Waiting with bated breath: All the upcoming movie sequels releasing in 2025

Movie sequels are having a spectacular run at the box office — an indication of the audience’s desire to see more of their favourite characters and stories. This is the likely reason why studios, streamers and other producers are ready with an excellent slate of upcoming movie sequels in 2025 that don’t just harbour the potential to dominate the box office but also, in some cases, create new franchises.

There is no reason for producers not to feel upbeat about better performances from the upcoming movie sequels. After all, as many as eight of the top 10 highest-grossing movies of 2024 were sequels — with one, Beetlejuice Beetlejuice, arriving 36 years after the original. Sequels do remarkably well when the original movie performs to expectations.

But what are sequels? Simply put, a sequel carries forward the original film’s story with most of the same main characters. It is an expansion of the original story and does not usually deviate from the core of the plot in the original film. Thus, standalone sequels are not sequels in the traditional meaning of the word as the former usually do not have the same lead characters and do not serve as expansions to the original story, even though the setting may be in the same universe — case in point, Jurassic World Rebirth, a highly anticipated upcoming movie of 2025 starring Scarlett Johansson. None of the main cast members from the first three Jurassic World films are part of Rebirth, even though its story is set after the events of the third film.

So are films part of the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) sequels? Technically, the MCU is a franchise whose movies and TV shows are connected through mid- and post-credits scenes or even cameo appearances. But only some of them can be called true sequels, for instance, the three Iron Man and the three Guardians of the Galaxy films.

Then there are “follow-ups”, which might also translate to a standalone sequel. The upcoming Tron: Ares is officially defined as such by makers, Disney. It is the third film in the Tron movie universe and also has Jeff Bridges reprising his role from the previous instalments. Yet there is a lack of clarity on whether or not it follows the events of the second film, Tron: Legacy (2010).

Thus, when we look at upcoming movie sequels in the traditional sense, there are 17 major films releasing in 2025 that fit the definition. Quite a few of them are among the most-awaited movies because of the popularity of the original. At the same time, it is also noteworthy that none of the upcoming live-action movie adaptations are sequels.

Here are the most important upcoming movie sequels of 2025

Den of Thieves 2: Pantera

Directed by: Christian Gudegast

Cast: Gerard Butler, O’Shea Jackson Jr.

Sequel to: Den of Thieves (2018)

Release date: 10 January

About the film: Butler returns as Nicholas “Big Nick” O’Brien, a detective with the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department who must track down Jackson’s character Donnie Wilson — a criminal mastermind who carried out a mega heist without getting caught in the previous film.

In an interview with Screen Rant in 2018, Gudegast said that the sequel will be based on the 2003 Antwerp diamond heist, which remains the biggest diamond theft in history.

Bridget Jones: Mad About the Boy

Directed by: Michael Morris

Cast: Renée Zellweger, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Leo Woodall, Colin Firth, Hugh Grant

Sequel to: Bridget Jones’s Baby (2016)

Release date: 14 February

About the film: This is the fourth instalment in the Bridget Jones franchise which started with Bridget Jones’s Diary in 2001. Zellweger and Firth have been in all three previous films, while Grant returns to the franchise after the second. Joining the cast are Ejiofor and Woodall, the latter of whom has been on a roll since The White Lotus (2022).

A trailer of this film shows the protagonist, Bridget Jones, played by Zellweger, trying to move on following the death of her husband, Mark Darcy, played by Firth. Trying to win her heart are the characters played by Woodall and Ejiofor.

The Accountant 2

Directed by: Gavin O’Connor

Cast: Ben Affleck, Jon Bernthal, J. K. Simmons, Cynthia Addai-Robinson, Daniella Pineda

Sequel to: The Accountant (2016)

Release date: 25 April

About the film: The Accountant was one of Affleck’s most financially successful films based on ROI. It earned around USD 152 million against a production budget of only USD 40 million. It was also the most-rented digital film of 2017. Affleck is also credited as a producer of this film, alongside his long-time pal, Matt Damon.

As one of the most-anticipated upcoming movie sequels in 2025, The Accountant 2 sees the return of main cast members Affleck, Simmons, Bernthal and Addai-Robinson. The plot revolves around Addai-Robinson’s Marybeth requesting the assistance of Affleck’s Christian Wolff, a brilliant accountant with autism who is known for manipulating ledgers for criminal organisations when her former boss (Simmons’ Ray King?) is killed.

Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning

Directed by: Christopher McQuarrie

Cast: Tom Cruise, Hayley Atwell, Ving Rhames, Simon Pegg, Vanessa Kirby, Esai Morales, Pom Klementieff, Angela Bassett, Henry Czerny

Sequel to: Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One (2023)

Release date: 23 May

About the film: Among the few upcoming movie sequels that are possibly on the must-watch list of a really large number of audiences worldwide is Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning, the eighth instalment in the blockbuster Mission: Impossible film series. A key reason lies in its title: it could be the final film of the franchise, which has cumulatively grossed more than USD 4 billion at the worldwide box office. The Final Reckoning is also the first sequel in the series.

The sequel’s story directly follows the events in the previous film, where Cruise’s legendary agent Ethan Hunt obtained two keys that can be used to control or destroy an almost-omnipotent AI system known as the Entity which is located inside the sunken next-generation Russian submarine Sevastopol. The sequel will see Ethan and his allies race against time to find the submarine before a plethora of enemy forces secure Entity.

Karate Kid: Legends

Directed by: Jonathan Entwistle

Cast: Jackie Chan, Ralph Macchio, Ben Wang

Sequel to: The Karate Kid (2010) and Cobra Kai (2018–2025)

Release date: 30 May

About the film: What is not to love about this upcoming sequel? Chan, one of the greatest martial arts superstars ever to grace the big screen, will be 71 when this film hits the screen. Yet the trailer gives a glimpse that he is as fit as a fiddle and can still perform some of the most astonishing feats in action history.

Legends is the sixth film in The Karate Kid franchise, which started in 1984 with Macchio playing the lead role of Daniel LaRusso in the first three films. Macchio returned as the character with the critically acclaimed series Cobra Kai. On the other hand, Chan’s character, Mr. Han, was created for the fifth film, The Karate Kid (2010). This is the first time the two characters will be seen together.

The story set a few years after the final season of Cobra Kai, is basically Mr. Han arriving all the way from China to Macchio’s dojo to seek his help in training a young prodigy, Wang’s Li Fong.

28 Years Later

Directed by: Danny Boyle

Cast: Jodie Comer, Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Ralph Fiennes, Cillian Murphy

Sequel to: 28 Days Later (2002) and 28 Weeks Later (2007)

Release date: 20 June

About the film: Anticipation is sky-high for this film, and not without reason. Reports suggest that Murphy is returning to this franchise which he headlined in 2002. Though his character, Jim, was not part of the second film, fans are also convinced that the Oscar-winning actor is certainly reprising his role. This is the reason why it can be called a sequel to each of the movies.

There is also Boyle, who directed the first film, at the helm of the third. Boyle is best known for Slumdog Millionaire, which became one of the movies with most Oscar wins when it took home eight awards at the 2009 ceremony.

The plot, as the sequel’s title suggests, is set 28 years after the events of the first film when a rage virus from a biological weapons laboratory wiped out almost all of mankind. In this upcoming movie sequel, a small group of survivors on an island discovers secrets when they reach the devastated mainland.

M3GAN 2.0

Directed by: Gerard Johnstone

Cast: Allison Williams, Violet McGraw, Amie Donald, Jenna Davis (voice), Brian Jordan Alvarez, Jen Van Epps

Sequel to: M3GAN (2022)

Release date: 27 June

About the film: All of the main cast members, including Donald and Davis, who play and voice the murderous sentient AI doll M3GAN, respectively, return for this sequel. The first film was critically acclaimed for being one of the scariest horror movies that highlight the dangers posed by advanced AI systems. It was a monumental box office success, too, grossing more than USD 180 million on a paltry production budget of USD 12 million.

The plot details of the sequel are under wraps, but it is expected to show the return of the doll based on how the first film ended. M3GAN 2.0 will be followed by an erotic thriller spin-off, titled SOULM8TE, in 2026.

The Bad Guys 2

Directed by: Pierre Perifel

Voice cast: Sam Rockwell, Marc Maron, Craig Robinson, Anthony Ramos, Awkwafina, Danielle Brooks, Natasha Lyonne, Maria Bakalova

Sequel to: The Bad Guys (2022)

Release date: 1 August

About the film: One of the most-awaited animated movies of 2025, the sequel sees the gang of criminals reformed after the events of the first film getting drawn back into their former life of crime by a new criminal group, Bad Girls.

The heist action comedy sees all of its main characters from the previous film return, alongside new cast members Brooks, Lyonne and Bakalova.

Freakier Friday

Directed by: Nisha Ganatra

Cast: Jamie Lee Curtis, Lindsay Lohan, Julia Butters, Sophia Hammons

Sequel to: Freaky Friday (2003)

Release date: 8 August

About the film: Freakier Friday is a legacy sequel to the cult comedy classic from 2003, which is the highest-grossing film in Lohan’s career. She returns as Anna Coleman, the daughter of Curtis’ Tess Coleman. According to reports, the sequel will see Tess and Anna swap their bodies with two 14-year-old girls, Harper and Lily, played by Butters and Hammons, respectively. While Harper is Anna’s daughter, Lily is the daughter of Anna’s fiancé, British restaurateur Eric Davis, played by Manny Jacinto.

Nobody 2

Directed by: Timo Tjahjanto

Cast: Bob Odenkirk, Connie Nielsen, RZA, Christopher Lloyd, Mckenna Grace, Chris Pine, Sharon Stone

Sequel to: Nobody (2021)

Release date: 15 August

About the film: Odenkirk is set to reprise his role as former government assassin Hutch Mansell. In the first film, Hutch is seen leading a peaceful family life with a wife, Becca, played by Nielsen, and their two children. His mundane existence is shattered when he saves a young woman on a bus from members of the Russian mafia. Though he eventually bests them with the help of his father and adoptive brother, the film ends with an indication that more trouble is to follow for him and his family. What that threat is for him is possibly what fans will get to see in the sequel.

The first film was critically praised and performed commercially well given its staggered release at the height of the pandemic. This is why the upcoming film is one of the most eagerly awaited movie sequels. All the main actors return alongside Odenkirk, with Grace, Pine and Stone joining as new cast members.

The Conjuring: Last Rites

Directed by: Michael Chaves

Cast: Vera Farmiga, Patrick Wilson, Ben Hardy, Mia Tomlinson

Sequel to: The Conjuring: The Devil Made Me Do It (2021)

Release date: 5 September

About the film: Farmiga and Wilson return for one final time as ghost hunters Lorraine and Ed Warren, respectively, in this fourth instalment of the main The Conjuring series and the ninth overall. Plot details of the supernatural horror film remain under wraps, but there is likely to be a new case based on how the main films in the series have been.

According to Entertainment Weekly, the 1975 Amityville Horror is the most significant case handled by the Warrens that has not yet been part of The Conjuring franchise. However, the case has been adapted into a franchise of its own with two major films – one in 1979 and the other in 2005 – and their respective sequels and spin-offs. Whatever may be the story, Last Rites is expected to be among the most successful upcoming movie sequels.

The Black Phone 2

Directed by: Scott Derrickson

Cast: Mason Thames, Madeleine McGraw, Jeremy Davies, Ethan Hawke

Sequel to: The Black Phone (2021)

Release date: 17 October

About the film: Made on a budget of just around USD 16 million, the first film earned a massive USD 161 million at the worldwide box office. Based on Joe Hill’s short story of the same name, the supernatural horror thriller was praised for its direction, story and performances.

The first film ended with the death of Hawke’s character, The Grabber — a serial killer who abducts and murders children in a basement. But Hawke’s return as the character, alongside Thames, McGraw and Davies from the previous film, makes speculations around the plot difficult. Nevertheless, this is one of the highly anticipated upcoming movie sequels in 2025.

Mortal Kombat 2

Directed by: Simon McQuoid

Cast: Lewis Tan, Karl Urban, Tati Gabrielle, Jessica McNamee, Ludi Lin, Mehcad Brooks, Chin Han, Tadanobu Asano, Joe Taslim, Hiroyuki Sanada

Sequel to: Mortal Kombat (2021)

Release date: 24 October

About the film: It was apparent that a sequel to the relatively successful 2021 film will follow. Of course, there is the fact that the film series is based on the massively popular video game of the same name which has spawned numerous adaptations across the pop-culture spectrum. But there is also the undeniable fan-following around Sanada as Scorpion.

Sanada is the toast of Hollywood following the success of Shōgun (2024–2026) and won two Primetime Emmys, one for his performance as the lead actor and the other for Outstanding Drama Series as one of the producers of the show.

Mortal Kombat 2 will be the fourth film in the eponymous series. Most of the cast members reprise their roles from the previous instalment, with Karl Urban and Tati Gabrielle joining for the first time. Urban will play Johnny Cage while Jade will be essayed by Gabrielle. Both characters are widely counted among the greatest in video game history.

Now You See Me 3

Directed by: Ruben Fleischer

Cast: Jesse Eisenberg, Woody Harrelson, Dave Franco, Isla Fisher, Lizzy Caplan, Mark Ruffalo, Daniel Radcliffe, Morgan Freeman

Sequel to: Now You See Me 2 (2016)

Release date: 14 November

About the film: Not much is known about the plot of this third film in the series. But the cast members might give a hint of what to expect in Now You See Me 3.

Radcliffe, still loved universally for playing the bespectacled boy wizard Harry Potter in the eponymous franchise, played the antagonist Walter Mabry in the second film. The character was arrested when the team of illusionists named Four Horsemen, portrayed by Eisenberg, Harrelson, Franco and Caplan, exposed his crimes with the help of their handler, Ruffalo’s FBI Special Agent Dylan Rhodes.

Radcliffe’s return means that he has either escaped the authorities or is calling the shots from behind bars. Who knows? The film is, after all, heavy with characters who perform magic tricks. Anyway, Isla, who played Henley Reeves, one of the Four Horsemen in the first film, returns in the third.

Wicked: For Good

Directed by: Jon M. Chu

Cast: Cynthia Erivo, Ariana Grande-Butera, Jonathan Bailey, Ethan Slater, Peter Dinklage, Michelle Yeoh, Jeff Goldblum

Sequel to: Wicked (2024)

Release date: 21 November

About the film: Wicked ended up as one of the highest-grossing films of 2024. No wonder then that anticipation around Wicked: For Good is as high as the skies of the fantastical world of the Wizard of Oz. Erivo and Grande, who play Elphaba Thropp aka Wicked Witch of the West and Galinda Upland aka Glinda the Good, respectively, are frontrunners for the top acting honours in 2025. Both reprise their roles alongside several returning cast members.

The sequel, a musical like the first film, will mark the conclusion of the two-part cinematic series. There will be a deeper exploration of the drastic change in the friendship between Elphaba and Galinda, which was fractured at the conclusion of the first film due to the evil Wizard of Oz, played brilliantly by Goldblum, and Galinda’s incapability of standing up for what is right.

Zootopia 2

Directed by: Jared Bush, Byron Howard

Voice cast: Ginnifer Goodwin, Jason Bateman, Ke Huy Quan, Fortune Feimster, Shakira

Sequel to: Zootopia (2016)

Release date: 26 November

About the film: This film is certainly among the most-awaited upcoming animated movie sequels due to the performance of the first film. Zootopia not only grossed over USD 1 billion at the box office but also won the Oscar for Best Animated Feature.

Following the events of the first film, conman Nick Wilde, voiced by Bateman, has joined Goodwin’s Judy Hopps as a detective at Zootopia Police Department. While investigating a case undercover at the Marsh Market, they find themselves as the target of a mysterious reptile. No other major plot details are known, but Oscar-winner Ke Huy Quan has joined the cast.

Avatar: Fire and Ash

Directed by: James Cameron

Cast: Sam Worthington, Zoe Saldaña, Sigourney Weaver, Stephen Lang, Giovanni Ribisi, Kate Winslet, David Thewlis, Oona Chaplin

Sequel to: Avatar: The Way of Water (2022)

Release date: 19 December

About the film: The most-anticipated of all the highly anticipated movies of 2025 will hit the theatres in the last month. Not a surprise because several major Hollywood films have a history of a December release and making it big at the box office, especially Cameron. Avatar, the first film to cross USD 2 billion at the worldwide box office, was released on 18 December 2009. The second arrived on 16 December a full 13 years later and also ended up earning over USD 2 billion to become the third highest-grossing film in history.

Of course, any film market analyst has every reason to believe that Avatar: Fire and Ash will mark the hat-trick of USD 2 billion movies in Cameron’s career. Set after the events of the second film, Fire and Ash will see Worthington and Saldaña’s Na’vi characters, Jake Sully and Neytiri, respectively, continue on their quest to save their habitable moon, Pandora, from the invading humans.

Two more sequels will follow this ambitious film — Avatar 4 on 21 December 2029 and Avatar 5 on 19 December 2031, if things go as planned.

Hero and Featured image credits: IMDb