While Seattle clinched the victory in Super Bowl LX, the real highlight seemed to be… the movies? Well, maybe that’s a stretch. A significant number of film promotions took center stage during the event—outnumbering even the original snack commercials. It looks like major streaming platforms may stick to the sidelines, but as reported, Amazon and Netflix are prepping to unveil two big ads. However, much like the whole batch of Super Bowl advertisements, not every promo served as a conventional trailer or teaser. Picture this: Ryan Gosling, Brad Pitt, Emily Blunt, along with an array of aliens, minions, and a Mandalorian, all vying for attention in the stadium during the ad frenzy.
Let’s break down the highlights from last night’s game, starting from the least engaging spots (which felt a bit like any old 30-second ad you might see on a regular TV night) to the ones that truly captured interest (ones that elevated a film’s visibility in a memorable way impacting actual viewership).
release date: 2/27/26
director: kevin williamson
starring: Neve Campbell, Courteney Cox, Isabel May, Jasmine Savoy Brown, Mason Gooding
The latest entry in the scream 7 franchise, dubbed The Underwhelming Tour, appears to lean more toward nostalgia than innovation. It feels almost like an echo of its former successes, with promising new characters making way for a flurry of trailers and ads that curiously lack references to the horror genre. Strange, isn’t it? A Super Bowl ad might not shift things drastically for the film, but it certainly gives off a vibe of dullness.
release date: 3/6/26
director: Daniel Chong
starring: Piper Carda, Bobby Moynihan, Dave Franco, Kathy Najimy
Disney opted to spotlight its upcoming Pixar movie, hopper, instead of launching the trailer for the much-anticipated Toy Story 5. The latter is still several months away with no teasers in sight. hopper has elicited curiosity—likely due to less exposure compared to past Pixar hits. However, it seems the promotional buildup may not have left too many surprises for viewers, which is a shame. Still, it looks entertaining.
release date: 4/1/26
director: Aaron Horvath and Michael Jelenic
starring: Chris Pratt, Charlie Day, Anya Taylor-Joy, Brie Larson, Jack Black
Illumination and Nintendo teased some characters that fans can expect in the new Mario Bros. sequel—yes, there’s Baby Mario and Yoshi! But honestly, it appears the stakes are relatively low for this film. While it’s likely to be a box office success, the brief appearance of Baby Mario at the Super Bowl didn’t offer much and lacked the thrill of fan favorites.
release date: 7/1/26
director: Pierre Coffin
starring: Minions (as themselves)
Despite being positioned as the least exciting movie ad of the night, it turned out to be a straightforward plug for a new Minions film. The unique aspect? The plot reportedly involves the Minions summoning Cthulhu. Odd, right? While it’s unclear why they chose this angle, it does at least shake things up a bit. Though adult interest in the Minions has always been somewhat limited, it’s noticeably more intriguing this time around.
release date: 6/12/26
director: steven spielberg
starring: Emily Blunt, Josh O’Connor, Colin Firth, Coleman Domingo
The premise of Steven Spielberg’s new sci-fi film remains somewhat unclear in this attention-grabbing teaser. There are hints of aliens living among us who choose to reveal themselves during key moments. Yet, the motivations behind their actions and their relationships remain a mystery. It’s an intriguing approach to attract Spielberg enthusiasts, although one wonders if this will genuinely resonate with a broader audience who have not been as engaged with his recent projects.
release date: 5/22/26
director: Jon Favreau
starring: Pedro Pascal, Sigourney Weaver, Jeremy Allen White, and Grogu himself
One of the standout ads was an unexpected Star Wars promotion featuring a sneak peek of The Mandalorian and Grogu. This spot cleverly parodied Budweiser’s iconic Clydesdale ads, narrated by Sam Elliott, but focused on a Tauntaun instead. It’s tough to gauge the impact of this ad for such a recognizable franchise, yet it was refreshing to see a lighthearted take rather than just glitz and glamour.
release date: 3/20/26
director: Phil Lord and Christopher Miller
starring: Ryan Gosling, Sandra Hüller, Milana Weintraub, James Ortiz
The promotion for project hail mary raises some eyebrows. While early glimpses seem to give away too much, suggesting a major alien character in the film, this final trailer appears to hint at pivotal moments from what looks like the climax of the story. In today’s film landscape, perhaps it’s necessary to hype up a project without a strong brand name attached. The marketing strategy for this movie feels timely and attuned to reach a broad audience.
release date: sometime in 2026
director: david fincher
starring: Brad Pitt, Elizabeth Debicki, Scott Caan, Yahya Abdul-Mateen II, Timothy Olyphant
The new project directed by David Fincher and written by Quentin Tarantino generated buzz, primarily because it was unexpected. As more information circulated, it felt like the first major movie of the Super Bowl to create a genuine buzz—despite being an indirect sequel to an earlier film, the ad featured intriguing snippets of characters and settings framed in Fincher’s signature style. It harks back to a time when Super Bowl promotions really ignited conversations around upcoming movies.
