Jenna Ortega and Glen Powell Set to Star as Release Date and Cast Revealed for J.J. Abrams’ New Thriller
Warner Bros. has set a release date for The Great Beyond, the long-awaited action-adventure film from director J.J. Abrams starring Jenna Ortega and Glen Powell, more than a year after the buzz first began.
If you thought J.J. Abrams was quietly cashing studio checks and tinkering with mystery boxes in a bunker somewhere, well, surprise: he’s finally stepping back into the director’s chair. Warner Bros. just rolled out actual release details for ‘The Great Beyond’—and, yes, we’ve got a proper cast list now, too.
When’s It Dropping?
Mark your calendars (or, let’s be honest, your phone alarms) for November 13, 2026. That’s when ‘The Great Beyond’ will hit IMAX screens, which means Warner Bros. is treating this like a real event. Try not to think about how far away that actually is.
Who’s Actually In This Thing?
We already knew Golden Globe nominees Jenna Ortega and Glen Powell were leading the way, but now the rest of the main cast is official. Here’s the line-up:
- Emma Mackey (‘Sex Education’, ‘Barbie’)
- Samuel L. Jackson (you know who he is)
- Sophie Okonedo (‘Hotel Rwanda’)
- Merritt Wever (‘Nurse Jackie’)
Of course, Warner Bros. is keeping character details locked up tighter than a J.J. Abrams script. But the early buzz is the story revolves around ‘a young married couple struggling to survive against a supernatural entity.’ So, we’re in for marriage drama plus monsters? Sure, why not.
J.J. Abrams: Out of the Box, Back In the Director’s Chair
Abrams is not just directing—he wrote the thing too and is producing under his Bad Robot banner, with Tommy Gormley also producing. If you’ve been missing the guy’s lens flares, here’s your chance; this is his first movie as director since 2019’s ‘Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker.’ (Yes, it’s really been that long.)
What’s Next for Ortega and Powell?
Both lead actors aren’t exactly sitting around waiting for 2026 to roll around. Jenna Ortega has two big projects lined up: Cathy Yan’s dark comedy ‘The Gallerist’ (with Natalie Portman) and Taika Waititi’s sci-fi adaptation ‘Klara and the Sun’ (with Amy Adams). Glen Powell is suiting up for ‘How to Make a Killing,’ a black comedy thriller with Margaret Qualley that’s out February 20.
Waiting on Actual Details
Look, this is classic Abrams: the movie’s got a splashy date, a killer cast, and almost zero plot details. All we know for sure is it’s finally happening, and with this crew involved, expectations are going to be sky high—or, at minimum, weirdly specific.
The only thing Warner Bros. is willing to confirm? ‘The Great Beyond’ opens November 13, 2026, in IMAX. Everything else is either a mystery, a rumor, or in a script Abrams probably keeps in a locked safe.