Hello there!

The first six months of 2026 have flown by, and now the countdown begins to two of my most anticipated movies ever: Avengers: Doomsday and Dune: Part Three. It’s already been a fantastic year for movies, and I can’t wait to see what the second half has in store.

Before anything else, I just want to say thank you. I’m genuinely grateful that you’re here reading this and for all the support you’ve given me over the past six months. Whether you’ve watched a review, entered a giveaway, shared one of my posts, or simply left a comment, it all means more than you know.

I honestly feel like I’ve done more during the first half of this year than I originally planned. Some projects worked out, others didn’t quite go the way I hoped, but every experience helped me grow both as a person and as The Movie Guy.

This newsletter is simply a look back at everything that’s happened over the last six months and a look ahead at what’s still to come. I currently try to send out newsletters every quarter, but let me know if you’d prefer a monthly newsletter instead.

And don’t forget to sign up at the end. Everyone who signs up stands a chance to win double movie tickets to one of the awesome upcoming movies!

Let’s get started.

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What I’ve Been Up To

One Piece Premiere

Without a doubt, one of the biggest highlights of my year was attending the African premiere of One Piece Season 2 and getting the opportunity to interview members of the cast. It genuinely felt surreal and was one of the best days of my life. Moments like that remind me why I love being a journalist. It also served as a reminder of how talented South Aricans are.

Comic Con Cape Town

It’s not a Movie Guy newsletter without talking about Comic Con Cape Town. It once again reminded me why I love this community so much. Spending the weekend surrounded by fellow movie, gaming, anime and comic book fans is always something special, and I already can’t wait for the next convention. I also got to interview some amazing people and apparently my movie quiz was a little harder than people expected.

Trying New Things

This year I also experimented with a podcast. While I enjoyed doing it, I don’t think I’ve quite figured out what I want it to be yet. Rather than forcing it, I’ve decided to put it on ice for now while I work on making it something unique.

For the moment, I’ll continue focusing on my short-form content, with the occasional longer video finding its way onto YouTube.

I also finally launched my website, which you’re on right now. Thank you for visiting. It’s still a work in progress, but I’m proud of what I’ve been able to do with it so far.

Brand Collaborations

I’ve also had the opportunity to work with some fantastic brands this year. No, I haven’t sold out. I’m simply embracing this whole content creator journey, even though I still think of myself as a journalist first. To be honest, most of the brands don’t even pay me, it’s more about challenging myselff to get out of my comfort zone and try some new tricks when it comes to creating content.

I’ve loved working with CineCentre, HintHunt, and One Thibault Hotel because they genuinely fit what I do and the people behind those brands have been incredible to work with. I also really enjoyed partnering with Refreshi and Roman’s Pizza, because… well… I really like food.

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What’s Still To Come

There are still plenty of things I hope to achieve before the end of the year.

The biggest goal is attending Comic Con Africa once again. This time, though, I don’t just want to attend as media. I’m seriously considering applying to be a speaker. Public speaking isn’t exactly my strongest skill, but I think it’s time I challenged myself and did something fun for everyone who follows my work.

I’d also love to revisit the podcast. It’s definitely not dead, just on hiatus. Maybe the answer is bringing on guests, interviewing interesting people, or even finding a co-host. I’ll keep experimenting until it feels right.

Another goal is doing more celebrity interviews. Speaking to Misha Collins and the cast of One Piece reminded me just how much I love interviewing people. Hopefully I’ll get plenty more opportunities before the year comes to an end.

Finally, I’d really like to collaborate with more creators. I’ve already worked with some amazing people this year, and I’m excited to see what other opportunities come my way.

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My Favourite Movies of 2026 So Far

According to my Letterboxd account there are 26 movies that I really loved watching this year, I think it might have been more, but here’s a list of my 10 favourite movies of the year so far. You can also go read my column on why I chose these movies.

1. Project Hail Mary
2. Minions & Monsters
3. Obsession
4. Rental Family
5. Tuner
6. Power Ballad
7. Toy Story 5
8. GOAT
9. Send Help
10. Michael

Honourable Mentions

Just missing out on my Top 10 are Gary (From The Bear), Disclosure Day, Punisher: One Last Kill, The Amazing Digital Circus: The Last Act, and I Can Only Imagine 2.

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My Favourite TV Shows of 2026 So Far

It turns out I watched a lot more TV show than I initially thought, but only a few have them debuted this year. So don’t expect House of the Dragon or X-Men ’97 on this list. You can also go read my column on why I chose these shows.

1. Scrubs
2. Widows Bay
3. Wonder Man
4. Spider-Noir
5. A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms
6. Star Wars: Maul – Shadow Lord
7. The Burbs
8. Jury Duty Presents: Company Retreat
9. Not Suitable for Work
10. The Madison

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My Most Anticipated Movies for the Rest of 2026

Of course I have to talk about what movies I look forward to watching from July till December. This list has changed a lot over the last few weeks, and that’s because I have some reservations when it comes to som of these, but I’m still excited to watch all of them. You can also go read my column on why I chose these movies.

1. Spider-Man: Brand New Day
2. Avengers: Doomsday
3. Dune: Part Three
4. The Odyssey
5. The End of Oak Street
6. How to Rob a Bank
7. Digger
8. Street Fighter
9. The Hunger Games: Sunrise on the Reaping
10. Focker-In-Law

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A Quick Note on Support

Creating content, sharing stories, and keeping this journey going means the world to me, but it also takes time, equipment and plenty of coffee.

If you’ve enjoyed my work this year, whether it’s been a review, giveaway, interview or just a fun social media post, here are a few ways you can help support what I do:

• Buy Me A Coffee – Help me invest in better equipment and future projects.
• Share my work – A simple share, repost, comment or recommendation goes a long way.
• Send me a message – I’d love to hear from you. Feel free to get in touch anytime at barry@themovieguy.co.za

I’m currently working towards upgrading my laptop so I can create better content, more consistently, and every bit of support helps make that possible.

Please check out my contribution page if you’d like to support.

Thank you for being part of this journey. I truly believe the second half of 2026 is going to be even bigger.

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Until Next Time

That’s it from me for now.

Thank you for sticking with me through the first half of 2026. Whether you read, watch, comment, like or simply share my work with someone else, your support means the world to me.

Here’s to more incredible stories, more unforgettable movies, and an even stronger finish to the year.

And don’t forget to sign up below for future newsletters, exclusive updates, giveaways, and your chance to win double movie tickets.

Stay awesome,

– The Movie Guy