Is 2026 Sandra Hüller’s year?
Thursday, April 9, 2026 at 10:00PM 
PROJECT HAIL MARY, Chris Lord & Phil Miller | © Amazon MGM Studios
One of the most widely loved and acclaimed films in the first half of 2026 has been Project Hail Mary. Personally, I didn’t fall head over heels for Lord and Miller’s Andrew Weir adaptation, though one element did earn some adoration. After all, how can you not love Sandra Hüller doing her damnedest to add dimension and dynamism to her scenes, elevating what could have been an exposition machine into the picture’s most arresting presence? The moment when she belts out Harry Styles’ “Sign of the Times” in a most fatalistic going-away party is enough to justify the admission price. Give this German thespian a mic and a pop tune, and you’ll get instant movie magic. Toni Erdmann fans remember!
Honestly, 2026 is shaping up to be Sandra Hüller’s year, even more than 2023 already was. With that in mind, consider some Berlinale musings, Cannes news, and Venice speculation, after the jump…
REQUIEM, Hans-Christian Schmid | © IFC Films
Back in the 2000s, possession movies were all the rage, from such openly mercenary endeavors as those Exorcist prequels to the cheeky subversion of Jennifer’s Body. To no one’s surprise, Hollywood was all too willing to capitalize on real-life stories, twisting historical cases of religious psychosis and misunderstood mental health issues into schlock where shock value was prioritized. The case of Anneliese Michel, a German young woman who died from malnutrition in 1976 after dozens upon dozens of exorcisms, became The Exorcism of Emily Rose, an American retelling that posited that she was actually victimized by demons rather than a victim of parental and medical negligence.
Less than a year after that mess arrived in theaters, another film based on Michel’s troublesome death premiered in competition at Berlin. Unlike its Hollywood sibling, Requiem makes no move towards sensationalization, nor does it take a stand on whether the supernatural was involved. Indeed, the deadly exorcisms aren’t even depicted on screen. Instead, director Hans-Christian Schmid approaches the subject with purposeful disaffection, employing the aesthetics of social realism to propose a sort of factual objectivism. That’s not to say the film is distant, nor that it rejects fiction altogether. Indeed, in an attempt to distance itself from the actual events, names and other details are changed.
In the end, it makes for a powerful character study that dignifies its subject by allowing for ambiguity, preserving the mystery of faith and the uncertainty of psychological conjecture. Such a project makes monumental demands of its performers, so it might be surprising to realize Schmid chose a relative big screen novice for the lead. Up till then, Sandra Hüller had only acted on stage and some short films, making Requiem her feature debut. And what a debut it was. Pardon the hyperbole, but what Hüller achieves is on par with Emily Watson in Breaking the Waves or James Dean in East of Eden as far as the best first feature performances in film history go.
It’s not just a matter of performing epileptic seizures or potential madness, but the whole business of an oscillating sense of self, gradations of rebellion and self-destruction, the common fury of youth, and the blush of nascent desires, euphoria curdling into anger, and a surge of serenity when you least expect it. For her efforts, Hüller won the Silver Bear for Best Actress. Her career would continue to flourish, though it would take a while for the international mainstream to catch wind of her talent. Now, she’s an Oscar-nominated thespian with multiple Best Picture contenders in her filmography, Hollywood projects under her belt, the respect of peers all over the world, and cinephile devotees as far as the eye can see.
ROSE, Markus Schleinzer | © MUBI
So, there’s some poetry to the fact that, 20 years after that first Silver Bear, Sandra Hüller won another. Markus Schleinzer’s Rose tells the story of a woman who, in 17th-century Europe, poses as a male soldier to claim an inheritance with the actress in the crossdressing lead role. Since Berlin, Rose has been picked up by MUBI and is expected to have a worldwide release later this year. For most actors, appearing in the Main Competition of one of the big three European film festivals is major enough. But Hüller goes further, as her first film with Polish auteur Paweł Pawlikowski has just been announced as part of the selection for the 79th Cannes Film Festival.
In Fatherland, also known as 1949, Hüller will play Erika Mann, daughter of famed German author Thomas Mann. Set amid the desolation of postwar Germany, this Cold War tale is said to be a sort of road-trip movie, following a father and daughter as they return from exile and travel across the divided nation. And if that wasn’t enough, a month after this Cannes premiere, Hüller will appear in German cinemas as Ingeborg Bachmann in a snapshot of the writer’s life put to screen by director Regina Schilling. It’ll be a very literary summer for an actress who’s already starred in projects like a Martin Amis adaptation and a Heinrich von Kleist biography earlier in her career.
Wait, there’s more. Because there’s another Sandra Hüller film on the horizon, and this one might take her to Venice. The Italian festival is certainly accustomed to Alejandro González Iñárritu's cinematic stylings, having programmed him four times before, including for Birdman and Bardo. Could Digger follow suit? Sadly, I don’t have much to tell you about this enigmatic production, as not a lot has been revealed. We know it’s a comedy of catastrophic proportions, with Tom Cruise as its main star, and its synopsis reads: “The most powerful man in the world races to prove he is humanity's savior before the disaster he unleashed destroys everything.” Where does Hüller fit in all this? No clue, but she’s sure to be dazzling. I
FATHERLAND, Pawel Pawlikowski | © MUBI
Are you as enthused about Sandra Hüller’s 2026 output as I am? Which of these projects most whets your film-loving appetite? Oh, and have you seen Project Hail Mary already? What did you think? Sound off in the comments.
Reader Comments (17)
Also Lea Seydoux year. Half of the movies in competition in Cannes see her in the cast
Flowers by Irene -- That feels like a bit of an exaggeration. Seydoux is in two films in competition, Arthur Harari's THE UNKNOWN and Marie Kreutzer's GENTLE MONSTER. Am I missing some other film?
She has some other projects coming up, though. Enyedi's incredible SILENT FRIEND is also getting a stateside release after its Venice Main Competition premiere last year.
Other actors with a ton of credits this year are Anne Hathaway, Robert Pattinson and Zendaya. Those latter two have three films they did together scheduled for 2026. THE DRAMA is already in theaters, but then there's THE ODYSSEY and DUNE: PART THREE:
Could be her year,I was really unfamilair with her till Anatomy of a Fall which should have brought her that years Best Actress price with all respect to Emma who had one anyway,Rose sounds good.
I read a review of Digger's test screening and she wasn't singled out but the long overdue John Goodman playing the US president was a standout apparently so maybe he and Cruise can make it this year.
Charlize Theron is in 3 films this year and apparently she's a great villain in The Odyssey and then there's the thriller Apex and The Old Guard 2 which have no chance at awards love.
I can't see the eternal blandness of Pattinson getting anywhere and Zendaya has been pushed by Hollywood for a few years and that baffles me,there are a lot more compelling actresses out there than her.
Anne Hathaway has The Devil Wears Prada 2,The End of Oak St,Verity if it comes out this year and maybe they'll keep it for 2027 for fear of overexposure,The Odyssey and Mother Mary which reminds of Natalie Portman's Vox Lux but has been held back 18 months so maybe it's bad or is a hard sell.
I'm actually a little worried for Anne Hathaway this year...Mother Mary, Verity and The End of Oak Street could all bomb with critics or audiences.
The Devil Wears Prada 2 will be a hit, but does anyone expect it to be good? The press tour has not been encouraging—this feels like Freakier Friday redux, which is helpful if you're Lindsay Lohan but feels beneath the talent in this one.
The Odyssey is pretty unsinkable...but who knows what people will make of her in it, that's an enormous cast and she can be a magnet for criticism when she's not good.
Mr Ripley79 -- I wasn't really thinking of awards chances when I wrote this, but I get your point. I wonder how big Theron's part is in THE ODYSSEY. She's Circe, so of course we know what her narrative will be, yet how much focus Nolan will put on that episode in comparison to Ulysses' many other misadventures is what's unknown.
DK -- So far, I've seen good reactions to MOTHER MARY. I have no idea about VERITY and, while I have hope for THE END OF OAK STREET, I'm not confident. I'm on the same boat as you regarding THE DEVIL WEARS PRADA 2. Heavens, that latest trailer looked dire. I'm looking at the press screening on my calendar with equal amounts of trepidation and dread.
@dDK and Claudio my hope is that the original while no masterpiece isn't sullied because of this dictated by the internet sequel.
Meryl being back is nice but I wish it was in a better project and let's hope Hathaway doesn't become a punching bag there's far too much of that in the world right now.
I have been eager for Charlize to work on something worthy of her since Bombshell.
Yes! I’m so happy Sandra Hüller is reaching a wider audience, and that the movie’s success means that she can be considered when casting for big budget movies. Yay!
Huller is the perfect foil for Ryan Gosling. There are surface differences but underlying accords in the two characters. Huller is disillusioned but still determined to be the best she can, without having much hope. Gosling still has sincere enthusiasm, yet has given up on many fronts. But both actors share a commitment to how real people react, a commitment to the character rather than making themselves look good.
I first saw Huller in the German film, I’m Your Man, directed by Maria Schrader and starring Dan Stevens. The heroine says (correctly) to Huller, “but you’re just a robot too, not a person”. Huller’s response is shocked, hurt, offended, and carefully polite. And I thought, what an interesting actress, so adept and original.
In the “many movies coming out” category, I’m looking forward to Mother Mary. I really like director David Lowery, and how there’s always something weird, new, and fresh in his movies. I admire Anne Hathaway for being so game for a challenge and for staying adventurous. And plus Michaela Coel! Sign me up!
She's so good. The way Hail Mary improves when she's around. And on top of that, she sings.
Absolutely adore her and i'm so excited to see all her work this year. I agree that she completely elevates Project Hail Mary and what could have been such a stock character.
I am shocked about how bad TDWP2 looks. I wasn't expecting it to be great but at least somewhat entertaining. Ugh.
Flexible furnished stays offer travelers comfort, convenience, and local experiences beyond traditional hotel accommodations today smoky mountain property management
Flexible furnished stays offer travelers comfort, convenience, and local experiences beyond traditional hotel accommodations today short term rental minneapolis
Is 2026 Sandra Hüller’s year? sounds like a really interesting question, especially with how her recent performances have kept her in serious conversations around major awards and critical acclaim—it feels like she’s reached that point where everything she does gets real attention. When I take a short break, I usually visit descargar videos de instagram — it’s fast and very convenient to use.
What stands out most is your focus on Sandra Hüller—you’re framing her performance as the thing that cuts through the film’s more functional, exposition-heavy structure. That idea of an actor turning “utility dialogue” into something alive is compelling, especially when you describe her scene singing Sign of the Times as a kind of fatalistic emotional peak. experian credit freeze lift
Loved this discussion—so many amazing Ibero-American films to choose from! Great insights and picks. Saving this while taking a break and browsing descargar videos de instagram for some cinematic inspiration 🎬✨
Loved this discussion—so many incredible Ibero-American films to choose from! Great insights and thoughtful picks. Saving this while taking a break and browsing igsnapinsta for some cinematic inspiration 🎬✨
"I'm Still Here (Ainda Estou Aqui) winning Best Ibero-American Film was such a well-deserved moment for Brazilian cinema. After diving into these intense award-season dramas, I usually unwind by reading some truyện tranh 18 for a total change of pace and relaxation!"