The Hottest Movie Releases Dropping in 2025

This has been an epic year for movies, and 2025 is only halfway over. A collection of tentpole titles and must-see blockbusters has already hit the big screen. The trend of studios mining established IP continues, and popular franchises’ remakes, sequels and spin-offs will compete for audiences’ attention.

James Gunn’s Superman was way up on our list of must-see blockbusters in 2025, which was compiled at the beginning of the year. If you read my review, you’ll know that it delivered. 

Anthony Mackie’s first feature-length outing for Marvel as Captain America, Ballerina — the female-led John Wick spin-off — and the pulse-pounding next installment of Tom Cruise’s Mission Impossible franchise have come and gone. But there are still plenty of fun films to look out for, including a long-awaited return to the grid for Tron fans, Adam Sandler’s reprisal of notoriously angry golfer Happy Gilmore and that second Wicked movie. 

Our list of the hottest films to come out in 2025 is not exhaustive, and plenty of names didn’t make it into our guide. That said, we’re confident our curated list of the year’s most anticipated movies will keep your theater-going (and streaming) calendar stacked. Check back regularly, as we will update the release dates on specific titles once this information is released.

Read more: The TV Shows We Can’t Wait to See in 2025

Love Hurts (Feb. 7) 

Finally, Ke Huy Quan takes the lead. This actioner from Jonathan Eusebio follows a realtor who’s forced back into the dangerous life he left behind when his former partner Rose (played by Ariana DeBose) comes back into his life. 

Captain America: Brave New World (Feb. 14)

It’s been nearly four years since Anthony Mackie starred opposite Sebastian Stan in The Falcon & The Winter Soldier on Disney Plus, and the actor is finally suiting up as Captain America on the big screen. This doesn’t look like your run-of-the-mill Marvel movie — there’s a riveting political thriller vibe to the trailer above. What could make Brave New World even more exciting? Harrison Ford as Red Hulk, that’s what.

The Monkey (Feb. 21) 

Director Osgood Perkins left his indelible mark on the big screen in 2024 with the horror movie Longlegs. Now he’s back with Monkey — an adaptation of Stephen King’s short story about an evil toy monkey. Elijah Wood, Theo James and Tatiana Maslany make up the cast in what is sure to be another twisted banger from the filmmaker.

Mickey 17 (March 7) 

Bong Joon-ho changed the game with his Oscar-winning movie Parasite. Now, the writer-director is back with his big-screen follow-up, Mickey 17. Based on Ashton Edwards’s book, it follows a man named Mickey Barnes (played by Robert Pattinson) who enlists to do dangerous work on an alien colony. The twist is that every time he dies, a clone of him is made. Starring alongside Pattinson in the sci-fi thriller are Toni Collette, Naomi Ackie, Steven Yeun and Mark Ruffalo.

The Electric State (March 14) 

Chris Pratt and Millie Bobby Brown will tour America in search of her lost brother in an alternate version of 1997, where the robots rebelled against humanity in this post-apocalyptic adaptation of Simon Stålenhag’s graphic novel. Woody Harrelson, Ke Huy Quan, Holly Hunter and Stanley Tucci also star.

The Woman in the Yard (March 28) 

This Blumhouse joint hails from Black Adam director Jaume Collet-Serra and centers on a family who is visited by a creepy woman shrouded in black who delivers the ominous warning, “Today’s the day.” Danielle Deadwyler, Russell Hornsby and Okwui Okpokwasili star.

Death of a Unicorn (March 28)

What would you do if you accidentally hit a unicorn with your car? That’s the central question driving this horror-comedy starring Jenna Ortega and Paul Rudd as the daughter and father, who do just that. Something tells us the wrath of this magical creature’s mother isn’t going to be all sunshine and rainbows.

A Minecraft Movie (April 4)

Your kid’s favorite block-building video game gets the blockbuster treatment this Easter. Jack Black and Jason Momoa lead this family adventure alongside Jennifer Coolidge, Emma Myers, Danielle Brooks and Sebastian Eugene Hansen. 

Sinners (April 18) 

The creative relationship between Black Panther director Ryan Coogler and Michael B. Jordan continues with Sinners, a horror movie in which Jordan plays twin brothers who attempt to leave their troubled lives behind and start over. But when they return to their hometown, they are faced with an unspeakable evil.

The Accountant 2 (April 25)

It’s been nine years since Ben Affleck played Christian Wolff, a certified math genius who made his living as a CPA who laundered money for clients operating in the criminal underworld. Now, he’s back for another butt-kicking audit. J.K. Simmons and Cynthia Addai-Robinson reprise their roles in this long-awaited sequel. Jon Bernthal joins the cast as Wolff’s estranged brother Brax.

Havoc (April 25)

Director Gareth Evans brings his action movie sensibilities back to Netflix with Havoc. Tom Hardy leads the cast as a detective fighting tooth and nail to rescue a politician’s son from a corrupt criminal underworld. Timothy Olyphant and Forest Whitaker also star.

Thunderbolts (May 2) 

To describe Thunderbolts, one could simply describe it as the MCU’s Suicide Squad. And they wouldn’t be wrong. David Harbour, Florence Pugh and Sebastian Stan get together for a supervillain team-up that looks to be a fun, action-packed start to the summer movie season.

Mission Impossible: The Final Reckoning (May 23)

One has to wonder if this may indeed be Ethan Hunt’s final reckoning. Or it may be just a fun way for Tom Cruise and director Christopher McQuarrie to build interest and suspense for the next installment of the long-running spy franchise. Not for nothing, but I don’t think a Mission Impossible movie needs more suspense — but if Cruise straps himself to a ballistic missile all in the name of National Security, I’ll eat my words.

Lilo & Stitch (May 23)

Marcel the Shell with Shoes On director Dean Fleisher Camp is the filmmaker behind Disney’s live-action adaptation of its beloved 2002 animated movie. It should be interesting to see how the Oscar-nominated director updates the subject matter for modern-day audiences.

Karate Kid: Legends (May 30)

Cobra Kai may be ending, but the legend of the Karate Kid lives on. Karate Kid: Legends, directed by Jonathan Entwistle, finds three generations from the iconic franchise coming together for a new martial arts underdog story. Ralph Macchio is back as Daniel LaRusso. He’s joined by Jackie Chan — who reprises his role of Mr. Han from the 2010 remake — and newcomer Ben Wang (of American Born Chinese fame) to dropkick a whole new storyline onto the big screen.

The Life of Chuck (May 30) 

Horror director Mike Flanagan is back with another Stephen King adaptation — but this one isn’t here to terrify audiences. The Life of Chuck is based on the novella from King’s Let It Bleed anthology and explores the world inside a man named Charles “Chuck” Krantz (played by Tom Hiddleston).  

Ballerina (June 6) 

The latest installment in the John Wick franchise is not a sequel but a spin-off. This spin-off, to be exact. Ana De Armas stars as an elite assassin in this action thriller, which takes place between the third and fourth Keanu Reeves-led entries. Reeves will appear as Wick in the movie alongside Ian McShane, who is back as Mr. Winston. Anjelica Huston is back as The Director (the head of the Ruska Roma organization), and the late Lance Reddick will appear as Charon, the concierge of the Continental Hotel. Newcomer Norman Reedus will co-star.

Elio (June 13)

Pixar’s upcoming galactic adventure hails from directing trio Adrian Molina (Coco), Madeline Sharafian (Inside Out 2) and Domee Shi (Turning Red). The movie follows a young space-obsessed boy who is unexpectedly transported to outer space and goes on a quest of epic proportions.

28 Years Later (June 20)

Danny Boyle and Alex Garland return to the post-apocalyptic world they created two decades ago in 28 Days Later. This third installment in the survival horror franchise brings us back to a dystopia where the Rage virus has altered human existence forever. We’ve seen how people endured in The Walking Dead, so the concept isn’t new. But let’s remember that this ain’t your ordinary zombie virus. Boyle and Garland may break the genre mold again with this one. Ralph Fiennes, Aaron Taylor-Johnson and Jodie Comer star.

F1 (June 27)

Top Gun: Maverick director Joseph Kosinski is back with another high-speed drama. The Formula One-themed movie stars Brad Pitt and Damson Idris and follows a retired F1 driver and a young driver who team up to take the racing world by storm. It’s worth noting this movie was shot at various Formula One events, so expect some pedal to the metal realness with this one. 

M3GAN 2.0 (June 27)

Blumhouse’s killer robot girl is back for another round in Gerard Johnstone’s highly anticipated sequel. This is the studio’s first step toward building an M3GAN cinematic universe. Not much is known about the movie, but I’m sure we can expect more fabulous animatronic dancing and stabbing. 

Superman (July 11)

James Gunn’s first feature-length film for DC will reimagine the Man of Steel once again. David Corenswet stars as Superman, Nicholas Hoult plays Lex Luthor, and Rachel Brosnahan plays Lois Lane. Shout out to Gunn and company for giving Krypto the Superdog a role in this highly anticipated summer blockbuster.

Fantastic Four: First Steps (July 25)

This ain’t your parents’ Fantastic Four movie. Matt Shakman helmed this retro-themed MCU flick, which stars Pedro Pascal (Reed Richards, Mr. Fantastic), Vanessa Kirby (Susan Storm, the Invisible Woman), Joseph Quinn (Johnny Storm, the Human Torch) and Ebon Moss-Bachrach (Ben Grimm, the Thing). 

Happy Gilmore 2 (July 25)

After three decades, audiences are about to be treated to another round of rage golf. Adam Sandler is back as the golf star with anger issues in this Netflix Original movie. You can’t have a Happy Gilmore story without including his nemesis, Shooter McGavin, and Christopher McDonald will reprise the cocky golfer. Julie Bowen reprises her role as Virginia Venit. Margaret Qualley, Travis Kelce, Bad Bunny and Benny Safdie also star.

Weapons (Aug. 8)

Zach Cregger, the writer and director behind the surprise horror hit Barbarian, is back with a new terrifying release. The movie explores the community fallout that happens after all but one kid from the same classroom goes missing on the same night at the same time. Josh Brolin, Julia Garner, Benedict Wong and Brian Tyree Henry star.

The Toxic Avenger (Aug. 29)

It’s been four decades since the original Toxic Avenger movie hit theaters, and we’ve got a silly, slapstick, gory reboot coming our way. The story is roughly the same: a wimpy underdog falls into a vat of toxic waste and becomes a mutant monster hero. Peter Dinklage stars as Winston Gooze, the underdog in question, opposite Elijah Wood, Jane Levy and Kevin Bacon.  

The Conjuring: Last Rites (Sept. 5)

The last entry in the Conjuring franchise finds Patrick Wilson and Vera Farmiga playing iconic paranormal-investigating married couple Ed and Lorraine Warren one final time.

Tron: Ares (Oct. 10)

It’s been 15 years since a new Tron movie hit the big screen, so expectations for this one are absolutely high. Instead of taking place in the grid, Tron: Ares will bring the digital action to our world. Jared Leto stars as evil program Ares. Jeff Bridges will return as Kevin Flynn. Nine Inch Nails will oversee what is sure to be a riveting soundtrack. 

Black Phone 2 (Oct. 17)

Director Scott Derrickson is back to mine the depths of the world he created in the first movie, which was inspired by Joe Hill’s short horror story. Mason Thames is back, and Ethan Hawke will continue to thrive in his creepy villain era as the Grabber. 

Good Fortune (Oct. 17)

Keanu Reeves is an angel, and he’s not very good at it. That’s the basic gist behind Aziz Ansari’s Good Fortune. Ansari wrote, directed and stars in the movie, which follows Gabriel (Reeves) as he strives to help a struggling gig worker named Arj (Ansari) and a venture capitalist named Jeff (Seth Rogen). 

Frankenstein (November)

A Guillermo del Toro Frankenstein movie? Yes, please. The Netflix adaptation of Mary Shelley’s iconic novel stars Euphoria’s Jacob Elordi as the titular monster, and Oscar Isaac plays Dr. Frankenstein. With a cast that includes Mia Goth, Christoph Waltz and Charles Dance, it sounds like another horror banger is on the horizon. 

Predator: Badlands (Nov. 7)

Prey reignited the audience’s interest in the Predator franchise, and now, director Dan Trachtenberg is back to expand his corner of the sci-fi world even further. Aside from the fact that Elle Fanning stars, little is known about the sequel. Still, the expectation is this movie will flip the script on Predator lore and bring something new and exciting to the long-running film series.

Wicked: For Good (Nov. 21)

The second part of Jon M. Chu’s theatrical adaptation of the hit Broadway musical will kick off the holiday season at the box office. The sequel to the hugely popular Wizard of Oz spin-off will bring back Ariana Grande and Cynthia Erivo for what’s sure to be a satisfying conclusion.

Five Nights at Freddy’s 2 (Dec. 5)

Blumhouse continues its exploration of the murderous robot horror subgenre with a return to the Five Nights at Freddy’s universe. Stars from the first movie, Josh Hutcherson, Elizabeth Lail and Matthew Lillard, will return for the sequel. 

Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery (Dec. 12)

Daniel Craig is back as the world’s best investigator, Benoit Blanc, in Rian Johnson’s third Knives Out movie. What’s the movie about? Your guess is as good as mine. Cailee Spaeny, Andrew Scott, Glenn Close, Josh Brolin, Mila Kunis, Jeremy Renner, Kerry Washington and Thomas Haden Church make up the movie’s stacked cast, which has left me thinking this is going to be the must-see murder mystery of the year.

Avatar: Fire and Ash (Dec. 19)

Another Avatar movie is on the horizon, and we didn’t have to wait a decade for it. James Cameron has proven himself a visionary filmmaker. With the first two entries in the franchise, he pushed the envelope of visual effects in cinema to a whole new level. The Na’vi adventures continue in Fire and Ash, which will surely be a spectacle to behold.