We’ve been through many news cycles about movie theater deaths, although the COVID spike certainly seemed like it could have been the breaking point. But since then, the public has returned en masse to the cinema, the last few years being supported by a few major events: Barbenheimer in 2023, and a large number of sequels in 2024, alongside the certain cultural moment experienced by Wicked. While there’s plenty of pre-existing intellectual property in the mix, there’s still hope for an original film to make a dent at the box office in 2025. TBD.

Although the era of streaming is largely behind us, there are at least three major films that you won’t be able to see on the big screen: Article 31the first Star Trek movie to skip the theaters and Also the first to feature Academy Award winner Michelle Yeoh will air on Paramount+ from January 31; star-studded old-school comedy You are cordially invited (with Reese Witherspoon and Will Farrell) will be broadcast on Main video from January 30; and the fourth Brigitte Jones movie, Crazy for the boywill be broadcast on Peacock from February 13.

With short release windows, there’s every reason to stay home these days, but there’s still something quite magical and worth saving about the experience of going to the movies . Here are the 2025 movies you might want to watch on the big screen. Dates, particularly towards the end of the year, are subject to change and refer to North American releases.

better man (January 10)

A biopic about venerable British pop star Robbie Williams in which Williams speaks to a motion-captured chimpanzee. I have no idea who this film is for, but reviews from film festivals have been overwhelmingly positive; it could be perfect for Take this fans are waiting for the sequel Planet of the Apes slice. It hits limited theaters on Christmas Day, with a wider release in January.

Wolfman (January 17)

Universal aims for reboot of its beloved monster library, with mixed results: Tom Cruise-led project Mummy The film was completely poorly conceived, whereas the film directed by Leigh Whannell The invisible man was a pretty brilliant new take. Whannell’s return here bodes well for a new take on the oft-revisited trope.

Presence (January 17)

Steven Soderbergh shows his range here, following up Magic Mike’s Last Dance with this ghost story. Lucy Liu and Chris Sullivan play the new owners of a haunted house observed by an increasingly menacing presence. The trick here is that the film is filmed from the ghost’s point of view.

Love hurts (February 7)

Oscar winner Ke Huy Quan finally becomes the leading man in this action comedy about a seemingly mild-mannered real estate agent whose past as a hitman comes back to haunt him. Academy Award winner Ariana DeBose co-stars. Looks like fun.

The Monkey (February 21)

This Stephen King adaptation about a vengeful toy monkey is generating more buzz than expected, largely because of the presence of writer/director Osgood Perkins. His police procedure Long legs was one of the hottest films of 2024 and sparked interest in its follow-up.

Sinners (March 7)

After a long but fruitful detour through Creed And Black Panther films, Ryan Coogler writes and directs his first original project since the superb 2013 film Fruitvale Station. Coogler favorite Michael B. Jordan plays dual roles in this thriller as two brothers who return to their hometown to discover an evil tied to their childhoods.

Black bag (March 14)

Wait, you might be thinking, haven’t I already seen a Steven Soderberg movie this year? Like, only a few months ago? Although Presence is a ghost/horror type situation, Black bag is a spy thriller starring Cate Blanchett and Michael Fassbender. It’s written by David Koepp, also from Presenceand who, likewise, is responsible for the script of the film Jurassic Park which will be released in July.

The Knights of Alto (March 21)

Robert De Niro plays dual roles as competing mob bosses, Vito Genovese and Frank Costello, circa 1957. It is directed by Barry Levinson and written by Nicholas Pileggi (The Freedmen, Casino) so this could, despite its slightly odd conceit as a De Niro double, be a welcome return to old-fashioned gangster cinema.

Mickey 17 (March 29)

Writer/director Bong Joon-ho has never made a film less than brilliant, so we can assume/hope that his new sci-fi comedy (after the Best Picture Oscar) Parasite) will follow. Robert Pattinson plays the replaceable employee of a space colonization company. When he dies, his memories are mostly downloaded into a new body that can get back to work immediately. Except the 17th Mickey survives where he’s supposed to die, sparking a conflict between him and his next iteration.

Mission: Impossible – The Final Judgment (May 23)

The previous installment in the series saw a slight dip in the box office, but that film garnered reviews that were just as good as previous entries in the venerable franchise (it sits at 96% on Rotten Tomatoes, for what that’s worth ). Filmed back to back with By dead reckoningthere is no reason to believe that this conclusion Assignment will self-destruct.

Ballerina (June 6)

The fifth film in the John Wick-verse (the full title is unfortunately From the world of John Wick: Ballerina), this one stars Ana de Armas as an assassin-in-training with a burning desire to avenge her murdered father (who is, apparently, not a dog, whatever). Lance Reddick, Ian McShane and Keanu himself come from Wick films, joined by Anjelica Huston, Gabriel Byrne and Norman Reedus.

How to train your dragon (June 13)

Be skeptical that we need live action Dragon is already rebooting, but Dean DeBlois, writer/director behind the animated films, is also directing this one. He could to be the next big thing in fantasy.

Elio (June 13)

Pixar’s 28th feature film follows clumsy 11-year-old Elio who finds himself mistaken for an ambassador when he is inadvertently teleported by aliens. It looks cute. Certain chance of tears.

28 years later (June 20)

Credit: 28 years later/Sony

A return to the world of zombie Rage Virus, bringing together the first film’s director Danny Boyle, writer Alex Garland and star Cillian Murphy. They are joined by potential new victims Jodie Comer, Aaron Taylor-Johnson and Ralph Fiennes. Just as exciting, Nia DaCosta is directing a second sequel, the release date of which is to be determined.

M3gan2.0 (June 27)

The viral sensation, dance icon and mass-murdering AI robot return, with the main cast from the first film consisting of Allison Williams, Violet McGraw and Brian Jordan Alvarez. No details on the plot (although it probably involves killing robots), but screenwriter Akela Cooper is also back. A spin-off, SOULM8TE, is planned for 2026.

Renaissance of the Jurassic world (July 2)

I feel like we’re all over that, but dinosaurs are fun and Domination won (literally) a billion dollars. So here we are, with a soft reboot starring Scarlett Johansson, Mahershala Ali and Jonathan Bailey. Thief One And The Creator director Gareth Edwards is behind the camera and the screenwriter of the first film, David Koepp, returns to the franchise after a few decades.

Superman (July 11)

Credit: Superman/Warner Bros.

Another day, another superhero reboot. This one is a little more promising than most: writer/director James Gunn was behind the Guardians of the Galaxy films, three Marvel cinematic stars. After a string of dark and dour DC films, this one promises a little more light and maybe even a little fun; it’s also probably a hit or miss for the entire DC movie project. At the very least, that includes the cinematic debut of Krypto the Superdog, which I’ll be sitting for.

Fantastic Four: first steps (July 25)

Is this where Marvel’s First Family finally takes flight? Previous attempts to build a franchise around Sue, Reed, Ben and Johnny have failed, but WandaVision‘s Matt Shakman seems like a good choice to pull off, and the promised retro-futuristic, 1960s-inspired look seems perfect, too. Marvel Studio’s output is increasingly mixed, but here’s one to (cautiously) look forward to.

One battle after another (August 8)

We know next to nothing about Paul Thomas Anderson’s next film (even the title could change), but the cast includes Leonardo DiCaprio, Regina Hall, Sean Penn, Alana Haim, Teyana Taylor, Wood Harris, and Benicio del Toro. So it’s definitely some kind of event.

The Bride! (September 26)

Credit: The Bride!/Warner Bros.

Maggie Gyllenhaal continues her impressive directorial debut, 2021 The last girlwith this new version Bride of Frankensteinbilled as a “musical sci-fi monster movie.” Sold. Jessie Buckley plays the title role, accompanied by Christian Bale as Frankenstein’s monster.

Saw XI (September 26)

As always, this one won’t be for the squeamish, but the franchise that had its “Final Chapter” in 2010 has seen an impressive resurgence in recent years, with the previous film, a prequel, earning some of the best reviews in the series. It ended on a cliffhanger, so expect this one to pick up where X Let it go. Other than that, all we really know is that Tobin Bell is back as Jigsaw.

Tron: Ares (October 10)

Credit: Tron: Ares/Disney

I feel like I’m the only one who liked the second one Tron 2010 movie, so maybe I’ll be the only one in the theater. Jared Leto plays Ares, a sophisticated program who escapes into our world on a mission. Jeff Bridges is back as Kevin Flynn, and Gillian Anderson is also there.

Naughty part two (November 21)

It was not entirely unexpected that the first part of the Wicked the duopoly would be a box office success; it’s perhaps a little more surprising that it’s actually a very good film, and certainly an impressive theatrical experience. Cynthia Erivo, Ariana Grande, Jonathan Bailey and company will all be back for the conclusion.

The running man (November 21)

You can wait until the crowds die down in Oz and instead catch this remake of Arnold Schwarzenegger’s (extremely entertaining) 1987 action classic. Again based on the Stephen King short story, this one is directed by Edgar Wright and stars Glen Powell. as a starting runner. The reality TV-based story of a dystopian capitalist hellscape might be a hair’s breadth in 2025, but there’s still fun to be had.

Avatar: Fire and Ash (December 19)

Credit: Avatar: Fire and Ashes/Storm of Light

Everyone likes to reject Avatar series right before dropping everything and running to the theater. James Cameron is back with the third part of a series produced around 5.5 billion dollars.