The Most-Anticipated Movies of 2025

2024 in my opinion was a great year for cinema (especially regarding the horror genre), and as we get closer to 2025, we'refinally getting films that were delayed due to the pandemic as well as the writer and actors strikes. Plus we'll finally get to see the DCU under James Gunn and Peter Safran with the summer launch of Superman, a new take on vampirism (Sinners), a revival of a beloved zombie franchise (28 Years Later) and some highly-anticipated sequels (Mission: Impossible - The Final Reckoning, Bridget Jones Diary).

So without further ado, let's get into some of the films I'm excited to check out in theaters in 2025.

Wolf Man (Jan 17)

While I was disappointed with the Frank Grillo Werewolves, I have high hopes for Leigh Whannell's take on the werewolf tale, which is inspired by the 1941 Universal movie original. A family at a remote farmhouse (Julia Garner, Christopher Abbott and Sam Jaeger) is attacked by an unseen animal, but as the night stretches on, the father begins to transform into something unrecognizable.

Companion (Jan.31)

I have no idea what this film is about, but all I know is that after seeing the teaser trailer a couple of months back, I'm definitely excited to learn more about Companion once we get close to the film's release date. But we do know that it stars Heretic‘s Sophie Thatcher and The Boys’ Jack Quaid, and it’s produced by Zach Cregger, the writer-director who gave us the twisted 2022 horror film Barbarian, which means we could be in for a dark, fun thrill ride. Companion also stars

Lukas Gage, Megan Suri, Harvey Guillén, and Rupert Friend.

Captain America: Brave New World (Feb 14)

With countless reshoots, I will admit that I'm a bit worried as to if this film will be any good. Sam Wilson, the superhero formerly known as The Falcon, took on Cap’s mantle in the Disney+ series The Falcon and the Winter Soldier, and now he’s ready for the big screen. Tim Blake Nelson, who played the character who becomes the Marvel villain known as The Leader, will reprise the role first teased in The Incredible Hulk and seemingly forgotten about until now. Harrison Ford will also star, stepping into the role of Thaddeus Ross following the death of William Hurt.

Heart Eyes (Feb. 14)

Directed by Josh Ruben, best known in genre circles for his smart horror comedies Scare Me and Werewolves Within, and starring Jordana Brewster (The Texas Chainsaw Massacre: The Beginning, Random Acts of Violence), Olivia Holt (Totally Killer), Mason Gooding (Scream 5 & 6), and horror legend Devon Sawa (Final Destination, Idle Hands, Chucky), Heart Eyes is coming to make Valentine's Day way less romantic than it should be.

In this new addition to the recent slasher renaissance, the movie follows the events of the masked 'Heart Eyes Killer' who, for the past several years, has wreaked havoc on Valentine's Day by stalking and murdering romantic couples. In February, romance is dead and buried.

Bridget Jones Diary: Mad About The Boy (Feb. 14)

Bridget Jones (Renee Zellweger) finally has some luck in her life; she has a great job as a screenwriter, her family and a new boyfriend; the fact that he is over twenty years younger than her isn't the only thing that is causing problems. The fourth installment stars Hugh Grant, Leo Woodall, Colin Firth, Emma Thompson, Nico Parker Josette Simon, Leila Farzad and Chiwetel Ejiofor.

Sinners (April 18) 

Any film Ryan Coogler (Fruitvale Station, Black Panther) gets behind you can count on me to show up at the theater on opening night to check out what he's cooked up. The writer-director once again joins forces with frequent cinematic muse Michael B Jordan (who plays a set of twins) on a film rumored to be about a group of people in the 1930's south that join forces take on vampires. Sinners also stars Hailee Steinfeld, Wunmi Mosaku, Li Jun Li, Delroy Lindo and Omar Benson Miller.

Thunderbolts* (May 2) 

I don't know much about the Thunderbolts, but all I know is after watching that first trailer I'm definitely interested in going on a journey with these new crop of anti-heroes recruited to work for the US government. Florence Pugh stars as Black Widow Yelena Belova, Sebastian Stan as Bucky Barnes, David Harbour as Alexei Shostakov, Lewis Pullman as Robert Reynolds, Wyatt Russell as John Walker, and Julia Louis-Dreyfus as a U.S. agent.

Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning (May 23) 

While I was pretty disappointed with Mission: Impossible Dead Reckoning - Part 1 (the weak, confusing plot, the killing off Ilsa Faust), the trailer for The Final Reckoning definitely has me intrigued how Christopher McQuarrie plans to wrap up this story. Shot at the same time as its predecessor, the film stars Tom Cruise as a renegade secret agent in a race against time to save the world from evil AI. Also set to star in TFR - Ving Rhames, Simon Pegg, Hayley Atwell, Pom Klementieff, Esai Morales and Vanessa Kirby, alongside newcomers Holt McCallany and Hannah Waddingham.

Karate Kid: Legends (May 30)

As a child of the 80s who grew up on The Karate Kid, and as someone who loved the Cobra Kai Netflix series, I can't get enough of this franchise. Featuring Jackie Chan as Mr Han, who appeared in the Jaden Smith-starring reboot, and Ralph Macchio reprising his role as the iconic Daniel LaRusso, no details on the plot have been released except for the film stars Ming-Na Wen, Ben Wang, Joshua Jackson and Aramis Knight.

Ballerina (June 6)

As a huge fan of the John Wick franchise, as well as the world the series has been building for the past 10 years, I was excited to hear that we were getting a spin-off featuring one of the ballerina's trained to kill by the brutal Ruska Roma clan.

Ana de Armas, who I absolutely loved in Daniel Craig's final 007 outing No Time To Die is set to play the lead assassin, who seeks revenge against the people who murdered her family. Len Wiseman (Live Free Or Die Hard, Underworld) is directing the action film, and Keanu Reeves is also set to appear in the film as well, which is set between the events of John Wick chapters three and four. Also set to appear in the film are Anjelica Huston, Gabriel Byrne, the late Lance Reddick, Catalina Sandino Moreno, Norman Reedus and Ian McShane.

28 Years Later (June 20)

As a fan of the original 28 Days Later, and thoroughly enjoyed 28 Weeks Later, I was excited when it was announced that Danny Boyle and Alex Garland were returning to the franchise to give us a brand new trilogy. Cillian Murphy, who appeared in the original film is set to reprise his role as Jim in the new film, along with Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Jodie Comer, Ralph Fiennes, and Erin Kellyman also starring.

M3GAN 2.0 (June 27)

Viral dance gimmick aside, I thouroughly enjoyed the twistedly dark and campy vibe of M3GAN. Instead of getting an early January release, everyone's favorite cuckoo crazy doll is set to wreck havok this coming summer. Picking up in the aftermath of the first film, “M3GAN 2.0” sees Allison Williams and Violet McGraw reprise their roles as Gemma and Cady, an aunt and niece who join forces to battle an artificially intelligent doll (Amie Donald, Jenna Davis) with a mind of her own. Akela Cooper and Gerard Johnstone also return as writer and director.

Jurassic World Rebirth (July 2) 

As someone who wasn't the biggest fan of the Chris Pratt-led Jurassic World films, I was excited to hear the film was getting a much-needed reboot with Scarlett Johansson taking on the lead role. The new film, which is being directed by Gareth Edwards (The Creator, Rogue One) is set to take place five years after Jurassic World: Dominion, and is set to star Jonathan Bailey, Mahershala Ali, Rupert Friend, and Ed Skrein.

Superman (July 11)

James Gunn's take on the man of steel is one of my most anticipated films of 2025. David Corenswet is set to don the cape as Kal-El, the son of Krpyton, and is set to be the first film out the gate that will launch Gunn's and Peter Safran's newly rebooted DCU.

The plot follows Superman as he undergoes a journey to reconcile his heritage with how he was brought up in the human world. Rachel Brosnahan stars as Lois Lane, while Nicholas Hoult will take on the mantle of Lex Luthor.

I Know What You Did Last Summer (July 18)

In the midst of the '90s slasher boom, a little film called I Know What You Did Last Summer hit our screens, lighting them up like 4th July fireworks and solidifying Jennifer Love Hewitt, Sarah Michelle Gellar, Freddie Prinze Jr., and Ryan Phillippe as teen horror icons. The movie follows four young friends who, bound by a tragic accident, are reunited when they’re stalked by a hook-wielding maniac in their small seaside town.

The following year, its sequel I Still Know What You Did Last Summer brought Hewitt and Prinze Jr. back to continue their ordeal, pairing them up with Brandy Norwood and Mekhi Phifer in the Bahamas. And now, 27 years later, they’re returning with a fresh look at the franchise, directed by Jennifer Kaytin Robinson (Do Revenge, Someone Great). It would seem whoever ‘knows’ hasn’t forgotten, as buried secrets once again resurface. Madelyn Cline (Glass Onion) and Billy Campbell (Bram Stoker’s Dracula) will also star.

The Fantastic Four: First Steps (July 25)

With an all star cast - Vanessa Kirby as Sue Storm/The Invisible Woman, Joseph Quinn as Johnny Storm/The Human Torch, Pedro Pascal as Reed Richards/Mr. Fantastic and Ebon Moss-Bachrach as Ben Grimm/The Thing, The Fantastic Four is being rebooted once again, this time in the MCU. Can Kevin Feige's midas touch be the thing that finally makes FF a big box office hit?

Nobody 2 (August)

I absolutely loved the action sleeper hit Nobody, which was written by Derek Kolstad (John Wick). After Bob Odenkirk became a bonafide action star thanks to the film finding success on streaming, Nobody was given the greenlight for a sequel. Indonesian director Timo Tjahjanto (The Night Comes For Us, The Shadow Strays) helms this film with Odenkirk returning as US government assassin Hutch Mansell alongside Connie Nielsen and Christopher Lloyd, with Sharon Stone and Colin Hanks as new additions to the cast.

The Bride (September 26)

Maggie Gyllenhaal jumps into the director's chair to helm a different take of the 1935 film Bride of Frankenstein. Set in 1930's Chicago, a woman is reborn again at the hands of Frankenstein and Dr. Euphronius. Christian Bale, Jessie Buckley, Jake Gyllenhaal, Peter Sarsgaard, Annette Bening, Penelope Cruz, John Magaro all star in the film.

Michael (Oct. 3)

For the record, I'm not a big fan of biopics. Based on the few I have been disappointed with over the years I always feel we get a watered-down version of the celebrities we've come to love and admire over the decades.

However with Antione Fuqua directing, and Michael Jackson's nephew Jaafar Jackson portraying the king of pop, color me intrigued. According to reports, the film plans on covering the sexual misconduct allegations, but the question remains just how much of MJ's personal tea are they planning to spill? Only time will tell when the film gets a theatrical release in October of next year.

Tron Ares (Oct. 10)

Can you believe it's been fifteen years since Tron: Legacy wowed audiences in theaters with it's state of the art visual effects, and an impeccable soundtrack courtesy of French electronic DJ/producers Daft Punk? Unfortunately, Garrett Hedlund and Olivia Wilde won't be returning as Sam Flynn and Quorra, respectively, but Jared Leto is stepping into the franchise as Ares, a digital programmer challenged to join the real world.

Evan Peters will be playing Julian Dillinger, who is named after the villain in the 1982 “Tron,” alongside Greta Lee, Cameron Monaghan Gillian Anderson, Jodie Turner-Smith and Jeff Bridges.

The Black Phone 2 (Oct. 17)

I personally thought that the first Black Phone did a phenomenal job wrapping up it's story, but since the movie was a huge hit, it was only a matter of time that Blumhouse would greenlight a sequel. No word on the film's actual plot, or how they plan to incorporate Ethan Hawke's "The Grabber" serial killer into the film when his character was killed off. However, I'm intrigued to see where they plan to go with this sinister franchise.

Mortal Kombat 2 (Oct. 24)

While there were moments of the 2021 reboot that I loved (the fight choreography being the main attraction for me), outside of the martial arts I didn't think the film was all that good. However I saw the film's potential, and clearly so did Warner Bros., because the film did well enough to garner a sequel.

Lewis Tan (Cole Young), Jessica McNamee (Sonya), Mehcad Brooks (Jax), and Shogun co-stars Hiroyuki Sanada (Scorpion) and Tadanobu Asano (Raiden) all return to reprise their roles from the first film, while Karl Urban joins the cast as Johnny Cage.

Predator: Badlands (Nov. 7)

I absolutely loved Prey, which in my opinion should have gotten a theatrical release instead of being dumped straight on Hulu. Good thing the streamer learned their lesson, because the follow-up to Prey, entitled Predator: Badlands is getting a theatrical release.

While I would have loved a sequel with Camanche warrior Naru (Amber Midthunder), Dan Trachtenberg (who directed Prey) has an idea that will set the predator franchise in the future. No word on plot details, but word on the street is that Elle Fanning is in talks to play the lead(s), which is said to be a set of twins.

The Running Man (Nov. 21)

I love the original 1987 The Running Man with Arnold Scwarzenegger and Maria Conchita Alonzo, and while that film is sooo totally 80's, the way our country is today politically, the source material feels current.

“The Running Man” is Stephen King’s futuristic sci-fi thriller set in a dystopian, 2025 America. The story in the novel centers on Ben Richards (Gelnn Powell), a desperate man who participates in violent reality show “The Running Man” in order to win enough money to revive his gravely ill daughter. The show follows Richards being chased by numerous hunters sent to kill him. Edgar Wright is set to direct, with King writing the script for the feature alongside Michael Bacall and Wright. The film also stars Josh Brolin, Michael Cera, Lee Pace, Lee Charles and Katy O’Brian.

Avatar: Fire And Ash (Dec.19)

The third film of the Avatar franchise brings audiences back to Pandora and the Na’vi, this time with new biomes and new clans. The “Ash People” will represent fire and depict Na’vi who are not as kind as those we’ve seen before. New additions to the cast include Michelle Yeoh, playing human scientist Dr. Karina Mogue, and Oona Chaplin, playing the villain Na’vi Varang. Avatar 3 follows on the heels of the box office juggernaut Avatar: The Way of Water, and the first act of the fourth film has also already been shot.

Directed by James Cameron, Fire and Ash stars Sam Worthington, Zoe Saldana, Sigourney Weaver, David Thewlis, Stephen Lang, Giovanni Ribisi, Michelle Yeoh, and Oona Chaplin.

Frankenstein (TBD)

Guillermo del Toro (Blade II, Hellboy) is adapting the 1818 Mary Shelley Classic for Netflix, with the horror icon played by Jacob Elordi. No word on when exactly the film will be released, but Frankenstein, which will also get a theatrical run stars Mia Goth, Christoph Waltz, Ralph Ineson and Oscar Isaac, as Dr Victor Frankenstein.

Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery (TBD)

Detective Benoit Blanc (Daniel Craig) returns to solve another mystery, and from the looks of it, someone’s a dead man! But what will give you life is the stacked cast, including Cailey Spaeny, Josh O’Connor, Andrew Scott, Glenn Close, Josh Brolin, Mila Kunis, Jeremy Renner, Kerry Washington, Daryl McCormack, and Thomas Haden Church. Knives Out 3 will arrive on Netflix in 2025, though the exact release date is still to be confirmed.

Kiss of the Spider Woman (TBD)

Gay hairdresser Luis (Tonatiuh) is stuck in an Argentinian prison in 1981 after being convicted of public indecency. He gets through every day by imagining movie plots starring classic screen actress Ingrid Luna (Jennifer Lopez). One role Luis dreams up is Spider-Woman, where she kills her prey with a kiss. Luis’ daydreaming is abruptly interrupted by a new cellmate, political prisoner Valentin Arregui Paz (Star Wars star Diego Luna), with whom he forms an unlikely bond.

Kiss of the Spider Woman is an adaption of the 1992 stage musical by playwrights Terrence McNally, John Kander and Fred Ebb, which is in turn based on the 1976 novel by Manuel Puig. This will also be the second film adaptation of the novel. There is currently no official release date but the film will premiere at the Sundance Film Festival.

Queens of the Dead (TBD)

Zombie horror Queens of the Dead is directed by Tina Romero, daughter of legendary Living Dead creator George A Romero. It includes several Drag Race, Fire Island and Pose stars. The film follows a group of drag queens and frenemies forced to team up when the undead rise and interrupt their Brooklyn warehouse drag show party.

The film’s cast includes Love Lies Bleeding star Katy O’Brian, Fire Island‘s Margaret Cho, I Saw The TV Glow‘s Brigette Lundy-Paine and Behind the Candelabra‘s Cheyenne Jackson. Early images from Queens of the Dead illustrate the film as a glam-gore apocalypse movie as a fresh spin on the classic genre.

The Wedding Banquet (TBD)

Fire Island director Andrew Ahn’s The Wedding Banquet is a remake of the 1993 Ang Lee queer classic of the same name with James Schamus, who co-wrote the original film, also a co-writer on the upcoming movie.

The romantic comedy will chronicle Min left heartbroken when his boyfriend rejects his marriage proposal. Min then marries his best friend Angela to secure a green card, and in return, he pays for her partner’s IVF treatments. However, when Min’s grandmother arrives from Seoul to throw the ‘couple’ a Korean wedding banquet, their plan begins to unravel.

With an all-star cast – including Lily Gladstone, Bowen Yang, Kelly Marie Tran – put The Wedding Banquet at the top of your 2025 watchlist!