Welcome to the Zombie Steve 52 Movie Challenge for 2026! I’ve updated a few categories this year to keep things fresh while keeping some of our favorites intact. Share a link to your list in the comments so we can find you on other platforms, and feel free to tag me on Twitter @mda4life, BluSky @mda4life.bsky.social. Every Sunday, I’ll post a few ideas to inspire you. Everyone’s welcome—so grab some popcorn, a cold drink, and join us as we celebrate Steve in our 4th annual challenge.

The Back Story:
Steve and I met at MDA Summer camp in 1992, and an amazing friendship was born. Steve loved watching movies. It was one of the ways we kept in touch all year, always talking about what was coming out, what did you see, and so on. After Steve lost his battle with Muscular Dystrophy on Christmas Eve 2021, I have pushed myself to watch movies the same way I used to. I'm always looking for challenges to keep me motivated, while looking for things we would have enjoyed together, I decided to come up with my own challenge to honor Steve. We kept it simple and outlined some of the topics he would have loved.

The rules are simple: try to watch a movie that fits the theme for the week. If that style isn’t your thing, feel free to bend the rules a bit. Miss a week? No problem—make it up later or skip it entirely. The whole point is to try something new, think outside the box, and be open to different cinematic experiences. That’s how Steve and I did it—I’d nudge him toward older or non-blockbuster films, and he’d challenge me with summer blockbusters and gangster flicks. In the end, it’s all about having fun and enjoying cinema, good or bad.

Be sure to use the hashtag #zombiesteve52 in your social media posts and Letterboxd reviews so we can find you. Alright, here are the prompts for 2026:

Zombie Steve 52 Movie Challenge 2026

Week 1: Public Domain
Week 2: Golden Globes Nomination (any movie, any year)
Week 3: Music/Musical
Week 4: Documentary
Week 5: Anti Hero (A film where the main character is morally ambiguous or a villain)
Week 6: Sword & Sorcery
Week 7: Free Space
Week 8: Based on or turned into a TV show
Week 9: Weather
Week 10: A Movie With a Killer Soundtrack
Week 11: Oscar Nominated (Any Year)
Week 12: Superhero
Week 13: Sports-Themed Movie (Any Sport, including E-Sports)
Week 14: Comedy
Week 15: Space
Week 16: Nature Calls A film set primarily outdoors (Forrest, ocean, desert)
Week 17: Anime
Week 18: Sleeper Hit (A critically successful film that was a flop at the box office)
Week 19: Comic Book-inspired movie
Week 20: Celebrate Cloris Leachman, who has 290 credits to her name
Week 21: Cult Classic/Exploitation Film
Week 22: Based on true events
Week 23: Kaiju
Week 24: A Saturday Night Live (SNL) inspired movie, such as The Blues Brothers or Wayne's World.
Week 25: Western
Week 26: So Bad It's Good (A film with a truly terrible rotten tomatoes audience score, but is still beloved)
Week 27: In Indie Boom! A film released in the 1990s
Week 28: Gangster/Mobster
Week 29: Kung Fu
Week 30: Revenge
Week 31: Camp or Camping-Themed Movie
Week 32: Based on a Book
Week 33: Your favorite Actor/Actress
Week 34: The High Octaine Chase (Featuring a major chase sequence)
Week 35: Animation
Week 36: A Movie "Everybody", but you have seen
Week 37: Starring Eric Roberts (he has hundreds of acting credits).
Week 38: School/College Themed
Week 39: Fall
Week 40: 1970s (any year)
Week 41: A film from a famous director you've never watched.
Week 42: Slasher
Week 43: Monster/Creature Feature
Week 44: Halloween Theme
Week 45: Cops and Robbers
Week 46: Epic Battle
Week 47: Stand Up Comedy
Week 48: Based on a Video Game
Week 49: Award Winner
Week 50: Released in 2026
Week 51 Holiday Theme Movie
Week 52: Myths & Legends

Please share your Letterboxd link below so everyone can follow along. The challenge begins on January 4, 2026, with new prompts released every Sunday.