The 20 Most Anticipated Movies of 2025

[Karlston]

From Bong Joon-ho’s Mickey 17 to James Gunn’s Superman, these are the movies we’re most excited to see next.

 

With no “Barbenheimer” event to speak of, it was pretty much a foregone conclusion that, from at least a financial perspective, 2024 would not be as strong a year at the box office as 2023. However, thanks to Moana 2’s record-breaking Thanksgiving weekend, the gap between the two years is quickly closing—setting studios and audiences alike up for what all hope will be a continued return to “normal” (whatever that is) at the box office in 2025.

 

While dollars may be what makes the world go ’round for studio executives, innovation is what gets us excited—and innovation comes in many forms. It could mean finding a new angle to tell a story we’ve seen play out on screen many, many times before (see: Wolf Man and The Bride!) or the reinvention of a genre to which many people have recently attached the word “fatigue” (see: Captain America: Brave New World or Superman). Here are WIRED’s picks for the 20 films to put on your 2025 Must-See list.

Wolf Man

 

2025 is already shaping up to be the Year of the Monster Movie, with Leigh Whannell’s Wolf Man being the first of them to arrive on the big screen. The project was first announced in 2014 as part of Universal’s Dark Universe, a slate of films that would reimagine several of the studio’s classic monster movies. But after the abysmal failure of 2017’s The Mummy, starring Tom Cruise, Universal cooled on the whole idea … until Whannell took a shot on remaking The Invisible Man with Elisabeth Moss, which was a box office hit in 2020 just before Covid-19 shut down theaters. So it makes sense that Universal is relying on Whannell to once again reanimate a creepy classic. Christopher Abbott plays the eponymous monster, with Ozark’s always fantastic Julia Garner as his wife.

 

US release date: January 17

Captain America: Brave New World

 

It’s been nearly 10 years since audiences received a stand-alone Captain America movie, and Brave New World is sure to live up to its title. Largely because it’s the first big-screen project to feature Sam Wilson (Anthony Mackie), the superhero formerly known as the Falcon, as the new Captain America. It’s a baton-passing for the ages, to be sure—though one that the Disney+ series The Falcon and the Winter Soldier already set the stage for. Though anything with “Captain America” in the title still feels strange without Chris Evans, the addition of Giancarlo Esposito as econ professor/bad guy Seth Voelker, aka Sidewinder, and Harrison Ford taking over the role of Thaddeus Ross from the late William Hurt, should help soften the blow.

 

US release date: February 14

Paddington in Peru

 

The release date for the third installment in the Paddington series has shifted a bit, including as recently as November. While UK audiences got their latest dose of the much-beloved series last fall, it’ll finally hit US screens on Valentine’s Day. Ben Whishaw returns as the voice of the marmalade-loving ursid, who travels back to his native Peru with the Brown family in tow after receiving an upsetting letter about his Aunt Lucy (Imelda Staunton). The franchise will continue its tradition of bringing along a pedigreed cast, which here includes Emily Mortimer (taking over Sally Hawkins’ role as Mary Brown) plus Olivia Colman and Antonio Banderas.

 

 

US release date: February 14

The Monkey

 

Stephen King adaptations have long been a hit-or-miss proposition. Still, it’s hard to imagine that The Monkey, based on the King of Horror’s 1980 short story of the same name, won’t have audiences talking. If only because of how batshit (in a good way) it looks. This is unsurprising, given that it’s being written and directed by Longlegs filmmaker Osgood Perkins. Theo James has been on the verge of mega-stardom for more than a decade now; perhaps this can be the project that finally tips the scales.

 

US release date: February 21

Sinners

 

Tell us that Ryan Coogler and Michael B. Jordan are making a movie together, and we’re going to show up. Especially when it seems like their fifth collaboration could be this dynamic duo’s most ambitious, and original, project to date. Jordan plays twin brothers Elijah and Elias, who, looking for a fresh start, return to their hometown only to find that something evil is in the air. The full details of the plot are being heavily guarded, which only further piques our curiosity about the project.

 

US release date: March 7

Black Bag

 

We hate to sound like a broken record here, but: Not much is known about the plot of this upcoming spy thriller, which is directed by Steven Soberbergh and written by Jurassic Park scribe David Koepp. Except that it is indeed a spy thriller, that Cate Blanchett and Michael Fassbender will star, and that it will be the first we’ve seen of former Bridgerton star Regé-Jean Page since the surprisingly well received Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves (2023).

 

US release date: March 14

Mickey 17

 

Bong Joon-ho’s follow-up to Parasite has been half a dozen years in the making, and it was originally included on our list of the most anticipated movies of 2024. Due to the actors’ strike and some postproduction delays, it was ultimately kicked to 2025—which brings us to now. One year later, we’re still anxiously awaiting the film, which appears to be bringing a more madcap vibe than we’ve previously seen in a Bong Joon-ho production. Adapted from Edward Ashton’s 2022 novel, the film stars Robert Pattinson as Mickey Barnes, a space colonist who takes on the thankless job of being an “expendable,” which essentially means that he is given the most dangerous tasks imaginable, inevitably dies while attempting to complete said tasks, and ultimately gets regenerated as part of a pretty messed up science experiment. Eventually, Mickey chooses life … as does another version of Mickey, which pits the two against each other.

 

US release date: April 18

Thunderbolts*

 

After tamping down production from three movies per year to just one in 2024 (Deadpool & Wolverine), Marvel is once again risking the wrath of endless “superhero fatigue” op-eds by releasing two new movies in 2025: Captain America: Brave New World (see above) and Thunderbolts*. Yes, the asterisk is part of the title, which only makes the movie more intriguing (at least it does for us punctuation nerds). Like a Bizarro version of The Avengers, this team-up movie sees a ragtag group of antiheroes with issues do their best to work together without killing each other. Among the returning characters you love to root for? Yelena Belova (Florence Pugh), Bucky Barnes (Sebastian Stan), Alexei Shostakov, aka Red Guardian (David Harbour), John Walker, aka US Agent (Wyatt Russell), and Antonia Dreykov/Taskmaster (Olga Kurylenko). Overseeing the proceedings is Julia Louis-Dreyfus’ CIA director Valentina Allegra de Fontaine, who might just be the most badass of the bunch.

 

US release date: May 2

Mission: Impossible - The Final Reckoning

 

We’ve seen enough Mission: Impossible movies over the past quarter-century to know what expect from The Final Reckoning: Tom Cruise running; Tom Cruise hanging off the side of a plane in some sort of entirely breathtaking stunt that no 62-year-old man (let alone a 62-year-old A-list actor) should undertake; Tom Cruise running some more; Tom Cruise asking Ving Rhames and Simon Pegg to trust him; a little more running. Somehow, it never stops being compelling—and the type of movie best enjoyed on the big screen. Despite the title, this isn’t necessarily the final film in the M:I series.

 

US release date: May 23

Ballerina

 

This John Wick spin-off is yet another movie we had initially hoped we’d see in 2024. But the creative minds behind the project, including director Len Wiseman and John Wick director Chad Stahelski, decided that the action sequences could use a little extra oomph. Based on the trailer, they certainly look impressive enough. Then again, it’s hard not to be entertained watching Ana de Armas as an assassin with revenge in her heart—and an ice skate-turned-weapon in her hand.

 

US release date: June 6

28 Years Later

 

In 2002, Alex Garland and Danny Boyle came together to create what is arguably one of the greatest zombie movies ever made with 28 Days Later. Now, 27 years later (sooo close), they’ve reunited to create what will be the third film in the mini-franchise. As hinted at in the title, it’s a peek at what the world looks like three decades after the “Rage Virus” first hit (spoiler alert: It’s still very much raging). Still, groups of uninfected survivors have found ways to exist among the “infected,” while others are still desperately searching for answers—and a cure. Ralph Fiennes, Jodie Comer, and Aaron Taylor-Johnson will star in the film. If you swear you saw a zombified version of 28 Days Later star Cillian Murphy in the trailer: nope, you didn’t.

 

US release date: June 20

M3GAN 2.0

Every so often a movie comes along that is so patently ridiculous, it sets the internet absolutely ablaze. In 2022, M3GAN—about an AI doll that put your wildest fears about AI to shame—was that movie. So while we get that this isn’t Luca Guadagnino adapting bloody Shakespeare, we’re allowed to have our guilty pleasures. And if we choose that to be the hopefully campy sequel to an evil doll movie, so be it. (The world is a challenging place.)

 

US release date: June 27

Jurassic World Rebirth

The past three decades haven’t always been kind to the original Jurassic Park’s legacy. With the exception of Colin Trevorrow’s fairly well-received Jurassic World (2015), the series has largely been one of diminishing returns. But director Gareth Edwards’ hard reset on the franchise seems promising for a number of reasons—including Edwards himself, who is no stranger to breathing new life into beloved properties (see: 2014’s Godzilla). David Koepp, who wrote the script for Steven Spielberg’s original film, is also back as the film’s screenwriter. Then there’s the stacked list of A-list actors who will face off against a gaggle of enormous dinosaurs, with Scarlett Johansson, Mahershala Ali, and Jonathan Bailey at the top of the call sheet.

 

US release date: July 2

Superman

 

His first film in the DC Universe will undoubtedly be a bittersweet moment for Marvel devotees attempting to reconcile their feelings about Guardians of the Galaxy director James Gunn’s “defection” to the DCU. Gunn is now CEO of DC Studios, where he has already made creative decisions that have rankled some comic book stans, like when he decided to replace OG Superman Henry Cavill with David Corenswet. (In Gunn’s defense, his intention is to bring more light and levity to DC’s often dark and gritty comic book world.) Though Gunn swears this won’t be an origin story, the film will reportedly focus on Clark Kent and Lois Lane, so we’re definitely going back in time a little. If Gunn’s past directorial results are any indication, Superman could prove to be one of the biggest hits of the summer.

 

US release date: July 11

The Fantastic Four: First Steps

Could the third time be a charm for the Fantastic Four? That’s what fans are wondering about this superhero team, who seem to be cursed when it comes to movie adaptations of their work. In 2005, we got Jessica Alba, Ioan Gruffudd, Michael Chiklis, and a pre-Captain America Chris Evans as the foursome; 10 years later, it was Kate Mara, Miles Teller, Michael B. Jordan, and Jamie Bell. For The Fantastic Four: First Steps, the cast is undoubtedly impressive: Vanessa Kirby as Sue Storm/Invisible Woman, Pedro Pascal as Reed Richards/Mister Fantastic; Joseph Quinn as Johnny Storm/Human Torch, and Ebon Moss-Bachrach as Ben Grimm/The Thing. But perhaps the missing ingredient in previous iterations has been the creative force behind the camera, which in this case is Matt Shakman, who is better known for his television career, where he has helmed episodes of Game of Thrones, WandaVision, The Great, and—most prolifically—more than 40 installments of It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia, including the fan-favorite “The Nightman Cometh.”

 

US release date: July 25

The Battle of Baktan Cross

Just because we have no idea what Paul Thomas Anderson’s new movie is about doesn’t mean we aren’t dying to learn more. Especially based on what we do know about it. Namely: That it will be Anderson’s first movie released in IMAX, and that it will feature an all-star cast that includes Leonardo DiCaprio, Regina Hall, Sean Penn, Wood Harris, and Alana Haim.

 

US release date: August 8

The Bride!

Like a more indie Greta Gerwig, actor-turned-filmmaker Maggie Gyllenhaal has been quietly building up an impressive filmography behind the camera. Five years after nabbing an Oscar nomination (her second) in 2022 for Best Adapted Screenplay for The Lost Daughter, Gyllenhaal is following that film up—and hopping on the Universal Monster Movie bandwagon—with this remake of Bride of Frankenstein, which the writer-director aims to imbue with a strong feminist sensibility. The film will reunite Gyllenhaal with Jessie Buckley, who she directed to a Best Supporting Actress nomination in The Lost Daughter and here plays the eponymous spouse of Frankenstein’s monster, who will be played by Christian Bale—reuniting Gyllenhaal with her former Batman costar. Maggie’s brother Jake and husband Peter Sarsgaard will also appear. Though an official date for the release of Guillermo del Toro’s Frankenstein, starring Oscar Isaac, Jacob Elordi, and Mia Goth, has yet to be announced, it sounds as if this pair of films could make for a great mini-marathon.

 

US release date: September 26

Bugonia

Would it really be a true year for movies if we didn’t get at least one absurdist comedy from Yorgos Lanthimos? (The answer: no.) Will Tracy (The Menu) will pen the script for this English-language remake of Jang Joon-hwan’s Save the Green Planet! The film will reunite Lanthimos with current muse Emma Stone, who will play the CEO of a major pharmaceutical company who is kidnapped by conspiracy theorists (one of them played by Jesse Plemons, now another member of Lanthimos’ regular stable) who believe she is an alien with plans of taking over Planet Earth.

 

US release date: November 7

Avatar: Fire and Ash

No matter how much time passes, or how much the original Avatar seems to disappear from the cultural conversation, there’s no denying that James Cameron’s blue people know how to put butts in seats. Despite it feeling like the second film in the series didn’t get a whole lot of buzz following its release, nor was it met with an overwhelming amount of positive chatter, The Way of Water still somehow earned enough money ($2.3 billion and some change) to secure its place as the third-highest-grossing movie of all time—knocking Titanic down to #4 and sitting just underneath the original Avatar (2009) and Avengers: Endgame (2019). From what we know about the movie, the “Ash” of the title refers to a far less kindhearted group of Na’vi who are changing everything we know about Pandora.

 

US release date: December 19

Peaky Blinders

One year after Oppenheimer (and the Barbenheimer phenomenon) made Cillian Murphy one of the biggest movie stars on the planet, the Irish actor is returning to his roots. For more than a decade, Murphy has portrayed gangster-turned-politician Tommy Selby in the Steven Knight–created period crime show, Peaky Blinders. Soon, he’ll be reprising the part for Knight’s big-screen version of the series. He’ll be joined by several familiar faces, including Stephen Graham, Sophie Rundle, and Paul Anderson, with a slate of exciting additions to the cast, including Barry Keoghan, Rebecca Ferguson, and Tim Roth. Though it’s possible that we won’t see the big-screen version of Peaky Blinders until early 2026, logging our anticipation certainly can’t hurt. Who knows—maybe it can even help?

 

US release date: 2025/2026

 

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[funkyy]

Wow...where to begin? That must be the absolute best collection of

trailer advances EVER!!! 2025 is going to be a cracker of a year.

Usually there are maybe 4 or 5 that I fancy..... but there are so many

movies there that I'm already desperate to see. Roll on 2025 !!!

[andy2004]

Wow.. 1 out of 20 i actually want to watch. I got bored reading the above about the 20 movies to come out in 2025.. hate to think what other

4 letter word.. C**p is coming out in 2025.. i havent got around to watching M3gan or the last dinosaur movie.. Jurassic whatever it was.. i remember the last one i saw was the one where chris pratt??,, went back to the island and ended up having to rescue BLUE.. with the girl who was also a generic copy.. only reason i remember is cause of the dinosaur that was looking at the boat.. before being destroyed.. with the look of please don't leave me behind on its face.