Charli XCX's chains of love for her past music will never break.
The "party 4 u" singer's hyperpop album Brat may have inspired a carefree and party-filled summer in 2024, but her sound definitely evolved since her 2013 project True Romance.
As for how she'd describe the moody era in her life?
"I'm not sure about teenage emo," Charli exclusively told E! News' Will Marfuggi at the world premiere of Wuthering Heights Jan. 28 in Los Angeles, Calif., "but definitely tortured romantic, for sure."
After all, her debut album, described as goth-pop, embodied a dark and angsty tone that highlighted the misery and euphoria of a turbulent romance.
So, when it comes to her songs for the Emily Brontë-adapted film—for which she produced an album of the same name—she was ready to set that version of herself free. But she had director Emerald Fennell to thank for the direction.
"It was really all there on the page," the Grammy winner explained. "Her interpretation of the book was so—it was romantic, it was tortured, it was so visceral to me."
And working with John Cale, who is featured on the album, was essential to finding her voice. As she noted, "I was thinking about his words, elegant and brutal, that he often uses to describe his own music and that was kind of my way in."
Her involvement in the film, which stars Margot Robbie and Jacob Elordi, was a total surprise. In fact, it all began with a text from an unknown number that turned out to be Emerald.
"The text felt out of the blue but obviously intriguing," Charli—who had only met the director once before—explained on her Substack in November. "I had heard through the grapevine that she was making an adaptation of Wuthering Heights and so when she sent me the script to read, I devoured it instantly."
"I was in London at the time, it was freezing and miserable and getting dark at around 4 p.m., which felt fitting," the 33-year-old continued. "I began to sink into this reimagined world of Wuthering Heights and I suddenly began to feel… inspired."
When the pair finally spoke on the phone, Emerald initially suggested a song for the film.
"I suggested, 'An album?' because why not?" Charli recalled. "I wanted to dive into persona, into a world that felt undeniably raw, wild, sexual, gothic, British, tortured and full of actual real sentences, punctuation and grammar."
And she loved the idea of stepping away from brat for a little while.
"The language of this world felt so opposite from the world I had been inhabiting for the past 2 and a half years. I began to feel a sense of freedom again," she wrote. "Without a cigarette or a pair of sunglasses in sight, it was all totally other from the life I was currently living. I was f--king IN."
Wuthering Heights premieres in theaters Feb. 13.
As fans wait to see Margot and Jacob on the silver screen, keep reading to see more upcoming movies.
Practical Magic 2 - September 11, 2026
The witchy Owens sisters return in this sequel to the 1998 classic. Starring Nicole Kidman, Sandra Bullock, Lee Pace, Joey King, and Maisie Williams.
Where to Watch: In theaters
Buy a ticket HERE.
The Love Hypothesis - September 23, 2026
Based on the New York Times best-seller, The Love Hypothesis follows Olive (Lili Reinhart), a Ph.D. candidate who impulsively kisses her department's most intimidating professor, Adam Carlsen (Tom Bateman). Their mutual need for a fake relationship turns into an experiment in chemistry that might actually solve for love.
Where to Watch: Streaming on Prime Video
Unabomber - September 25, 2026
Inspired by true events, Unabomber follows Ted Kaczynski’s (Jacob Tremblay) transformation from Harvard prodigy into the infamous domestic terrorist. Also starring Russell Crowe, Shailene Woodley and Annabelle Wallis.
Where to Watch: Streaming on Netflix
Verity - October 2, 2026
Adapted from Colleen Hoover's best-selling novel, this psychological thriller follows renowned author Verity Crawford (Anne Hathaway) and Lowen Ashleigh (Dakota Johnson), a struggling writer who relocates to the remote Crawford estate to ghostwrite for Verity.
Where to Watch: In theaters
Buy a ticket HERE.
Digger - October 2, 2026
Tom Cruise teams up with Oscar-winning director Alejandro G. Iñárritu for this black comedy the world's most powerful man as he embarks on a frantic mission to prove he is humanity’s savior before the disaster he’s unleashed destroys everything.
Where to Watch: In theaters
Buy a ticket HERE.
Below - October 8, 2026
Josh Hartnett stars as a fisherman who must fight to hold his close-knit community together when an unidentified sea creature begins terrorizing his hometown.
Where to Watch: Streaming on Netflix
The Social Reckoning - October 9, 2026
A companion piece to 2010's The Social Network, writer/director Aaron Sorkin's new film is inspired by the true story of a young Facebook engineer (Mikey Madison) who enlists the help of a Wall Street Journal reporter (Jeremy Allen White) to go on a dangerous journey that ends up blowing the whistle on Mark Zuckerberg (Jeremy Strong) and the social network’s most guarded secrets.
Where to watch: In theaters
Buy a ticket HERE.
Animals - October 9, 2026
Matchbox The Movie - October 9, 2026
In this action-packed adventure inspired by the iconic Mattel toys, an undercover CIA agent (John Cena) returns to his small town and unwittingly gets his childhood friends embroiled in a frantic international pursuit to save the world.
Where to Watch: Streaming on Apple TV
Always Lalisa - October 12, 2026
This documentary feature follows a pivotal year in superstar LISA’s life, as, for the first time since childhood, she steps away from BLACKPINK for a year of independence.
Where to Watch: In theaters starting October 12, then streaming exclusively on YouTube Premium later this year
Buy a ticket HERE.
Sense and Sensibility - October 16, 2026
Daisy Edgar-Jones stars as Elinor Dashwood in this latest adaptation of Jane Austen's beloved novel. Also starring Fiona Shaw, Caitríona Balfe, George MacKay, and Esmé Creed-Miles.
Where to Watch: In theaters
Buy a ticket HERE.
Street Fighter - October 16, 2026
A live-action version of the legendary arcade game, starring Noah Centineo, Jason Momoa, 50 Cent, and many more as the iconic fighters.
Where to Watch: In theaters
Buy a ticket HERE.
Sacrifice - October 16, 2026
During a charity gala brimming with celebrities and billionaires, a movie star in the midst of an existential crisis (Chris Evans) is taken hostage by an eco-warrior (Anya Taylor-Joy) and her devoted followers.
Where to Watch: Streaming on Netflix
Wicker - October 23, 2026
Alexander Skarsgard transforms for his role as the Wicker Husband made for Olivia Colman's ostracized fisherwoman in this unconventional love story.
Where to Watch: In select theaters on October 23, expanding October 30, 2026.
A Talent for Murder - October 23, 2026
This thriller follows a mysterious young man from a New York publisher (Alden Ehrenreich) who is sent to Switzerland to persuade the renowned writer Patricia Highsmith (Helen Mirren) to write one final installment of the Ripley anthology.
Where to Watch: In theaters
Buy a ticket HERE.
The Cat in the Hat - November 6, 2026
Based on the beloved Dr. Seuss book, this animated adaptation will feature the voices of Bill Hader, Quinta Brunson, Bowen Yang, and America Ferrera.
Where to Watch: In theaters
Buy a ticket HERE.
The Hunger Games: Sunrise on the Reaping - November 20, 2026
This highly anticipated prequel revisits the world of Panem and follows young Haymitch Abernathy (Joseph Zada) twenty-four years before the events of The Hunger Games. Also starring Glenn Close, Whitney Peak, Elle Fanning, Ralph Fiennes, Mckenna Grace and Maya Hawke.
Where to Watch: In theaters
Buy a ticket HERE.
Focker-In-Law - November 25, 2026
Ben Stiller and Robert De Niro reunite alongside Ariana Grande for this new chapter in the Meet the Parents franchise.
Where to Watch: In theaters
Buy a ticket HERE.
The Further Mis-Adventures of Cliff Booth - November 25, 2026
Brad Pitt returns to his Academy Award-winning role as Cliff Booth, only this time it’s 1977 and it’s a very different Hollywood. Directed by David Fincher from a screenplay by Quentin Tarantino, and also starring Elizabeth Debicki, Scott Caan, Carla Gugino, and Yahya Abdul-Mateen II.
Where to Watch: In IMAX theaters starting Nov. 25, then streaming on Netflix on Dec. 23.
Hexed - November 25, 2026
This animated coming-of-age saga follows an impulsive teenage girl named Billie (Hailee Steinfeld) who discovers secret magical abilities which hurtle her into a spectacular journey out of suburbia and into a vast witch realm called Hexe.
Where to Watch: In theaters
Buy a ticket HERE.
Avengers: Doomsday - December 18, 2026
An insanely star-studded cast of MCU fan-favorites return to our screens in this fifth installment of the Avengers film series.
Where to Watch: In theaters
Buy a ticket HERE.
Dune: Part Three - December 18, 2026
Zendaya and Timothée Chalamet return to deliver the epic conclusion to director Denis Villeneuve’s trilogy. Also starring Jason Momoa, Florence Pugh, Rebecca Ferguson, Anya Taylor-Joy, Robert Pattinson, and Javier Bardem.
Where to Watch: In theaters and IMAX
Buy a ticket HERE.
Jumanji: Open World - December 25, 2026
The core cast (Dwayne Johnson, Karen Gillan, Jack Black and Kevin Hart) returns for this final installment of the reboot trilogy about a magical board game.
Where to Watch: In theaters