Frances Haugen.
Featuring a high-calibre cast including 2025 Best Actress Oscar winner Mikey Madison alongside Emmy winners Jeremy Allen White and Jeremy Strong, The Social Reckoning is primed to attract affluent, highly engaged audiences.
Dune: Part Three – 17th December
The Dune franchise has firmly cemented itself as a cinematic powerhouse. Upon its release in 2024, Dune: Part Two became the biggest IMAX film in Australian history, generating nearly $36 million locally and more than doubling the box office earnings of the first instalment.
Dune: Part Three will arrive at the tail end of this year with audience anticipation at its peak. As a standout cultural moment of the year, Part Three presents an unmissable opportunity for brands to engage affluent audiences at scale.
With more titles still to be announced, brands have an even greater opportunity to tap into AB audiences this year.
Discover more of what’s to come: Movies — Val Morgan
Unmissable films for AB audiences this year in order of release date:
- EPiC: Elvis Presley in Concert: 19th February
- The Bride!: 5th March
- Project Hail Mary: 19th March
- The Drama: 2nd April
- Michael: 23rd April
- The Devil Wears Prada 2: 30th April
- The Sheep Detectives: 7th May
- Disclosure Day: 11th June
- The Odyssey: 16th July
- Flowervale Street: 14th August
- The Dog Stars: 27th August
- Sense and Sensibility: 10th September
- Practical Magic 2: 17th September
- Digger: 1st October
- Verity: 1st October
- The Social Reckoning: 8th October
- Focker In-Law: 26th November
- Dune: Part Three: 17th December
Source: CineTAM Live