Jewish Celebrities With Big Plans for the Future

From ambitious motion pictures and returning franchises to producing, directing and philanthropy, these prominent stars are preparing for major new chapters.

Success in entertainment rarely comes from standing still. Many of the most recognizable Jewish performers in the world are using their fame to pursue increasingly ambitious projects—not only as actors, but also as writers, directors, producers, entrepreneurs and advocates.

Some are returning to the franchises that helped make them famous. Others are moving into darker dramatic territory, developing original productions or using their influence to support charitable and cultural causes. Together, their plans reveal an entertainment industry in which Jewish talent continues to play an important and highly visible role.

Adam Sandler: Comedy, Drama and a Major Reunion

Adam Sandler remains one of the busiest and most commercially dependable entertainers in Hollywood. After decades of hit comedies, popular family films and occasional dramatic performances, Sandler is continuing to move between broad entertainment and more challenging material.

One of his largest announced projects is Grown Ups 3, which will reunite Sandler with characters and collaborators from the popular comedy series. Sandler and longtime writing partner Tim Herlihy are returning to write the new installment, giving audiences another opportunity to watch the fictional childhood friends confront adulthood, family and the passage of time.

At the same time, Sandler is continuing to develop his reputation as a serious actor. In the psychological drama Time Out, directed by Scott Cooper, he plays a troubled man whose apparently ordinary search for work leads into increasingly difficult circumstances. The project places him alongside performers including Willem Dafoe, Gaby Hoffmann and F. Murray Abraham.

Sandler’s future appears to follow the formula that has served him well: make large audiences laugh, remain loyal to longtime collaborators and periodically remind critics that his dramatic abilities extend far beyond comedy.

Natalie Portman: Art, Ambition and Unconventional Stories

Natalie Portman has consistently chosen projects that move between major studio productions and smaller, more intellectually adventurous films. Her future work continues that pattern.

Portman stars in The Gallerist, a dark comedy directed by Cathy Yan and set within the competitive international art world. She plays a gallery owner whose desire for recognition leads to an increasingly outrageous plan involving Art Basel, a dead body and the commercialization of almost anything that can be presented as art.

The film surrounds Portman with an unusually strong ensemble that includes Jenna Ortega, Sterling K. Brown, Catherine Zeta-Jones, Zach Galifianakis, Daniel Brühl and Da’Vine Joy Randolph. Its mixture of celebrity culture, wealth, desperation and absurdity provides Portman with another opportunity to explore a complicated and morally unpredictable character.

Portman has also become increasingly active behind the camera. Through producing and project development, she has demonstrated an interest in creating opportunities for distinctive filmmakers and stories that might not fit conventional studio formulas.

Timothée Chalamet: Returning to the World of Dune

Timothée Chalamet has already moved from acclaimed independent dramas to the center of some of the largest motion pictures in the world. His next major chapter includes another journey into the universe of Dune.

Chalamet is preparing to return as Paul Atreides in Denis Villeneuve’s Dune: Part Three. The next film is expected to examine the consequences of Paul’s rise to power rather than simply celebrating his victory. That change gives Chalamet the opportunity to portray a leader confronting the political, personal and spiritual costs of becoming a messianic figure.

His career choices have been notable for their variety. Chalamet has portrayed romantic outsiders, troubled young men, Willy Wonka and Bob Dylan while also leading one of contemporary cinema’s largest science-fiction franchises. His future plans suggest that he intends to maintain that balance between major spectacle and filmmaker-driven work.

For a performer still relatively early in his career, Chalamet has reached the unusual position of being able to attract both young audiences and respected directors. His next decisions may determine whether he becomes not merely a movie star, but one of the defining actors of his generation.

Scarlett Johansson: Entering a New World of Horror

Scarlett Johansson has spent much of her career moving between action blockbusters, intimate dramas, comedy and science fiction. Her announced future projects continue that unpredictability.

Johansson is set to lead a new film connected to The Exorcist, placing her at the center of one of the most famous names in horror history. The project is being directed by Mike Flanagan, a filmmaker known for combining supernatural terror with emotional and psychological storytelling.

Rather than functioning as a simple remake, the film is expected to present a new story within the broader world associated with the original classic. Johansson’s involvement gives the production a major dramatic presence and suggests that the filmmakers are planning something more substantial than a conventional franchise continuation.

Johansson has also expanded into producing and directing. Her growing interest in creative control indicates that the next stage of her career may involve shaping films from their earliest development rather than joining them only after a script and director are already in place.

Gal Gadot: Producing, International Films and Philanthropy

Gal Gadot has become one of the most internationally recognizable Israeli performers in motion pictures. Her future plans extend beyond starring roles to include producing, developing original projects and supporting charitable initiatives.

Gadot has continued assembling projects through her production activities, seeking stories that can combine international appeal with strong central characters. Among the projects associated with her developing film slate are action, espionage and historical stories designed to reach audiences well beyond a single national market.

Her selection as the 2026 Genesis Prize laureate also places philanthropy at the center of her public future. The honor recognizes professional achievement, Jewish identity and a commitment to helping others. It gives Gadot an additional platform from which to support humanitarian causes and organizations important to her.

Gadot’s next chapter may therefore be defined by a combination of entertainment and public service. As both an actor and producer, she has the ability to promote Israeli talent, develop internationally focused productions and use her global visibility to draw attention to charitable work.

Ben Stiller: A Familiar Franchise and New Creative Partnerships

Ben Stiller’s career has always been larger than his work as a comic actor. He has directed films and television, produced projects for other performers and helped create some of the most recognizable comedy characters of the last several decades.

Stiller is returning to familiar territory with another installment in the Meet the Parents series. The new chapter brings the Focker and Byrnes families into another generation of romantic suspicion, uncomfortable encounters and family interference.

He is also set to star in the Netflix film A Matter of Time with Nicholas Galitzine and Bella Maclean. Although much of the story remains under wraps, the project adds another major production to Stiller’s busy acting schedule.

Beyond acting, Stiller continues developing television and film projects through producing and directing partnerships. His acclaimed work behind the camera has demonstrated that he can create psychologically complex drama as effectively as broad comedy. That versatility may become the most important part of his long-term legacy.

Seth Rogen: Building an Entertainment Enterprise

Seth Rogen has evolved from a young comic actor into a writer, director, producer and one of Hollywood’s most active developers of film and television entertainment.

Rogen is among the stars of Babies, an upcoming comedy directed by Lauren Miller Rogen and featuring Anna Kendrick and Sharon Stone. The project is expected to receive a major festival introduction before reaching a wider audience.

His future, however, is not limited to acting assignments. Through his producing work with Evan Goldberg, Rogen has helped develop comedy, drama, comic-book adaptations and unconventional television series. That operation allows him to move between appearing on screen and constructing entire projects behind it.

Rogen represents a modern model of celebrity: the performer who becomes a creative business. His name may attract the audience, but his larger influence increasingly comes from identifying concepts, hiring talent and guiding productions from development to release.

A New Era of Creative Control

The most interesting connection among these celebrities is not simply their Jewish heritage or their success. It is their increasing determination to control what they create.

Adam Sandler develops films around trusted collaborators. Natalie Portman and Scarlett Johansson are expanding their work as producers and filmmakers. Gal Gadot is combining international productions with philanthropy. Seth Rogen and Ben Stiller have built substantial careers behind the camera, while Timothée Chalamet is using his unusual drawing power to work with some of cinema’s most ambitious directors.

These performers are no longer waiting for studios to decide their futures. They are developing projects, assembling creative teams and selecting the stories that will define the next stage of their careers.

Editorial note: Film casts, production schedules and release plans are subject to change as projects move through development.