Most Anticipated 2025 Movie Releases

A new year means new movies and the exciting possibilty for changes to my Letterboxd Top 4 ("Pride and Prejudice", "Lilo and Stitch", "The Edge of Seventeen" and "Killers of the Flower Moon". This year sees a substantial return for MCU movies, who just had "Deadpool and Wolverine" last year, Robert Pattinson has two movies and as always many a sequel and reboot ("Freakier Friday", "Bridget Jones 4", "Happy Gilmore 2", "Wicked: For Good", "28 Years Later"). This list is based on announced releases (thanks to Rolling Stone and Deadline for their lists) but I can't wait to see what trailers will catch my eye at the cinema (I relish the unexpected) and, as always, to keep track of the upcoming release schedule on iMDB.

Let's dive in!

1. The Drama

Zendaya and Robert Pattinson are in this movie. I don't need to know anything else and thank heavens because details of the plot are very scarce. It was filmed in Boston though!

Release: October (hopefully)

2. Mickey 17

Robert Pattinson and one of my favourite directors, Bong Joon Ho ("Parasite", "Snowpiercer"). A satirical dystopian movie that was scheduled for last January, then moved to 31st January 2025 and now it's been moved to March (show it to me please RACHEL!!! because the press tour alone will be worth it). The book it's based on is titled Mickey7 but Bong Joon Ho enjoyed killing Robert Pattinson so much (his character is an "expendable": a disposable employee where after one iteration dies, a new body is regenerated) that he added an additional ten.

Also stars: Mark Ruffalo, Toni Collette, Steven Yeun, Naomie Ackie

Release: March

3. Sinners

Ryan Coogler ("Black Panther", "Creed", "Judas and the Black Messiah") teams up with his long-term collaborator Michael B. Jordan who plays twin brothers whose small town is being terrorised by a sinister force (rumours suggest it's vampires but this has yet to be corroborated - excited either way!).

Also stars: Hailee Steinfeld, Jack O'Connell, Delroy Lindo, Wunmi Mosaku

Release: April

4. Hamnet

An adaptation of the Maggie O'Farrell book which is a favourite, directed by Chloe Zhao (first woman of colour to win Best Director for "Nomadland") and stars Irish favourites Jessie Buckley and Paul Mescal. It charts the fictional story about the life of Shakespeare and his wife, Agnes, following the death their son, Hamnet. Literally cannot wait!

Release: TBC

5. How to Train Your Dragon

Live action remake of the 2010 animated classic. I was ready to be mad about that but the CGI in the teaser trailer was exceptional and a recent rewatch of the original swayed me to the cause of an updated version. Plus, experiencing that score on the big screen will be worth the price of admission.

Release: June

6. The Wedding Banquet

A remake of Ang Lee's ("Sense and Sensibility") 1993 romantic comedy of the same name starring Bowen Young as a gay man who makes a deal with his lesbian friend: a green card marriage for him, in exchange for in vitro fertilisation treatments for her. It all seems straightforward until his grandmother surprises him with a large wedding celebration.

Also stars: Kelly Marie Tran, Lily Gladstone, Joan Chen

Release: April

7. Ballerina

John Wick spin-off starring Ana de Armas. I've seen all I need to see.

Release: June

8. Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery

The third movie in the Knives Out series with an additional cast that includes Josh O'Connor, Glenn Close, Josh Brolin, Kerry Washington, Andrew Scott, Cailee Spaeny, Daryl McCormack and Jeremy Renner.

Release: TBC

9. The Running Man

If there's a Glen Powell movie being released, you better believe I am highly anticipating it. Edgar Wright adapts Stephen King's 'The Running Man' for the second time (first adaptation was in 1987), a dystopian action thriller which depicts a game show of the same name set in 2025 (eek) where people are chased by murderous Hunters across the world to win money.

Release: November

10. Materialists

Celine Song ("Past Lives") returns with another romance starring Dakota Johnson as a professional matchmaker caught in a love triangle between Pedro Pascal and Chris Evans. Easy recommend.

Release: TBC

11. The Monkey

"Longlegs" director Osgood Perkins takes on this Stephen King short story adaptation which stars Theo James, Tatiana Maslany and Elijah Wood. A bloody horror about a toy monkey that brings death and misfortune. Theo James in a horror sells itself. Also not Mr. King having two adaptations on this list !

Release: February

12. Fantastic Four: First Steps

A tremendous cast including Pedro Pascal ("Game of Thrones", "The Last of Us", "Gladiator 2"), Vanessa Kirby ("The Crown", "Mission Impossible"), Joseph Quinn ("Stranger Things", "A Quiet Place: Day One") and Ebon Moss Bachrach ("The Bear"). I love the Fantastic Four story but it's yet to get a good adaptation, despite the special place in my heart the early 2000s version has. MCU, I'm giving you ONE last chance.

Release: July

13. Love Me

A post-apocalyptic romance in which a buoy and a satellite meet online and fall in love after the end of human civilisation, starring Kristen Stewart and Steven Yeun. A premise that I haven't stopped thinking about since I heard about it in 2023.

Release: TBC

14. Opus

Ayo Edebiri stars as a young journalist invited to write about the return of an iconic pop star who returns after decades missing. This is all I could find out about it and frankly Ayo being in it is enough.

Release: March

15. Superman

I am not the biggest fan of the Superman character but do you know who I am a huge fan of? Rachel Brosnahan ("Marvelous Mrs. Maisel") who plays Lois Lane and Nicholas Hoult as Lex Luthor has my attention. The trailer also makes the movie look so bright and full of colour which has been missing in the DC Extended Universe and CGI movies more broadly. Cautiously optimistic.

Release: July