Get ready to watch ‘Mickey 17’ and other most-awaited movies releasing in 2025

Release date: 13 February

Directed by: Michael Morris

Cast: Renée Zellweger, Hugh Grant, Colin Firth, Emma Thompson, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Leo Woodall, Isla Fisher

What to know: Based on the novel of the same name by Helen Fielding, Mad About the Boy is the fourth film in the acclaimed Bridget Jones film series. The romantic comedy is a sequel to Bridget Jones’s Baby (2016). Zellweger, Firth and Grant return as Bridget, Mark and Daniel, respectively.

The film follows Bridget who has moved on with her life following the death of her husband, Mark. She has the support of near and dear ones, including her former lover, Daniel. But life seems to be taking an even more beautiful turn for her as she is wooed by a younger man, played by Woodall, and finds herself drawn to Chiwetel Ejiofor’s Mr. Wallaker, who is her children’s teacher.

Release date: 14 February

Directed by: Julius Onah

Cast: Anthony Mackie, Danny Ramirez, Shira Haas, Xosha Roquemore, Carl Lumbly, Giancarlo Esposito, Liv Tyler, Tim Blake Nelson, Harrison Ford

What to know: One of the most-anticipated movies of 2025, Brave New World marks the 35th film in the long-running MCU.

Mackie returns as Captain America, while Tyler and Nelson reprise their roles of Betty Ross and Samuel Sterns, respectively, from The Incredible Hulk (2008). The most important change is that Harrison Ford plays Thaddeus “Thunderbolt” Ross — a character previously portrayed by the late William Hurt.

The trailer and the synopsis indicate that Captain America will find himself trying to thwart a major conspiracy that has brought war to the doors of the United States, while not being on good terms with Ross, the new president of the country who is also the Red Hulk.

Quite a lot is riding on this film, given that the MCU has seen enthusiasm around its superhero offerings, barring Deadpool & Wolverine (2024), dip a bit over the last couple of years.

Release date: 7 March

Directed by: Bong Joon-ho

Cast: Robert Pattinson, Naomi Ackie, Steven Yeun, Toni Collette, Mark Ruffalo

What to know: One of the most-awaited movies releasing in the first quarter of 2025, Mickey 17 is the second English-language film by Bong Joon-ho and his first big screen project since the Oscar-winning Parasite (2019). In other words, Mickey 17 will end the long wait of six years for fans of the South Korean auteur. It was initially scheduled for release on 18 April, but was brought forward to its new March date in the last week of December 2024.

Described as a sci-fi black comedy, the film is based on Edward Ashton’s 2022 novel Mickey7. It is set in a near future world where people can get their bodies replicated when they die with previous memories intact, ensuring a kind of pseudo-immortality.

Pattinson will be seen playing the lead character of Mickey Barnes, one such human who allows cloning, or as they say, “print”, his body for a dangerous space colonisation programme. Following a few deaths and replications, chaos ensues when a second Mickey is created while the previous version is still alive.

Given that the film has Bong at the helm and is backed by Warner Bros. it is expected to make both critics happy and distributors pleased.

Release date: 14 March

Directed by: Anthony and Joe Russo

Cast: Millie Bobby Brown, Chris Pratt, Ke Huy Quan, Jason Alexander, Woody Harrelson, Anthony Mackie, Brian Cox, Jenny Slate, Giancarlo Esposito, Stanley Tucci

What to know: Based on the 2018 graphic novel of the same name by Simon Stålenhag, the VFX-heavy film is not expected to have a theatrical release. Reports suggest that it will be released exclusively on Netflix, making it one of the most-anticipated movies on any streaming platform in 2025.

The sci-fi adventure revolves around an orphaned teenager named Michelle, played by Brown, in an alternate reality American West. This world has been destroyed in a war between robots and humans. Michelle’s journey through the desolate landscape begins when a mysterious toy robot suggests it can help find her younger brother. On the way they are joined by another mysterious figure, a human drifter and smuggler named Keats, who is played by Pratt.

Release date: 2 May

Directed by: Jake Schreier

Cast: Florence Pugh, Sebastian Stan, David Harbour, Wyatt Russell, Olga Kurylenko, Lewis Pullman, Hannah John-Kamen, Julia Louis-Dreyfus

What to know: Any list of top upcoming movies in 2025 will surely have Thunderbolts* in it. The 36th film in the MCU, it will also mark the end of the franchise’s Phase 5. Fans should, therefore, expect something major coming out of this film’s story, which could have an impact on what follows in the MCU.

Barring Pullman, all other principal cast members have appeared in previous MCU films and TV shows. Not much can be said about Pullman’s character, but the rest are anti-heroes. The trailer of the film promises high-octane action that is the staple of superhero movies such as this.

Release date: 23 May

Directed by: Christopher McQuarrie

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

What to know: Many would bet that Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning could do even bigger business than its predecessor Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One, which was the 10th highest-grossing film of 2023. There is a rock solid reason behind the confidence — The Final Reckoning could be the last film in the long-running Mission: Impossible franchise, which began almost three decades ago with the namesake first film in 1996. But this is cinema and we are talking about the never-ageing Tom Cruise. So, who knows?

Anyway, The Final Reckoning will be hitting the screens almost after a year’s delay. It has been in the news for all the behind-the-scenes footage of the stunts done by Cruise in the lead role of the spy Ethan Hunt. As for the story, it continues Hunt’s mission to retrieve a key from a sunken Russian stealth submarine that can unlock an advanced AI before his enemies get their hands on it. The previous film received two Oscar nominations. Expect something similar for this one; at least the trailer assures so.

Release date: 30 May

Directed by: Jonathan Entwistle

Cast: Jackie Chan, Ralph Macchio, Ben Wang, Ming-Na Wen

What to know: Jackie Chan — the name is enough to get martial arts fans excited anywhere in the world. The moves that Chan pulls off at the age of 70 is beyond inspirational. Chan and Macchio announced that they were starring in a new The Karate Kid movie in November 2023, while launching a global casting search for the “next karate kid”.

In Legends, Chan reprises his role of Mr. Han The Karate Kid (2010) while Macchio reprises his career-defining character of Daniel LaRusso from both the original The Karate Kid (1984) as well as subsequent films and the critically acclaimed TV series Cobra Kai (2018–2025) in franchise. Wang joins them as Li Fong, apparently the kid the masters were looking for. Nothing about the plot is known.

Release date: 6 June

Directed by: Len Wiseman

Cast: Ana de Armas, Anjelica Huston, Gabriel Byrne, Lance Reddick, Ian McShane, Keanu Reeves

What to know: De Armas takes on the role of the titular Ballerina in his action-heavy fifth film of the John Wick franchise. So far each of the previous four films have both been commercially and critically more successful than its predecessor. Will Ballerina maintain the streak? Chances are high both due to the fact that it also has Reeves as our favourite Baba Yaga and because it marks the final screen appearance of Reddick, who passed away in 2023.

The story of Ballerina is set between the events of John Wick: Chapter 3 – Parabellum (2019) and John Wick: Chapter 4 (2023). Its focus is on de Armas’ character as she seeks revenge on those who killed her father.

Release date: 13 June

Directed by: Dean DeBlois

Cast: Mason Thames, Gerard Butler, Nico Parker, Nick Frost, Julian Dennison

What to know: Not many live-action adaptations of animation films generate as high a buzz as How to Train Your Dragon has managed to do since its announcement. Its trailer has been received well and, even though the story is essentially the same as was in the first film of the franchise, it is expected to do good business for Universal Pictures. The cast is new, except Gerard Butler who plays Stoick the Vast — the character he voiced in the three animation films of the franchise.

Release date: 20 June

Directed by: Danny Boyle

Cast: Jodie Comer, Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Ralph Fiennes, Jack O’Connell, Cillian Murphy

What to know: When makers Sony Pictures Entertainment dropped the first trailer of 28 Years Later on 10 December 2024, the Internet reacted with a collective gasp on one particular flash which apparently shows Cillian Murphy with a shocking body transformation. Such was the tremor caused by that one blink-and-you-miss-it moment that The Guardian had to reach out to sources to confirm that that skeleton we saw is not Murphy.

The post-apocalyptic horror movie is riding on two waves. The first is the fact that it is a legacy sequel in the 28 Days Later film series, which includes 28 Days Later (2002) and 28 Weeks Later (2007). The second is Murphy, who won an Oscar, a BAFTA and a Golden Globe winner for his groundbreaking performance as J. Robert Oppenheimer in Christopher Nolan’s Oppenheimer (2023) — one of the most Oscar-nominated movies in history.

Murphy reprises his role of Jim from the first film in this franchise. He was not part of the second. He will also be playing the character in 28 Years Later Part II: The Bone Temple, which is set to serve as a sequel to 28 Years Later.

Release date: 27 June

Directed by: Joseph Kosinski

Cast: Brad Pitt, Damson Idris, Kerry Condon, Tobias Menzies, Shea Whigham

What to know: There are not many high-budget sports films in 2025. So, all eyes will be on this smashing race spectacle that is based on Formula 1 motorsports.

In an interview with Sky Sports in June 2023, Pitt shared some details about the film’s plot. He said that he  plays “a guy who raced in the 1990s… who has a horrible crash, craps out and disappears, then he’s racing in other disciplines.”

According to Pitt, his character is brought back to the top motorsports tournament by his friend, played by Bardem, who owns a team, to mentor a young talent, played by Damson Idris.

“Tell you what’s amazing about it — there are cameras mounted all over the car — you’ve never seen speed, you’ve never seen just the G-forces like this. It’s really, really exciting,” Pitt said.

A notable aspect of the film, which is co-produced by Apple Studios, is that real-life F1 drivers, including champions Lewis Hamilton, Max Verstappen and Fernando Alonso, appear as themselves.

Release date: 11 July

Directed by: James Gunn

Cast: David Corenswet, Rachel Brosnahan, Isabela Merced, Edi Gathegi, Nathan Fillion, Anthony Carrigan, María Gabriela de Faría, Nicholas Hoult

What to know: The most-talked about DC movie of 2025, Superman is set to be the first film of the DCU — the rebooted DC Extended Universe (DCEU). Its plot details are under wraps but it is said to be inspired by the comic book All-Star Superman (2005–2008).

Nearly all of its large ensemble cast members play famous DC Comics characters, including Corenswet as Superman, Brosnahan as Lois Lane, Merced as Hawkgirl, Gathegi as Mister Terrific, Carrigan as Metamorpho and Fillion as the Guy Gardner version of Green Lantern. Also starring alongside main cast members are Frank Grillo as Rick Flag Sr. and Milly Alcock of House of the Dragon (2022–2024) fame as Supergirl.

Release date: 25 July

Directed by: Matt Shakman

Cast: Pedro Pascal, Vanessa Kirby, Joseph Quinn, Ebon Moss-Bachrach, Ralph Ineson, Julia Garner

What to know: Pedro Pascal, the ‘Internet’s daddy’, will make his on-screen MCU debut with First Steps — a reboot of the multiple Fantastic Four films. In fact, buzz around this MCU film is the highest among the upcoming superhero movies of 2025, as can be gauged from the Internet’s reaction to the announcement on social media.

First Steps is not only the third MCU film of 2025 but also marks the start of Phase Six of the franchise. It is set in the 1960s, where the Fantastic Four must protect Earth from the invasion of Ineson’s planet-devouring entity Galactus. Pascal as Mister Fantastic, Kirby as the Invisible Woman, Quinn as Human Torch and Moss-Bachrach as The Thing play the Fantastic Four.

Joining them is Garner as Shalla-Bal, the female version of Silver Surfer in the comic books. This will be the first time the iconic character will be seen in a live-action theatrical film. Reports suggest that Robert Downey Jr., who has returned to the MCU, may make his debut as Victor Doom in a post-credits scene in this film before making his full return as the main antagonist in Avengers: Doomsday in 2026.

Image credit: Fantastic Four/@fantasticfour via Instagram

Release date: 24 October

Directed by: Simon McQuoid

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

What to know: As one of the most famous video game franchises of all time, anticipation around this film is particularly high among fans of the game. It serves as a sequel to Mortal Kombat (2021) and features a much larger star cast who play some of the fan-favourite characters from the fighting game.

However, all eyes are on two actors. One of them is Indonesian martial arts superstar Joe Taslim, who returns as a darker version of his character Bi-Han from the previous film. The other is Japanese acting titan Sanada (pictured in the 2021 film), who has been on a global awards-winning spree since his performance in Shōgun (2024–2026).

In fact, the epic combat sequence between Taslim’s character and Sanada’s undead ninja named Scorpion in the previous film is seen as the biggest highlight of any Mortal Kombat movie ever. Will the makers take it up several notches in the sequel? That’s what fans will hope for.

Image credit: Lewis Tan/@TheLewisTan via X

Release date: 26 November

Directed by: Jared Bush, Byron Howard

Cast: Ginnifer Goodwin, Jason Bateman, Ke Huy Quan, Fortune Feimster

What to know: In the last few years, animated movies have been among the highest-grossing movies at the worldwide box office. In fact, four movies – Inside Out 2, Despicable Me 4, Moana 2, Kung Fu Panda 4 – are among the highest-grossing films of 2024, with the first of them taking the overall top spot.

This is why Zootopia 2 is expected to be one of the highest grossers in 2025, more especially since the first film, Zootopia, was the fourth-highest grossing movie of 2016. Goodwin returns as the rabbit Judy Hopps while Bateman is back as the fox Nick Wilde. Ke Huy Quan joins the cast as Gary, the snake.

Image credit: Disney Animation/@DisneyAnimation via X

Release date: 19 December

Directed by: James Cameron

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

What to know: Possibly the biggest film of 2025 is set to hit theatres in the final month. This is the third film in Cameron’s epic Avatar franchise. Both Avatar (2009) and Avatar: The Way of Water (2022) are among the three highest-grossing movies of all time, with a collective gross of USD 5.3 billion between them. No other upcoming which releases in 2025 is expected to surpass Avatar: Fire and Ash at the box office.

Worthington as Jake Sully and Saldaña as Neytiri return as the two main characters. Winslet returns in her character of Ronal from the second film.  David Thewlis and Oona Chaplin play new characters.

Not much is known about the film, but it is expected to carry forward the struggle of blue-skinned humanoid Na’vi against the renewed human threat on their habitable moon, Pandora. The film’s first look, shared by Cameron in November 2024, promises a much grander visual spectacle than before.

Image credit: IMDb

Release date: TBA

Directed by: Han Ji-won

Cast: Kim Tae-ri, Hong Kyung

What to know: Netflix is the current ruler of the entertainment world. It has established its hold firmly with the record nominations its movies and shows received at the 2025 Golden Globes. Now, the American streaming giant is set to enter a new territory — Korean animation.

Lost in Starlight is Netflix’s first Korean-language animated film. It is a space romance in which astronaut Nan-young, who is on a Mars expedition, and musician Jay, fall in love and maintain a very long-distance relationship. The film marks the first voice role of Kim Tae-ri, who delivered one of 2024’s biggest K-drama shows with Jeongnyeon: The Star Is Born.

The film has a confirmed 2025 release, as Netflix revealed it as part of its slate at an event on the sidelines of the Busan International Film Festival in October 2024.

Image credit: Netflix

Release date: TBA

Directed by: Na Hong-jin

Cast: Hwang Jung-min, Zo In-sung, HoYeon Jung, Alicia Vikander, Michael Fassbender

What to know: As is evident, Hope is an international project. Its superb cast is a fine mix of some of the best talent from Korea and the US.

In March 2023, Deadline reported that Vikander and Fassbender have got “key roles” in Na’s upcoming film, titled Hope. Local media reports from 2023 revealed that the film was planned for a 2025 release. All seems to be as per schedule as filming, especially with Vikander and Fassbender, wrapped up in mid-2024.

Director Na is best known to international audiences for his horror masterpiece The Wailing (2016). Hope will be his first feature film since. Its story revolves around the people of Hopo Port, who must protect themselves following a sinister discovery on the outskirts of their town.