If 2024 felt like a slightly off year for movies, you’re not alone – between the Hollywood strikes impacting release dates, audiences gravitating towards streaming rather than actual movie theaters, and the so-called superhero fatigue that has affected even the MCU, it’s safe to say that movie fans are looking forward to a better 2025.
And that’s where we come in with our preview of the biggest movies that we’re looking forward to in the new year. There’s the big-screen debut of James Gunn’s new DC Universe in Superman, the return of not one but two classic Universal monsters, a new sci-fi tale courtesy of Parasite director Bong Joon-ho, new works from the likes of Paul Thomas Anderson, Steven Soderbergh, and Edgar Wright, and, yes, the return of the MCU to hopefully full swing with three new movies. Safe to say, we’ve got high hopes for the next 12 months.
Here are the biggest movies coming in 2025…
Wolf Man
Date: Jan. 17
Director Leigh Whannell nailed his Universal Monster redo The Invisible Man in 2020, and now he’s got a Wolf Man take coming (with Blumhouse producing). Christopher Abbott (Poor Things) stars as a family man who undergoes some, um, changes while trapped in a cabin in the woods with his wife (Ozark’s Julia Garner) and daughter (Matilda Firth). Based on The Invisible Man and what we’ve seen of Wolf Man so far, Whannell seems to understand that the best monster movies are the ones that are really about, well, the monster that lurks inside us.
Star Trek: Section 31 (Paramount+)
Date: Jan. 24
Michelle Yeoh’s character from Star Trek: Discovery has long been in the running to get a spin-off, and it’s finally here in the form of the first Star Trek TV movie ever made. Section 31 sees Yeoh’s Philippa Georgiou teaming up with Starfleet’s top-secret division that handles the dirty jobs that those fancy-pants Federation types like to avoid. It would be great if this film works out and leads to a series of Trek movies that go straight to Paramount+, allowing for the exploration of the more obscure corners of Gene Roddenberry’s universe that a feature film wouldn’t typically permit.
The Witcher: Sirens of the Deep (Netflix)
Date: Feb. 11
Netflix’s Witcher franchise continues with another animated movie, following 2021’s Nightmare of the Wolf, this time featuring the voice of Doug Cockle as Geralt of Rivia. With Henry Cavill no longer playing the character in the live-action series, Cockle returns to the role here, having previously voiced Geralt for the video games. Meanwhile, Joey Batey and Anya Chalotra reprise their roles from the show as Jaskier and Yennefer, respectively. Based on the short story “A Little Sacrifice” from The Witcher author Andrzej Sapkowski’s Sword of Destiny, the film sees Geralt pulled into a struggle between humans and merpeople. Sure hope the water doesn’t mess up his hair.
Captain America: Brave New World
Date: Feb. 14
The 35th film in the MCU finally puts the new Captain America, Anthony Mackie’s Sam Wilson, front and center on the big screen, but he’s not alone. Joining him are Danny Ramirez, back from his small role in The Falcon and the Winter Soldier as Joaquin Torres, a.k.a. the new Falcon, Shira Haas as former Black Widow Ruth Bat-Seraph, Carl Lumbly as Isaiah Bradley, also returning from TFATWS, and Giancarlo Esposito as Marvel villain Sidewinder. And then there’s Harrison Ford, making his Marvel debut as “Thunderbolt” Ross (replacing the late William Hurt in the role). Ross, according to the trailers, is also now president of the United States and the Red Hulk as well, because yeah, this is also kind of a Hulk sequel it seems, with Liv Tyler and Tim Blake Nelson back as Betty Ross and the Leader, respectively (both last seen in 2008’s The Incredible Hulk).
Paddington in Peru
Date: Feb. 14 (US)
This third Paddington movie was released in the UK in November of 2024, but it’s coming to the US and other territories in January of 2025. It’s been seven years since Paddington 2, and the previous film’s director, Paul King, was busy making Wonka with Timothée Chalamet, so new helmer Dougal Wilson stepped in for his feature debut. In this installment, Paddington and the Brown family do indeed visit Peru, though Emily Mortimer takes over as Mrs. Brown, replacing Sally Hawkins. Ben Whishaw is back as the voice of Paddington, as is Hugh Bonneville as Henry Brown. Upon its UK release, IGN’s Matt Purslow gave the film a 7 out of 10, saying “It’s not as delicious as its practically perfect predecessors, but Paddington in Peru preserves the series’ sweet-natured fun.”
The Monkey
Date: Feb. 21
Based on the 1980 Stephen King short story of the same name, The Monkey is the next film from Longlegs writer-director Osgood Perkins. The orginal story deals with a cursed toy monkey that causes various deaths, and it looks like the movie is sticking to that broad outline. The trailer’s VO tells us of “a beast not from this Earth” which smites “the ones who deserved it, the ones who didn’t, and everyone in between” while scenes of gruesome/hilarious (?) horror are teased onscreen. Theo James stars along with Tatiana Maslany and Elijah Wood, while James Wan is one of the film’s producers.
The Legend of Ochi
Date: Feb. 28
This fantasy from powerhouse arthouse (is that an oxymoron?) A24 stars Helena Zengel as the teenage Yuri, a girl who lives on a “small island in the Black Sea.” She and other children, including Stranger Things’ Finn Wolfhard (who’s actually old enough to drink IRL now), find themselves on a journey in search of the fearsome creatures of the title – the Ochi. Except when Yuri finds one, it’s the cutest ol’ thing you ever did see. And so her mission of rebellion, and protection, begins in what looks to be a visually fantastic film.
Sinners
Date: March 7
Frequent creative partners Ryan Coogler and Michael B. Jordan are back at it with the horror film Sinners, starring Jordan as twin brothers who return to their hometown, according to studio Warner Bros., “only to discover that an even greater evil is waiting to welcome them back.” Hailee Steinfeld and Jack O’Connell (Ferrari) also star, with Coogler and Jordan reuniting with various Black Panther teammates once again including director of photography Autumn Durald Arkapaw, production designer Hannah Beachler, editor Michael P. Shawver, composer Ludwig Göransson, and costume designer Ruth E. Carter.
Black Bag
Date: March 14
Steven Soderbergh is very busy for a guy who retired once, having made 10 movies in the past nine years, but hey, who’s complaining? He’s actually got two films out in 2025, the horror-thriller Presence in January, and Black Bag in March, a “high-stakes mystery,” according to distributor Focus Features, which stars Cate Blanchett and Michael Fassbender. The director reteams with prolific screenwriter David Koepp for both films, after working together on 2022’s Kimi. Not much else is known about Black Bag at this point aside from the fact that it’s got a roster of talent who are almost always worth checking out.
Snow White
Date: March 21
Disney’s live-action (ish?) remakes of their animated classics trend continues with Snow White, which has had its fair share of behind-the-scenes controversies. Directed by Marc Webb (The Amazing Spider-Man movies) and written by Greta Gerwig (Barbie) and Erin Cressida Wilson (Secretary), the film was delayed a year to 2025 because of the SAG-AFTRA strike, according to Disney. That said, it seems likely that criticism of its use of dwarf characters led to a rethinking of their approach, and hence at least part of the delay. As it stands now, the movie will feature seven distinctly cartoonish CGI characters accompanying Rachel Zegler’s Snow White. We’ll see how this one pans out, as while cultural critics may pick away at these live-action remakes, the general public tends to show up in droves for them.
Alto Nights
Date: March 21
Director Barry Levinson (Rain Man, Good Morning, Vietnam) teams with screenwriter Nicholas Pileggi (Goodfellas) and star Robert De Niro for Alto Nights, the story of real-life competing mob bosses Vito Genovese and Frank Costello. De Niro plays both roles, somehow. Debra Messing, Kathrine Narducci (The Sopranos), and Cosmo Jarvis (Shogun) also star.
A Minecraft Movie
Date: April 4
Minecraft Steve is coming, and it turns out he’s Jack Black! And no, Black isn’t in every new video game movie these days – it just seem that way. This is another title that hit some controversy, as is too often the case lately, this time when the first trailer was released and some fans complained about the look of the film. So much so that Warner Bros. trotted out director Jared Hess and producer Torfi Frans Olafsson when the second trailer was released in order to do some damage control. Jason Momoa, Emma Myers (Wednesday) and Danielle Brooks (Orange Is the New Black, Peacemaker) also feature in the film, and from where we’re sitting, A Minecraft Movie looks like it could be a fun ode to the highly addictive game. But then again, we at IGN like to craft and build things… not knock them down.
Mickey 17
Date: April 18
Oscar-winning South Korean filmmaker Bong Joon-ho (Parasite) goes sci-fi on April 18 with Mickey 17, and he’s taking Robert Pattinson with him. Steven Yeun, Naomi Ackie, Toni Collette and Mark Ruffalo also star in the tale of an “Expendable,” a.k.a. a space traveler sent on hazardous space missions. If the Expendable dies on such a mission, a new version of their body is “printed”… and that’s how you end up with Mickey 17. But what happens when Mickey 18 shows up while Mickey 17 is still alive? That’s the question the film asks, as does the trailer in a pretty lively and comedic manner.
Until Dawn
Date: April 25
An adaptation, of course, of the horror video game of the same name, Until Dawn was directed by David F. Sandberg (Lights Out, Annabelle: Creation, the Shazam! movies) and written by Gary Dauberman (several Annabelle films, two Its). We don’t know a ton about the film’s plot yet, other than that it’s inspired by the game. Ella Rubin, Michael Cimino, Ji-young Yoo, and Belmont Cameli are among the cast, as is Peter Stormare, who reprises his role from the game as Dr. Hill.
Thunderbolts*
Date: May 2
The final film of Marvel Studios’ Phase 5, and the second MCU movie of the year after a pretty light 2024 (which only gave us Deadpool & Wolverine on the big screen), Thunderbolts brings together a long-running plot thread in the bigger universe that saw Julia Louis-Dreyfus’ Valentina Allegra de Fontaine assembling (ahem) a team of super-powered individuals, albeit figures who haven’t always been on the side of good. The group consists of Florence Pugh’s Yelena Belova, Sebastian Stan’s Bucky Barnes, David Harbour’s Red Guardian, Wyatt Russell’s U.S. Agent, Hannah John-Kamen’s Ghost, Olga Kurylenko’s Taskmaster, and newcomer Lewis Pullman’s Bob, a.k.a. The Sentry. The specifics of their mission remain a little unclear right now, though perhaps the bigger question is whether or not Thunderbolts can stick the landing for Marvel’s Phase 5.
Lilo & Stitch
Date: May 23
Another of Disney’s live-action/CGI combo projects that reimagines an old Disney animated hit, this one leads us to note that the original Lilo & Stich doesn’t feel that old, but then again… it came out in 2002, so maybe time is just moving more slowly these days? Because that just doesn’t seem right. Whatever the case, Chris Sanders returns as the voice of Stich, the alien creature who is adopted by Maia Kealoha’s Lilo. Auliʻi Cravalho, Judge Reinhold, Zach Galifianakis, Courtney B. Vance, and Hannah Waddingham also star.
Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning
Date: May 23
The eighth film in the long-running Tom Cruise spy/action series, and the follow-up to Dead Reckoning Part One from 2023, Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning sees the world’s most stunt-prone star reunite with the likes of Hayley Atwell, Ving Rhames, Simon Pegg, and Vanessa Kirby for one more Ethan Hunt adventure. But will it be his last? With Dead Reckoning slumping as one of the lowest-grossing installments of the series, the future of Hunt and the Impossible Missions Force lies largely on this film’s shoulders.
Karate Kid: Legends
Date: May 30
For this film, Ralph Macchio, the OG KK, is teaming with Jackie Chan, who starred in the 2010 “reimagining” of The Karate Kid – which I guess is now just part of the bigger Karate Kid Cinematic Universe. The pair will play their characters from their respective films, with Ben Wang (American Born Chinese) cast as the new kid who must learn karate to solve all his life’s problems. Even though Macchio is one of the stars of the Cobra Kai TV show, and that apparently exists in the same world as this movie, it seems as though the film won’t have a ton do with the series as the actor has said Legends takes place around three years after the end of the show.
From the World of John Wick: Ballerina
Date: June 6
In case you weren’t clear on what world this film takes place in… in case Keanu Reeves showing up in the trailer wasn’t enough… Lionsgate’s Ballerina is now called From the World of John Wick: Ballerina. Which OK, fair enough. You can’t blame them, I guess. And while the Baba Yaga’s current status may be, shall we say, unclear, his world of assassins continues with this spin-off/sidequel, which takes place between John Wick: Chapter 3 and Chapter 4. (Ah, that’s why he was able to show up in the trailer!) Ana de Armas stars as Rooney, who’s seeking Wickian-style revenge for the murder of her family, with Underworld and the Total Recall remake’s Len Wiseman directing.
Elio
Date: June 13
Pixar’s next film tells the story of Elio (Yonas Kibreab), a boy who wants to be abducted by aliens. As Elio says in the teaser trailer for the film, he has a mole that’s the same shape as the Orion Nebula after all! And he does get his wish, finding himself in the “Communiverse, an interplanetary organization with representatives from galaxies far and wide.” Among Elio’s new alien friends are Brad Garrett as Lord Grigon and Jameela Jamil as Ambassador Questa, while Zoe Saldaña voices his Aunt Olga.
How to Train Your Dragon
Date: June 13
Here’s another live-action remake of an animated film (it’s just a genre now, isn’t it)? This time it’s DreamWorks re-doing 2010’s lovely boy-meets-dragon tale, with The Black Phone’s Mason Thames playing Hiccup and a CGI rendition of Toothless of course playing the dragon he befriends. Gerard Butler co-stars as the live-action version of his animated character, Stoick the Vast (Hiccup’s father), while Nico Parker (The Last of Us), Julian Dennison (Deadpool 2), and Nick Frost are also among the cast. Many have noted how closely the first trailer for the film resembles the original animated movie, but is that a good thing? We’ll find out in June.
28 Years Later
Date: June 20
Director Danny Boyle, screenwriter Alex Garland, and star Cillian Murphy return for this sequel to 28 Days Later, and man if this project doesn’t have us as excited as a Rage-Virus-infected whacko. The original post-apocalyptic film set a new standard for zombie action (don’t start arguing with us about what is or isn’t a zombie here), while its first sequel, 28 Weeks Later, was basically a decent thriller made by other people. Ralph Fiennes, who co-stars in the new film, has given us the most info so far regarding the plot, saying that there are “a few pockets of uninfected communities” at this point 28 years after the first film (duh). But wait, there’s more: This is just the first of a new trilogy of films in the series, with The Marvels director Nia DaCosta reportedly helming the second movie.
M3GAN 2.0
Date: June 27
Allison Williams returns to be further harassed by the robot-doll from hell in M3GAN 2.0, or however you pronounce it. After the critical and commercial success of the original, not to mention all the memes, a follow-up from the horror mega-producer team-up of Jason Blum and James Wan was all but assured. Director Gerard Johnstone and scripter Akela Cooper are also back for the sequel, as is Violet McGraw as Cady, the niece of Allison Williams’ Gemma. Quite frankly, maybe Cady needs to stop fucking around with these killer robot toys.
F1
Date: June 27
Director Joseph Kosinski has more than proved he can do high-speed action thrills with Top Gun: Maverick, so perhaps it was inevitable that he’d tackle the world of Formula One racing. Brad Pitt stars as an ex-driver who had to bow out of the sport after a terrible crash years ago. But you know guys like that – they always have to come out of retirement to train the next generation!
Jurassic World Rebirth
Date: July 2
The Jurassic franchise makes its return to the big screen with a sorta-reboot just three years after Jurassic World Dominion. This trip into the Heart of Dino Darkness finds a “covert operations expert,” played by Scarlett Johansson, venturing into one of the few remaining locations on Earth hospitable to dinosaurs to collect the genetic secret to their survival. Director Gareth Edwards (Rogue One, Godzilla, The Creator) will bring his gift for massive visual scale to the franchise for the first time, while screenwriter David Koepp (the original Jurassic Park, The Lost World: Jurassic Park) may be able to get a Jurassic story back to the roots of what’s kept us loving the original films for the last three decades.
Superman
Date: July 11
James Gunn’s much-anticipated takeover of DC’s cinematic adventures kicks off in earnest with the release of Superman: Legacy. With leads David Corenswet (The Politician, Pearl) and Rachel Brosnahan (The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel, House of Cards) joined by a freshly bald Nicholas Hoult (Mad Max: Fury Road, The Menu) as Lex Luthor, we don’t know a ton about this just yet. Aside from Superman’s penchant for very casually putting his boots on and the fact that James Gunn has said all the right things about his “relatively serious” take on the Man of Steel, there’s still plenty to be excited about.
The Smurfs Movie
Date: July 18
Fuck this movie, but you know you’re going to see it anyway. The Smurfs Movie is an animated musical with an absolutely stacked voice cast. Everybody from Rihanna to Kurt Russell, Xolo Maridueña (Cobra Kai, Blue Beetle) to Alex Winter (Bill S. Preston, esquire), and (almost) literally everyone in between gets a chance to be blue on the mic. Chris Miller (not Lord and Miller, but Shrek the Third and Puss in Boots Chris Miller) is directing, so there’s an excellent chance The Smurfs Movie is “charming AF” at minimum.
The Fantastic Four: First Steps
Date: July 25
Marvel’s first family gets their fourth shot at the silver screen in the ironically titled The Fantastic Four: First Steps. Veteran TV director Matt Shakman (WandaVision, Game of Thrones, It’s Always Sunny…) leads Pedro Pascal, Vanessa Kirby, Ebon Moss-Bachrach (The Bear, Andor) and Joseph Quinn (Stranger Things) in a mid-century take on the Richards family. With concept art hinting at something from ’60s sci-fi and the shenanigans both on screen and off at Marvel, there’s no small amount of pressure on this film to course-correct the much-maligned “Multiversal Saga” in the MCU, particularly now that Dr. Doom, one of Fantastic Four’s most notorious arch enemies, is on the horizon.
The Bad Guys 2
Date: Aug. 1
With a very cool animation style and some legitimately well-choreographed action, The Bad Guys was a kids graphic novel adaptation done right. Following the attempt of a tight-knit group of criminals to go “good,” The Bad Guys 2 returns with the same director, Pierre Perifel, and most of the cast (Sam Rockwell, Awkwafina and, most importantly, Richard Ayoade as a philanthropist guinea pig named Professor Marmalade), so the chances of another very fun Bad Guys movie are, well, good.
The Naked Gun
Date: Aug. 1
Holy crap, we can NOT wait for this movie. With Lonely Island and SNL alum Akiva Schaffer directing, and Liam Neeson and Pamela Anderson in the lead roles, the casting alone points to a creative team that understands why The Naked Gun worked so well. Featuring pro wrestler Cody Rhodes and rapper Busta Rhymes, this film has an incredible chance of being one that runs the “remake a classic” gauntlet unscathed. Don’t expect a straightforward remake or a half-assed spoof. Instead, get ready for the parody genre to start working again.
The Battle of Baktan Cross
Date: Aug. 8
In this house, we hold the belief that any news of a Paul Thomas Anderson movie is good news. Even if the news is a semi-official title (The Battle of Baktan Cross) that may be based on a Thomas Pynchon novel (like PTA’s Inherent Vice) that also might be the most expensive movie the auteur’s ever had the chance to make. We’ll take our chances with those question marks for now, though, as the confirmed cast includes Leonardo DiCaprio (Growing Pains, This Boy’s Life), Sean Penn (Fast Times at Ridgemont High) and Regina Hall (Scary Movie 1-3). Throw in one of the Haim sisters and we’ll be there opening night.
Freakier Friday
Date: Aug. 8
Jamie Lee Curtis and Lindsay Lohan reunite for this follow-up to the 2003 mind-swap classic, which itself was based on the 1976 mind-swap classic starring Jodie Foster and Barbara Harris. Prior to this sequel, there have actually been like six movies inspired by the original 1972 novel, but Freakier Friday is bound to hit folks of a certain age in that sweet spot of nostalgia and curiosity, which we all know Disney is so good at mining. We’ll see who winds up swapping minds with who this time – imagine if they crossed over with the Halloween franchise and Curtis and Michael Myers took a stab at each other’s lives?
Thread: An Insidious Tale
Date: Aug. 29
As horror spin-offs go for scare factory Blumhouse, Thread: An Insidious Tale will have a puncher’s chance at success. Starring Kumail Nanjiani and Mandy Moore, the scant details on the film say we’ll go deeper into “The Further,” the supernatural, purgatory-like world that’s a mere astral projection away. Writer/director Jeremy Slater has credits that include The Umbrella Academy and Moon Knight, which are good signs to be sure, but beyond that, it’s just hard not to bet on Blumhouse.
The Conjuring: Last Rites
Date: Sept. 5
Patrick Wilson and Vera Farmiga are back as Ed and Lorraine Warren, those paranormal investigators we all know and love, for the ninth movie in the Conjuring Universe. Director Michael Chaves, who has helmed two previous films in the James Wan-created series, has said this will be a finale for the franchise, but come on. We’ll believe it when we see it.
The Bride!
Date: Sept. 26
If the only thing we knew was that a Bride of Frankenstein film was being made and there was now an exclamation point in the title, we’d be intrigued. But add to that a cast that includes Christian Bale, Penelope Cruz, Peter Sarsgaard and Jessie Buckley (Men, Fargo, Chernobyl), plus not one but two Gyllenhaal’s (Maggie is directing with brother Jake in a supporting role), and we’d think you’d gone mad and were just making things up. On top of everything else, there are rumored to be elaborate dance numbers and a budget north of $100 million, making this a take on classic movie monsterdom that we can’t wait to see.
Saw XI
Date: Sept. 26
Yep! More Saw! The eleventh installment of puzzle enthusiast Jigsaw’s crime spree finds Tobin Bell returning and Kevin Greutert again at the helm. Greutert, a longtime editor of the Saw films and, with Saw XI, a four-time director, obviously has a deep connection to the franchise and, we hope, an endless supply of ideas for gross-looking and emotionally torturous traps.
Michael
Date: Oct. 3
Antoine Fuqua (Training Day, The Equalizer) directs this Michael Jackon biopic from a script by John Logan (Gladiator, The Aviator). Jaafar Jackson, who is the son of Jermaine Jackson and the nephew of Michael, stars as the adult Michael. Reportedly, the film will trace the controversial pop icon’s life from his time as a child star as part of the Jackson 5 through his adulthood. Colman Domingo and Nia Long play Michael’s parents, Joe and Katherine Jackson, and Miles Teller appears as John Branca, the entertainment lawyer who replaced Joe as Michael’s manager after Michael fired his father.
TRON: Ares
Date: Oct. 10
The long and arduous quest for a TRON: Legacy sequel seems to be nearing its end with TRON: Ares currently scheduled for a 2025 release. The film follows a program called Ares, played by famous doctor/vampire Morbius (Jared Leto), as it enters the real world, giving mankind its first opportunity to shake hands with AI. Tron as a franchise is a curious one, as the original film is a classic in its own right and the 2010 sequel felt largely unnecessary. The opportunity here, however, is with the look of the film, this time in the hyper-capable hands of DP Jeff Cronenweth (The Social Network, Gone Girl), and the music, with Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross not even bothering to drop the Nine Inch Nails from their credit for the film.
Good Fortune
Date: Oct. 17
Keanu Reeves stars in this comedy from writer-director Aziz Ansari. Good Fortune is about a so-called “budget guardian angel,” played be Reeves, who loses his wings and winds up, after a series of unfortunate events, living with Seth Rogen. Hey, Hollywood still makes comedies it turns out? We’re there.
The Black Phone 2
Date: Oct. 17
Perhaps the surest bet in Hollywood is that a horror film that made 10 times its budget at the box office is going to get a sequel. Doctor Strange director Scott Derrickson’s The Black Phone did just that in 2021 and, to nobody’s surprise, in 2025 we’re getting a sequel with Derrickson returning alongside Ethan Hawke and the rest of the first film’s cast. Given all this, along with Blumhouse’s track record with franchising their sneak-up hits, it seems just as unwise to bet against this one too.
Mortal Kombat 2
Date: Oct. 24
If we couldn’t get WWE’s The Miz the role of Johnny Cage in the sequel to 2021’s surprisingly awesome Mortal Kombat reboot, Karl Urban is a lovely consolation prize. With director Simon McQuoid and much of the same cast of badasses (especially Hiroyuki Sanada and Joe Taslim as Scorpion and Sub-Zero entrenched in a centuries-old grudge match) back, we’re looking forward to a helluva tournament in Outworld and, if the rumors are true of actors being locked up for as many as four Mortal Kombat movies, a trilogy worth of fatalities before they’re done.
Predator: Badlands
Date: Nov. 7
With Dan Trachtenberg’s Prey marking the first truly great Predator movie since the 1987 original, the floodgates for Predator projects were officially opened. While a direct sequel to the Amber Midthunder-led Prey was long assumed to be in the works, we recently found out that another, secret Predator movie had also already been shot! But all the while, Trachtenberg was also hard at work on Badlands, a standalone Predator story that’s most interesting because of the fact that, for the first time in the franchise’s nearly 40-year history, it’s being told from the perspective of the titular hunter himself. Rumored to be set on an alien planet and deploying Elle Fanning in multiple roles, Predator: Badlands, like Prey before it, has a chance to be a completely fresh take on one of cinema’s most iconic monsters.
Now You See Me 3
Date: Nov. 14
To be perfectly honest, I’m not entirely sure why we’re getting a third magician heist movie, but honestly, I’ll take it because I’m equally as confused as to how the first two were so entertaining. After Louis Leterrier made the first one more fun than it probably should’ve been, and John M. Chu made the franchise 2-for-2 a few years later, Ruben Fleischer gets a crack at Now You See Me 3. Of course with that much change behind the camera, the credit needs to be given to the reliably veteran cast in front of the camera. Jesse Eisenberg, Woody Harrelson, Isla Fisher, Mark Ruffalo and Dave Franco are all returning to remind us why these movies are even a little bit fun isn’t a trick… it’s an illusion.
The Running Man
Date: Nov. 21
The Running Man from 1987 came at the height of the muscle-bound heyday of ’80s action cinema, and Edgar Wright taking another stab at it with an equally muscle-bound cast of Glen Powell, Katy O’Brian and Josh Brolin is the best thing that 2025 could offer us. It seems Wright is going back to the source material, a Stephen King book written under his pulpier pseudonym Richard Bachman, to get at the more socially satirical elements the film left out of the first adaptation. Knowing Wright’s unconditional love of cinema, this might be pulling from everything from RoboCop to The Truman Show, all with the choreographed mayhem of Hot Fuzz and Baby Driver. We’re very excited for this one.
Wicked: For Good
Date: Nov. 21
With close to three hours worth of Part One, Wicked concludes by taking over its second consecutive Thanksgiving in 2025. With performances from leads Ariana Grande and Cynthia Erivo that are both great and powerful, the two-part Wicked is a fascinating exercise in adapting from not just one source but two. Folding in elements from the cheery Broadway hit and the decidedly darker novel, the first film was a faithful retelling of them both, and it’ll be more than a little interesting to see how well it concludes with Part Two.
Zootopia 2
Date: Nov. 26
As secretly in development as the obviously-coming follow-up to a smash Disney animation hit could be, Zootopia 2 was in the works as early as 2017. Ginnifer Goodwin’s Officer Judy Hopps and Jason Bateman’s reformed con artist fox, Nick Wilde, must infiltrate another biome in the sequel, but the real question is, can a franchise get by on clever animal puns and positivity alone? The first film had a subversive note to its cute and furry veneer that was something worth talking about, and if they’ve found another conversation to start with Zootopia 2, it could be more than just a no-brainer sequel.
Five Nights at Freddy’s 2
Date: Dec. 5
The depth of lore that’s sprung up around a survival game about haunted animatronic pizza place mascots is astounding. Given the games, books, short stories, comics and more, that the first major film adaptation was a success is no surprise. Thanks to the bottomless pit of horror spawned by Freddy Fazbear and friends, Five Nights at Freddy’s 2 has no shortage of story to pull from. Also, with the director (Emma Tammi) and cast (Josh Hutcherson, Matthew Lillard) all set to return, if you were into the first one, we can’t imagine you’re going to be mad at the second.
Avatar: Fire and Ash
Date: Dec. 19
James Cameron, lover of the ocean and inventor of new ways to make Kate Winslet hold her breath for staggering lengths of time, is giving us another trip to Pandora for Christmas 2025. Avatar: Fire and Ash will be the director’s third installment in what may be the only franchise he works on until he’s dead. Avatar became the highest-grossing movie of all time after its release, while The Way of Water peaked at the third-highest box office number ever. Whether the continuing saga of former human marine Jake Sully and his family being pursued across Pandora can continue that trend is the most open question about Fire and Ash. With James Cameron, however, we know for sure that we’ll get an inventive approach to blockbuster filmmaking that demands to be seen on as big a screen as you can find.
Frankenstein (Netflix)
Date: TBD 2025
Guillermo del Toro has been talking about making a Frankenstein movie for a very, very long time, and it’s finally happening thanks to his deal with Netflix. Oscar Isaac stars as Dr. Victor Frankenstein while Jacob Elordi plays the monster. How handsome will GDT’s creature be? That remains to be seen, but you can bet that you’re gonna feel for the monster one way or another. Mia Goth, Felix Kammerer, Lars Mikkelsen and Christoph Waltz also star.
So there you have it: The biggest movies that we’re looking forward to in 2025. Did we miss anything? What can you not wait to see next year? Let’s discuss in the comments!
