2025 Movies You’ll Want to See on the Big Screen
We’ve watched many news cycles about the death of movie theaters, although the height of COVID certainly seemed like a tipping point. Since then, however, audiences have returned to the films in large numbers, with the last couple of years buoyed by some major developments: Barbenheimer in 2023 and massive viewership for several sequels in 2024, as well as a certain cultural moment that happened with Wicked. . Even though there are a lot of pre-existing IPs in the mix, there’s always hope that the original film can succeed at the box office in 2025. TBD.
While the streaming era may be behind us, there are at least three big movies you won’t see on the big screen: Section 31 , the first Star Trek film to be released in theaters, and the first to star Oscar winner Michelle Yeoh. streaming on Paramount+ starting January 31; star-studded old-school comedy You’re Cordially Invited (starring Reese Witherspoon and Will Farrell) will stream on Prime Video starting January 30; and the fourth Bridget Jones film, Mad About the Boy , will stream on Peacock starting February 13th.
With short release windows these days, there’s every reason to stay home, but there’s still something magical and worth preserving about going to the cinema. Here are the 2025 movies you might want to watch on the big screen. Dates, especially towards the end of the year, are subject to change and apply to North American releases.
Best Man (January 10)
A biopic of the venerable British pop star Robbie Williams, in which Williams voices himself through a motion-capture chimpanzee. I have no idea who this film is aimed at, but the response at the film festival was overwhelmingly positive; this could be perfect for Take That fans waiting for the next Planet of the Apes installment. It opens in a limited number of cinemas on Christmas Day, with a wider release in January.
The Wolf Man (January 17)
Universal was looking to reboot its beloved library of monsters, but with mixed results: the Tom Cruise-led The Mummy was completely poorly conceived, while the Leigh Whannell-directed The Invisible Man was a fairly brilliant new project. Whannell’s return here bodes well for a new take on the oft-returned character.
Presence (January 17)
Steven Soderbergh shows his range here as he follows up Magic Mike’s Last Dance with this ghost story. Lucy Liu and Chris Sullivan play the new owners of a haunted house who are being watched by an increasingly menacing presence. The trick here is that the film is shot from the ghost’s point of view.
Love Hurts (February 7)
Oscar winner Ke Hui Quan finally takes over as the lead actor in this action-comedy about a seemingly mild-mannered realtor whose hitman past comes back to haunt him. Fellow Oscar winner Ariana DeBose will star in the film. Sounds fun.
Monkey (February 21)
This Stephen King adaptation about a vengeful toy monkey generated more buzz than might have been expected, largely due to the presence of writer-director Osgood Perkins. His police procedural “Longlegs” became one of the biggest films of 2024 and sparked interest in its sequel.
Sinners (March 7)
After a long but rewarding journey with Creed and Black Panther , Ryan Coogler is writing and directing his first original project since 2013’s stunning Fruitvale Station . Coogler favorite Michael B. Jordan plays dual roles in this thriller as a pair of brothers who return to their hometown only to discover evil connected to their childhood.
Black bag (March 14)
Wait, you might be saying to yourself, haven’t I already seen a Steven Soderbergh movie this year? Like just a couple of months ago? While The Presence is a ghost/horror type situation, The Black Bag is a spy thriller starring Cate Blanchett and Michael Fassbender. It was written by David Koepp, also of Presence , who is also responsible for the screenplay for Jurassic Park, which will be released in July.
Alto Knights (March 21)
Robert De Niro plays dual roles as real-life rival mob bosses Vito Genovese and Frank Costello circa 1957. It’s directed by Barry Levinson and written by Nicholas Pileggi ( Goodfellas , Casino ), so this could, despite De Niro’s somewhat odd double act, play double duty. Niro, Vanity, will be a welcome return to old school gangster cinema.
Mickey 17 (March 29)
Writer/director Bong Joon Ho has never made a less brilliant film, so we can assume/hope that his new sci-fi comedy (following the Best Picture Oscar winner Parasite ) will follow suit. Robert Pattinson plays an expendable employee of a space colonization company. When he dies, his memories are basically downloaded into a new body, which can go back to work right away. Except that the 17th Mickey survives where he is destined to die, creating conflict between himself and his next iteration.
Mission: Impossible: Final Reckoning (May 23)
The previous installment in the series took a bit of a dip at the box office, but the film garnered just as much reviews as previous installments in the venerable franchise (it has a 96% rating on Rotten Tomatoes, for what that’s worth). Filmed at the same time as Dead Reckoning , there’s no reason to believe this final mission will self-destruct.
Ballerina (June 6)
The fifth John Wick movie (full title, unfortunately, is From the World of John Wick: Ballerina ), the film stars Ana de Armas as an assassin hellbent on avenging her murdered father (who, apparently, didn’t dog, oh well). Lance Reddick, Ian McShane and Keanu himself appeared from the Wick films, joined by Anjelica Huston, Gabriel Byrne and Norman Reedus.
How to Train Your Dragon (June 13)
Make me skeptical that we already need a live-action Dragon reboot, but Dean DeBlois, an animated film writer and director, is helming this one. This could be the next big thing in fantasy.
Elio (June 13)
Pixar’s 28th feature film follows awkward 11-year-old Elio, who is mistaken for an ambassador when he is accidentally teleported away by some aliens. Looks nice. Definite possibility of tears.
28 years later (June 20)
Return to the world of the zombie rage virus, reuniting the first film’s director Danny Boyle, screenwriter Alex Garland and star Cillian Murphy. They are joined by new potential victims Jodie Comer, Aaron Taylor-Johnson and Ralph Fiennes. Equally interesting is that Nia DaCosta is filming a second sequel, the release date of which will be announced at a later date.
M3gan 2.0 (June 27)
The viral sensation, dance icon and AI killer robot returns alongside the original cast of the first film, which includes Allison Williams, Violet McGraw and Brian Jordan Alvarez. There are no plot details (though it likely involves killing robots), but screenwriter Akela Cooper is also back. A SOULM8TE spin-off is planned for 2026.
Jurassic World Reborn (July 2)
I think we’re all over this topic, but dinosaurs are fun and Dominion made (literally) a billion dollars. So here we are, with a soft reboot starring Scarlett Johansson, Mahershala Ali and Jonathan Bailey. Rogue One and Creator director Gareth Edwards is behind the camera, with the first film’s screenwriter David Koepp returning to the franchise after a couple of decades.
Superman (July 11)
Another day, another superhero reboot. This movie is a little more promising than most: writer-director James Gunn was behind the Guardians of the Galaxy films, three of Marvel’s standout cinematic films. After a series of dark and gritty DC films, this one promises a little more light and maybe even a little fun; it’s also likely a defining moment for the entire DC film project. Anyway, it includes the cinematic debut of Superdog Krypto, who I’ll be sitting behind.
Fantastic Four: First Steps (July 25)
Is Marvel’s first family finally here? Previous attempts to build a franchise around Sue, Reed, Ben and Johnny have failed, but WandaVision ‘s Matt Shakman seems like a good director, and the promised retro-futuristic 1960s style sounds just as easy. right. Marvel Studio’s output has become increasingly controversial, but here’s what to (cautiously) expect.
One battle after another (August 8)
We don’t know much about Paul Thomas Anderson’s next film (even the title may change), but the cast includes Leonardo DiCaprio, Regina Hall, Sean Penn, Alana Haim, Teyana Taylor, Wood Harris and Benicio del Toro. So this is guaranteed to be some kind of event.
Bride! (September 26)
Maggie Gyllenhaal follows up her impressive 2021 directorial debut , The Last Daughter, with a new take on The Bride of Frankenstein , billed as a “sci-fi musical monster movie.” Sold. Jessie Buckley stars in the title role and is joined by Christian Bale as Frankenstein’s monster.
Saw XI (September 26)
As always, this film is not for the squeamish, but the franchise, which launched in 2010 with The Final Chapter, has seen an impressive resurgence in recent years, with the previous film, a prequel, earning some of the best reviews. series. It ended on a cliffhanger of sorts, so expect this one to pick up where X left off. Other than that, all we really know is that Tobin Bell is back as Jigsaw.
Tron: Ares (October 10)
I feel like I’m the only one who liked the second Tron movie from 2010, so I might be the only one in the theater. Jared Leto plays Ares, a sophisticated program that escapes into our world on a mission. Jeff Bridges is back as Kevin Flynn, and Gillian Anderson is also here.
Evil part two (November 21)
It was no surprise that the first installment of Evil Duopoly would be a box office hit; Perhaps a little more surprising is that it’s actually a pretty great film and certainly an impressive theatrical experience. Cynthia Erivo, Ariana Grande, Jonathan Bailey and company will be back to finish it off.
Running Man (November 21)
You could wait until the crowds die down in Oz and pop in to see the (wildly entertaining) remake of Arnold Schwarzenegger’s 1987 action classic instead. Again, based on a story by Stephen King, directed by Edgar Wright and starring Glen Powell. as a decorated runner. The story of a dystopian capitalist hell based on a reality show may be unexpected in 2025, but it will still be fun.
Avatar: Fire and Ash (December 19)
Everyone loves giving up on the Avatar series right before they drop everything and run to the theater. James Cameron returned with the third part of the series, which cost about $5.5 billion .