Hello, everyone! The year of 2024 is quickly winding down as we all are getting ready to celebrate and ring in the new year. For those keeping track, 2024 was a slightly better year than 2023, with the movie industry showing a more “return to form” with larger releases and big box office results. In the coming weeks, I’ll be posting my personal top ten “Best” and “Worst” lists of 2024 movies. Be sure to check them out!
Moving on, the start of 2025 is about to begin, and this year looks to be a very promising for movies, ranging from several different categories and genres. Now, on the twilight eve of 2024, here’s a look at my top fifteen most anticipated movies of 2025. So, while there are plenty of movies that I am looking forward in 2025, not all of them are going to fit into this 15-selection list. Thus, without further ado….
#15 – Snow White
Release Date: March 21st, 2025
Trailer: Snow White Official Teaser Trailer
A little bit odd to be on this list, but let me explain. Disney’s live-action remakes have always been a little “hit or miss”, with 2014’s Cinderella, 2017’s The Beauty and the Beast, and 2021’s Cruella showcasing the best of what these reimaginings have to offer, while 2022’s Pinocchio and 2023’s Peter Pan & Wendy are scrap the bottom of the barrel of entertainment. And then there some like 2019’s Dumbo and Lady and the Tramp that are just sort of stuck in the middle…. neither really bad nor really good. Suffice to say, that opinions on such endeavors are divided. In 2025, Disney will release another one of their live-action remakes with the release of Snow White, based on their iconic first animated film from 1937. With some questionable cast decisions (although I do like the idea of Gal Gadot as the Evil Queen) and some iffy visual effects, Snow White might not be everyone’s most “anticipated” movie to see in 2025, but it is one that many are seeing how it will be received by moviegoers and critics alike. Only time will tell….
#14 – A Minecraft Movie
Release Date: April 4th, 2025
Trailer: A Minecraft Movie Official Trailer
Over the years, the popularity of the online game titled Minecraft still remains quite strong, with millions of players around the globe building and exploring this blocky yet imaginative world to their own likings. Given the game’s success, it was almost a forgone conclusion that Hollywood would want to try and “cash in” on such a profitable idea and 2025 such an idea is realized with the movie appropriately titled A Minecraft Movie. With the star power of Jason Momoa and Jack Black leading the charge as well as the story’s premise being lighthearted and pulling from the source material for a kid-friendly outing, the jury might still be out on whether A Minecraft Movie will be a success remains unclear. However, it is something to worth watching out for and could potentially be a surprise box office hit.
#13 – Tron: Ares
Release Date: October 10th, 2025
Trailer: N/A
The lines between the real world and “The Grid” begin to blur as a new Tron installment, the iconic sci-fi saga of expansive and dangerous digital world gets ready to see a return in 2025, with the release of Tron: Ares. While many of the plot details are still unknown, the story seems to follow Ares (Jared Leto), a highly sophisticated A.I. computer program that crosses over into the human world on a secretive mission. Additionally, while the main bulk of the cast is mostly comprised of new characters, it has been announced that actor Jeff Bridges will appear in the new film (though it is unclear if he would be playing Kevin Flynn or Clu or an entirely new character altogether). I did personally like Tron: Legacy when it came out and, while not a third entry was in “high demand”, I am interested to see what Tron: Ares has to offer.
#12 – Zootopia 2
Release Date: November 26th, 2025
Trailer: N/A
2016’s Zootopia was quite a successful hit from Disney, showcasing a visual fun and entertaining animated feature that has plenty of laughs, great voice talents, and a heartfelt (and poignant) message about identity and tolerance; something relevant to today’s world. Now, over nine years since its release, 2025 will see the long-awaited follow-up in Zootopia 2. Details on the plot have been partially revealed in this latest snippet “Detectives Juddy Hopps and Nick Wilde must go undercover in Marsh Market to crack the case when they find themselves on the twisting trail of a mysterious reptile”. With Ginnifer Goodwin and Jason Bateman returning to reprise the voiceover roles and that the movie is being release during Thanksgiving weekend, Zootopia 2 is hoping to be another big win for Disney.
#11 – Jurassic World Rebirth
Release Date: July 2nd, 2025
Trailer: N/A
There is no doubt that 2022’s Jurassic World: Dominion was sort of a letdown, which enticed viewers with the mixture of the original Jurassic cast with the new one, but failed to deliver on its premise and middling narrative. Given how the film was received, many thought that Dominion would be the last Jurassic project for a while. However, in 2025, a new chapter in this saga returns with Jurassic World: Rebirth, the four installments in the Jurassic World installments and the seventh film in the overall franchise. Taking place five years after the events of Dominion and with an entire new cast of characters, including Scarlett Johnson, Mahershala Ali, and Jonathan Bailey, Jurassic World: Rebirth hopes to recapture the dinosaur action and adventure of what made the series so memorable so long ago.
#10 – Captain America: Brave New World
Release Date: February 14th, 2025
Trailer: Captain America: Brave New World Official Trailer
It’s a brave new world indeed! The Marvel Cinematic Universe of late has been a little bit “hit or miss” with its releases, showcasing a wide range of narratives and stories that feel very loosely connected to its suppose Multiverse Saga. While Thunderbolts* will bring something a bit “off-beat” styles to this shared superhero playground, 2025’s Captain America: Brave New World looks like to a “return to form” in the formula of the street level narratives of the MCU that haven’t been seeing since Captain America: Civil War. With the character of Sam Wilson fully embracing and stepping into the role of Captain America, actor Harrison Ford entering the MCU by ways of replacing the late William Hurt as Thaddeus “Thunderbolt” Ross, and an ambiguous plot to overthrow everyone, Brave New World hopes to realign moviegoer’s interest in this shared cinematic universe of heroes, gods, and monsters.
#9 – Downton Abbey 3
Release Date: September 12th, 2025
Trailer: N/A
It’s time to return back to “the big house” and drama filled saga of the Crawley family (and their servants) one last time. 2025 will see the return of Downton Abbey franchise with third and potentially final installment titled (for now) as Downton Abbey 3. Details on the plot are unclear at the moment, but it has been confirmed that Simon Curtis, who directed previous two Downton Abbey movies, is set to return to helm the project as well as most (if not all) of the main principal cast will be returning as well to reprise their character roles once again, along with several new additions. I’ve always been a sucker for “period piece” dramas and excited to see what this third installment in the Downton Abbey cinematic tale.
#8 – Fantastic Four: First Steps
Release Date: July 25th, 2025
Trailer: N/A
The Fantastic Four superhero team has had bit of interesting road on the silver screen. The 2000s iteration (2005’s Fantastic Four and 2007’s Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer) was great for the cast involved, but was a bit cheesy at times and was a sort of “precursor” before the dawn of the MCU when comic book adaptations were hit or miss. Then there was 2015’s Fant4stic Four, which was promised to be a strong representation of the iconic comic book team, but ended up being a colossal disaster, despite the star power talent attached to it. Now, in 2025, a third attempt at seeing this superhero team, with the release of The Fantastic Four: First Steps. With the potential of the film’s cast (Pascal, Kirby, Quinn, and Moss-Bachrach), a standalone narrative set in the 1960s era, and being finally set within the MCU, First Steps looks to be an exciting new start for such iconic hero characters like Mr. Fantastic, The Invisible Woman, The Human Torch, and The Thing.
#7 – How to Train Your Dragon
Release Date: June 13th, 2025
Trailer: How to Train Your Dragon Official Teaser Trailer
Standing alongside the Shrek franchise and the Kung Fu Panda saga, the How to Train Your Dragon stands tall and proud as one of DreamWorks Animation’s most beloved and cherished franchises, encapsulating the heartwarming tale of a young viking named Hiccup and the bonds of friendship that he forms with a dragon named Toothless. Such a tale has been expanded upon through several animated films, holiday specials, and even a few TV series. In 2025, it’s time that this animated tale of Hiccup and Toothless get a live-action treatment with How to Train Your Dragon. Set to be a reimagining of the first film (2010’s How to Train Your Dragon), the film looks to replicate the same type of imagery, thrills, and emotion of that of its animated counterpart. Here’s to hoping that it does and renders this beautiful tale of a boy and his dragon in a new cinematic light.
#6 – F1
Release Date: June 27th, 2025
Trailer: F1 Official Teaser Trailer
There is no doubt that director Joesph Kosinski made something incredibly magical and unexpectedly cinematic with 2022’s Top Gun: Maverick, showcasing exciting action sequences and breathing new life modern day sequel from a beloved 80s film. In 2025, Kosinski trades in aerial wings for rubber tires in the upcoming film titled F1. With the movie being lead by actor Brad Pitt, along with several recognizable names (Condon, Menzies, Bardem, and Whigham), and with a story focusing on the formula one racing format and presentation, F1 looks to be exciting and thriller sports drama that is determined to race to the box office finish line.
#5 – Ballerina
Release Date: June 6th, 2025
Trailer: Ballerina Official Trailer
Despite being delayed from its original release date of June 7th, 2024…. it’s no surprise that the John Wick franchise has become a viable box office series of late, with the so-far fourth chapter entries showcasing plenty of action thrills, well-staged choreographed stunts, visually beautiful cinematics, and unearthing the lore and mythos of the world of assassins. In 2025, the John Wick universe continues to further explore such avenues and mythmaking with its first feature film spin-off movie titled Ballerina. Starring actress Ana de Armas, the film will build upon what was tease from John Wick: Chapter 3 – Parabellum that female assassins are trained as Russian Ballerinas. Armas’s Character (Rooney) will see her seek revenge on the people responsible for killing her family. Given the fact that Ana de Armas’s small (yet memorable) action role in 2021’s No Time to Die, seeing her play a part in the next John Wick installment should be quite exciting.
#4 – Superman
Release Date: July 11th, 2025
Trailer: Superman Official Teaser Trailer
While Marvel Cinematic Universe has been a strong filmmaking force in the superhero genre for the more than a decade and a half, DC Comics has struggled to establish its own personal shared universe, with a disjointed DCEU at times and several other projects that have been separated from each other altogether. In 2025, the start of something new is about to begin, with director James Gunn overseeing DC’s new cinematic universe (officially dubbed DCU) and releasing the first feature film installment Superman. While many fans, including myself, are still miffed about the idea of replacing Henry Cavill as the iconic “Man of Steel”, there is cause for a lot of potential interest and excitement for this latest Superman endeavor, especially with Gunn, who made the Guardians of the Galaxy movies, at the helm. With possible clearer picture of lies beyond and more fresh start, all eyes turn towards Superman and what this superhero film have to offer.
#3 – Mission Impossible: The Final Reckoning
Release Date: May 23rd, 2025
Trailer: Mission Impossible: The Final Reckoning Official Trailer
One final mission, one last time…. presumably of course. The Mission Impossible franchise has indeed had a long and successful run, with 2023’s Mission Impossible: Dead Reckoning showcasing that the saga of Ethan Hunt and his team saving the world with death defying missions still has plenty of stamina left within its action-adventure spy genre. In 2025, after some delays, the supposed final mission arrives in the form of Mission Impossible: The Final Reckoning. Acting as the second half of the story that began back in Dead Reckoning, this new movie is poised to carry the same action, thrills, and daring bravados to its 2023 counterpart. I, for one, am looking forward to what The Final Reckoning has to offer and where it all ends with Ethan Hunt and his team.
#2 – Avatar: Fire and Ash
Release Date: December 19th, 2025
Trailer: N/A
2022’s Avatar: The Way of Water, the long-awaited sequel to director James Cameron’s 2009’s Avatar, was another visual blockbuster hit with moviegoers, taking more than a decade to be fully realized. Yet, it came and made a huge splash at the box office (the biggest that year) and provided an expansive continuation of the sci-fi adventure tale of the world of Pandora and of Jake Sully and his family’s personal journeys. 2025 will see the return to Pandora once again to catch up on another adventure with the Sully clan in the movie Avatar: Fire & Ash. Details on the plot / story are sparse and remain minimal, but it has been confirmed that Cameron will be back as the film’s director as well as Sam Worthington, Zoe Saldana, Sigourney Weaver, Stephen Lang, and a few others will also be return to reprise their respective character roles once again. Consisting of a continuation of where The Way of Water left off and explore new Navi tribes (rumored to fire-based ones), Avatar: Fire & Ash has many, including myself, eagerly awaiting to return to Pandora once again and explore another visual adventure of cultural indigenous tribes, spiritual nature forces, and the conflict of human colonialism.
#1 – Wicked: For Good
Release Date: November 21st, 2025
Trailer: N/A
There is no doubt that 2024’s Wicked was a musical and cinematic event that defied gravity and expectations, with many praising the feature for its faithful adaptation to the Broadway show, presentation, dancing, singing, and cast, especially Cynthnia Erivo and Arianna Grande. Debuting on November 22nd, 2024, the movie went onto become a box office powerhouse and has become the highest grossing musical film adaptation of all time.
What’s even better is that Wicked is only half of the story and (even better news) that the second half of the narrative is coming out in 2025, with the release of Wicked: For Good.
The second film of this two-part duology of the stage musical seems to be poised to be another great film, especially since it was filmed at the same time as the first movie was and will include many (if not all) of the “behind the scenes” talents of what made Wicked fantastic. With a compelling story to tell, and to ultimately conclusion of this untold story of Oz’s Wicked Witch of the West, this movie looks to be incredible.
I, for one, am totally looking forwarded to seeing Wicked: For Good and how it will be received by fans of the original book, fans of the musical, causal moviegoers, and movie critics. Whatever the case it may be, I’m very much excited to see this movie and….to be changed…. for good! And that’s why Wicked: For Good is my most anticipated film of 2025.
Yes, I know that were some other 2025 movie releases that I didn’t mention on this (i.e. Mickey 17, Thunderbolts*, The Bad Guys 2, Karate Kid: Legends, and Elio, etc.), but then this list would be way too long. So, what do you guys think? What are some of the movies that you are personally looking forward to seeing in 2025? Let me know….
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