It is undeniable that, over the past couple of years, have been experiencing a resurgence of incredible, good-quality movies... a 'film-aissance', if you will. With major blockbuster phenomenons such as Barbenheimer and Glicked as well as surprise box office hits like Anora, The Substance, and The Zone of Interest having characterised the past couple of years in cinema, 2025 certainly has big shoes to fill. Luckily, with some of the following movies coming up this year, people are hopeful that this year will be yet another triumphant one for the big screen.

The Electric State

Release Date: 14 March 2025

Starring: Millie Bobby Brown, Chris Pratt, Ke Huy Quan, Anthony Mackie, Woody Harrelson, Giancarlo Esposito

Perfect for fans of: Ready Player One, Fallout, Black Mirror, Stranger Things

From the Russo Brothers (Stranger Things, Avengers: Endgame) comes yet another Netflix science-fiction epic: The Electric State. This star-studded movie has been adapted from the Simon Stålenhag graphic novel of the same name, making it exciting for fans of his work and of this genre. The plot follows an orphaned teen (Brown) on a cross-country trip across a retro-futuristic land with her robot to find her long-lost brother, a journey that finds her teaming up with unlikely allies along the way.

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Snow White

Release Date: 21 March 2025

Starring: Rachel Zegler, Gal Gadot, Andrew Burnap, Ansu Kabia, Patrick Page

Perfect for fans of: Snow White and the Seven Dwarves, Aladdin (2019), Cinderella (2015), West Side Story

The latest in a long line of live-action Disney adaptations comes Snow White, directed by Marc Webb (Gifted, The Amazing Spider-Man). This movie is set to follow the same plot as the original movie is is based upon, Snow White and the Seven Dwarves, while adding a modern spin and new earworm-worthy tracks.

Death of a Unicorn

Release Date: 28 March 2025

Starring: Jenna Ortega, Paul Rudd, Will Poulter, Téa Leoni, Richard Grant

Perfect for fans of: A Ghost Story, Ready or Not, Scream, Bodies Bodies Bodies

Indie production company A24 has produced innumerable hits over the past few years, meaning their latest film has large shoes to fill. Directed by Alex Scharfman (Women Who Kill, Resurrection), this dark horror-comedy movie is about a father and daughter duo, Elliot (Rudd) and Ridley (Ortega), who accidentally run over a unicorn and bring it with them to a wealthy CEO's wilderness retreat.

Warfare

Release Date: 11 April 2025

Starring: D'Pharaoh Woon-A-Tai, Kit Connor, Joseph Quinn, Will Poulter, Cosmo Jarvis

Perfect for fans of: Civil War, All Quiet on the Western Front, Apocalpyse Now

The next movie by Alex Garland (28 Days Later, Ex Machina) is a follow-up to his 2024 dystopian war film Civil War. A major criticism of Civil War is that it was not rooted in reality and seemed quite far-fetched, something Garland hopes to mitigate by collaborating with ex-Navy SEAL Ray Mendoza. This film will tell the tales of his experiences during the Iraq War.

Thunderbolts*

Release Date: 2 May 2025

Starring: Florence Pugh, David Harbour, Sebastian Stan, Julia-Louis Dreyfus, Harrison Ford

Perfect for fans of: The Avengers, Black Widow, Guardians of the Galaxy, The Suicide Squad

The next movie from Jake Schreier (Paper Towns, Beef) is also the 36th instalment in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Many fan-favourite characters, such as Yelena Belova, US Agent, the Winter Soldier, and Red Guardian, will return for this highly-anticipated movie. The plot is set to follow a group of villainous misfits tasked with top secret government missions.

Mission: Impossible - The Final Reckoning

Release Date: 23 May 2025

Starring: Tom Cruise, Hayley Atwell, Simon Pegg, Ving Rhames, Vanessa Kirby

Perfect for fans of: Mission: Impossible - Dead Reckoning (Part 1), Ocean's 11, The Bourne Identity

The final instalment in the iconic Mission: Impossible franchise, directed by Christopher McQuarrie (Jack Reacher, Top Gun: Maverick) is set to conclude the epic adventures of secret agent Ethan Hunt (Cruise). Picking up where the previous movie left off, this film will see Ethan working with allies old and new to finally defeat this movie's main antagonist - the villainous AI Entity.

Lilo & Stitch

Release Date: 23 May 2025

Starring: Maia Kealoha, Sydney Agudong, Tia Carrere, Chris Sanders, Hannah Waddingham

Perfect for fans of: Lilo & Stitch (2002), Moana, The Good Dinosaur

Yet another Disney live-action remake, Lilo & Stitch will transport viewers back to the crowd-pleasing, feel good tale of friendship. Directed by Dean Fleischer Camp (Marcel the Shell with Shoes On, Fraud), this movie retells the classic story while adding new characters to the adventure.

Ballerina

Release Date: 6 June 2025

Starring: Ana de Armas, Keanu Reeves, Lance Reddick, Norman Reedus

Perfect for fans of: John Wick, Kill Bill Vol. 1, Drive

The first prequel for the famous John Wick action series has been directed by Len Wiseman (Underworld, Die Harder). Following the events of John Wick: Chapter 3 - Parabellum, this movie delves deeper into the mysterious world of the Ruska Roma, a secret society of assassins, by telling the story of ballerina-turned-assassin Eve Macarro (Armas).

F1

Release Date: 27 June 2025

Starring: Brad Pitt, Damson Idris, Lewis Hamilton, Kerry Condon, Javier Bardem

Perfect for fans of: Gran Turismo, Bullet Train, The Fall Guy

From director Joseph Kosinski (Top Gun: Maverick, Twisters) comes a film about a retired Formula One driver, Sonny Hayes (Pitt), being pulled back into the sport. He must help mentor a younger driver to take on a formidable opponent.

Jurassic World Rebirth

Release Date: 2 July 2025

Starring: Scarlett Johansson, Jonathan Bailey, Mahershala Ali, David Iacono, Luna Blaise

Perfect for fans of: Jurassic World, Jurassic Park, 65

The fourth Jurassic World installment serves as a standalone sequel and will feature an all-new ensemble cast. Directed by Gareth Edwards (Godzilla, Rogue One: A Star Wars Story), this movie will be about Zora Bennett (Johansson) leading a team of operatives to source DNA from dinosaurs in a dangerous research facility.

The Conjuring: Last Rites

Release Date: 5 September 2025

Starring: Vera Farmiga, Patrick Wilson, Taissa Farmiga, Mia Tomlinson, Shannon Kook

Perfect for fans of: The Conjuring, Annabelle, The Nun

The next movie in James Wan's Conjuring Universe, directed by Michael Chaves (The Cuse of La Llorona, The Conjuring: The Devil Made Me Do It), will conclude The Conjuring part of this iconic horror franchise. This film will see Ed (Wilson) and Lorraine Warren (Farmiga) taking on their final supernatural case.

Wicked: For Good

Release Date: 21 November 2025

Starring: Cynthia Erivo, Ariana Grande, Ethan Slater, Jonathan Bailey, Jeff Goldblum

Perfect for fans of: Wicked, Hairspray, West Side Story

The second part to Wicked, directed by Jon M. Chu (Crazy Rich Asians, In The Heights), will conclude the epic musical tale started in the first part. Adapted from the best-selling novel and hit Broadway musical, this movie will see the journey of Elphaba (Erivo) as she is declared an enemy of the state by the Wizard of Oz.

Deliver Me From Nowhere

Release Date: late 2025 - TBC

Starring: Jeremy Allen White, Jeremy Strong, Odessa Young, Johnny Cannizzaro

Perfect for fans of: A Complete Unknown, Elvis, Better Man

In what some have dubbed "the age of biopics", with many musical ones in particular having been released recently, director Scott Cooper (Hostiles, Crazy Heart) is taking on the story of legend Bruce Springsteen (White). The film is said to chronicle the journey leading up to the creation of Springsteen's sixth album, Nebraska, as well as his relationships with his manager (Strong) and a new romantic interest (Young).

Avatar: Fire and Ash

Release Date: 19 December 2025

Starring: Zoe Saldana, Sam Worthington, Sigourney Weaver, Stephen Yang, Michelle Yoeh, Kate Winslet

Perfect for fans of: Avatar, Avatar: Way of Water, Dune, Interstellar

The third Avatar movie from James Cameron (Titanic, The Terminator) will see our favourite characters meeting a Na'vi tribe known as the Ash People. Staying true to his reputation of astounding special effects, Cameron will include more "violent, harrowing scenes" with fire-like effects in this installment.

Marty Supreme

Image Credit: Somewhere in Toronto from Wikimedia Commons

Release Date: 25 December 2025

Starring: Timothée Chalamet, Gwyneth Paltrow, Fran Drescher, Tyler the Creator, Penn Jillette

Perfect for fans of: A Complete Unknown, The Blind Side, Uncut Gems

From director Josh Safdie (Good Time, Uncut Gems) comes one of the biggest-budget movies from production company A24: Marty Supreme. Set in 1950s New York City, this film retells the life of famous table tennis star Marty Reisman (Chalamet) who is now known as "the Needle". It is important to note that this movie is less of a biopic and more of a fictionalised version of his life.

Conclusion

It is evident that 2025 will shape up to be a very exciting year for the film industry! Are there are other movies that you are looking forward to this year? Be sure to comment with other upcoming films.