After a somewhat sparse 2024 in cinema, thanks to the 2023 actor and writer’s strike, movies come roaring back in a big way in 2025 with all the surplus projects that were delayed and derailed from that summer. An overabundance of films also means this surfeit could either reignite the box office or cause a lot of casualties if moviegoing continues to dwindle. Additionally, we could have probably written a list of 200 pictures at least, but for our mental health, we’ll stick with 100, thanks.
READ MORE: 2024 Fall Film Preview: 50 Movies To Watch
2025 brings a lot of mainstream big guns into the fold, three Marvel movies, an “Avatar” threequel, the final ‘Mission Impossible’ installment, big Disney films like “Snow White,” Pixar’s “Elio,” the return of the ‘Jurassic World’ franchise, DC’s “Superman” and a reprise for popular horror franchises like “Insidious,” “The Conjuring,” “Saw” “M3GAN” and more.
But of course, our main interests are auteur-driven films and many of them without firm release dates because many of them will debut on the film festival circuit, either Cannes, Venice, Telluride, Toronto or the New York Film Festival.
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2025 sees the return of many of our and your fave filmmakers; new films by Paul Thomas Anderson, Lynne Ramsay, Chloé Zhao, Ari Aster, Wes Anderson, Ryan Coogler, Steven Soderbergh, Julia Ducournau, Guillermo del Toro, Richard Linklater, Jim Jarmusch, Spike Lee, Kathryn Bigelow, Noah Baumbach, Luca Guadagnino and many many more. We could wax much more effusive, but let’s just get right to it, shall we? 100 picks for our Most Anticipated Films of 2025 and, as usual, a meaty honorable mention for the things we couldn’t squeeze into the main list.
Follow along for all our Best Of The Year and Most Anticipated coverage here.
Bonus: 101. “Now You See Me 3”
Our absolute favorite “so bad it’s good” franchise about heist magicians is back. The entire main cast returns Jesse Eisenberg, Mark Ruffalo, Woody Harrelson, Dave Franco, Isla Fisher, Lizzy Caplan, Daniel Radcliffe, and Morgan Freeman reprising their roles from previous films and are joined by Ariana Greenblatt, Justice Smith, Dominic Sessa, and Rosamund Pike. Ruben Fleischer (“Venom”) takes over directing duties, and the plot is unknown, but as if they actually ever mattered. We can’t wait.
Release Date: November 14, 2025, via Lionsgate.
100. “You’re Cordially Invited”
Following the comedy “Bros,” filmmaker Nicholas Stoller (“Forgetting Sarah Marshall”) returns with a big wedding debacle comedy for Amazon MGM Studios starring Will Ferrell, Reese Witherspoon, Geraldine Viswanathan, and Meredith Hagner. Filming started in May 2023, before the strikes, and it’s reportedly in post, so it could be finished for the summer or the fall if they want to rush it.
Release Date: TBD via Amazon MGM Studios.
99. “Vicious”
Directed by horror filmmaker Bryan Bertino, known for the “Strangers” franchise, the film centers on a woman who spends the night fighting for her existence as she slips down a rabbit hole contained inside a gift from a late-night visitor. Dakota Fanning, Kathryn Hunter, Mary McCormack, Rachel Blanchard, and Devyn Nekoda star.
Release Date: February 28, 2025, via Paramount.
98. “The Electric State”
Anthony and Joe Russo try to break their Marvel dud streak with their ‘Captain America’ and ‘Avengers’ writers Christopher Markus and Stephen McFeely. Based on a graphic novel, the sci-fi adventure movie centers on a young girl in the future who sets out to find her missing brother after a robot he sent suddenly arrives. The cast is massive: Millie Bobby Brown and Chris Pratt as the leads, with Ke Huy Quan, Stanley Tucci, Brian Cox, Jenny Slate, Giancarlo Esposito, Anthony Mackie, and Billy Bob Thornton.
Release Date: March 2025, via Netflix.
97. “Love Hurts”
Helmed by Jonathan Eusebio, a student and fight coordinator on “Black Panther,” three “John Wick” films, and “Deadpool 2,” his directorial debut is an action comedy about a successful realtor whose past as a violent hitman comes back to haunt him. Ke Huy Quan, Ariana DeBose, Daniel Wu, Marshawn Lynch, Rhys Darby, and Sean Astin star. David Leitch (“John Wick”) is a producer.
Release Date: February 7, 2025, via Universal Pictures.
96. “Nobody 2”
The sequel to “Nobody,” which stars Bob Odenkirk as a former government assassin turned family man and dad with a dark history that catches up with him. The ‘John Wick’ team, namely the head writer Derek Kolstad, continues to make a meal out of the assassin’s haunted past genre. Odenkirk, Connie Nielsen, RZA, and Christopher Lloyd reprise their franchise roles and are joined by Sharon Stone, Colin Hanks, and John Ortiz.
Release Date: August 15, 2025, via Universal.
95. “Avatar: Fire And Ash”
Pundits keep counting James Cameron out with the “‘Avatar’ had no cultural impact” nonsense, and Cameron keeps humiliating them with the box office returns. Part Three, ‘Fire And Ash,’ continues the story centering on a volcano-dwelling “Ash people.” Sam Worthington, Zoe Saldaña, Sigourney Weaver, Stephen Lang and the main cast return joined by David Thewlis and Oona Chaplin and more screentime for Giovanni Ribisi who only cameoed in Part Two.
Release Date: December 19, 2025, via 20th Century Studios.
94. “Michael”
Despite all the controversies, it was only a matter of time until a Michael Jackson biopic was made. Directed by Antoine Fuqua, this version sounds more traditional, going from the early days of the Jackson 5, all the way up to the time of his death. Jaafar Jackson, Michael’s nephew, stars, and the cast also includes Colman Domingo, Nia Long, Miles Teller, Laura Harrier, Kat Graham, Larenz Tate, and Derek Luke.
Release Date: October 3, 2025, via Lionsgate.
93. “The Accountant 2”
Nine years after the first film’s success, director Gavin O’Connor and Ben Affleck return for “The Accountant 2” sequel about a forensic accountant for criminal organizations, “un-cooking” their financial records. Jon Bernthal, J. K. Simmons, and Cynthia Addai-Robinson reprise their roles from the first film and Daniella Pineda is among the new cast.
Release Date: April 25, 2025, via MGM Studios.
92. “Levon’s Trade”
Director David Ayer returns to what he does best, the no-nonsense action thriller, and this one reteams him with his “The Beekeeper” star Jason Statham. Based on a screenplay written by Sylvester Stallone and Ayer, it’s very ‘John Wick‘: an ex-black ops agent’s retired peaceful life is disturbed, and he is forced to use an old set of skills when his loved one goes missing. David Harbour, Michael Peña, and Jason Flemyng co-star.
Release Date: March 28, 2025, via Amazon MGM Studios.
91. ”M3GAN 2.0”
A sequel to the Blumhouse horror “M3GAN” about an A.I. doll who develops hostile self-awareness, the story continues, naturally, with a new and improved doll. Franchise leads Allison Williams, and Violet McGraw and director Gerard Johnstone return and are joined by Ivanna Sakhno, Timm Sharp, Aristotle Athari, and Jemaine Clement.
Release Date: June 27, 2025, via Universal.