The 50 Most Anticipated Movies of 2025 (From 25th to 1st PLACE)
Published: April 20, 2025
2025 has started with a bang! It’s time to look ahead and start the countdown for a fresh batch of hundreds of films that will light up our screens over the next twelve months. Which will be the new blockbusters and which will flop? We’ll only know later. What we do know now is which movies have us buzzing with anticipation. In this article, we’ll cover the 50 most anticipated films of 2025, focusing on the top 25 countdown.
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25) Karate Kid: Legends
What makes the new ‘Karate Kid’ film so exciting is the unprecedented merger between the original franchise, with Daniel San (Ralph Macchio) as the protagonist, and the 2010 remake featuring Mr. Han (Jackie Chan). Together, they’ll train a new student in martial arts philosophy, creating the ultimate karate teaching duo. What fans have been desperately waiting for is a connection to the wildly popular ‘Cobra Kai’ series, and this film promises to deliver exactly that.
24) Saw XI
Yes, dear reader, you’re seeing correctly. After dominating the 2000s with practically one film per year, the franchise that defined the “torture porn” subgenre is back for another installment packed with ingenious death traps. Following the critical praise Saw X received, John Kramer’s legacy continues to find new ways to test humanity’s will to survive.
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23) The Conjuring 4: The Last Rites
James Wan delivered two of the most acclaimed horror films in recent years with the first two ‘Conjuring’ entries. For the third film, Wan only produced, and the results weren’t quite the same. We’ll see the Warren couple once again in 2025, still without Wan directing. This final chapter promises to wrap up the Warren saga with their most terrifying case yet, delving deeper into the spiritual realm than ever before.
22) Ballerina
‘John Wick’ created a new standard. Action films were redefined thanks to its style of choreographed fights, almost like a ballet. Imitators emerged everywhere. Then the filmmakers thought: “Why aren’t we capitalizing on this ourselves?” Thus was born the first spin-off, ‘Ballerina,’ starring Ana de Armas as a highly-trained assassin seeking revenge in the same stylized world.
21) Mickey 17
South Korean filmmaker Bong Joon-Ho took the world by storm with his Oscar-winning thriller ‘Parasite.’ But this style of film was actually an outlier for the director, who now returns to his comfort zone – science fiction and fantasy films. In this adaptation of Edward Ashton’s novel, Robert Pattinson plays an expendable employee in a future world filled with clones, exploring themes of identity and sacrifice.
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20) M3GAN 2.0
A surprise hit from early last year, this AI horror caught attention on social media thanks to the doll’s viral dance, which took the internet by storm. A sequel was inevitable. The question remains: what trick will they use this time to generate hype? An even more elaborate dance? Reports suggest the sequel will feature multiple M3GAN units with enhanced capabilities and a deeper examination of our relationship with artificial intelligence.
19) The Black Phone 2
Speaking of successful horror films, the first ‘Black Phone’ was praised by critics and audiences alike, based on a short story by Stephen King’s son, Joe Hill. There’s just one question for this sequel – the villain Grabber is dead. This suggests the sequel will dive deeper into the supernatural elements only hinted at in the original, possibly exploring the origin of the phone itself and the spirits who use it to communicate.
18) The Bride
Among other things, 2025 will be known as the year of ‘Frankenstein’ in cinema, with two major productions tackling the theme. In ‘The Bride,’ Maggie Gyllenhaal, who impressed in her directorial debut with ‘The Lost Daughter,’ recreates ‘Bride of Frankenstein’ – featuring Christian Bale as the monster, Jessie Buckley as his bride, and Jake Gyllenhaal, Penélope Cruz and Annette Bening in the cast. Early footage suggests a psychological horror approach with stunning visual imagery.
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17) Frankenstein
The second ‘Frankenstein’ film of the year focuses on the creature itself rather than the Bride. Here, the monster will be played by heartthrob Jacob Elordi, with his creator portrayed by Oscar Isaac. The cast also includes Christoph Waltz, Ralph Ineson and Mia Goth. But the real draw is director Guillermo del Toro, whose unique visual style and empathy for monsters makes him the perfect filmmaker to bring this gothic tale to life with modern sensibilities.
16) F1
Brad Pitt is determined to do what Tom Cruise did in 2022 with ‘Top Gun: Maverick’ – create an adrenaline-fueled film about pilots of high-speed vehicles. Just swap the fighter jets for Formula One cars pushing the limits of speed and engineering. Realism is a decisive factor here, with actual F1 footage incorporated into the narrative. For this task, the star has even enlisted the same director, Joseph Kosinski, and rumors suggest cameos from real F1 drivers.
15) Final Destination: Bloodlines
Likely titled ‘Premonição 6’ in Brazil, this is another franchise that began in the 2000s, dominating the horror scene and gaining a legion of fans. Death will strike again in 2025. The novelty this time is a story that begins in the 1960s – bringing a certain freshness to the franchise while potentially connecting to the modern timeline, creating an intricate mythology of Death’s design spanning generations.
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14) I Know What You Did Last Summer
‘Scream’ showed it was possible to continue a beloved slasher franchise from the past into the present day. All it needed was to captivate the new generation while paying homage to the classic films for longtime fans. Now, ‘Scream’s’ cousin will try the same approach. To achieve this, they’re bringing back Jennifer Love Hewitt and Freddie Prinze Jr. to reprise their characters from the 90s. Nostalgia is just the beginning of what promises to be a fresh take on urban legends in the social media age.
13) Lilo & Stitch
As mentioned, ‘Snow White’ won’t be the only live-action adaptation of a Disney animation in 2025. The studio has secured this niche, transforming these types of films into their own subgenre. And they would be crazy to say no to so much money. This time, however, a not-so-old film will get its flesh-and-blood version. ‘Lilo & Stitch,’ the animation, is from 2002, and the live-action version aims to blend practical effects with cutting-edge CGI to bring Stitch to life.
12) Zootopia 2
Disney is attacking on all fronts, and in 2025, it has everything it needs to be the most profitable studio again. It was recently reported that Disney was the first studio to raise $5 billion in worldwide box office revenue since the pandemic. And if 2025 is any indication, that number will only go up. In addition to two live-action versions, the studio will also bring its famous animations, including the sequel to a $1 billion film with ‘Zootopia 2,’ expanding the world of animal metropolis.
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11) 28 Years Later
One of the most cult horror franchises in recent years, many fans might not be familiar with the ’28 Days/Weeks Later’ films that revolutionized the zombie genre with fast-moving infected that seem to have taken steroids. This third and ambitious film promises to shed light on the previous two and make the uninitiated rush to catch up. With original director Danny Boyle returning and Cillian Murphy reprising his role, this sequel aims to reinvent the infected thriller for a post-pandemic world.
10) Thunderbolts*
Speaking of Disney in 2025, all that was missing from the studio was a Star Wars production. Otherwise, Disney seems to have covered all angles. For instance, the studio will release no less than three Marvel films to compensate for a 2024 in which it only released one. ‘Thunderbolts’ is the first to appear on the list, and it acts as Marvel’s “Suicide Squad,” bringing together a team of antiheroes and reformed villains forced to work together.
9) Michael Jackson
Musical biopics are a very strong subgenre in Hollywood today. They’re a source of profit for studios, as everyone enjoys seeing the stories of their favorite singers on the big screen. We’ve already had Freddie Mercury and Queen, Whitney Houston, Elton John, and this year, Bob Marley, Amy Winehouse, and Bob Dylan are coming to theaters. Even in Brazil, the trend has taken off, with biopics of Claudinho & Buchecha, Mamonas Assassinas, and Sidney Magal. But things will really shake up in 2025 with Michael Jackson’s biography, promising an unflinching look at the King of Pop’s complicated legacy.
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8) Captain America: Brave New World
In 2025, the Captain America mantle will be officially passed in cinemas with ‘Brave New World,’ a political thriller that plans to replicate the success of ‘The Winter Soldier.’ Once again, we’ll have a Captain America film full of conspiracies and politics, very much in the vein of 1970s espionage films. Harrison Ford is the addition to the Marvel world as the US President, who transforms into the Red Hulk, creating a formidable adversary for the new Captain.
7) How to Train Your Dragon
The problem with starting a trend is that you never have exclusivity, and soon others are doing the same as you. For example, the subgenre created by Disney – live-action versions of animated classics – is now in the hands of Universal and Dreamworks. The way found to continue the ‘How to Train Your Dragon’ franchise from 2010 was through a remake with real actors. Of course, it will be successful, with early test screenings indicating the dragon effects are some of the most impressive ever put to film.
6) Jurassic World: Rebirth
The title says it all. One of the most successful franchises in cinema history, ‘Jurassic Park/Jurassic World’ demonstrates beyond doubt that audiences never tire of seeing dinosaurs on the big screen. Quite the contrary. In the ‘Jurassic World’ trilogy alone, which was already a reboot, all three films broke the $1 billion barrier. Now, the plan is for a new trilogy, this time starring Scarlett Johansson, the franchise’s first female protagonist, with a story focusing on dinosaurs adapting to life in various ecosystems around the world.
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5) Wicked: For Good
‘Wicked’ became a worldwide phenomenon, one of the most beloved films of 2024, making people literally sing in theaters. The film continues to rake in rivers of money and entered the top 10 highest-grossing films of the year, knocking down heavyweights like ‘Godzilla X Kong’ and ‘Kung Fu Panda 4.’ The film has already amassed more than half a billion dollars. The sequel, which concludes the saga, releases next year with an even more ambitious musical scope.
4) Mission Impossible: The Final Reckoning
As Tom Cruise himself says in the trailer, this will be his last mission. Or will it? Well, it all depends on the box office results, as the star had already planned his exit in previous episodes. But a reboot would do the franchise good. The strategy here was to change the title so that the last two, although complementary, wouldn’t be known as ‘Part 1’ and ‘Part 2.’ With Cruise performing stunts more dangerous than ever before at 62 years old, this promises to be the most spectacular entry yet.
3) Fantastic Four: First Steps
As mentioned, Marvel will release three films in 2025. Of these, despite having a new Captain America film with a passing of the torch and without the original protagonist, the most anticipated is indeed the reimagining of the publisher’s first family: ‘The Fantastic Four.’ This will be the characters’ debut in the MCU, and they need to get it right, as they’ll be the foundation of what we’ll see in the coming years – including the villain to be played by Robert Downey Jr. The pressure couldn’t be higher.
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2) Avatar: Fire and Ash
Superhero films will return with everything in 2025. But you can’t bet against ‘Avatar.’ Without a doubt the most precious asset from Disney’s acquisition of Fox, James Cameron’s ‘Avatar’ films are a veritable money-making machine. Audiences simply adore these films around the world. What speaks volumes is always the technical aspect and the impressive special effects – always revolutionary. These are films made to be seen in the best cinema you can find, with early footage showing underwater volcanic environments never before captured on film.
1) Superman
It couldn’t be anything else. As much as Marvel is planning to come back with everything, as much as ‘Avatar’ always becomes the highest-grossing film of its respective year, the most important production of 2025 is the one that arrives to reinvent an entire universe. As we know, Marvel has dominated the film market since 2012, when it struck gold and brought its franchises together, creating something unprecedented – a shared universe.
All studios were wide-eyed after that and tried the same. Even the one that would be most conducive to this, Warner, owner of the DC universe. But they ran before they could walk, stumbled, and it went badly. Now, by the hands of James Gunn, everything will start again. And the first piece will be ‘Superman.’ Judging by the reaction to the trailer, everything is on the right track for success, with its fresh take on the classic hero promising to restore faith in DC’s cinematic universe.
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