Anticipated Blockbusters Set to Grace Cinemas in 2025
After the monumental year at the box office in 2024 with films such as Inside Out 2, Deadpool & Wolverine, Beetlejuice Beetlejuice, Moana 2, and Wicked, Hollywood is eagerly anticipating more success in 2025 in the blockbuster realm.
Hollywood hones its fangs for major business in 2025, starting in January with Wolf Man. This month also unfurls the first big superhero film of the year with Captain America: Brave New World in February.
The summer movie season boasts the return of Tom Cruise with Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning in May, as well as the Superman reboot and Fantastic Four: First Steps in July.
October highlights the resurrection of the Tron franchise with Tron: Ares, while November offers the second half of Wicked with Wicked: For Good. December closes out the year with the third Avatar film, Avatar: Fire and Ash.
Here's a rundown of 25 substantial films hitting theaters in 2025.
January
Wolf Man (Jan. 17): Leigh Whannell reboots another Universal Monsters favorite, Wolf Man, following the success of The Invisible Man in 2020. The film stars Christopher Abbott and Julia Garner.
Flight Risk (Jan. 24): Mel Gibson steps behind the camera once more since 2016's Hacksaw Ridge for this high-octane action thriller, featuring Mark Wahlberg as an assassin who must eliminate a target while mid-flight with a federal agent.
February
Captain America: Brave New World (Feb. 14): With Sam Wilson (Anthony Mackie) as Captain America, this time he faces off against President Thaddeus "Thunderbolt" Ross (Harrison Ford), who reveals his sinister side as the Red Hulk.
The Monkey (Feb. 21): Following the horror success of Longlegs, writer-director Osgood Perkins takes on this Stephen King tale about grisly deaths resulting from the discovery of a toy monkey in a family's attic. The film stars Theo James, Elijah Wood, and Tatiana Maslany.
March
Disney's Snow White (March 21): Controversies, such as Peter Dinklage's concerns about stereotyping the Seven Dwarfs and Rachel Zegler's observations about the classic storyline of the 1937 animated Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, have led to this long-awaited live-action adaptation. Zegler stars as Snow White, with Gal Gadot as the Evil Queen and computer-animated Seven Dwarfs.
April
A Minecraft Movie (April 4): Jack Black, Jason Momoa, Emma Myers, and Sebastian Hansen headline this big-screen adaptation of the massively popular video game, set in a mystical realm where imaginative adventures take place through block-building. The film also features Jennifer Coolidge, Danielle Brooks, Jemaine Clement, and Kate McKinnon.
May
Thunderbolts (May 2): Marvel's villainous alliance gathers for a mission inspired by DC's Suicide Squad, as Yelena Belova (Florence Pugh), the Winter Soldier/Bucky Barnes (Sebastian Stan), Alexei Shostakov/Red Guardian (David Harbour), and Melina Vostokoff (Rachel Weisz) join forces undercover for the government.
Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning (May 23): Following the lukewarm reception of Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part 1 in 2023, director Christopher McQuarrie, along with star/producer Tom Cruise, restructure the project and name it The Final Reckoning. The film features Hayley Atwell, Ving Rhames, Simon Pegg, Pom Klementieff, Greg Tarzan Davis, Hannah Waddingham, Katy O'Brian, Indira Varma, Janet McTeer, Holt McCallany, Nick Offerman, Vanessa Kirby, Henry Czerny, and Angela Bassett.
Karate Kid: Legends (May 30): After completing the sixth and final season of Cobra Kai, Ralph Macchio returns to the big screen 41 years after The Karate Kid in Karate Kid: Legends. The film explores a universe where the original and remake characters' worlds collide as Daniel LaRusso (Macchio) teams up with Mr. Han (Jackie Chan) to mentor a new karate prodigy (Ben Wang).
June
Ballerina (June 6): Ana de Armas joins the John Wick franchise as Eve, a ballet dancer and skilled assassin, seeking justice for her slain father.
Before the events of John Wick 4 and the supposed demise of the title character, Ballerina presents Keanu Reeves starring as Wick alongside franchise regulars Ian McShane, Anjelica Huston, and the late Lance Reddick. The ensemble also includes Catalina Sandino Moreno, Gabriel Byrne, and Norman Reedus.
***How to Train Your Dragon (June 13):*****
The beloved animated series, How to Train Your Dragon, is set to soar to the big screen in live-action form with How to Train Your Dragon.
Mason Thames and Nico Parker take on the lead roles of Hiccup and Astrid in the new movie. Gerard Butler, who voiced Hiccup’s father, Stoick, in the animated version, returns to reprise his role in live-action.
**Elio (June 13):*****
Disney-Pixar aims for the stars in their latest computer-animated project, Elio. The story centers around a young boy named Elio Solis (Yonas Kibreab) who is captivated by outer space, leading to a series of wacky encounters with extraterrestrial life forms. The voice cast includes Zoe Saldana, Brad Garret, Shirley Henderson, and Jameela Jamil.
**28 Years Later (June 20):*****
Director Danny Boyle teams up once more with 28 Weeks Later writer Alex Garland for the zombie horror sequel, 28 Years Later. Cillian Murphy reprises his role as Jim from 2002’s 28 Weeks Later. The cast also includes Jodie Comer, Aaron Taylor-Johnson, and Ralph Fiennes.
**M3GAN 2.0 (June 27):*****
The successful 2022 horror film, M3GAN, sees the return of the robotic AI threat in M3GAN 2.0 for more high-tech terror. Allison Williams returns as Gemma, the robotics engineer who created M3GAN, with Amie Donald reviving the doll with the aid of Jenna Davis’ voice.
July
**Jurassic World Rebirth (July 2):*****
The Jurassic Park franchise undergoes a reboot once again with Jurassic World Rebirth, which unfolds five years after the events of Jurassic World Dominion. Directed by Godzilla filmmaker Gareth Edwards, the new film boasts a new cast, including Jonathan Bailey, Scarlett Johansson, Rupert Friend, and Ed Skrein.
**Superman (July 11):*****
David Corenswet takes on the role of Clark Kent/Superman in James Gunn’s directorial debut for the new DC Universe. Facing off against his iconic nemesis Lex Luthor (Nicholas Hoult), the film also highlights several characters in Superman’s orbit, including Lois Lane (Rachel Brosnahan), Jimmy Olsen (Skyler Gisondo), and Perry White (Wendell Pierce).
**I Know What You Did Last Summer (July 18):*****
Another beloved ’90s horror movie franchise is revived with a reboot of I Know What You Did Last Summer. In the reboot, a group of teens is hunted following a tragic incident from their past. Original cast members Jennifer Love Hewitt and Freddie Prinze Jr. return to reprise their roles, with newcomers Madelyn Cline and Nicholas Alexander Chavez joining the mix.
**The Fantastic Four: First Steps (July 25):*****
Having undergone two previous iterations at Fox/Marvel, The Fantastic Four makes its Marvel Cinematic Universe debut in Disney’s The Fantastic Four: First Steps. Set in a 1960s retro-futuristic setting, the film stars Pedro Pascal as Dr. Reed Richards/Mr. Fantastic, Vanessa Kirby as Sue Storm/The Invisible Woman, Joseph Quinn as Johnny Storm/The Human Torch, and Ebon Moss-Bachrach as Ben Grimm/The Thing. Other notable cast members include Ralph Ineson as Galactus' herald, Shalla-Bal/The Silver Surfer, and Jennifer Garner as Shalla-Bal.
August
**Freakier Friday (Aug. 8):*****
Fan-favorite duo Jamie Lee Curtis and Lindsay Lohan reunite as mother and daughter Tess and Anna Coleman in the sequel to the 1997 body-switching comedy smash, Freaky Friday. Mark Harmon and Chad Michael Murray also return, joined by newcomers Julia Butters and Manny Jacinto.
**Nobody 2 (Aug. 15):*****
Bob Odenkirk reprises his role as former assassin-turned-family-man-turned-assassin, Hutch Mansell, in the highly anticipated sequel, Nobody 2. The ensemble includes Connie Nielsen as Hutch’s wife, Becca, Christopher Lloyd as Hutch’s father, and RZA as his brother. Joining the original cast are Sharon Stone, John Ortiz, and Colin Hanks.
"The Bride" (Sept. 26): Writer-director Maggie Gyllenhaal revamps Mary Shelley's "Frankenstein" character The Bride of Frankenstein in a chilling tale set in 1930s Chicago.
Jessie Buckley dons the title role in "The Bride," while Christian Bale portrays Frankenstein's monster. The ensemble includes Jake Gyllenhaal, Peter Sarsgaard, Julianne Hough, Annette Bening, Penélope Cruz, and John Magaro.
Unlike Guillermo del Toro's Netflix-bound adaptation of "Frankenstein," the film's connection to del Toro's version is uncertain. Del Toro's film's theatrical release before debuting on Netflix is yet to be confirmed.
October
"TRON: Ares"* (Oct. 10): Jared Leto plays Ares in the latest installment of the TRON franchise, marking the return of Jeff Bridges' Kevin Flynn from 1982's TRON and 2010's TRON: Legacy.
In contrast to the previous films, TRON: Ares follows the intricate digital entity Ares on a perilous journey from the digital world to the real world, providing the first interaction between people and an AI being.
Joachim Rønning directs TRON: Ares, which also stars Jodie-Turner Smith, Gillian Anderson, and Evan Peters.
November
"The Running Man"* (Nov. 7): Glen Powell steps into the shoes of Ben Richards in the remake of the 1987 action hit featuring a falsely accused police officer ready to compete in a lethal game show for his freedom, originally starred by Arnold Schwarzenegger.
Based on the Stephen King novel, "The Running Man" is helmed by Edgar Wright and features Josh Brolin, Katy O’Brian, Lee Pace, William H. Macy, and Sean Hayes.
"Wicked: For Good"* (Nov. 21): In the sequel to Wicked, formerly titled Wicked: Part Two, Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande reprise their roles as Elphaba and Glinda, respectively. As Elphaba defies gravity in the conclusion of Wicked, the two characters embark on a collision course with destiny, transforming into the Wicked Witch of the West and the Good Witch of the North.
Directed by Jon M. Chu, Wicked: For Good serves as a continuation of the adaptation of the renowned Broadway musical from 2003 starring Idina Menzel and Kristen Chenoweth.
December
"Avatar: Fire and Ash"* (Dec. 19): James Cameron's sci-fi series continues with Avatar: Fire and Ash, the third film in the series, following 2009's Avatar and 2022's Avatar: The Way of Water.
The film, like its predecessors, is set on the remote planet of Pandora and includes several returning cast members from the first two films, including Sam Worthington, Zoe Saldana, and Sigourney Weaver, along with Kate Winslet from Avatar: The Way of Water.
The upcoming movie preview for 2025 is filled with excitement, as Marvel fans look forward to the release of 'Captain America: Brave New World' in February. Furthermore, movies lovers can anticipate the 'Superman' reboot and 'Fantastic Four: First Steps' to grace the silver screen in July. In addition, film enthusiasts are curious about the 25 substantial films hitting theaters in 2025, including 'Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning' and 'M3GAN 2.0'. Moreover, superhero buffs are thrilled about the upcoming 'Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning' in May, starring Tom Cruise, as well as the revival of 'Superman' with David Corenswet in the titular role. Lastly, action fans are looking forward to 'The Running Man' remake featuring Glen Powell in the lead role, based on the Stephen King novel.
