2024 was a bit of a cinematic letdown, but there definitely looks to be some noteworthy gems coming this year. There’s quite a lot of sequels and reboots on this list, as is the current state of cinema, but there’s quite a few that look engaging and of high quality. Then, what stands out in terms of being original, really looks interesting, at least in concept. So here’s our list of 30+ films to keep an eye out on, in no particular order. Of course, more films may get added to the list as the year goes on, but these are what we know of for sure. As always, if something gets delayed, we’ll remove it from the list as well, so be sure to bookmark this page for any updates.
Sinners
Ryan Coogler’s next film won’t be a Marvel one, but an original story starring Michael B. Jordan in a dual role. Official details on the plot of this Southern Gothic horror are scant, but it involves two twin brothers returning home, only to find that there’s a great evil manifesting. Trailer looks great and Coogler is a fantastic director, so I’m super on board for this; especially knowing it’s an original story and not a remake or adaptation.
Mickey 17
Originally slated to release in 2024 and then in January 2025, Mickey 17 is now slated for an April 18th release date. Directed by Bong Joon-ho (Parasite), the movie is about clones operating in forced labour situations who die and are reborn. But one such clone ends up coming back with all the memories of the previous, now deceased body.
In The Grey
Guy Ritchie movies are very hit or miss once we get a chance to watch them, but there’s no doubt I’ll at least be interested in a new movie by the popular British director. In The Grey reunites Ritchie with Henry Cavill, and Eliza González. Ilez from The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare, as well as Jake Gyllenhaal, who worked with the director on The Covenant. The film is an extraction film, which sees two specialists working to get a translator out of a conflict zone. Expect a similar release structure to Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare’s limited theatrical release.
Captain America: Brave New World
Apparently there’s quite a lot of issues with Captain America: Brave New World, which keeps forcing expensive reshoots on the project. Regardless of that, I’ve been intrigued by the trailers, as I like it when Marvel goes full 1970s political thriller, a la Winter Soldier. The film follows a conspiracy that involves the recently elected President of the United States, Thaddeus “Thunderbolt” Ross and Sam Wilson, operating under the Captain America banner. We know Red Hulk is involved, and Giancarlo Esposito is one of the film’s villains.
Predator: Badlands
Predator: Badlands is one of two Predator films slated to release in 2025. This one is a theatrical release and will star Dakota Fanning in a dual role. Director Dan Trachtenberg (Prey) stated that the film will be a futuristic sci-fi entry, and that the titular Predator will be the film’s protagonist, a first for the franchise.
Untitled ‘Predator’ Film
As mentioned, Badlands isn’t the only Predator film on the calendar though. Trachtenberg has a second one coming as well, likely to streaming, with rumour suggesting it’ll be tied to Prey, either as a sequel or in-concept. Regardless, please and thank you.
Den of Thieves 2: Pantera
While not an all-time classic, the first Den of Thieves really surprised me. It wasn’t the low-effort, generic action movie I thought it was going to be, but a surprisingly engrossing crime thriller. It was a little too derivatite of movies like Heat, but I liked it enough to be excited for the sequel, which puts O’Shea Jackson Jr’s Donnie in the lead this time around, alongside Gerard Butler’s former L.A. county sheriff Big Nick O’Brien. This time, the action moves from L.A. to the south of France and sees Nick and Donnie working together on the next big heist.
Black Bag
Not much is currently known about Black Bag, other than it’s the latest from acclaimed director Steven Soderberg. It’s a spy thriller film that stars Cate Blanchette, Michael Fassbender, and Regé-Jean Page, with screenwriting duties being provided by David Koepp (Jurassic Park).
Warfare
Co-directed in part by Alex Garland, this film is a retelling of a particular event during in 2006 during the Iraq War. Written and directed by veteran Ray Mendoza, who was part of this combat mission in real life (and is portrayed by D’Pharaoh Woon-A-Tai in the film), the film’s marketing suggests the film is based purely on the memory of events and suggests it may also be in real-time, which if so could be interesting.
Paddington in Peru
Paddington in Peru is the third film in this beloved franchise and sees the bear returning home to Peru to reconnect with his Aunt Lucy. Of course, there’s plenty of hijinx that happens and Paddington and his adoptive-human family end up on an Amazonian adventure.
The Immortal Man
Otherwise known as the Peaky Blinders movie, The Immortal Man serves as the conclusion to the acclaimed British gangster series. Directed by series veteran Tom Harper and written by series creator Steven Knight, the movie will see Cillian Murphy reprise his role as Tommy Shelby during the Second World War. Alongside regulars from the show such as Arthur and Ada, the movie will introduce new characters, including Barry Keoghan, Tim Roth, and Rebecca Ferguson. The film is to be produced and released by Netflix, which will probably negate a theatrical release unfortunately.
Alto Knights
Starring Robert DeNiro, written by Nicholas Pigilli (Goodfellas), and directed by Barry Levinson (Diner), this is our mob-centric film for the year. DeNiro, bizarrely, leads as both Vito Genovese and Frank Costello, two 1950s mob bosses. Genovese orders a hit on Costello but the latter survives, forcing him to retire from the Mafia. I’m a sucker for a good mob movie and it’s been a good while since we got one, so fingers crossed!
Thunderbolts*
I’m the reason that asterisk is there after the title is because that isn’t the real title of the movie, and the events in Brave New World would otherwise be a spoiler. Just a guess. But Thunderbolts* seems to be something of a Suicide Squad for Marvel, bringing in the C-team and low-level villains onto a team to serve Valentina Allegra de Fontaine’s secret missions. Trailers actually surprised me and test footage is supposed to be positive, so keeping an eye on this one.
Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning
Originally slated to be Dead Reckoning Part II, the eighth Mission: Impossible film was retitled to be more of a standalone experience, rather than the second half of a whole. That said, cast members and specific events from the previous film do carry over and the film continues the series’ flair for daring stuntwork, this time we’ll see Tom Cruise hanging on the side of a propeller plane during a chase sequence.
The Karate Kid: Legends
The Karate Kid: Legends serves as a sequel to the original films, as well as to the Jackie Chan film from 2010. It will star Chan alongside Ralph Macchio from the original film and Cobra Kai, as well as the likes of Ming-Na Wen and Joshua Jackson, with Ben Chang taking on the lead role.
Michael
The Michael Jackson biopic stars the King of Pop’s nephew Jaafar Jackson in the lead role, with Antoine Fuqua stepping into the director’s chair. When it comes to biopics, I worry when they cover way too much time, much like Napoleon, and Michael is looking to cover everything from Jackson 5 all the way up to his passing in 2009. So, there is quite a bit of content to cover. Here’s hoping it can deliver.
Jurassic World: Rebirth
I almost didn’t even include this one on the list, chiefly due to how much I didn’t like the previous Jurassic World film, Dominion. But after a first-look article with Entertainment Weekly, I have a smidge of hope that director Gareth Edwards (Rogue One, 2014’s Godzilla) and returning original Jurassic Park writer David Koepp understand the assignment. Shot on location in Thailand, Edwards said he wanted his film to feel like the Spielberg films of old, and liked his three main characters to the trio from Jaws. The plot still sounds kind of silly; a pharmaceutical company has sent a team out to find the DNA of the three most massive dinosaurs of land, air, and sea in hopes of creating a new drug. But while on mission, they come across a stranded family, whose boat capsized just offshore. So I don’t have too much hope, but admittedly, a bit more than I did when I started this article.
The Amateur
The Amateur stars Rami Malek as a CIA cryptographer whose wife dies in a terrorist attack in London. He vows revenge, but he lacks the physical know-how to get the job done but undertakes his crusade regardless, using his wits rather than his brawn. It co-stars Laurence Fishburne, Caitríona Balfe, and Jon Bernthal in supporting roles and is directed by James Hawes, who has directed episodes of shows such as Raised By Wolves and Slow Horses.
The Running Man
Edgar Wright has a new movie coming in 2025 and that’s enough to sell me. In an unexpected twist, it’s a remake of an Arnold Schwarzenegger movie, this time with Glen Powell in the lead role. Both films are of course based on the Stephen King novel of the same name (under his pseudonym Richard Bachman) that features a game show that has people being chased by murderous criminals for the entertainment of the masses and a chance for riches for the contestants.
Ballerina
The second John Wick spinoff property, after the TV show The Continental, Ballerina is essentially Wick 3.5, as it takes place between the third and fourth chapters. It stars Ana de Armas as Eve Macarro, a member of the Ruska Roma from this universe. Franchise regulars Charon, Winston and the man, the myth, the legend himself, John Wick, will also appear in this film directed by Len Wiseman. The film follows Eve’s journey as a new ballerina as she embarks on a quest to avenge the death of her father. So unlike John, a seasoned vet by the time we meet him, Eve is still pretty green in this world which should hopefully make for a more unique approach.
28 Years Later
28 Years Later sees original director Danny Boyle and writer Alex Garland team up for a third entry in the “28” series, after serving as producers only on the second entry. Set decades after the events of the original, a far more tribal humanity must contend with a revival of the Rage Virus. It stars Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Ralph Fiennes, Jodie Comer, and Jack O’Connell, with Cillian Murphy set to return as Jim. Whether Jim is a zombie or not remains to be seen, based on the first trailer, but we see the name “Jim” plastered on zombies and walls throughout the trailer, suggesting he’s a character of great importance regardless. The film, and its sequel, 28 Years Later Part II: The Bone Temple, were shot using iPhone Pro 15 Max, with a slew of attachments. The sequel, while written by Boyle and Garland, will be directed by Nia DaCosta and currently does not have a release date.
Wake Up Dead Man
Wake Up Dead Man is the third film in the Knives Out franchise and sees Daniel Craig team up once more with director Rian Johnson. We know little of the plot, but the cast includes Josh O’Connor, Glenn Close, Josh Brolin, Mila Kunis, Jeremy Renner, Kerry Washington, and more in supporting roles.
Freakier Friday
The belated sequel to Disney’s Freaky Friday reboot, Freakier Friday reunites Jamie Lee Curtis and Lindsay Lohan in the body-swapping comedy. Original actors Mark Harmon and Chad Michael Murray are involved, with newcomers Manny Jacinto and Julia Butters getting in on the wackiness.
M3GAN 2.0
M3GAN was a surprise hit so it’s no surprise that there’s a sequel coming. The question I think most will be wondering is whether it will be PG-13 upon theatrical release, or bite the bullet and release the R-rated cut, which is what’s available on the home releases of the original film.
F1
F1 may have a dumb, product-laced title, but it comes to us from Joseph Kosinski, the director of Top Gun: Maverick. Like that movie, he’s strapped IMAX cameras to real F1 cars and shot alongside the real seasons, inserting a fictitious team into the race calendar. It stars Brad Pitt as Sonny Hayes, a retired racer who is called back for one more season to mentor a newcomer to the team, Damson Idris’ Joshua Pearce. Even if the story ends up being ho-hum, I’m sure putting IMAX cameras on an F1 car would justify the cost of admission for cinephiles and fans of the sport.
Superman
The new DCU launches its theatrical offerings in 2025 with the release of James Gunn’s Superman film, which stars David Corenswet in the lead role. He’s embodiment of truth, justice, and the American way in a time when that sort of thinking is considered old-fashioned. In the film, Superman is a few years into assuming his mantle and is still trying to reconcile his alien heritage with his human upbringing. It also stars Rachel Brosnahan as Lois Lane, Nicholas Hoult as Lex Luthor, and a small gallery of other superheroes and villains, such as Mister Terrific, Metamorpho, Guy Gardner, Hawkgirl, and Rick Flagg Sr.
The Fantastic Four: First Steps
The MCU has existed, as a concept, since 2008’s Iron Man. But due to a previous agreement with Fox, Marvel wasn’t allowed to touch the X-Men and other Marvel characters within their universe, such as the first family of the comicbook label, the Fantastic Four. That changes in 2025, with the F4 making their MCU debut in a film set in an alternative reality 1960s, starring Pedro Pascal, Vanessa Kirby, Joseph Quinn, and Ebon Moss-Bachrach as the Four, while Ralph Inneson will play Galactus, Julia Garner as Silver Surfer, and maybe (likely) Robert Downey Jr will make his debut as Doctor Doom, perhaps in a post-credit scene.
Fountain of Youth
One of two Guy Ritchie films slated to come out in 2025, this one stars John Krasinski, Natalie Portman, Domhnall Gleeson, and Eiza González and follows two estranged siblings who reunite in their adult years to try and find the fabled Fountain of Youth. It’s pitched as being akin to Indiana Jones or Uncharted, with globe trotter and plenty of capering to go around, so it could be fun!
Tron: Ares
Much like how Daft Punk was the big draw for me with the release of Tron: Legacy back in 2010, the big draw for me personally is that Nine Inch Nails are doing the score for its belated sequel, Tron: Ares. The plot sees a program called Ares (Jared Leto) who is sent to the real world on a mission, which marks humanity’s first encounter with an A.I. of this calibre.
The Black Phone 2
I’m always iffy about horror sequels, but The Black Phone 2 sees the return of Ethan Hawke as The Grabber, and the director of the first entry, Scott Derrickson, is also returning, so there’s potential for some consistency between the two films. That said, I am curious as to what the sequel has to say, since the first one finished pretty definitely.
Mortal Kombat 2
I enjoyed the first Mortal Kombat enough to be excited for the second, especially since Karl Urban will be joining the cast as Johnny Cage. Here’s hoping that this time around, we’ll actually get the Mortal Kombat tournament and we’ll get a rematch between Scorpion and Sub-Zero, as their opening fight was the highlight of the first movie.
Wicked: For Good
Wicked: For Good serves as the second half of the acclaimed broadway adaptation of Wicked. Considering how popular and well-received the first one was, I expect this one will be one of the biggest hits of 2025.
Avatar: Fire and Ash
Avatar: The Way of Water surprised us here at ScreenHub and I think a big portion as to why we liked it as much as we did was the underwater photography of an alien world. So time will tell if the third Avatar film, titled Fire and Ash, will hit the same high as it explores, what I would imagine, is another new Na’vi tribe, this one likely around a volcanic setting based on the key art for the film’s logo.
And that’s our most anticipated films (that we know of) of 2025! What’s your number one most anticipated film of the year? Let us know!
