25 Most Anticipated Films of 2025
Should be a fun year ahead!
Now that we have had a proper chance to celebrate the 2024 year in film, time to shift our eyes to 2025!
2025 is set to be the first truly normal year for movies since before the pandemic. We all know how COVID impacted productions in Hollywood during the early 2020s. Almost as soon as that was ending, the Hollywood stock correction lead to some jobs lost & studios pulling back. As things were normalizing from that, the Writers strike halted production on most major productions.
Safe to say that it has been a bizarre decade so far in Hollywood.
Amidst this chaos, the mantra “survive till 25” was adopted for the studios to fixate their eyes on what was coming in 2025.
Well, we are finally here, and assuming there aren’t too many delays due to the tragic fires in California, it may actually be a pretty great movie year.
I normally try and keep this list to about 10 films, but there were just too many potentially great films set to come out that I had to expand the list.
Enough talk! Lets get to my 25 most anticipated films of 2025:
25. Jurassic World: Rebirth (Directed by Gareth Edwards)
Plot - “A woman and a family get stranded on an island that's home to ferocious dinosaurs.”
Why am I excited - The last three Jurassic World movies have been nothing short of disasters critically. Sure, they made some decent money at the box office, but they are so forgettable that I couldn’t even tell you what happened in the last one.
The franchise was due for a reboot, but I didn’t think that I would even be remotely interested in it. That was until I heard that Gareth Edwards was directing & Scarlett Johansson, Jonathan Bailey, and Mahershala Ali were set to star in it.
Could this one turn out to be a total dud, very much so. I just can’t help but be intrigued given the cast & the director attached.
When will the film come out - July 2, 2025
24. The Smashing Machine (Directed by Benny Safdie)
Plot - “The story of mixed-martial arts and UFC champion Mark Kerr.”
Why am I excited - Dewayne “The Rock” Johnson knows that his reputation in Hollywood is slipping fast. Over the past decade he has made Moana & then clunker after clunker after clunker. I genuinely think he aspires to be more than the crappy projects he is becoming known for & “The Smashing Machine” will be his first attempt to act in a real dramatic movie.
Aside from the narrative around Johnson, this film also has another “chip on its shoulder” narrative. The director, Benny Safdie, has only co-directed movies with his brother up to this point. “The Smashing Machine” will be his first feature film on his own.
Benny’s brother, Josh, also has a film coming out later this year (it is further down the list, sorry Benny). Safe to say that there is going to be some series brotherly competition going on to see who can make the better first film on their own.
When will the film come out - Unknown
23. Superman (Directed by James Gunn)
Plot - “Superman embarks on a journey to reconcile his Kryptonian heritage with his human upbringing as Clark Kent.”
Why am I excited - Like everyone, I am done with all of the superhero movies at the box office. However, this one is more interesting than most since the entire future of the DC Superhero franchise is riding on how well “Superman” does theatrically. Warner Brothers brought in James Gunn specifically to shepherd the DC universe & he decided to not only pick “Superman” as the first movie of the universe reboot, but he chose himself to be the one behind the camera.
I respect that he doesn’t trust anyone but himself to lay the foundation for the future of DC, but talk about all of his eggs being in one basket!
The odd thing is that I don’t think his filmmaking style lends itself to the Superman story. He recently said that there was no CGI at all in the movie, so that alone will be a breath of fresh air.
When will the film come out - July 11, 2025
22. F1 (Directed by Joseph Kosinski)
Plot - “A former driver finds himself back in action when he returns to Formula 1 racing to take on the sport's top competition.”
Why am I excited - My excitement for this has less to do with Brad Pitt (sorry, he has just never been one of my guys when it comes to movie stars) and much more to do with Joseph Kosinski behind the camera.
Kosinski showed in “Top Gun: Maverick” just how well his style of filmmaking lends itself to fighter jets flying in the sky, so I am going to go out on a limb and assume that also applies to Formula 1 cars going at high speeds on the ground.
I think this one will be exciting to watch, but not really sure how “good” it will be. It is going to end up being one of the most expensive movies ever made & Apple has a lot riding on this for their studio’s reputation, so they are certainly going to go all out marketing it. Can’t wait to see if the end product is actually worth the years of chatter and hype!
When will the film come out - June 27, 2025
21. Black Bag (Directed by Steven Soderberg)
Plot - “When intelligence agent Kathryn Woodhouse is suspected of betraying the nation, her husband - also a legendary agent - faces the ultimate test of whether to be loyal to his marriage, or his country”
Why am I excited - Steven Soderberg is a legend who continues to put out great work (including “Presence” currently in theaters), but that aside this movie just looks incredibly fun. And sometimes you just need a fun movie to go see in theaters.
It wasn’t even on my radar until I saw the trailer the other day at the movies. March 14th get here soon!
When will the film come out - March 14, 2025
20. Caught Stealing (Directed by Darren Aronofsky)
Plot - “Burned-out ex-baseball player Hank Thompson unexpectedly finds himself embroiled in a dangerous struggle for survival amidst the criminal underbelly of 1990s New York City, forced to navigate a treacherous underworld he never imagined.”
Why am I excited - I don’t really enjoy Aronofsky as a filmmaker, but given the plot and cast (Austin Butler, Zoe Kravitz, Regina King, and Matt Smith), this one has me intrigued.
When will the film come out - August 29, 2025
19. Eddington (Directed by Ari Aster)
Plot - “Revolves around a couple stranded in a small New Mexico town during the pandemic. Initially welcomed, the town takes a sinister turn by nightfall.”
Why am I excited - Any time the mad genius behind “Hereditary”, “Midsommar”, and “Beau is Afraid” releases a film, it is a big deal. Layer on that it includes the most stacked cast of the year (Emma Stone, Pedro Pascal, Austin Butler, Joaquin Phoenix, and Luke Grimes) and it is safe to say that there is quite a bit to be excited about.
You never quite know what to expect or what you will see in an Ari Aster movie (some shots from “Hereditary” will be seared into my brain forever), but I can’t wait to sit down and go on the ride with everyone else.
When will the film come out - Unknown
18. Vie Privee (Directed by Rebecca Zlotowski)
Plot - “The renowned psychiatrist Lilian Steiner mounts a private investigation into the death of one of her patients, whom she is convinced has been murdered.”
Why am I excited - I first became aware of Rebecca Zlotowski when I saw her film “Other People’s Children” at the 2023 Sundance Film Festival. It to this day remains the least talked about great film of 2023. For her follow-up, Zlotowski is teaming up with the legendary Jodie Foster.
Great filmmaker, fun plot, and Jodie Foster? Count me in!
When will the film come out - Zlotowski is a regular at Cannes Film Festival, so if the film is done in time, I would imagine it premieres there.
17. Jay Kelly(Directed by Noah Baumbach)
Plot - All we know at this point is that it is being described as a, “Funny and emotional coming of age story about adults” (which could be used to describe most Noah Baumbach movies)
Why am I excited - I don’t love that Noah Baumbach keeps making movies with Netflix, but if they are the only ones willing to fund the films, I will take it. So far the collaboration between Baumbach & Netflix has given us the “Meyerowitz Stories” (2017), “Marriage Story” (2019), and “White Noise” (2022).
Your mileage may very on each of those films, but that is a pretty solid track record.
This time his loaded cast includes George Clooney, Adam Sandler, Laura Dern, Billy Crudup, Riley Keough, Isla Fisher, and his wife, Greta Gerwig.
When will the film come out - Almost surely will play fall festivals before a Netflix release at the end of the year
16. Mother Mary (Directed by David Lowery)
Plot - “Follows the relationship between a fictional musician and a famous fashion designer.”
Why am I excited - A new A24 movie directed by David Lowery and starring Anne Hathaway is a great way to get film lovers out of the house. While Lowery doesn’t have perfect track record, his past two collaborations with A24 (“The Green Knight” & “A Ghost Story”) are both excellent so I am choosing to believe in this one (and the power of Anne Hathaway)
When will the film come out - Unknown
15. Mission Impossible: The Final Reckoning (Directed by Christopher McQuarrie)
Plot - Ethan Hunt, once again, has to save the world
Why am I excited - Will this actually be the last Mission Impossible movie? Will this be the last Mission Impossible movie with Tom Cruise?
I am not one known for adoring many action movies or franchises, but the Mission Impossible movies are action movies done right. I have no doubt that the possible final installment will be any different.
When will the film come out - May 23, 2025
14. Hamnet (Directed by Chloé Zhao)
Plot - “The story of Agnes, the wife of William Shakespeare, as she struggles to come to terms with the loss of her only son, Hamnet. A human and heart-stopping story as the backdrop to the creation of Shakespeare's Hamlet.
Why am I excited - Since winning Best Picture & Best Director at the Oscars for “Nomadland”, Chloé Zhao got sucked up into the Marvel machine. She directed “The Eternals” and lets just say that critically speaking & box office wise, it wasn’t much of a success.
“Hamnet” is Zhao’s return to non-IP filmmaking (unless you consider Shakespeare IP, which I guess you technically could) & it is much likely that this will be a return to form for the young filmmaker.
Paul Mescal & Jessie Buckley are set to star in the titular roles.
When will the film come out - Guessing this will be a fall festival film
13. Huntington (Directed by John Patton Ford)
Plot - “A young man hatches a murderous plot to inherit his family's wealth.”
Why am I excited - At this point, anytime Glen Powell is in a movie, I am excited for it. Which is the ultimate sign that he is a successful movie star. Just how much of a bankable movie star he is though will be solidified in 2025 between “Huntington” and the remake of “The Running Man” that is coming out in November of 2025.
When will the film come out - Unknown
12. The Threesome (Directed by Chad Hartigan)
Plot - “A young man's perennial crush leads him into an unexpected threesome, he thinks it's his ultimate fantasy come true. When the fantasy ends, all three are left with sobering real-world consequences, to take responsibility for their actions.”
Why am I excited - Do I need another reason besides Zoey Deutch being in it? She has consistently turned in excellent work over the past decade & rarely gets the chance to lead a film like this. Between this & the new Linklater movie (“Nouvelle Vague”), it is set to be a big year for her.
From the log line, it sounds like the kind of deep character study that we don’t get too often in modern movies. Count me in!
When will the film come out - Will premiere at SXSW film festival in March
11. Wake Up Dead Man (Directed by Rian Johnson)
Plot - Unknown specifics, but this will be a sequel to the second Knives Out film (“Glass Onion).
Why am I excited - They could release a new Knives Out film every year & I would be on board with it. I love a murder mystery in general, but the conceit of these films is so fun - Daniel Craig investigating a mystery in his Frog Horn Leghorn-esque accent while some of the best actors/actresses in the business all make their case that they weren’t the one who committed the murder.
I was much more mixed on “Glass Onion” than I was the original “Knives Out”, but it wasn’t bad enough to turn me on the franchise. It also helps that “Wake Up Dead Man” features some of my favorites in the supporting cast - Josh O’ Connor, Cailee Spaeny, Andrew Scott, Josh Brolin, Mila Kunis, Kerry Washington, Jeremy Renner, & Glenn Close.
I mean come on! How can you not be excited for that?
When will the film come out - The first two films came out around Christmas, so I would guess that Netflix will use the same strategy here
10. The Phoenician Scheme (Directed by Wes Anderson)
Plot - “Dark tale of espionage following a strained father-daughter relationship within a family business”
Why am I excited - It is hard to anticipate which movies will be great & which ones won’t be prior to seeing any production photos or even trailer. The main thing that I go off of is the director’s previous body of work.
For this reason, almost all of my top 10 anticipated films are primarily because of the director involved. As we get closer to #1, movie plots that I am genuinely excited about start to converge with directors who historically make great films.
In Anderson’s case, there is less guessing what a film directed by him will look and sound like. I have always been pretty hit or miss on his films, but his last film (“Asteroid City”) was a big hit for me. Mix in a plot that sounds fun & his usual cast of actors (Scarlett Johansson, Tom Hanks, Bill Murray, Benedict Cumberbatch) & you get what will probably be a pretty great film.
When will the film come out - Unknown
9. Marty Supreme (Directed by Josh Safdie)
Plot - A fictional story set in the world of 1950s ping pong culture, loosely inspired by the life of professional ping pong player Marty Reisman
Why am I excited - This will be Josh Safdie’s first feature film since he & his brother Benny decided to pursue making their own projects. While the duo gave us masterpieces like “Uncut Gems”, I look forward to seeing what Josh does on his own. Of course, it doesn’t hurt that he is working with Timothée Chalamet coming off his incredible 2024 & the always marvelous, Gwyneth Paltrow.
When will the film come out - December 25, 2025
8. One Battle After Another (Directed by Paul Thomas Anderson)
Plot - The details on this one have been few and far between. In fact, the name is not even confirmed (Battle of Baktan Cross is also a rumored name). All we know is that it is likely an adaption of Thomas Pynchon’s novel, “Vineland”.
Why am I excited - I don’t need to know anything about the movie to be excited for this one. You tell me there is a new PTA movie & I am there. For anyone out there who is unfamiliar with the greatness of PTA, keep in mind that he directed:
There Will Be Blood
Boogie Nights
Phantom Thread
Punch Drunk Love
Magnolia
Licorice Pizza
It isn’t every day that an actual legend of the craft releases a film. It also helps that the cast is excellent - Leonardo DiCaprio, Regina Hall, Sean Penn, & Alana Haim. Not to mention that Warner Brothers gave him essentially a blank check to make this movie.
Was that a wise financial decision by Warner? Probably not, but cinephiles will benefit greatly!
When will the film come out - August 8th, 2025
7. Blue Moon (Directed by Richard Linklater)
Plot - “Tells the story of Lorenz Hart's struggles with alcoholism and mental health as he tries to save face during the opening of "Oklahoma!"
Why am I excited? - The film is supposed to be set at Sardi’s on the opening night of Oklahoma as Lorenz Hart has to watch his former collaborator, Richard Rodgers, start a new collaboration with Oscar Hammerstein.
Richard Linklater is directing while Ethan Hawke, Margaret Qualley, and Andrew Scott are staring in the film.
Rodger & Hammerstein, Richard Linklater, Ethan Hawke, Broadway, Sardi’s, and Margaret Qualley is like a Mad Lib of things that would make the perfect movie for my interests. Is that incredibly niche? Sure. But this is my most anticipated list for a reason!
When will the film come out? - Will premiere at the Berlin International Film Festival on February 18th & will likely get released in May
6. Die, my love (Directed by Lynee Ramsay)
Plot - “In a remote forgotten rural area, a mother struggles to maintain her sanity as she battles with psychosis.”
Why am I excited - Sometimes you don’t have a film on your radar at all & then the first production photos come out & one of them includes Jennifer Lawrence & Robert Pattinson dancing. Although the subject matter implies that the film won’t be quite as fun as the still looks, I am still fully on board.
If you need more, Martin Scoresese also produced the film.
When will the film come out - It is being reported that the film will premiere this summer at Cannes & is likely to be in competition.
5. Ella McCay (Directed by James L. Brooks)
Plot - “Set to follow an idealistic young politician who juggles familial issues and a challenging work life while preparing to take over the job of her mentor, the state's longtime incumbent governor.”
Why am I excited - Famed Hollywood director James L. Brooks has given us classics like “Broadcast News”, “Terms of Endearment”, and “As Good as It Gets” plus recently produced the delightful, “Are You There God? It’s Me, Margaret.” As pivotal as each of those films are, he is still best known for helping to co-create the television show, “The Simpsons.”
20th Century Fox has been desperate to make a sequel to “The Simpsons Movie” after it made half a billion dollars at the box office. For years, they have begged James L. Brooks to make a sequel. His answer was a hard no each time until he got what he really wanted - funding for his film Ella McKay. Rumors are that 20th Century agreed to fund Ella McKay in exchange for Brooks making a sequel to “The Simpsons Movie”.
Talk about a legendary move by Brooks!
The ensemble cast is set to include Emma Mackey, Jamie Lee Curtis, Woody Haralson, Albert Brooks, Kumail Nanjiani, and Ayo Edebiri.
When will the film come out - No release date just yet. I had originally hoped for this to be released in 2024, but hopeful that we will see this one at the fall festivals!
4. The Drama (Directed by Kristoffer Borgli)
Plot - “A couple, in the days leading up to their wedding, faces a crisis when unexpected revelations derail what one of them thought they knew about the other”
Why am I excited - It is hard to think of many young directors who have announced their presence to Hollywood more successfully over the past three years than Krisoffer Borgli. His A24 film, “Dream Scenario” was not only one of Nicholas Cage’s best performances to date, but was one of the best films of 2023.
Now, he re-teams with A24 & they are giving him not only his best cast to date (Zendaya, Robert Pattinson, & Alana Haim), but also his biggest budget.
His films always do a remarkable job of threading the needle between being entertaining & tackling big themes/cultural issues & I don’t have any doubt that “The Drama” will be any different.
Given the cast, it is safe to say there will be a lot of eyes on this one, which is exciting given Borgli’s talent behind the camera.
When will the film come out - Anybody’s guess, but I would think that we will see this one at the fall festivals with a Q4 release date
3. A Big Bold Beautiful Journey (Directed by Kogonada)
Plot - Specifics about the plot are being kept under wraps but all we have at this point is this vague log line - “An imaginative tale of two strangers and the unbelievable journey that connects them.”
Why am I excited - In just two feature films, Koganada has positioned himself to be one of the great auteurs of our modern day. His 2017 directorial debut, “Columbus” is one of my favorite (and one of the most underrated) movies of the 2010s. Not to mention that his 2022 film “After Yang” was a great sophomore feature.
Now that Koganada has proven himself with two small indie films, he finally got a big studio (in this case Sony) to bite with some serious cash - reports are that the film cost around $50 million.
It is a big risk on an original story, but if there is any director that deserves a shot at a bigger budget for an original story, Koganada is towards the top of that list. Doesn’t hurt that it will be Margot Robbie’s follow up to Barbie & Collin Farrell fresh off of his success in “The Penguin” series.
When will the film come out - May 9, 2025
2. After the Hunt (Directed by Luca Guadagnino)
Plot - “A college professor finds herself at a personal and professional crossroads when a star pupil levels an accusation against one of her colleagues and a dark secret from her own past threatens to come to light.”
Why I am excited - Long time readers of this newsletters will know that Luca Guadagnino is no stranger to making some incredible films. His 2024 film “Challengers” was the #3 film on my best films of 2024 list & his 2022 film “Bones & All” was the #5 film on my best films of 2022 list.
Needless to say, anytime Luca makes a new film it is a big deal around here.
A cast of Julia Roberts, Andrew Garfield, and Ayo Edebiri plus the opportunity for Luca to delve into some themes he has never got to explore has me more excited than normal for his latest.
Early screening reports are that the Julia Roberts gives a remarkable performance & that the movie will be divisive! The best kind of movie!
When will the film come out? - No set release date yet, but since it is Luca, it wouldn’t surprise me if it premieres at the Cannes Film Festival in May or he could save it for the fall festivals. Either way, we will likely see this one in the back half of 2025.
1. Materialists (Directed by Celine Song)
Plot - “A matchmaker's lucrative business is complicated when she falls into a toxic love triangle that threatens her clients.”
Why am I excited - Celine Song’s debut feature film, “Past Lives” absolutely rocked my world back in 2023. It was not only the best film of the year, but probably the best film of the decade, up to this point. Needless to say, I bought my Celine Song season tickets before she even made a second film.
What makes “Materialists” so exciting to me though is the convergence of one of the most promising filmmakers with probably my favorite actress, Dakota Johnson. Johnson hasn’t had the opportunity to work with a great filmmaker in a few years, & I think that Song’s playwright-esque dialogue will play really well to Johnson’s sensibilities & talents.
In fact, some would say that this movie is the Wild About Film Super Bowl. My best film of 2022 featured Dakota Johnson in a supporting role & my best film of 2023 was a Celine Song directed film. Would be pretty cool if they end up making the best film of 2025. Time will tell!
When will the film come out - No release date. Thought we may see this one at Sundance, but since it wasn’t on the slate, we may not see it until the fall.
Here is to another great hear of movies!
What film are you most excited about in 2025?
As always, enjoy some great films until next time!
Aaron Nolan