Most anticipated films for 2025

It’s been a rollercoaster year for Hollywood.

Movie fans flocked to the cinema in 2024, with Inside Out 2, Deadpool & Wolverine, Despicable Me 4, Moana 2, Dune: Part Two, and Wicked dominating the worldwide box office.

Beetlejuice came out of retirement to entertain new audiences, while the likes of Alien: Romulus and Longlegs scared cinemagoers into parting with their cash.

However, the past few years have been tumultuous for the film industry.

After COVID all but wiped out trips to see a movie on the silver screen, studios are now having to contend with the cost of living crisis and audiences preferring to wait for digital releases.

There was even the double-whammy of industrial action waged by the Writers Guild of America (WGA) and SAG-AFTRA which shuttered production for months and led to delays in the release calendar.

In 2023, the successful simultaneous theatrical release of Barbie and Oppenheimer – two movies collectively known as Barbenheimer – hinted at a return to box office bonanzas previously witnessed pre-pandemic.

However, a number of movies that would normally reap billion-dollar rewards floundered in 2024 – including Madame Web and Joker: Folie à Deux.

Even Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga was deemed a failure despite proving a hit with critics.

The simultaneous release of Wicked and Gladiator II – known as Glicked – failed to match the Barbenheimer buzz, with the musical going on to slay Ridley Scott’s sequel in ticket sales.

It may be back to business for Hollywood, but 2024 showed that it’s far from back to normal.

So, as we head into 2025, here are some of the movies that are aiming to entice audiences to the cinema this coming year.

Superman

The Man of Steel will be returning to the big screen this summer.

Starring David Corenswet (Pearl, Twisters) in the leading role, the film will explore Clark Kent/Superman’s journey to reconcile his Kryptonian heritage with his adoptive human family in Smallville.

The movie boasts a stacked cast, with the likes of Rachel Brosnahan (The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel) as Lois Lane, Nicholas Hoult (Juror #2) as Lex Luthor, and the always impressive Skyler Gisondo (Booksmart) as Jimmy Olsen.

Written and directed by James Gunn (Guardians of the Galaxy, The Suicide Squad), expect large action sequences, a bouncing soundtrack, and witty one-liners.

As with his other movies, Gunn’s brother Sean (Gilmore Girls) is expected to make an appearance – this time round as businessman Maxwell Lord, a supervillain we previously saw portrayed by Pedro Pascal in Wonder Woman 1984.

Superman will be the first film in the new DC Universe (DCU) and will kickstart the franchise’s Chapter One: Gods and Monsters phase.

DC Studios and Warner Bros Pictures will be banking on this to be a hit given Shazam! Fury of the Gods, The Flash and Blue Beetle flopped at the box office.

One hurdle will be winning over Henry Cavill fans, who announced in 2022 he was returning as Superman only for the offer to be seemingly rescinded.

Cavill claimed he was told by bosses at DC Studios to announce his return, which was made prior to Gunn and producer Peter Safran taking charge of the company.

According to reports at the time, Cavill did not have an official deal in place to return as the superhero.

While most will be able to understand Gunn’s preference for a younger Superman, Corenswet will have to bring his A-game to win over any salty Cavill supporters.

Superman is scheduled for release in July.

From the World of John Wick: Ballerina

The John Wick franchise has been given a pulse-pounding spin-off.

Ana de Armas (The Gray Man, Knives Out) takes charge as Eve Macarro, an assassin-in-training who sets out to seek revenge against the people who killed her family.

De Armas showcased her capable action skills when she lit up the screen as CIA agent Paloma in the James Bond movie No Time to Die.

She also gave us a taste of her driving, shooting and fighting abilities as CIA agent Dani Miranda in The Gray Man.

Going by the Ballerina trailer – where she launches herself through a window before taking on a flamethrower with a high-pressure water hose – fans are in for another wild ride.

The film – directed by Len Wiseman (Underworld, Live Free or Die Hard) – takes place between the events of John Wick: Chapter 3 – Parabellum and John Wick: Chapter 4.

The man himself – Keanu Reeves – makes a cameo in the movie.

Ian McShane, Anjelica Huston and Lance Reddick (in his final screen appearance) also reprise their roles from the previous instalments.

Ballerina is scheduled for release in June.

Wicked: For Good

We’re off to see the wizard… again.

The much-loved Broadway and West End musical has been given the silver screen treatment.

The recently released Part One broke a number of box office records – including the highest grossing Broadway adaptation in global box office history (surpassing 2008’s Mamma Mia!) and biggest global opening for a non-sequel film in 2024.

The first instalment has already recouped its reported $150m budget, however Universal Pictures’ marketing blitz would not have come cheap and will most likely take a good chunk out of its profit.

For those that are yet to see the film, the story – based on Gregory Maguire’s 1995 novel – features the characters from L Frank Baum’s 1900 book The Wonderful Wizard of Oz and its 1939 film adaptation starring Judy Garland.

Wicked takes place in the Land of Oz in the years surrounding Dorothy Gale’s arrival and tells the tale of how Elphaba Thropp, a young woman born with green skin, later becomes the Wicked Witch of the West.

To avoid any major spoilers, the first film ended with Elphaba, played by Cynthia Erivo, and Glinda Upland, played by Ariana Grande, discovering Jeff Goldblum’s the Wizard of Oz was not as powerful or as wonderful as they first thought.

The second act will see the pair’s friendship being put to the test as they embrace their new respective identities as the Wicked Witch of the West and Glinda the Good, as well as unveiling who the other characters truly are along the way.

The star-studded cast have already covered a number of the musical’s songs – including What Is This Feeling?, Dancing Through Life, Popular and Defying Gravity – but there’s still plenty more to come with For Good fully expected to be a showstopper.

Wicked: For Good is scheduled for release in November.

Jurassic World Rebirth

Famed producer Frank Marshall previously stated that the plot of Jurassic World Dominion would mark the “start of a new era” of the franchise in which humans have to co-exist with dinosaurs.

Rebirth takes place five years on from the events of the last movie, with the planet’s ecology proven largely inhospitable to dinosaurs.

In this adventure, an expedition braves isolated equatorial regions to extract DNA from three colossal prehistoric creatures that are believed to be key to a drug that will bring miraculous life-saving benefits to humankind.

Scarlett Johansson leads the cast as skilled covert operation expert Zora Bennett.

The Avengers star rarely picks a bad movie and in this instalment she’s joined by Bridgerton’s Jonathan Bailey, who’s currently riding high as Fiyero Tigelaar in Wicked.

Jurassic World Rebirth is scheduled for release in July.

Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning

Could this be Tom Cruise’s final mission as dogged IMF agent Ethan Hunt?

Following on from the events of Dead Reckoning Part One, Hunt and his team of operatives continue their race against time to take down rogue AI The Entity.

This eighth instalment in the Mission: Impossible film series is scheduled for release in May.

The Running Man

Shaun of the Dead and Baby Driver filmmaker Edgar Wright is behind the camera for this remake of Stephen King’s hit novel.

Published in 1982 under the writer’s pen name Richard Bachman, the story is set in a dystopian US during the year 2025.

The 1987 cult classic starring Arnold Schwarzenegger revolved around a state-controlled game show in which convicted criminals could earn their “freedom” by escaping death at the hands of professional killers within an abandoned part of Los Angeles.

Wright’s movie will follow the book’s storyline more closely, in which the contestants take part in the reality show to win money and are chased across the globe by the murderous hunters.

Glen Powell (Twisters, Anyone But You), one of Hollywood’s hottest actors at the moment, is playing protagonist Ben Richards.

Katy O’Brian (Love Lies Bleeding) has been cast as one of the contestants being hunted for sport. She’s also set to appear in Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning, so this could potentially be the year we witness the birth of a new action star.

Josh Brolin (Dune) will put on a good show as the ruthless and narcissistic producer Dan Killian, while Lee Pace (Guardians of the Galaxy) will frighten as lead hunter Evan McCone.

Filming began in the UK in November, with Powell spotted in Glasgow with his rescue dog Brisket.

The Running Man is scheduled for release in November.

Captain America: Brave New World

Following Chris Evans’ Steve Rogers’ retirement, Sam Wilson, played by Anthony Mackie, has taken up the mantle of Captain America.

This 35th film in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) will see the Avenger caught up in the middle of an international incident.

Harrison Ford replaces William Hurt, who portrayed Thaddeus “Thunderbolt” Ross in the MCU from 2008 until 2021 before his death in 2022.

The character of Ross, a former army general and secretary of state, is now the US president and will also explode on to the screen as Red Hulk.

Whether friend or foe, there will be plenty of other formidable opponents for Wilson to take on – including Giancarlo Esposito’s (Breaking Bad) Seth Voelker/Sidewinder.

Captain America: Brave New World is scheduled for release in February.

Thunderbolts

A group of antiheroes – that we’ve seen in previous Marvel movies – have been recruited to go on missions for the American government.

This is the final film of phase five of the MCU, with the likes of Florence Pugh as Yelena Belova, Sebastian Stan as Bucky Barnes and David Harbour as Alexei Shostakov/Red Guardian set to kick ass.

Thunderbolts is scheduled for release in May.

The Fantastic Four: First Steps

One of Marvel’s most iconic superhero families is coming back to the big screen.

In a 1960s-inspired retro-futuristic Earth, the Fantastic Four must protect their home from being devoured by the cosmic being Galactus, played by Ralph Ineson, and his enigmatic herald, the Silver Surfer, played by Julia Garner.

Pedro Pascal and Joseph Quinn, who recently appeared on screen together in Gladiator II, will reunite as Reed Richards/Mister Fantastic and Johnny Storm/Human Torch respectively.

The Crown’s Vanessa Kirby is playing Sue Storm/Invisible Woman, while The Bear’s Ebon Moss-Bachrach has been cast as Ben Grimm/The Thing.

Natasha Lyonne (Orange Is The New Black, Russian Doll) has been cast in an undisclosed role, with John Malkovich rumoured to be playing villain Ivan Kragoff/Red Ghost.

Additionally, former Iron Man Robert Downey Jr is expected to appear as Victor von Doom/Doctor Doom in a post-credits scene.

The Fantastic Four: First Steps is scheduled for release in July.

M3GAN 2.0

The killer doll returns for a second helping, but not much is yet known about the horror sequel.

It could be like Terminator 2: Judgment Day, where a good M3GAN is sent to protect creator Gemma, played by Allison Williams, and niece Cady, played by Violet McGraw, from another artificially intelligent hostile toy.

Whatever the storyline, the first film was a hit due to its twisted sense of humour and creative kills, so fans should expect more of the same.

M3GAN 2.0 is scheduled for release in June, with spin-off SOULM8TE expected to follow in January 2026.

28 Years Later

The third instalment in the 28 Days Later film series reunites Oscar-winner Cillian Murphy with director Danny Boyle and writer Alex Garland.

Also co-written by Boyle, 28 Years Later sees the return of the rage virus and will follow a group of survivors as they navigate their way through a world ravaged by hordes of the infected.

28 Years Later is scheduled for release in June.

Michael

The life and career of Michael Jackson is being brought to the big screen by acclaimed director Antoine Fuqua (Training Day, The Equalizer trilogy).

Written by John Logan (Gladiator, The Aviator), the film will tell the tale of the King of Pop from his time with The Jackson 5 as a child to his final weeks before his death in 2009.

Given the timeline, it will be interesting how the filmmakers approach the highly publicised child sexual abuse allegations labelled against the American singer-songwriter.

Jackson is being played by his own nephew, Jaafar Jackson, alongside a cast that also includes Kat Graham (The Vampire Diaries) as Diana Ross and Miles Teller (Top Gun: Maverick) as entertainment lawyer John Branca.

Michael is scheduled for release in October.

F1

Brad Pitt will put pedal to the metal in this sports action drama.

The movie revolves around former Formula One driver Sonny Hayes, played by Pitt, who is tempted out of forced retirement caused by a crash to mentor rookie prodigy Joshua Pearce, played by Damson Idris, for the Apex Grand Prix team.

F1 is scheduled for release in June.

Snow White

Walt Disney’s 1937 cartoon classic – based on the 1812 fairytale by the Brothers Grimm – has been given a live-action reimagining.

Rachel Zegler (West Side Story) is playing the Disney princess, with Gal Gadot (Wonder Woman) as the Evil Queen.

Snow White is scheduled for release in March.

Now You See Me 3

The plot of the third instalment in the heist-thriller series is yet to be unveiled, but will no doubt be packed with mind-bending illusions and surprising twists.

Mark Ruffalo (Dylan Rhodes), Jesse Eisenberg (J Daniel “Danny” Atlas), Woody Harrelson (Merritt McKinney), Dave Franco (Jack Wilder), Isla Fisher (Henley Reeves) and Lizzy Caplan (Lula May) are set to reprise their roles as the mischievous magicians.

Award-winner Rosamund Pike has joined the cast in an undisclosed role, with Ariana Greenblatt (Barbie, Avengers: Infinity War) also adding another potential hit to her filmography.

Now You See Me 3 is scheduled for release in November.

Predator: Badlands

Fans of the Predator series are in for a treat with not one, but two movies due to be released in 2025.

A currently untitled movie – written and directed by Dan Trachtenberg – was secretly shot and is due to be released ahead of Predator: Badlands.

Badlands, also written and directed by Trachtenberg, will be the ninth in the overall franchise.

Starring Elle Fanning (Super 8, Maleficent), the standalone movie will follow two sisters who, while traversing a wasteland, discover their horrifying past.

Predator: Badlands is scheduled for release in November.

How to Train Your Dragon

DreamWorks Animation’s How to Train Your Dragon has been given a live-action remake.

Loosely based on the 2003 novel by Cressida Cowell, the fantasy film follows the unlikely bond between Hiccup Horrendous Haddock III, played by Mason Thames, and Toothless, a Night Fury dragon.

How to Train Your Dragon is scheduled to be released in June.

Lilo & Stitch

Walt Disney’s 2002 animated hit has been given a live-action/CGI makeover.

As with the cartoon, the film will revolve around the close bond between an orphaned Hawaiian girl and a dog-like extraterrestrial creature that has been engineered to be a force of destruction.

Lilo & Stitch is scheduled for release in May.

Bridget Jones: Mad About the Boy

Renee Zellweger is back as Bridget Jones in this fourth instalment of the popular film series.

This time round, Helen Fielding’s much-loved character is a widowed single mother.

As she juggles work and parenthood, there’s also a whole new sexual and cultural landscape to negotiate.

Colin Firth will appear in the film as Mark Darcy despite the character being killed off, and Hugh Grant returns as Daniel Cleaver.

Leo Woodall (The White Lotus, One Day) is a new addition as one of Jones’ new love interests.

Bridget Jones: Mad About the Boy is scheduled for release in February.

A Minecraft Movie

Minecraft is the best-selling video game in the world.

Whether that transfers into cinema ticket sales or becomes another box office bomb like last year’s Borderlands is yet to be seen.

The movie revolves around four misfits who are suddenly pulled through a mysterious portal into a bizarre, cubic wonderland that thrives on imagination.

To get back home, they’ll have to master that world while embarking on a quest with an unexpected, expert crafter.

Comedian Jack Black and Aquaman himself Jason Momoa will be joined by Emma Myers (Wednesday), Danielle Brooks (Orange Is The New Black) and Sebastian Eugene Hansen (Just Mercy).

A Minecraft Movie is scheduled for release in April.

Freakier Friday

More than two decades on from the 2003 film Freaky Friday, Jamie Lee Curtis and Lindsay Lohan have reunited for a sequel.

The story picks up years after Tess, played by Curtis, and Anna, played by Lohan, endured an identity crisis.

Anna now has a daughter of her own and a soon-to-be stepdaughter. As they navigate the myriad challenges that come when two families merge, Tess and Anna discover that lightning might indeed strike twice.

Freakier Friday is scheduled for release in August.

Tron: Ares

This is the third instalment in the Tron franchise.

The sci-fi will follow Ares, played by Jared Leto, a highly sophisticated programme that is sent from the digital world into the real world on a dangerous mission, marking humankind’s first encounter with AI beings.

Jeff Bridges will reprise his role from the previous films, with Greta Lee (Past Lives), Evan Peters (American Horror Story) and Gillian Anderson also set to appear.

Tron: Ares is scheduled for release in October.

Avatar: Fire and Ash

James Cameron’s third instalment in the Avatar film series is set for release just in time for award season.

The director has hinted that Fire and Ash – once again starring Sam Worthington and Zoe Saldana – will be darker and more harrowing than Avatar and The Way of Water.

Avatar: Fire and Ash is scheduled for release in December.

Untitled I Know What You Did Last Summer sequel

I Know What You Did Last Summer is a much-loved 90s horror slasher celebrated in the same way as the likes of Scream and Urban Legend.

This currently untitled fourth film in the franchise began principal photography in Sydney before the turn of the year.

We know that Outer Banks star Madelyn Cline is one of the lead cast.

Jennifer Love Hewitt will reprise the role of Julie James from the first two films, with Freddie Prinze Jr also returning as Ray Bronson.

Buffy the Vampire Slayer alum Sarah Michelle Gellar, who is married to Prinze Jr, played the character of Helen Shivers in the first film but was killed off.

However, she appears to have joined her husband on set and shared a behind-the-scenes snap jokingly teasing a Scooby-Doo reunion, another franchise the couple also co-starred in.

The film is scheduled for release in July.

NETFLIX FILMS WORTH KEEPING AN EYE ON

Back in Action

Cameron Diaz has ended her 11-year retirement by teaming up with Jamie Foxx in this action comedy.

The pair play CIA spies who are pulled back into the world of espionage after their secret identities are exposed.

Back in Action is scheduled for release in January.

Frankenstein

Oscar-winning director Guillermo del Toro is behind the lens for this retelling of Mary Shelley’s 1818 gothic novel.

Oscar Isaac is playing Victor Frankenstein, with Hollywood heartthrob Jacob Elordi (Saltburn) taking the role of his monster.

Much-loved horror final girl Mia Goth (X film series) and Christoph Waltz (Inglourious Basterds, Spectre) will also be in the movie.

Principal photography took place in Toronto, but parts of the film were also shot in Scotland.

Edinburgh’s Royal Mile was transformed into a market, with crews also setting up gallows in the capital’s Makars’ Court.

Frankenstein is scheduled for release in 2025.

Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery

Daniel Craig will return as master detective Benoit Blanc.

This third instalment in the Knives Out film series boasts an ensemble cast that includes Josh O’Connor, Glenn Close, Josh Brolin, Mila Kunis, Jeremy Renner, Kerry Washington, Andrew Scott, Cailee Spaeny, Daryl McCormack and Thomas Haden Church.

Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery is scheduled for release in 2025.