The 2025 Movies You'll Want to See on the Big Screen

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We've gone through numerous news cycles about the deaths of the movie theater, though the height of COVID certainly seemed like it could have been the breaking point. Since then, though, audiences have been back to the movies in big numbers, with the last couple of years buoyed by some major events: Barbenheimer in 2023, and huge numbers for several sequels in 2024, alongside the definite cultural moment being had by Wicked. While there's a lot of pre-existing IP in the mix, there's always hope for an original movie to make a dent at the box office in 2025. TBD.

Though the era of everything-goes-to-streaming is largely behind us, there are at least three big movies you won't get to see on the big screen: Section 31, the first Star Trek film to skip theaters and also the first to star Oscar-winner Michelle Yeoh, will stream on Paramount+ starting Jan. 31; star-packed old-school comedy You're Cordially Invited (with Reese Witherspoon and Will Farrell) will stream on Prime Video starting Jan. 30; and the fourth Bridget Jones movie, Mad About the Boy, will stream on Peacock starting Feb. 13.

With short release windows, there's every reason to stay home these days, but there's still something kinda magical, and worth saving, in the experience of going to a movie theater. Here are the 2025 movies that you might want to check out on the big screen. Dates, particularly toward the end of the year, are subject to change, and refer to North American wide releases.

Better Man (January 10)

A biopic about venerable British pop star Robbie Williams in which Williams voice himself over a motion capture chimpanzee. I have no idea who this movie is for, but the film-festival reviews have been overwhelmingly positive; it could be perfect for Take That fans waiting on the next Planet of the Apes installment. It opens in limited theaters on Christmas Day, with a wider release in January.

Wolf Man (January 17)

Universal has been aiming for a reboot of its beloved monster library, with mixed results: The Tom Cruise-led Mummy movie was entirely ill-conceived, while the Leigh Whannell-directed Invisible Man was a rather brilliant new take. Whannell's return here bodes well for a fresh take on the oft-revisited trope.

Presence (January 17)

Steven Soderbergh shows his range here, following 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 observed by an increasingly threatening presence. The trick here is that the movie is filmed from the ghost's perspective.

Love Hurts (February 7)

Academy Award-winner Ke Huy Quan finally gets to be the leading man in this action comedy about a seemingly mild-mannered realtor whose past as a hitman comes back to haunt him. Fellow Oscar winner Ariana DeBose co-stars. Sounds fun.

The Monkey (February 21)

This Stephen King adaptation about a vengeful toy monkey has more buzz surrounding it than you might expect, largely because of the presence of writer/director Osgood Perkins. His police procedural Longlegs was one of the buzzier films of 2024, and has drawn interest in his follow-up.

Sinners (March 7)

Following a long but fruitful detour into Creed and Black Panther movies, Ryan Coogler writes and directs his first original project since 2013's stunning Fruitvale Station. Coogler fave Michael B. Jordan plays a dual role in this thriller as a pair of brothers who return to their hometown only to discover an evil tied to their childhood.

Black Bag (March 14)

Wait, you may say to yourself, didn't I already see a Steven Soderberg movie this year? Like, just a couple of months ago? While Presence is a ghost/horror-type situation, Black Bag is a spy thriller with Cate Blanchett and Michael Fassbender. It's written by David Koepp, also from Presence, and who, likewise, is responsible for the screenplay for the Jurassic Park movie coming in July.

The Alto Knights (March 21)

Robert De Niro plays a dual role as real-life competing 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, in spite of its slightly weird double-De Niro conceit, be a welcome return to old-school gangster cinema.

Mickey 17 (March 29)

Writer/director Bong Joon-ho has never made a movie that was less than brilliant, so we can presume/hope that his new sci-fi comedy (following Oscar Best Picture-winner Parasite) will follow suit. Robert Pattinson stars as the expendable employee of a space colonization company—when he dies, his memories are downloaded, mostly, into a new body that can get right back to work. Except that the 17th Mickey survives where he's meant to die, setting up a conflict between himself and his next iteration.

Mission: Impossible - The Final Reckoning (May 23)

The previous installment of the series saw a small drop in box office, but that movie pulled in reviews every bit as good as previous entries in the venerable franchise (it sits at 96% on Rotten Tomatoes, for whatever that's worth). Filmed back-to-back with Dead Reckoning, there's no reason to believe that this concluding Mission will self destruct.

Ballerina (June 6)

The fifth film in the John Wick-verse (the full title is, unfortunately, From the World of John Wick: Ballerina), this one stars Ana de Armas as an assassin-in-training with a burning desire to avenge her murdered father (who is, apparently, not a dog so whatever). Lance Reddick, Ian McShane, and Keanu himself pop over from the Wick movies, joined by Anjelica Huston, Gabriel Byrne, and Norman Reedus.

How to Train Your Dragon (June 13)

Color me skeptical that we need a live-action Dragon reboot already, but Dean DeBlois, writer/director behind the animated films, is heading up this one, as well. It could be the next big thing in fantasy.

Elio (June 13)

Pixar’s 28th feature film follows awkward 11-year-old Elio, who finds himself mistaken for an ambassador when he's inadvertently beamed up by some aliens. Looks cute. Definite chance of tears.

28 Years Later (June 20)

A return to the world of the zombie Rage Virus, reuniting the first film's director Danny Boyle, writer Alex Garland, and star Cillian Murphy. They're joined by new potential victims Jodie Comer, Aaron Taylor-Johnson, and Ralph Fiennes. Just as exciting, Nia DaCosta is directing a second sequel with a release date TBD.

M3gan 2.0 (June 27)

The viral sensation, dance icon, and mass-murdering AI robot returns, along with the first movie's core cast of Allison Williams, Violet McGraw, and Brian Jordan Alvarez. No details on the plot (though it probably deals with robot murder), but screenwriter Akela Cooper is also back. A spin-off, SOULM8TE, is scheduled for 2026.

Jurassic World Rebirth (July 2)

I feel like we're all kind of over this whole thing, 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 The Creator director Gareth Edwards is behind the camera, and the first movie's screenwriter, David Koepp, returns to the franchise after a couple of decades.

Superman (July 11)

Another day, another superhero reboot. This one has a bit more promise than most—writer/director James Gunn was behind the Guardians of the Galaxy movies, three Marvel cinematic standouts. After a run of gloomy, dour DC movies, this one promises a bit more light and maybe even a bit of fun; it's also probably make-or-break for the entire DC movie project. If nothing else, it includes the cinematic debut of Krypto the Superdog, for whom I will be seated.

The Fantastic Four: First Steps (July 25)

Is this where Marvel's first family finally takes off? Previous attempts at building a franchise around Sue, Reed, Ben, and Johnny have fallen flat, but WandaVision's Matt Shakman feels like a good choice to direct, and the promised retro-futuristic 1960's-inspired look and feel sounds, likewise, just right. Marvel Studio's output has been increasingly a mixed bag, but here's one to (cautiously) look forward to.

One Battle After Another (August 8)

We know pretty much nothing about the next Paul Thomas Anderson movie (even the title might change), but the cast includes Leonardo DiCaprio, Regina Hall, Sean Penn, Alana Haim, Teyana Taylor, Wood Harris, and Benicio del Toro. So it's guaranteed to be some kind of event.

The Bride! (September 26)

Maggie Gyllenhaal follows up her impressive directorial debut, 2021's The Last Daughter, with this new take on Bride of Frankenstein, billed as a "sci-fi musical monster film." Sold. Jessie Buckley has the title role, joined by Christian Bale as Frankenstein's monster.

Saw XI (September 26)

As always, this one won't be for the squeamish, but the franchise that had its "Final Chapter" back in 2010 has had an impressive resurgence in recent years, with the previous film, a prequel, earning some of the best reviews of the series. It ended on a bit of a cliffhanger, 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 kinda loved the second Tron movie from 2010, so maybe I'll be the only one in the theater. Jared Leto stars as Ares, a sophisticated program who escapes into our world on a mission. Jeff Bridges is back as Kevin Flynn, and Gillian Anderson is here, too.

Wicked Part Two (November 21)

It wasn't entirely unanticipated that the first part of the Wicked duopoly would be a hit at the box office; it's maybe a bit more surprising that it's actually a pretty great movie, and certainly an impressive theatrical experience. Cynthia Erivo, Ariana Grande, Jonathan Bailey, and company will all be back for the conclusion.

The Running Man (November 21)

You could wait until the crowds die down in Oz and instead pop in for this remake of the (wildly entertaining) Arnold Schwarzenegger action classic from 1987. Once again based on the Stephen King short story, this one's directed by Edgar Wright and stars Glen Powell as the titular runner. The story of a dystopian reality-TV-driven capitalistic hellscape might be a hair on-the-nose in 2025, but there's still fun to be had.

Avatar: Fire and Ash (December 19)

Everybody likes to dismiss the Avatar series right before they drop everything and run to the theater. James Cameron is back with the third installment of a series that's made somewhere in the neighborhood of 5.5 billion dollars.