The 15 Most Anticipated Movies Of 2025, Ranked

Despite some excellent movies hitting theaters, 2024 was, to use a sports phrase, a rebuilding year. The 2023 Writers Guild and SAG-AFTRA strikes ground Hollywood to a halt before the studios ultimately agreed to some much-needed concessions for the folks who physically make the films and TV shows we all love, and the downstream effects of that unnecessarily drawn-out labor stoppage spilled into 2024. Movies and shows that were supposed to come out needed time to restart production, studios delayed some releases into 2025, and the industry as a whole experienced a contraction. The first half of this year was rough at the box office, but thanks to several major wins near the end of the year, theatrical exhibition managed to stay alive and make up a ton of ground.

While we’ll likely be seeing the effects of the strikes and the subsequent contraction for a while, the floodgates are preparing to open for 2025, and moviegoers will be pummeled with an onslaught of high-profile releases. The industry might never return to the astronomical heights of where it was in 2019 before the pandemic changed everything, but 2025 will arguably be the first year Hollywood will truly be back at full strength, with a new roster of films to show off and plenty of familiar IP to lure stragglers back to theaters. 

Bring it on.

Here are 15 of our most anticipated movies of 2025, including some major sequels, remakes, reimaginings, and — gasp! — original ideas from big time directors.

Release Date: October 2

James Whale’s “Bride of Frankenstein” is not just the best Universal Monster movie ever made, but it spawned the iconic look of the titular Bride — the only female character in the Universal Monster canon to continually be featured on merchandise, thereby keeping her alive and relevant to new generations. But she’s about to be resurrected in Maggie Gyllenhaal’s “The Bride,” featuring Christian Bale as Frankenstein’s Monster and Jessie Buckley as the eponymous bride. This is yet another collaboration between Gyllenhaal and Buckley, the latter of whom was nominated for Best Supporting Actress at the Academy Awards for her performance in Gyllenhaal’s feature directorial debut, “The Lost Daughter.”

Joining the cast is an all-star lineup including Penélope Cruz, Peter Sarsgaard, and Annette Bening, with “Joker” cinematographer Lawrence Sher behind the camera. “The Bride” is set in 1930s Chicago and centers on a murder victim who is brought back from the dead and uses her new lease on life to pursue lust and romance, igniting a radical social movement in the process. Oh, did I mention it’s also a punk-rock musical? After the success of “Poor Things,” the world could use more movies about undead women bucking social norms and going after what they want. In the wake of this year’s “Nosferatu” and with Guillermo del Toro’s “Frankenstein” also due out in 2025, we’re potentially entering a new era of cinematic gothic greatness. Lucky us. (BJ Colangelo)

Release Date: February 28

The Looney Tunes are some of the most iconic animated characters of all time, which makes it crazy that they’ve never really starred in a full feature-length movie that’s completely animated — let alone one that is actually good. Luckily, their time has finally come with the release of “The Day the Earth Blew Up: A Looney Tunes Movie” (full disclosure: I saw an early screening of the film at the 2024 Annecy Animation Film Festival). “Clarence” and “Uncle Grandpa” creator Peter Browngardt, who also made the recent “Looney Tunes Cartoons” on HBO Max spearheads this new film that focuses on Porky and Daffy — reimagined as being raised as siblings — as they desperately try to get a job so they can save their family home while also fending off against an alien invasion.

This is a movie for both longtime fans who know their “Duck Amuck” from their “Porky Pig’s Feat” and also for those who barely know the characters outside of “Space Jam.” Browngardt and his team of storyboard artists and writers update the sense of humor of the characters while still keeping the chaotic randomness of the early cartoons. Plus, the movie gives the spotlight to one of the best Looney Tunes pairings in Daffy and Porky, and gives them proper character arcs and depth to sustain a feature-length story. (Rafael Motamayor)

Release Date: 2025

Stop-motion is having a moment, between Guillermo del Toro winning an Oscar for “Pinocchio,” “Memoir of a Snail” making a big splash this year, and Aardman bringing back Wallace and Gromit for a new movie. In 2025, another big stop-motion player is making their return, with Laika releasing their first movie since 2019’s “Missing Link.” Their latest project, “Wildwood,” promises to be an exciting departure for the studio. Adapted from the book of the same name by Colin Meloy and illustrated by Carson Ellis, “Wildwood” is a dark fantasy inspired by classic fantasy novels and folk tale, about two kids adventuring through a dark, magical forest while trying to rescue a baby from crows and getting caught up in a fight for the very freedom of the wilderness.

Laika is known for their beautifully animated movies with magical realism, movies for all ages that are unafraid to get dark and use disturbing imagery to terrify kids and amaze older audiences. “Wildwood” is also going for a bigger-scale dark fantasy tale, one that director Travis Knight teases is the studio’s most ambitious film due to including epic battles and aerial sequences. This is looking up to be one of the biggest animated films of 2025, with a star-studded cast that includes Carey Mulligan, Mahershala Ali, Angela Bassett, and Richard E. Grant. (Rafael Motamayor)

Release Date: December 19

Never bet against James Cameron. Despite what internet discourse would have you believe, it’s already been proven twice that one of the few things that truly unites the entire planet is our collective love of Jake Sully, the moon of Pandora, and the Na’vi. After the first two “Avatar” movies made a collective bajillion bucks at the box office, expectations are high for the third chapter in the saga, titled “Fire and Ash.”

James Cameron promises to continue expanding the world of Pandora by introducing new biomes, new creatures, and new tribes. “Fire and Ash” has a lot to live up to after the previous movie already gave us the gift of its star, the icon Payakan the space whale, but if there’s one thing this franchise does well it’s transport audiences to exciting new worlds populated by fantastical creatures. Arguably the most exciting promise of the new film is the introduction of a new Na’vi tribe, one set to be more aggressive and violent than the ones we’ve met before, building up to a different conflict than our usual war between underdeveloped tribes and the technologically-advanced humans with machine guns. This is the last movie before the “Avatar” franchise introduces a time jump, so we can expect James Cameron to go out on a high note. (Rafael Motamayor)

Release Date: August 1, 2025

The trio of Jim Abrahams and brothers David & Jerry Zucker, known colloquially as Zucker, Abrahams and Zucker (or ZAZ) delivered some of the finest spoofs in cinema history, including “Airplane!” and “The Naked Gun” franchise. Helping them was the unmatched deadpan skills of Leslie Nielsen. In 2025, we’re extremely excited and curious to see how new life will be breathed into “The Naked Gun” with a big screen revival. 

Directing is Akiva Schaffer, who cut his teeth at “Saturday Night Live” as one-third of another successful comedy trio: The Lonely Island. Along with “SNL” cast member Andy Samberg and writer Jorma Taccone, they defined an entire era of the late night sketch comedy series with SNL Digital Shorts. While their cinematic offerings, such as “Hot Rod” and “Popstar,” not to mention “MacGruber,” have all been box office bombs, many would consider them some of the best comedies of the 21st century. Shaffer also tackled the “Who Framed Roger Rabbit” successor “Chip ‘N’ Dale: Rescue Rangers” with plenty of high praise.

Then there’s the casting of Liam Neeson as Frank Drebin Jr., son of Leslie Nielsen’s original character. He might not be known for comedy, but the brilliance of Neeson’s casting lies in his ability to deliver funny lines while being incredibly serious. Just look at his brief cameo in “Ted 2” (pictured above). 

“The Naked Gun” also stars Paul Walter Hauser, Pamela Anderson, Kevin Durand, and Danny Huston, and we can’t wait to see it. (Ethan Anderton)

Release Date: August 8

Any time Paul Thomas Anderson comes out with a new movie, it’s a big deal. Whether your favorite is “Boogie Night,” “There Will be Blood,” “Licorice Pizza,” or one of his other critically acclaimed hits, it’s hard to argue with the director’s track record. It’s even more noteworthy when a director of such high reputation puts out their 10th film, which is exactly what PTA is doing in August 2025 with “The Battle of Baktan Cross.”

Described as a crime thriller, the upcoming movie will be Anderson’s biggest budget ever at a reported $115 million, $20 million of which is going to lead star Leonardo DiCaprio. The rest of the cast includes a ton of big names like Regina Hall, Benicio Del Toro, Teyana Taylor, and Sean Penn. Some rumors say that the film will be a somewhat loose adaptation of the 1990 Thomas Pynchon novel “Vineland.” Anderson previously adapted the postmodernist author’s “Inherent Vice” in 2014 and took inspiration from his novel “V.” when directing “The Master.”

While story details are scarce, there’s already a ton of excitement building around the project. Directors like Anderson are very selective in their work, and he always brings something bold and unique to the table. Add to that a truly star-studded cast, a healthy dose of mystery, and the director’s most expensive script ever, and you’ve got a movie overflowing with intrigue. (Rick Stevenson)

Release Date: November 21

It’s been a while since we’ve had a solid remake of an ’80s action “classic,” but 2025 could deliver a great one in the form of Edgar Wright’s “The Running Man.” While the 1987 Arnold Schwarzenegger film is fun but a very, very loose adaptation of the Stephen King novel that inspired it, and Wright’s involvement makes the upcoming remake particularly interesting. The director has gained significant acclaim across his career as an incredibly consistent and visually stylish filmmaker, with movies like “Baby Driver,” “Scott Pilgrim vs. the World,” and of course, his Cornetto trilogy collaborations with Simon Pegg and Nick Frost.

2025’s “The Running Man” already has a major box office draw in the form of Glen Powell, who’s emerged over the last couple of years as a sort of ruggedly handsome everyman moviestar with undeniable appeal among moviegoers. Arguably even more compelling is the inclusion of “Love Lies Bleeding” star Katy O’Brian, who’s quickly emerging as a major talent in Hollywood. Josh Brolin, Daniel Ezra, and Lee Pace are also among the cast.

Any Stephen King Adaptation is going to get buzz, and doubly so when it’s being helmed by a director known for so much aesthetic flair. Frequent Star Wars and X-Men writer/producer Simon Kinberg is also heavily involved in the project, which details a violent game show where contestants must survive pursuit by deadly hunters. It should be exciting to see how Wright’s creative eye brings the King novel to the big screen. (Rick Stevenson)

Release date: June 20

In 2002, Cillian Murphy’s iconic hospital wake-up and walk through an empty London before he meets his first Rage Virus maniacs established Danny Boyle’s “28 Days Later” as a genre game-changer. Its running zombies, air of desperation, and strange authenticity still make for an experience that grabs you by the lapels and insists that its events are happening out there right now, that you’re not watching a slick horror movie. In 2007, “28 Weeks Later” introduced a new cast led by Robert Carlyle, and offered a glimpse of a potential better future before crushing all hope under its heel. 

In 2025, Boyle will return to the infected well with “28 Years Later.” What’s more, he’s armed with a script by “28 Days Later” scribe Alex Garland, who’s spent the intervening decades by becoming one of the world’s most interesting filmmakers.

The creepy “28 Years Later” trailer lets you know what you’re in for. Set against Taylor Holmes’ eerie 1915 reading of the poem “Boots” — known for its role in training Navy SEALs to withstand torture — it teases a delightfully crushing fever dream of a movie, with hints of old-school Boyle and Garland in full “Annihilation” gear. Of course, “28 Years Later” also continues the series’ trend of amazing casting, with Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Jodie Comer, Ralph Fiennes, and others thrown into the post-apocalyptic fray. Even Murphy’s character Jim will be back, though not as that skinny zombie you’ve read about. (Pauli Poisuo)

Release Date: July 11

In 2014 Marvel Studios gambled on some misfit heroes composed of a smart-mouthed raccoon and a talking tree. To most they were completely unknown, but now the Guardians of the Galaxy are some of the most beloved characters in the MCU; characters that viewers adore and cried over, repeatedly. Now imagine giving the director responsible for that, James Gunn, the most well-known superhero in history and using him as an entry point into an all-new DC Universe.

That really should be all you need to be sold on “Superman” being one of the hits of 2025, which will see David Corenswet step into the red and blue threads to face Lex Luthor (Nicholas Hoult) and win the heart of Lois Lane (Rachel Brosnahan). Currently, major plot details are being kept behind lead plates but what we do know is that this new take will skim over Clark Kent’s well-tread origin story and get him and his dog Krypto while going up, up and away into a world where superheroes already are a way of life.

But what will put this Superman apart from other heroes in this universe or anywhere else? Well, according to Gunn (via Variety), Clark will possess “a kindness in a world that thinks of kindness as old fashioned” which might be just what we need. Laser vision and super strength aside, it’s that superpower from the most iconic hero that could really save the day and turn Superman into the hero of 2025. (Nick Staniforth)

Release date: November 7

“Predator: Badlands” is automatically one of the most anticipated sci-fi films of 2025 thanks to the “Predator” goodwill Dan Trachtenberg earned with the excellent “Prey” (2022). Like its Western predecessor, “Badlands” takes the franchise in a new direction – this time, by making the Predator the movie’s star. Trachtenberg directs and co-wrote the script with fellow “Prey” writer Patrick Aison, and Elle Fanning plays several roles. Oh, and the movie also takes place in a future setting. In other words, whatever “Badlands” intends to slap fans with, it’ll be like no other “Predator” project they’ve seen. 

If that sounds risky, remember that “Prey’s” premise of “Predator meets a 18th century Comanche tribe” was a pretty drastic departure from the norm, too. Yet, hunter aspirant Naru’s (Amber Midthunder) battle with a particularly visceral Yautja (Dane DiLiegro) who wears a bone mask and bench-presses grizzly bears turned out to be a franchise crown jewel, thanks to its original setting and expertly-curated blend of tension and action. The idea of Trachtenberg bringing his unique “Predator” sensibilities to a movie with an even more ambitious premise should get the seal of approval from even the most jaded sci-fi enthusiasts. We’ll know more about “Predator: Badlands” as the year progresses, but right now, it seems like the franchise’s best bet for getting two great consecutive movies since … well, ever. (Pauli Poisuo) 

Release Date: 2025

If you watched Rian Johnson’s masterful whodunit “Knives Out” in 2019 and, like me, thought that Johnson and star Daniel Craig should stick with this impossibly fun formula until they are legally asked to stop, you’re in luck. “Knives Out” is now a bonafide film franchise, which sounds like bad news when you consider how often Hollywood squeezes sequels out of incredible standalone projects with terrible results. Thankfully, that didn’t happen with Johnson’s first sequel, “Glass Onion,” which hit Netflix in late 2022, brought Craig back as the Southern-fried detective Benoit Blanc and stacked the cast with a whole new group of all stars including Kathryn Hahn, Kate Hudson, Janelle Monáe, Edward Norton, and Dave Bautista. At this point, there’s every reason to believe that “Wake Up Dead Man,” the third “Knives Out” film (and third named for a song, with this one by U2), will be just as good as the first two, particularly with Johnson and Craig at the helm.

Not much is known about “Wake Up Dead Man” — which was the case with “Glass Onion” before it — but we do know that Johnson has brought on yet another murderer’s row of great actors to appear alongside Craig. Josh O’Connor, Glenn Close, Josh Brolin, Mila Kunis, Jeremy Renner, Kerry Washington, Andrew Scott, Cailee Spaeny, Daryl McCormack, and Thomas Haden Church are all involved in “Wake Up Dead Man,” and with this cast working with Craig and Johnson, nothing could possibly go wrong (I hope). (Nina Starner)

Release date: 2025.

A new Guillermo del Toro movie will always catch my attention — I’m a sucker for his pulp-Gothic aesthetic dripped over his romantic heart. Next year, del Toro is releasing the movie he was born to make: “Frankenstein.” He’s assembled quite the cast for his dream movie, including Oscar Isaac as the Doctor, Jacob Elordi as the Creature, and supporting players Mia Goth, Christoph Waltz, Charles Dance, Ralph Ineson and more. 

We’ve seen little of the film’s visuals (beyond leaked set photos) and one production still from Vanity Fair, but despite the lack of marketing so far, del Toro has been teasing the film’s Scotland shoot on social media. (The best was when he tweeted about his experience of staying in a haunted hotel over there):

Whilst in Aberdeen, I am staying in an old 1800’s hotel. i am in the Most Haunted room of it- which was vacated this morning by one of our producers. Odd electrical and physical occurences scared her into leaving asap. Stay tuned- if anything happens I will report.

— Guillermo del Toro (@RealGDT) August 20, 2024

It seems that del Toro is going for some variation on the outline of Mary Shelley’s original “Modern Prometheus” novel, the one retold by everyone from James Whale to Terence Fisher to Junji Ito, where Victor Frankenstein creates life and pays the cost. All of del Toro’s films have some “Frankenstein” in their DNA; the bloody Gothic of “Crimson Peak,” the outcast monsters of “Shape of Water” and “Hellboy,” the tumultuous father-and-son relationships of “Nightmare Alley” and “Pinocchio,” etc. Yet, he risks making something familiar by making “Frankenstein” itself — I hope del Toro diving into the comfort of his childhood dreams will spark him to innovate instead. If nothing else, I’m sure he’ll make me cry for the Monster. (Devin Meenan)

Release Date: April 18

If you’re not excited for a new Bong Joon-ho movie starring Robert Pattinson, I’m not sure what to tell you. “Mickey 17,” which is slated to hit theaters in the spring of 2025, stars Pattinson — one of Hollywood’s most exciting and audacious actors who also loves doing weird voices and accents — as Mickey Barnes, a guy who has just had enough of living on earth. (I get it, man.) That’s precisely why he volunteers to be part of a project where he serves as an “expendable,” meaning that, out there in space, he lets his employers creatively kill him over and over again, at which point he wakes up in a new (and identical) body with most of his memories intact. So what’s that title about? Well, the 17th version of Mickey survives when he definitely shouldn’t, at which point everything seems like it goes haywire very quickly (based on the delightfully manic trailer, at least).

After Bong’s award-winning 2019 film “Parasite,” which went on to sweep the 2020 Academy Awards — and featured only South Korean actors in the lead roles — the venerated writer-director has assembled an international cast this time; Naomi Ackie, Steven Yeun, Toni Collette, and Mark Ruffalo star alongside Pattinson. Ultimately, it’s best to go into a Bong Joon-ho movie completely blind, so go see “Mickey 17” knowing as little as possible … because based on his body of work, you’ll want to experience its surprises for yourself. (Nina Starner)

Release Date: March 7

As you might’ve heard, vampire flicks are in, with entries like “Abigail” and “Nosferatu” representing the highs of the fanged sub-genre this year. Turns out, Ryan Coogler’s “Sinners” will be continuing this trend in 2025 by delivering a moody, intense supernatural horror set in the 1930s. Coogler has once again teamed up with Michael B. Jordan (their joint efforts include “Fruitvale Station,” “Creed,” and the “Black Panther” films), who plays the role of twin brothers doomed to experience an unsettling homecoming. Hailee Steinfeld, Delroy Lindo, Jack O’Connell, Jayme Lawson, Wunmi Mosaku, Omar Benson Miller, and Li Jun Li are also a part of the film’s stacked cast. 

The Coogler-Jordan combo is a good reason in itself to look forward to this horror drama, but one look at the film’s trailer will make it clear that “Sinners” is not your run-of-the-mill vampire extravaganza. The word “vampire” is not even mentioned in the trailer, and there are no allusions to bloodsucking beasts or garlic-averse creatures of the night. Instead, we are teased with the advent of a great evil that leaves the townsfolk teetering at the edge of sanity, pointing to the existence of an otherworldly force. Moreover, cinematographer Autumn Durald Arkapaw’s (“Black Panther: Wakanda Forever”) gorgeous handling of the dread-inducing night-time shots looks super-promising, and I really, really want to see Michael B. Jordan squaring off against a vampire in a dual role. (Debopriyaa Dutta)

Release Date: May 23, 2025

If you’re reading this article, then the words “new installment of ‘Mission: Impossible'” should get your movie junkie engine running. If for some reason that’s not enough, well, let me help you: “Mission: Impossible — The Final Reckoning” stars THEE Tom Cruise as Ethan Hunt, and as the film’s gobsmacking first trailer reveals, he’ll be running faster, jumping harder, and flying further than he ever has before. The man has proven numerous times over that he’s dedicated to cinematic excellence to a dangerous extent, and his risk is our continued reward.

Oh, that’s still not enough for you to get hyped? Well, your mission, should you choose to accept it, is to remember that “The Final Reckoning” is the second part of 2023’s “Dead Reckoning — Part One,” meaning that we’re going to get some much-needed resolution as to what’s going to happen to Ethan, his IMF team, the evil Entity (and its familiar, Gabriel), the fate of the free world, and whether or not Ilsa Faust actually met her demise (please, please let her be alive). The cast is absolutely stacked with not only returning favorites like Simon Pegg, Ving Rhames, and Hayley Atwell, but some great newcomers like Nick Offerman and Katy O’Brian. Plus, this may or may not be the final Hunt adventure, meaning Cruise and co-writer/director Christopher McQuarrie will be leaving everything they have on the table. Excited now? Good, but don’t self-destruct yet, because this movie looks to be the cinematic E-ticket of 2025. (Bill Bria)