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Following a year full of mutants, aliens, gladiators, witches, and animated interior feelings, there will be a plethora of new (or recently re-examined) films to pick from in the coming year.
Though this can be attributed to Hollywood’s tendency to play it safe with well-known properties, the fact that so many future films are sequels, reboots, and series expansions also speaks to our shared desire to see where some of our favourite characters and settings go next.
These are a few of the major films to see in 2025, albeit they are by no means all-inclusive:
‘Back In Action’
It’s all in the title of this Netflix spy picture, which marks the “return” of two adored actors: Oscar winner Jamie Foxx, who has returned following some health issues, and Cameron Diaz, who had been out of the spotlight for roughly a decade. The two had previously collaborated on the musical “Annie” in 2014. On January 17, “Back in Action” will be available for streaming.
‘The Fantastic Four: First Steps’
With two welcome 2024 additions—Deadpool & Wolverine in the film industry and the deliciously witchy “Agatha All Along” on television—Marvel is stepping up its output after a relatively light year. In 2025, the MCU will welcome three new films: “Captain America: Brave New World” (also known as “Cap’n America 4) in February, “Thunderbolts” in May, and “The Fantastic Four: First Steps,” which will be released on July 25. This is the third major studio attempt to bring this superpowered quartet to the big screen. The first attempt produced two films in 2005 and 2007, with a largely unpopular reboot in 2015 starring Miles Teller and Kate Mara. The latter stars Pedro Pascal, Joseph Quinn, the breakout star of “Stranger Things,” Ebon Moss-Bachrach, and Vanessa Kirby.
‘Superman’
On the opposite side of the comic book pond, James Gunn is about to make a spectacular debut with “Superman,” formerly known as “Superman: Legacy,” which stars David Corenswet and Rachel Brosnahan from “Marvellous Mrs. Maisel.” The teaser trailer for this month included a sneak peek at Clark Kent’s little (super)dog as well as some drama. Two weeks before “Fantastic Four,” on July 11, “Superman” takes to the big screen. “DC Films, which, like CNN, is owned by Warner Bros. Discovery, is the producer of Superman.”
‘Jurassic World: Rebirth’
Speaking of sequels, the cast of this most recent installment in the ever-growing “Jurassic Park” dinosaur universe—which stars Scarlett Johansson and Jonathan Bailey—is the only reason it is receiving praise. They are fresh off of the success of “Wicked.” The release date of “Jurassic World: Rebirth” is July 2.
‘How To Train Your Dragon’
From dragons to dinosaurs. Following in Disney’s footsteps, Universal and DreamWorks are reinventing one of their own highly successful cartoon brands, which (surprisingly) debuted 15 years ago. Based on the Cressida Cowell novel, the new film appears to be a faithful live-action version of the original. The movie “How to Train Your Dragon” opens in theatres on June 13.
‘Karate Kid: Legends’
Just over 40 years after Ralph Macchio performed the crane kick for the first time in the original 1984 blockbuster, the franchise makes a comeback to the big screen following the prolonged success of “Cobra Kai,” which began on YouTube before finding fresh life on Netflix. Jackie Chan, who previously played the sensei-like character of Mr. Han in the 2010 reboot alongside Jayden Smith, is returning to the role. This season, rising talent Ben Wang will portray the title “kid.” On May 30, “Legends” opens in theatres.
‘Michael’
The King of Pop’s nephew Jaafar Jackson will play the late singer in the Michael Jackson biopic, which is set to premiere in theatres in the new year after much anticipation and conjecture. Colman Domingo, Miles Teller, Nia Long, and Larenz Tate are also part of the cast. “Michael,” which opens in theatres on October 3, is sure to provoke a lot of discussions about “separating the art from the artist.”
