Sandra Hüller is everywhere in 2026. The German actress, whose name you might know from Anatomy of a Fall and The Zone of Interest, has four films arriving in U.S. theaters this year, plus a fifth that screened at the New York Film Festival. That is a lot of movies for one performer, and it is not even close to her busiest year.
But the sheer volume is only part of the story. Hüller is not just showing up in big productions; she is taking on wildly different roles, from a morally ambiguous task-force leader in a Hollywood sci-fi comedy to a 17th-century woman living as a man in a period drama. The range is remarkable, and the reviews suggest she makes each one her own.
Project Hail Mary and the Karaoke Scene
The year started with Project Hail Mary, where Hüller plays the leader of the task force that sends Ryan Gosling into space to save the planet. She drugs him and sends him into orbit against his will. That is the plot. The performance is the draw.
The standout moment comes during a karaoke rendition of Harry Styles’ “Sign of the Times.” Hüller delivers the song with such passion that the scene becomes the talk of the movie. It is a bold choice for a performer who is mostly known for dramatic work, and it lands.
“She did it for the sake of humanity!”
That line captures the spirit of the scene. Hüller sells the moral ambiguity of her character while making the song feel genuine. It is the kind of moment that turns a supporting role into a cultural touchpoint.
Digger and the Oil Tycoon’s Half-Sister
This weekend, Hüller moves into the spotlight again with Digger, a satire about a megalomaniac oil tycoon played by Tom Cruise. Hüller plays the tycoon’s half-sister and business partner, and she appears briefly in the trailer. In it, she tells Cruise in a breathy voice, “You’re gonna save the world.”
The film comes from Oscar-winning director Alejandro Iñárritu. He has a history of directing films with casts heavy on A-list male actors, and Hüller is the “woman” in that lineup. That casting decision alone suggests she is the center of attention. Reviews are not yet out, but social media reactions are mixed, and this reporter has not seen it yet.
What is clear is that Hüller fits the role. She brings a commanding presence to a film that seems to be satirizing power. The tie-draped-over-a-white-button-up look is a visual signal of her character’s influence, and it is a style choice that lands well.
Fatherland and the Mann Family
Fatherland is the third film in a trilogy from Polish director Pawel Pawlikowski. The series includes his Oscar-winning work on Ida and his Best Director nomination for Cold War. Fatherland focuses on Thomas Mann’s 1945 visit to Germany to receive a Goethe Prize, with Erika Mann, played by Hüller, serving as her father’s chauffeur, stylist, and speech editor.
The film premiered at Cannes in May to critical acclaim. It screened at the New York Film Festival for journalists yesterday, and it opens in U.S. theaters on October 23. Pawlikowski uses the visit to examine Germany’s identity crisis in the immediate years after World War II.
Hüller’s performance is described as masterful. She plays a dutiful daughter who deeply respects her father’s work and politics while resenting his narcissism and cold demeanor. She also flexes her language skills, flipping between flawless German, English, and French. The film earned Pawlikowski the Best Director award at Cannes, and it will serve as Poland’s entry for Best International Feature at the 2027 Oscars.
Rose and the Soldier Who Became a Man
My favorite of the bunch is Rose, the Austrian-German period drama directed by Markus Schleinzer with a screenplay by Schleinzer and Alexander Brom. Hüller plays Rose, a 17th-century woman who has been living as a man for years, fighting as a soldier in Europe’s Thirty Years’ War.
After the war, Rose continues the ruse. She claims a downtrodden farm house with a deed she stole from a fallen soldier and builds it up through hard work. She wins the village’s trust with fair wages and good deeds, like slaying a bear that attacked one of her farmhands. When she wants to expand, she strikes a deal with another farmer: she will marry his daughter, Suzanna, played by Caro Braun.
Hüller brings humor, hubris, and humanity to the role. Her disguise relies almost entirely on her performance, with short hair and men’s clothing doing the work. She sucks on the bullet that gave her a scar, kept on a chain around her neck, adding a masculine swagger. Her habit of helping those in need reveals feminine compassion.
The film is a tragic tale, but Hüller finds plenty of comic relief. One moment involves her disbelieving face when her wife happily announces she is pregnant after Hüller performs her “marital duties” in the dead of night, by way of a wood-carved strap-on.
Rose screened at the New York Film Festival last week and will release in U.S. theaters on December 11. Like Fatherland, it is being submitted as Austria’s entry for Best International Feature at the 2027 Oscars. That means Hüller has two Oscar hopefuls this year, on top of her breakout performance in a Hollywood blockbuster and her supporting role in Iñárritu’s film.
Pattinson’s Comparison
Only Robert Pattinson can claim a 2026 cinematic footprint as stellar as Hüller’s. Pattinson starred in The Drama, The Odyssey, Primetime, and Dune: Part Three this year. Hüller’s five films span different genres, directors, and countries, which is a different kind of range.
Pattinson’s four films are all big-budget spectacles. Hüller’s include a Hollywood comedy, a historical drama, a satire, and a period piece. Both actors had a banner year, but the comparison holds up because both delivered across multiple projects.
There is room for two divas at the top, and Hüller is making a strong case for herself.
What Comes Next
The schedule is packed. Digger hits theaters this weekend, Fatherland arrives on October 23, and Rose follows on December 11. Project Hail Mary is already out.
The Oscar race is still shaping up. Fatherland and Rose are both entries for Best International Feature, which means Hüller could be nominated in that category. My own pick is Rose, which I think should earn Hüller an Oscar nomination for Best Actress.
Hüller has been acting in Germany for nearly three decades, but most American audiences were introduced to her in 2023, when she starred in two Oscar-nominated films for Best Picture, Anatomy of a Fall and The Zone of Interest. That was a delight, and it set the stage for her Hollywood breakthrough.
This year, she has done it again. She has not just broken through; she has dominated. The range of roles is staggering.
Key Facts Box
– Project Hail Mary: Already released
– Digger: Out this weekend
– Fatherland: Opens October 23
– Rose: Releases December 11
– Fatherland: Won Best Director at Cannes
– Fatherland: Poland’s entry for Best International Feature at the 2027 Oscars
– Rose: Austria’s entry for Best International Feature at the 2027 Oscars
– Anatomy of a Fall and The Zone of Interest: Both Oscar-nominated for Best Picture in 2023
The verdict is simple. Sandra Hüller is having her year. She has taken on everything from space command to oil tycoon to 17th-century soldier, and she has made each one memorable. The Oscar nominations will come later, but the quality is already on screen.
See the video the story is built around at Decider.
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