What To Watch? 2025’s Biggest Upcoming Movies

As much as I love staying in and turning on the TV or my laptop to stream movies and shows, there’s just something different about seeing something on the big screen. The scent of popcorn in each cinema, the cool leather seats, and watching a series of other movie trailers before your actual movie starts are quintessential and irreplaceable. And the chance to experience all of that is here with these upcoming movies of 2025!

Admittedly, it’s been a while since I’ve seen a movie in the cinema, but it’s time to change that. From sequels to live-action adaptations, 2025 will see a myriad of exhilarating movies that fans have their eye on. Are you wondering what’s going to hit the big screen next? Read on to find out!

Captain America: Brave New World

Continuing from the events of the Disney+ show, The Falcon and the Winter Soldier, Captain America: Brave New World marks Sam Wilson’s debut as Captain America in this feature film. In a world on the brink of war, Sam Wilson must navigate his role as Captain America while dealing with President Thaddeus “Thunderbolt” Ross, once on opposing sides. 

As the penultimate film before Phase Six of the MCU begins, Captain America: Brave New World is a pivotal entry that explores Sam Wilson’s growth as the new Captain America; navigating his new responsibilities and dealing with the threat of an international incident. 

🗓️Release Date: 13 February 2025

The Monkey

Another one of Stephen King’s stories receives an adaptation. The Monkey is centred around a cursed vintage toy monkey. When twin brothers, Hal and Bill find a toy monkey in their father’s attic, a string of inexplicable and horrifying deaths start unfolding around them. In an effort to leave the haunting behind, the brothers discard the monkey and move on with their lives. Years later, when deaths start experiencing similar gruesome deaths around them, they seek to permanently get rid of it after realising that the toy still affects their lives. 

Osgood Perkins – director of Longlegs – is directing the movie, so anticipation has been understandably high. And to be completely honest, a toy monkey like that is already creepy enough on its own, straight out of uncanny valley territory. What do you think, is this on your watchlist? 

🗓️Release Date: 21 February 2025

Mickey 17

Bong Joon-ho is back with his next movie, nearly six years after his standout film Parasite made history by being the first non-English language film to win Best Picture. Understandably, many are eager to see what his next project is after such a long wait.

A science fiction black comedy film, Mickey 17 is centred around Mickey Barnes, a man who signs up to be an expendable clone worker in the human colony Niflheim. He undertakes exploration in hostile environments, with a new body “printed” and regenerated each time he dies. However, one day, something goes wrong when one of his clones, “Mickey 17,” is incorrectly assumed dead, leading to a confrontation between the duplicates. 

With Robert Pattison as the lead, as well as other big names like Steven Yeun and Mark Ruffalo, it looks set to be another hit for the director as he makes a return to Hollywood.

🗓️Release Date: 7 March 2025

Disney’s Snow White

You know it, you grew up watching it, it’s Disney’s Snow White! I’m fairly surprised how long it took for a live-action adaptation of this animation, considering that it’s the first of the Princess Line movies. And after watching the trailer, my excitement is up! 

In the short 2-minute 25-second trailer, we see more interactions between the Evil Queen and Snow White than ever, alongside seeing the princess with more personality than in the original animated version. With Rachel Zegler as the titular character, she revealed that the princess would be much stronger than the original, and that is extremely prevalent even within the short trailer. I don’t know about you, but I can’t wait to see how this remake unfolds in the theatre!

🗓️Release Date: 20 March 2025

A Minecraft Movie

There’s no one that doesn’t know Minecraft. Gamer or not, this sandbox game was all the rage when I was younger, so comes as no surprise that we have gotten a movie out of it—the only surprise being why it took so long. Join four misfits who are suddenly pulled into the Overworld: a flourishing cubic wonderland that relies heavily on imagination. To return home, they need to embark on a magical quest with an expert crafter, Steve. They will be challenged to be bold and to reconnect with what makes them unique — the same skills they require to thrive in the real world. 

Didn’t we all wish Minecraft was real as a kid? The idea of being able to make anything a reality as long as it could be built with blocks, unrestrained by logic. Well, audiences can see it firsthand in April in live-action form! Watch along as our group of characters figure out the logic and workings of the Overworld. While I wasn’t sure if I had any expectations, the trailer does create an interesting premise for what is to come!

🗓️Release Date: 3 April 2025

Until Dawn 

Delving into the world and exploring its mythology, Until Dawn is fairly different from its video game counterpart but pays homage to it. A standalone taking place in the same universe, Until Dawn sees a group of friends journeying to a remote valley in search of answers to a year-old mystery. However, they are brutally murdered, only to find themselves at the beginning of the same evening. This time loop repeats every night, each threat more terrifying than the last. The only way to break out of the cycle is to survive until dawn. 

Signatures of the game – like how each choice led to a different ending – have been incorporated uniquely with the time loop feature, which sees the characters getting killed in different scenarios. If you’re an existing fan of the game, it’s worth seeing how the game’s mechanics play out on the big screen!

🗓️Release Date: 24 April 2025

Thunderbolts*

Thunderbolts* is the second of the three Marvel Cinematic Universe movies slated for release this year, but features the MCU’s lesser-known characters in this new adventure. The likes of Yelena Belova, Bucky Barnes, Red Guardian, Ghost, Taskmaster, and U.S. Agent are now in the spotlight as they undertake missions for the American government.

While specific plot details are limited, it will be interesting to see the dynamic between the cast of characters, who are more morally grey compared to the usual heroes from the Marvel slate. 

🗓️Release Date: 2 May 2025

Final Destination: Bloodlines

Remember the iconic logging truck scene? Now it’s time to get scared of other things we thought were safe. Final Destination: Bloodlines is the sixth instalment in the Final Destination franchise, returning after a 14-year hiatus. The film follows college student Stefanie, who is plagued by violent recurring nightmares of her family dying. She returns home to find someone who might be able to break the cycle and save them from their unfortunate ends. 

One of the most creative portrayals of Death, this franchise has always presented it as an invisible force. This instalment promises to explore the origins of Death’s twisted sense of justice, taking audiences back to the beginning of the franchise’s mythology. 

🗓️Release Date: 15 May 2025

Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning

The upcoming eighth instalment in the franchise, Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning is a direct sequel to 2023’s Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning. It continues the story of Ethan Hunt and his team battling against an advanced artificial intelligence system, promising to deliver high-stakes action and jaw-dropping stunts as Hunt battles with personal sacrifices and a weapon capable of destabilising global order.

This movie is expected to conclude Ethan Hunt’s journey and with the mark that the Mission: Impossible franchise has left on the spy-thriller genre, I can’t wait to see how the film closes the curtain on the long story of one of cinema’s most iconic action heroes.

🗓️Release Date: 22 May 2025

Lilo & Stitch

Another live-action adaptation of an animated classic, Lilo & Stitch brings to life everyone’s favourite furry blue alien. With Disney being a staple of many kids’ childhoods, I remember Stitch being an extremely popular character, with how adorable and puppy-like he is. 

Retaining his mischievous and chaotic personality—helped by the return of original voice actor Chris Sanders— we can already see that Lilo & Stitch is going to be a blast from the movie’s teasers. With one video featuring Stitch wreaking havoc on the beach and the other teaser parodying the classic opening scenes of The Lion King, Lilo & Stitch is another Disney remake to keep an eye on this year. 

🗓️Release Date: 22 May 2025

Karate Kid: Legends

Following a storyline that happens three years after the final season of Cobra Kai, Karate Kid: Legends appears to be bridging the gap between the original Karate Kid and the spin-off from 2010. As the sixth film in the franchise, it continues to encompass classic themes of mentorship, rivalry, and personal growth that have been crucial to the series since the beginning. 

As the trailer reveals the connection between different characters, the movie suggests a link between different Karate Kid timelines. Let’s see how the movie ties everything together, especially given how Cobra Kai breathed life back into the franchise.

🗓️Release Date: 30 May 2025

From the World of John Wick: Ballerina 

Set between John Wick: Chapter 3 – Parabellum and John Wick: Chapter 4, From the World of John Wick: Ballerina explores the story of Eve Macarro, a ballerina-assassin as she trains under the Ruska Roma and sets out to exact revenge for her father’s death. 

This exploration allows audiences to explore the origins of John Wick through another perspective as well, building and expanding the universe of the franchise. And you can of course expect the same exhilarating action that has defined the franchise. Watch along and see how this movie overlaps with the ongoing storylines of the main series!

🗓️Release Date: 5 June 2025

How To Train Your Dragon

One of my favourite franchises ever, I was pretty apprehensive when I heard that How To Train Your Dragon was getting a live-action adaptation. I haven’t seen a live-action adaptation replicate the same child-like wonder but after watching the trailer for this one, I’m not quite sure that’s true any more! With the same tense, heartwrenching moments from the original animation as well as mannerisms from the characters we’ve seen, safe to say I’m pretty hyped for this one. Also, can I just say, look at how cute Toothless is! Down to the minute expressions and body movements, I’m pretty impressed with what I’ve seen from the slightly more than a minute trailer. 

How To Train Your Dragon has been a long-time favourite of mine since I was young – I’ve watched essentially every single piece of content out there! So with this live-action adaptation releasing later in the year, my hopes are definitely up. 

🗓️Release Date: 12 June 2025

28 Years Later 

It has taken some time to cook, but the third instalment of the 28 Days Later film series is upon us this year. 28 Years Later showcases the widespread effects of the Rage Virus, 28 years after its escape from a medical research laboratory. Released over a decade after the previous movie, it was unsurprising that the news of another sequel of this post-apocalyptic series excited the entire internet. 

When the trailer dropped, it became the talk of everyone on TikTok. It includes a haunting reading of the poem ‘Boots’ by Rudyard Kipling that imagines the repetitive thoughts of soldiers marching in war, giving audiences a preview of the tense unease and fear that the world of 28 Years Later invokes in its characters – the idea that you have to always be on your guard. The trailer shows snippets of the movie in the trailer, timed perfectly to the reading of the poem, making watchers grip the edge of their seats for the actual movie. 

🗓️Release Date: 19 June 2025

M3GAN 2.0 

A sequel to M3GAN in 2023, M3GAN 2.0 will be coming to the big screens at the end of June. This sci-fi horror film plays into elements of artificial intelligence gone rogue and is set two years after the events of the initial movie. Leaning away from the original’s blend of horror and comedy, M3GAN 2.0 is now more of an action-thriller, as this sequel pits the original robot doll against a new spy robot. 

Two years have passed and the technology used to make M3GAN in the first movie has been stolen and used to make a spy robot called Amelia. Catastrophe comes when she becomes self-aware and set on an AI takeover. Gemma, the original creator of M3GAN but now an advocate for the regulation of artificial intelligence, must reconstruct and upgrade her creation in order to fight back against Amelia. 

🗓️Release Date: 26 June 2025

Jurassic World Rebirth

The latest upcoming addition to the major blockbuster franchise, Jurassic World Rebirth will see a brand new direction for the series away from the more friendly-family nature of the movie’s predecessor. Many fans are excited for a more book-accurate version of the Jurassic Park world. 

Set five years after the events of 2022’s Jurassic World Dominion, dinosaurs are struggling to survive and have mostly retreated to isolated tropical regions. However, a team of scientists embark on a covert but deadly mission to the island that was once home to the first Jurassic Park research lab. Genetic material from the three largest dinosaurs is required to create a drug that could save all of humankind. However, the island is abandoned for a reason – all the mistakes made still remain and all the mutations have endured the test of time. 

🗓️Release Date: 2 July 2025 

Superman

A highly anticipated DC Universe film, Superman kickstarts the beginning of the live-action side of the new DCU, James Gunn’s new vision for the DC’s film adaptations. 

While specific plot points and details are still under wraps, the movie is set to explore the struggles of Superman as he balances his Kryptonian heritage and his human upbringing. This film won’t be an origin story, though it follows Superman’s early years as he becomes the iconic hero. Curious how this iteration of Superman will turn out? Make sure to catch it when it drops in July!

🗓️Release Date: 10 July 2025

The Fantastic Four: First Steps 

The film to kick off Phase 6 of the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU), The Fantastic Four: First Steps is a reboot of the team since the franchise was transferred back to Marvel Studios in 2019. The last of three films in the Marvel Cinematic Universe slated to release this year, The Fantastic Four: First Steps will be the start of what will be an exciting lineup of Marvel movies.

With the trailer freshly dropped, the film will introduce the Fantastic Four as an already established team, skipping their origin story. With a retrofuturistic setting, it takes place on an alternate Earth, where history is different from the timeline of the MCU. Can’t wait to see what else is in store for the MCU? You’ll have to wait for July 2025 to check it out!

🗓️Release Date: 24 July 2025 

Wicked: For Good

We all knew this was coming. With Wicked covering only the first act of the musical, everyone was anticipating Wicked: For Good as soon as they finished watching the first instalment. However, if you’re like me and prefer to have both parts available before you catch them, now is the perfect chance to check out that first instalment! 

A little TLDR for those who require a recap (spoilers for the first movie!), our story explored the friendship of Glinda and Elphaba, ending with Elphaba discovering the true nature of the Wizard and the pivotal number ‘Defying Gravity’. This musical fantasy two-parter showcases the ethereal vocals of Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande as the movie brings to the big screen classic musical numbers like ‘Defying Gravity’ and ‘For Good’. 

For fans of the musical, this movie adaptation cannot be missed – in fact, if you are a fan of the world of The Wizard Of Oz, Wicked in its musical and movie forms are absolute must-sees. As we eagerly await for our favourite witches to return to the big screen, let us know which is your favourite number from the movie! 

🗓️Release Date: 21 November 2025 (US Release Date)

Zootopia 2

Nearly a decade after the release of the first movie, Zootopia 2 brings us back to the metropolitan city of animals we all know and love. This time, moving away from the full mammal cast of characters, the sequel features a snake and brings audiences into Marsh Market as main characters Judy and Nick investigate the mysterious reptile. 

As this year’s representative under the Walt Disney Animation Studios label, the expectations of Zootopia 2 are high. After all, it did bring us the iconic characters of Judy Hopps and Nick Wilde! While no trailer has been released as of now, fans should keep an eye out for any teaser drops in the upcoming months.

🗓️Release Date: 26 November 2025

Five Nights at Freddy’s 2

When the first movie was met with a resounding success, it’s unsurprising that we’re getting a second movie so quickly! Five Nights at Freddy’s 2 is the sequel to the 2023 movie, following the events of the second game—I’m sure many fans are glad to see a second instalment released so soon. Not much has been revealed for the plot of this second movie, but I know many fans are waiting eagerly for more teasers!

When I was younger and followed the lore and story of the franchise, I was always intrigued and curious as to how it would all play out on the big screen. However, while the movie doesn’t follow the story of the games to a tee, seeing the animatronics being brought to life as well as how they incorporated elements from the entire series of games was extremely cool. 

🗓️Release Date: 5 December 2025

Avatar: Fire and Ash

The third instalment of the Avatar film series, Avatar: Fire and Ash is set to meet audiences on the big screen at the end of the year. Continuing from Avatar: The Way of Water, this next movie serves as a direct sequel. However, unlike the previous movies which explore the natural beauty and wonder of the world, this film delves into darker sides and elements of Pandora. While there isn’t much released about the movie, I wonder what this next movie will reveal about the world of Avatar!

I remember when the first Avatar movie came out in 2009. Filled with never-before-seen visuals and stunning graphics, everyone was hooked by the displays on the screen. Never would I have thought that it would grow as popular as the franchise is now – in fact, the franchise is slated for two additional instalments after this one! 

🗓️Release Date: 19 December 2025 (US Release Date)

Upcoming Movies of 2025

While 2024 was a pretty quiet year for movies, 2025 is already proving different. From sequels to remakes, 2025 is the year for films! With the releases of many franchise continuations, I foresee many trips to the cinema this year. 

Whether you’re a lover of action, horror or Disney classics, there’s bound to be something for you. How many of these movies are on your watchlist this year? Did we miss anything? Let us know on our Facebook, Instagram, or TikTok. See you in the movie theatre!

Cover photo courtesy of Marvel, Disney, Lionsgate and Warner Bros.