As the year 2024 wraps up, moviegoers begin to get anticipated about the new year ahead of them. Stellar performances such as Deadpool & Wolverine and Wicked made 2024 a great year for movies. The expectations for 2025 are high as well as it was for 2024. Will 2025 live up to the expectations like 2024 did? Only time will tell. Here are some highly anticipated films to look forward to in 2025.
Live Action Remake of Lilo and Stitch
The Disney film makes a return in 2025. Director Dean Fleischer Camp, the mastermind behind 2021 kids film Marcel the Shell with Shoes on makes a return with a great cast to bring back a 2000’s animated classic in live action. Animated Disney movies turned into live action have a history of high box office success. The live action Lion King in 2019 had a global debut of $446 million (9th largest movie debut of all time) and grossed a worldwide total of $1.66 billion. So, odds are on Camp’s side for Lilo and Stitch, as Lilo and her furry friend plan to make a comeback in the new year. The movie is expected to release on May 23, 2025.
A Minecraft Movie
A famous video game turned movie. Directed by Jared Hess, the movie puts a fun twist on a classic childhood video game, touching the hearts of the people who grew up playing it. The cast is headlined by renowned actor Jack Black with other big names such as Jennifer Coolidge and Jason Momoa. The movie follows in on the life of ‘Steve’, the most popular and famous character of the Minecraft video game. The Mojang developed open world video game, officially launched in 2011, quickly became a smash hit, winning the VGX Award for ‘Best Independent Game’ the same year of its release and winning multiple Kids Choice Awards for ‘Favorite Video Game’ in the 2020’s. The game has earned Mojang around $3 billion in total revenue. Similar to Disney animated movies turned live action, famous video game turned movies also have a history of success in the box office. The Super Mario Bros. Movie (2023) made around $146 million opening weekend and $1.36 billion globally, surpassing Frozen as the second biggest animated film of all time. A Minecraft Movie is expected to release on April 4th, 2025.
Captain America: Brave New World
Picking up where it left off, the Captain America storyline blossoms into a new era: the Sam Wilson era. Sam Wilson, also known as “Falcon”, has now taken up the mantle as Captain America. Anthony Mackie plays Sam Wilson as he does in many previous Captain America movies, except now, he is no longer “Falcon,” but now something much more. It’s one of the multiple Marvel films releasing in 2025, but it’s by far one of the most anticipated films coming in 2025. It’s the first Captain America film since 2016’s Captain America: Civil War, a movie that saw great success at the box office. The only Marvel movie released in 2024 was Deadpool & Wolverine, which was released on July 26. The movie had incredible feedback, making over $200 million on opening weekend and surpassing $1.3 billion worldwide. Marvel Studios plans to piggyback off their great year with the next chapter of Captain America. The movie picks up where Avengers: Endgame left off in the Captain America saga. It’s set to release on February 14, 2025.
Zootopia 2
Jason Bateman and Ginnifer Goodwin return to the Disney scene as the voices of Nick Wilde and Judy Hopps in the sequel to the smash 2016 animated film. Directed by Jared Bush and Byron Howard, the sequel promises to delve deeper into the lives of brave cop Judy Hopps and her fox companion Nick Wilde as they team up again to crack a new case, the most perilous and intricate of their careers. The 2016 Zootopia film was highly successful, making over $75 million on opening weekend and just surpassing $1 billion worldwide. It also won an Academy Award for Best Animated Feature in 2016. The buzz suggests the sequel could be another cultural phenomenon, blending humor and heart with timely messages. The film is set to release on November 26, 2025
Superman
David Corenswet stars in this Superman adaptation, the film following the titular superhero as he reconciles his heritage with his human upbringing. Nicholas Hoult, known for his stellar performances in Mad Max: Fury Road and Juror #2, plays the notorious supervillain Lex Luthor. Students and moviegoers begin to express their excitement about the film.
“I always love superhero movies…especially Superman. I always find them very entertaining and exciting to watch,” says Evan Tousky, a junior at Erie high school.
The next saga of the DC universe provides a different perspective on the story of one of the most iconic superhero characters of all time. From comics to live action, the Superman universe has never failed to entertain. The movie is expected to release July 11th, 2025.
F1
F1 racing movie follows in on a Formula 1 driver who comes out of retirement to mentor and team with a younger, up and coming driver. Brad Pitt stars in this thrilling and emotional high-speed movie directed by Joseph Kosinski, aiming to give the audience of the F1 racing community an exciting cinematic experience.
“I’m a big racing fan, and it’s kinda cool to watch a movie about the F1 races,” says Brady Colohan, a Junior at Erie.
F1 racing has become a widely enjoyed sport all across the world and moviegoers start to get more and more excited for the film. The movie is expected to release on June 25, 2025.
With a diverse slate of highly anticipated films, 2025 is shaping up to be an exciting year for movie fans of all genres. From long-awaited sequels to bold original stories to Disney classics turned live-action, there’s something for everyone to look forward to. As more details and trailers emerge, stay tuned for updates and insights to help you plan your must-watch list.
