As the Fall kicks off the beginning of the prolonged holiday season, our team is looking ahead to the rest of the films coming in 2025.
We’ve compiled all of the movies that are hitting theaters and why they’re excited. If you haven’t added these films to your must-watch list, maybe you will now.
Predator Badlands
Jordan: Considering how much I loved Prey, and the unexpected awesomeness of the animated film, Killer of Killers, I’ve been excited for Badlands since before it even had an official title. Dan Trachtenberg has proven that he gets the Predator franchise in a way few have been able to replicate. Combine that with a story we’ve not seen tackled before and some neat Alien connections and I suspect there will be much hooting and hollering in the theater.
Ryan Z: I was also blown away by the recent Predator-related releases, especially Killer of Killers which completely took me by surprise. A new action-packed movie focused exclusively on a Yautja coming into his own with no method of human communication sounds like an alienating and exciting experience in equal measure.
Predator Badlands release date: November 7
Avatar: Fire and Ash
Jordan: My continued love of James Cameron’s Avatar felt vindicated when the sequel FINALLY arrived three years ago. Fire and Ash looks to take the story into some fun new territory that will not only expand the world/lore, but push the action and drama even further. I’m very eager to find out if Cameron can bring the heat for a third time in a row.
Avatar: Fire and Ash release date: December 19
Frankenstein
Jordan: Guillermo del Toro working on a gothic period piece, horror flick? What’s not to be excited about? This is 100% the things del Toro excels at, and I’ve long felt it’s past time to have a new Frankenstein movie that isn’t concerned with modernizing the material, but getting back to the actual novel. At the very least it will be very, very pretty to look at.
Becky: As I’ve said for years, I’m a sucker for Frankenstein films and everything about Guillermo del Toro’s Frankenstein looks incredible. My only complaint is that the film is receiving a limited theatrical release, but something is better than nothing I suppose. I’m fully prepared for Oscar Isaac to blow me away as Dr. Frankenstein.
Frankenstein release date: October 17 in theaters, November 7 on Netflix.
Wicked: For Good
Jordan: Never would have imagined this would have made it onto any of my “most anticipated” lists. After being blown away by Wicked last year, however, I can’t wait to sit down for this one. The trailers alone have had me feeling emotional and hyped up, so I can only imagine how the full film is going to be.
Becky: From the moment Wicked Part One went to the credits, I’ve been ready to see the conclusion of the story. I was initially skeptical that any movie adaptation could do this story justice but everything about part one and now Wicked: For Good looks amazing. Very curious to see how the film adapts the ending of the musical, if you know, you know.
Wicked: For Good release date: November 21
The Running Man
Jordan: I’m always excited when Edgar Wright has a new movie on the way. Pretty much if he’s got a film coming out, I’m already seated. That excitement has only increased after seeing the trailers for Running Man. Seeing Wright going full action-movie has a lot of great potential. Combined with the effortless charm of Glen Powell and it’s hard to imagine this won’t be a blast in theaters.
The Running Man release date: November 7
Good Fortune
Katy: Call me a fangirl, but I haven’t disliked a Keanu Reeves-starred production. Whether its his recent John Wick franchise films or his foray into gaming as Johnny Silver, I can’t pass him up. The same stands true for the upcoming film Good Fortune, which stars Reeves and Aziz Ansari, who also wrote and directed the comedy. It’s Ansari’s directorial debut and includes a star-studded cast aside from just Reeves with Seth Rogan, Keke Palmer and Sandra Oh.
Good Fortune release date: October 17
Eternity
Katy: I have been a fan of A24’s film slate over the years and their upcoming Eternity has my interest piqued. Starring Elizabeth Olsen, Miles Teller and Callum Turner, the fantasy comedy is also existential (my favorite).
Premiere date: November 17.
Zootopia 2
Becky: There isn’t much to say about why I’m looking forward to seeing Zootopia 2. It’s Disney, it’s animated, and it looks like fun. With everything going on in the world, what more can I ask for at the moment?
Dustin: I only have enough money to see one film the rest of the year in theaters and this is the one I picked. The first one is arguably one of the absolute best Disney animated films, and the second one looks like it will live up to the hype. To be fair it would be really hard to mess up this movie with the cast (both literal and fictional) they have.
Zootopia 2 release date: November 26
Tron: Ares
Becky: Please hear me out! Yes, I know Jared Leto being cast in this movie was a mistake, I know that’s a turn off to many viewers. However…I am intrigued by the film’s premise of bringing the virtual world into the real world, essentially reversing the plot of the first Tron. I want to see how far the filmmakers are willing to take this concept, it has the potential to be at least interesting, if not entertaining.
Tron: Ares release date: October 10
Bugonia
Becky: This film has been on my radar for a while. It’s a remake of a 2003 Korean film and after reading that film’s synopsis, I’m very curious to see what this remake does with the source material. Let’s just say, I have my theories and suspicions.
Bugonia release date: October 31
Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery
Ryan Z: I am a die-hard Rian Johnson fan, have been since Looper, and he’s never made anything but bangers since in my opinion. Yeah, I said it. There’s been no better display of his skill in writing and directing than the Benoit Blanc mysteries, however, and the religious overtones of this one make it even more fascinating to me.
Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery release date: November 26! Streaming on Netflix on December 12.
SISU: Road to Revenge
Ryan Z: The first SISU is a Finnish suspense/action thriller that’s often been referred to as ‘the Finnish John Wick’ about an ex-commando who kills copious amounts of Nazis. The sequel promises fewer Nazi deaths, unfortunately, but an equally violent and action-packed good time nonetheless.
SISU: Road to Revenge release date: November 21
Roofman
Ryan Z: This one feels like cheating because it’s literally out this weekend, but I’m always a sucker for Channing Tatum in a comedic role. What’s more, it’s a wacky biopic about a very real person who was nonetheless quite a character. Just read a bit of the Wikipedia entry for Jeffrey Manchester and tell me you wouldn’t want to see this as a movie!
Roofman release date: October 10
