The 20 most anticipated films of 2025

US release date: July 11

The Fantastic Four: First Steps

Could the third time be a charm for the Fantastic Four? That’s what fans are wondering about this team of superheroes, who seem to be cursed when it comes to film adaptations of their work. In 2005, we had Jessica Alba, Ioan Gruffudd, Michael Chiklis, and a pre-Captain America Chris Evans as the foursome; 10 years later, it was Kate Mara, Miles Teller, Michael B. Jordan and Jamie Bell. In order The Fantastic Four: First StepsThe cast is undoubtedly impressive: Vanessa Kirby as Sue Storm/Invisible Woman, Pedro Pascal as Reed Richards/Mister Fantastic; Joseph Quinn as Johnny Storm/Human Torch, and Ebon Moss-Bachrach as Ben Grimm/The Thing. But perhaps the missing ingredient in previous iterations has been the creative force behind the camera, which in this case is Matt Shakman, who is best known for his television career, where he directed episodes of Game of Thrones, WandaVision, The Greatand-more prolifically-more than 40 installments of It’s still Sunny in Philadelphiaincluding the fan favorite “The Nightman Cometh.”

US release date: July 25

The Battle of Baktan Cross

Just because we have no idea what Paul Thomas Anderson’s new movie is doesn’t mean we aren’t dying to learn more. Especially based on what we have to do know about it. Namely: which will be Anderson’s first film released in IMAX, and which will feature an all-star cast that includes Leonardo DiCaprio, Regina Hall, Sean Penn, Wood Harris and Alana Haim.

US release date: August 8

The bride!

Like a more indie Greta Gerwig, actor-turned-filmmaker Maggie Gyllenhaal has quietly developed an impressive filmography behind the camera. Five years after winning an Oscar nomination (his second) in 2022 for best adapted screenplay for The Lost DaughterGyllenhaal is following up that movie — and jumping on the Universal Monster Movie bandwagon — with this remake of Bride of Frankensteinthat the writer-director aims to embed a strong feminist sensibility. The film will reunite Gyllenhaal with Jessie Buckley, who directed to a nomination for Best Supporting Actress in The Lost Daughter and here she plays the eponymous bride of Frankenstein’s monster, who will be played by Christian Bale – reuniting Gyllenhaal with her ex. Batman to cost Maggie’s brother Jake and husband Peter Sarsgaard also appear. Also an official release date for Guillermo del Toro Frankensteinstarring Oscar Isaac, Jacob Elordi, and Mia Goth, has not yet been announced, it seems that this pair of films could make a great mini-marathon.

US release date: September 26

Bugonia

Would it really be a real year for movies if we didn’t get at least one absurd comedy from Yorgos Lanthimos? (The answer: no.) Will Tracy (The Menu) will write the script for this English-language remake by Jang Joon-hwan Save the green planet! The film will reunite Lanthimos with current muse Emma Stone, who will play the CEO of a large pharmaceutical company who is kidnapped by conspiracy theorists (one of them played by Jesse Plemons, now another member of Lanthimos’ regular stable). who believes she is an alien with plans to take over planet Earth.

US release date: November 7

Avatar: Fire and Ash

It doesn’t matter how much time passes, or how original Avatar It seems to disappear from the cultural conversation, there is no denying that the blue people of James Cameron know how to put bottles in seats. Despite feeling that the second film in the series did not have much buzz upon its release, nor was it met with an overwhelming amount of positive chatter, The way of the water it also made enough money ($2.3 billion and some change) to secure its place as the third-highest-grossing film of all time—beating Titanic up to 4 and placed just below the original Avatar (2009) and Avengers: Endgame (2019). From what we know of the movie, the “Ash” of the title refers to a much less sympathetic group of Na’vi that changes everything we know about Pandora.

US release date: December 19

Peaky Blinders

A year later Oppenheimer (and the Barbenheimer phenomenon) made Cillian Murphy one of the biggest movie stars on the planet, the Irish actor is returning to his roots. For more than a decade, Murphy played gangster-turned-politician Tommy Selby in the period crime show created by Steven Knight, Peaky Blinders. Soon, he will take over the part for the series version of Knight’s big screen. He will be joined by many familiar faces, including Stephen Graham, Sophie Rundle and Paul Anderson, with a list of exciting additions to the cast including Barry Keoghan, Rebecca Ferguson and Tim Roth. Although it is possible that we will not see the big screen version Peaky Blinders until the beginning of 2026, the log of our anticipation certainly can not hurt. Who knows – maybe it can even help?

US release date: 2025/2026