Series to Watch: Sundance 2026

Ahead of the 2026 edition of the Sundance Film Festival, which runs from January 22 to February 1, DQ picks out the new scripted series that will have their world premieres in Park City and Salt Lake City, Utah.

Episodic programme:

BAIT
From: UK, US
Original broadcaster: Prime Video
Director: Bassam Tariq
Producer: Amazon MGM Studios
Starring: Riz Ahmed (also creator, co-showrunner and executive producer), Guz Khan, Sheeba Chaddha, Sajid Hasan and Aasiya Sha
Sundance world premiere date: January 22
Broadcast date: 2026
Struggling actor Shah Latif auditions for the role of a lifetime, only to see his life spiral out of control over four frenetic days.

The Screener
From: US
Original broadcaster: TBC
Directors: Jim Cummings, PJ McCabe
Producer: Cool & Happy
Starring: Shereen Lani Younes, Jon Rudnitsky, B.K. Cannon, Boni Mata, Shaun Brown, Nicolette Doke
Sundance world premiere date: January 23
Wary of sending out digital links, an independent filmmaker presents her latest film to a talent agency in their private screening room. When it inevitably leaks, a frantic cover-up begins, until the district attorney decides to prosecute the agency as a white-collar crime syndicate. As the office builds its case, everyone involved becomes a witness… or a potential defendant.

Episodic fiction pilot showcase:

FreeLance
From: US
Original broadcaster: TBC
Directors: Julien Turner, Justin Turner
Producers: Dreadhead Films and Invisible Collective
Starring: Spence Moore II, Lou Young III, Lou Ratchett, Bernard “B Nard” Clark, René Vaca and Elijah Cooper
Sundance world premiere date: January 27
A young filmmaker documents his journey toward his first movie as he moves in with a friend group of ambitious creatives, all trying to support one another’s dreams in an oversaturated market. This inexperienced crew of 20-somethings takes on unorthodox jobs to build their brand and pay rent.

Soft Boil
From: US
Original broadcaster: TBC
Director: Alec Goldberg
Producer: Pleach Films
Starring: Camille Wormser, John Gemberling, Madison Shamoun, Vivian Kerr, Patrick Tabari
Sundance world premiere date: January 27
Lulu takes a job as a nanny only to discover that her new boss isn’t who she expected.

Worried
From: US
Original broadcaster: TBC
Director: Nicole Holofcener
Starring: Gideon Adlon, Rachel Kaly, Devon Bostick, Cora Kirk
Sundance world premiere date: January 27
No one is more worried about Jules and Poppy than Jules and Poppy.

tagged in: Bait, FreeLance, Soft Boil, Sundance Film Festival, The Screener, Worried