46 Most Anticipated Movies of 2025

Several of the best movies of 2025 may still be complete unknowns. They could be titles that will be acquired at Sundance, Cannes, and Venice—or under-the-radar gems that will derive their power from unpredictable word of mouth. But several of the biggest movies of the year will definitely be found on this list, which focuses on studio films either dated for 2025 or scheduled to appear at some yet-to-be-disclosed point in the next 12 months.

And what a list it is, stacked with work from several of the industry’s most reliable auteurs—Bong Joon Ho, Ryan Coogler, Paul Thomas Anderson, Steven Soderbergh, Guillermo del Toro, Celine Song, Yorgos Lanthimos, Maggie Gyllenhaal—as well as the usual superhero movies and brand extensions. Hell, even some of those look more interesting than usual: We’re going to see James Gunn step up to the plate with a reimagined Superman; Pedro Pascal, Vanessa Kirby, Ebon Moss-Bachrach, and Joseph Quinn suit up for a new, hopefully more successful take on the Fantastic Four; and James Cameron returns to the world of Avatar. All that, and there’s a whole new Wicked coming in November? Truly, it’s an embarrassment of riches even before you get to Jeremy Allen White doing his best Bruce Springsteen impression.

From Universal/Everett Collection.

Wolf ManPremiere Date: January 17
Director: Leigh Whannell
Noteworthy Cast: Christopher Abbott, Julia Garner

Universal continues its interesting project of reimagining its stable of classic movie monsters, following up on the 2020 success of The Invisible Man. That film’s director, Leigh Whannell, is at the reins of this modern update of the old werewolf story, done in the grittier, indier house style of coproducer Blumhouse. The early trailers are promising, as is the presence of both Abbott and Garner—two talented and serious indie actors who might get to have a little gory fun here. We’d love to see this movie do well, so that Universal and Blumhouse might forge ahead with a new reimagining of The Mummy. Wouldn’t it be fun to see, say, Adam Driver lurching around while wrapped up in bandages? —Richard Lawson

From Everett Collection.

PresencePremiere Date: January 17
Director: Steven Soderbergh
Noteworthy Cast: Lucy Liu, Julia Fox, Chris Sullivan

America’s most peripatetic auteur ventures into the horror genre with this curiosity—a ghost story shot entirely from the perspective of said ghost. It’s a bit like 2024’s Nickel Boys that way, though a lot less weighty with political urgency. Lucy Liu and Chris Sullivan play the new owners of a haunted house, watched by an invisible entity as they go about the typical squabbling of a family with teenagers, until things take a turn for the seriously dark. A riveting exercise in style (if not always story), Presence should be another sturdy entry in Soderbergh’s fascinating body of work. —RL

You’re Cordially InvitedPremiere Date: January 30
Director: Nicholas Stoller
Noteworthy Cast: Reese Witherspoon, Will Ferrell, Geraldine Viswanathan, Meredith Hagner

A star-vehicle project announced with great fanfare many months ago, You’re Cordially Invited is a throwback to the glossy studio comedies we used to be served all the time. It’s an Amazon film, so it’s not studio studio, but it’s at least something close. Witherspoon and Ferrell play nemeses at a wedding venue, where their respective ceremonies (for Witherspoon’s sister and Ferrell’s daughter) have been double-booked. A wacky war ensues, presumably in which Witherspoon will do her tightly coiled type A thing while Ferrell does his normal-guy-lost-in-a-fit-of-rage routine. (Two things we like, in case that wasn’t clear.) Stoller is a strong comedy director, so we hope good things for this movie and whatever similarly scaled comedies its success might inspire. —RL

From Universal/Everett Collection.

Love HurtsPremiere Date: February 7
Director: Jonathan Eusebio
Noteworthy Cast: Ke Huy Quan, Ariana DeBose, Marshawn Lynch

Ke Huy Quan, a leading man at last. The veteran actor was struggling to land work before the phenomenon of Everything Everywhere All at Once, which won him an Oscar and revitalized his career. Now the star is toplining this blockbuster action-comedy for Universal, portraying an amiable real estate agent whose hitman past comes back to haunt him. As with Everything Everywhere, Quan does some impressive—maybe a little intense?—stunt work for the film. “The things I do for love!” he told Vanity Fair’s Rebecca Ford. —David Canfield

Courtesy Universal Pictures.

Bridget Jones: Mad About the BoyPremiere Date: February 13
Director: Michael Morris
Noteworthy Cast: Renée Zellweger, Emma Thompson, Leo Woodall, Colin Firth, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Hugh Grant

While we can lament the new Bridget Jones sequel going straight to Peacock after the last movie in the series made over $200 million worldwide, at least we can celebrate that it exists at all. Renée Zellweger is back in a new installment based on the 2013 novel by Helen Fielding (again adapting her own story, this time with Dan Mazer and Abi Morgan), which finds Bridget navigating widowhood, single motherhood, the age of dating apps, and multiple potential suitors. Also, rejoice: Hugh Grant is back as Daniel Cleaver. “I’m not in a lot. I did a week’s work, that’s it,” Grant recently told me. “But when you see the film, you’ll be very moved.” —DC

Paddington in PeruPremiere Date: February 14
Director: Dougal Wilson
Noteworthy Cast: Ben Whishaw, Olivia Colman, Emily Mortimer, Julie Walters, Antonio Banderas

The third installment in the beloved children’s film series (based on the equally beloved children’s books) sends everyone’s favorite wistful bear back to his homeland, where he will no doubt encounter another lovably kooky villain (played by Antonio Banderas in this case) and say lots of charming things. Sadly, the director of the first two films, Paul King, is not at the helm for this one, presumably because he was busy making last year’s delightful Wonka. Here’s hoping that first-time feature director Dugal Wilson is up to the task; Paddington in Peru has a big red hat and blue overcoat to fill. —RL

The MonkeyPremiere Date: February 21
Director: Osgood Perkins
Noteworthy Cast: Theo James, Tatiana Maslany, Elijah Wood

Suddenly, all eyes are on this horror adaptation of a Stephen King short story. It’s written and directed by Osgood Perkins, the filmmaker behind this summer’s box office phenomenon Longlegs. The new movie boasts an added intrigue factor of Emmy nominee Theo James (The White Lotus) playing twins who encounter a vintage toy monkey in their father’s attic—only for terrifying death to start haunting their every move until they part ways. When the killing resumes, they join forces to face the curse together. —DC

Fro Warner Bros/Everett Collection.

SinnersPremiere Date: March 7
Director: Ryan Coogler
Noteworthy Cast: Michael B. Jordan, Hailee Steinfeld, Jack O’Connell, Wunmi Mosaku

This is a big spring event for movie theaters, as Sinners marks Ryan Coogler’s first original film since his very first feature, the brilliant Sundance-winning Fruitvale Station. Fittingly, this genre pic reunites him with that movie’s lead, Michael B. Jordan, who also earned acclaim in Coogler’s smash franchise openers Creed and Black Panther. This time, though, we get two MBJs for the price of one—he’s playing twin brothers who reunite in their hometown only to face the dark hauntings of their childhood. —DC

Black BagPremiere Date: March 14
Director: Steven Soderbergh
Noteworthy Cast: Cate Blanchett, Michael Fassbender, Marisa Abela

Steven Soderbergh remains very prolific and very secretive about what he’s working on—which is just fine, so long as this spy thriller lands in the same quality range as his recent snappy collaborations with screenwriter David Koepp, Presence and Kimi. Also a very good sign: Cate Blanchett is the star of this one, marking a reunion for her and Soderbergh nearly 20 years after The Good German. —DC

From Walt Disney Co./Everett Collection.

Snow WhitePremiere Date: March 21
Director: Marc Webb
Noteworthy Cast: Rachel Zegler, Gal Gadot

Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs was a record-breaking success for Disney back in 1937, once holding the title of highest-grossing film with sound of all time. It was also the highest-grossing animated film for 55 years. So the stakes are high for Disney’s upcoming new take on the beloved princess, who will be played by West Side Story breakout Rachel Zegler. Gal Gadot stars as the Evil Queen, and Disney has brought in Oscar-winning La La Land songwriters Benj Pasek and Justin Paul to pen original songs for the film. Greta Gerwig had a hand in the script, so perhaps we can expect something that feels original while also playing homage to a classic tale. —Rebecca Ford

From 20th Century Studios/ Everett Collection.

The AmateurPremiere Date: April 11
Director: James Hawes
Noteworthy Cast: Rami Malek, Rachel Brosnahan, Caitríona Balfe, Jon Bernthal, Michael Stuhlbarg, Laurence Fishburne.

Bohemian Rhapsody Oscar winner Rami Malek brings his intensity to the role of Charles Heller, a CIA cryptographer whose wife is killed in a London terrorist attack. This second adaptation of Robert Littell’s novel (it was made into a film in 1981 starring John Savage and Christopher Plummer) follows Charles as he becomes a CIA operative so he can hunt down his wife’s killers himself. The trailer promises a slick and intense action thriller, with plenty of explosions and an interesting new type of role for Malek. —RF

From Warner Bros/Everett Collection.

Mickey 17Premiere Date: April 18
Director: Bong Joon-ho
Noteworthy Cast: Robert Pattinson, Naomi Ackie, Steven Yeun, Toni Collette, Mark Ruffalo.

Oscar-winning director Bong Joon-ho’s long-awaited follow-up to Parasite stars Robert Pattison as a man who volunteers to be a disposable employee whose body regenerates every time it dies. We’re expecting a highly original sci-fi story from Bong, who always surprises audiences—and this time is doing it with a star-studded cast and the support of a major US studio in Warner Bros. —RF

From Walt Disney Co./Everett Collection

ThunderboltsPremiere Date: May 2
Director: Jake Schreier
Noteworthy Cast: Florence Pugh, Sebastian Stan, David Harbour, Wyatt Russell, Olga Kurylenko

After appearing in Black Widow and Hawkeye, Florence Pugh steps front and center in the Marvel universe as Yelena Belova, a deadly assassin who teams up with several other antiheroes to form a team of misfits that go on missions for the American government. Pugh always delivers the unexpected, and we expect her to shake up the Marvel universe in the same way. —RF

A Big Bold Beautiful JourneyPremiere Date: May 9
Director: Kogonada
Noteworthy Cast: Margot Robbie, Colin Farrell, Jodie Turner-Smith, Phoebe Waller-Bridge

From the director of Columbus and After Yang, A Big Bold Beautiful Journey is billed as a fantasy romance starring Margot Robbie and Colin Farrell as two strangers who go on an emotional journey. Much about the film’s plot is still under wraps, but Kogonada is known for his lovely slow burns, and we’re hoping there’s plenty of sparks between these two charismatic movie stars. —RF

GoldenPremiere Date: May 9
Director: Michael Gondry
Noteworthy Cast: Kelvin Harrison Jr., Halle Bailey, Da’Vine Joy Randolph, Brian Tyree Henry, and Quinta Brunson

Pharrell is going back to his roots—again. Not to be confused with his animated Lego musical biopic Piece by Piece, Golden, directed by Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind director, Michael Gondry, takes a more literal look at the life and times of the musician and fashion icon, fictionalizing Pharrell’s childhood growing up in the Virginia Beach’s Atlantis Apartments. It stars Kelvin Harrison Jr. as a young Pharrell and boasts an absolutely stacked supporting cast, which includes—but is not limited to—The Little Mermaid’s Halle Bailey, The Holdovers Oscar winner Da’Vine Joy Randolph, Atlanta’s Brian Tyree Henry, Abbott Elementary’s Quinta Brunson, SNL’s Tim Meadows, Rap Shit’s Jaboukie Young-White, and musicians Janelle Monáe and Andre 3000. —Chris Murphy

Mission: Impossible—The Final ReckoningPremiere Date: May 23
Director: Christopher McQuarrie
Noteworthy Cast: Tom Cruise, Hannah Waddingham, Hayley Atwell, Vanessa Kirby, Simon Pegg, Ving Rhames, Angela Bassett

Is this the end of Ethan Hunt? Tom Cruise returns for potentially one final go as the leader of Impossible Mission Force, the secret espionage team tasked with saving the world again and again in his beloved Mission Impossible franchise. Shot back-to-back with Mission Impossible: Dead Reckoning, The Final Reckoning will reportedly pick up where the seventh film left off and find Cruise’s Ethan Hunt attempting to battle his biggest foe of all: artificial intelligence. He’ll be joined by Mission Impossible regulars like Hayley Atwell, Ving Rhames, Simon Pegg, Angela Bassett, and Vanessa Kirby, as well as newcomer Hannah Waddingham in an undisclosed role. Will Cruise finally live his dream and get to outer space? And if this is really Cruise’s final mission, who, if anyone, can take over the franchise from him?—CM

28 Years LaterPremiere Date: June 20
Director: Danny Boyle
Noteworthy Cast: Cillian Murphy, Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Jodie Comer, Ralph Fiennes

The 28 franchise is returning in 2025. After 28 Days Later and 28 Weeks Later, director Danny Boyle is back with a third installment starring reigning best-actor winner Cillian Murphy, who returns as original protagonist Jim. This time he’s joined by an ensemble cast which features The Fall Guy’s Aaron Taylor Johnson, The Bikeriders’ Jodie Comer, and Conclave’s Ralph Fiennes, as they try to survive in a world where the Rage Virus has returned and effectively turned hordes of people into zombies. A sequel, 28 Years Later Part II: The Bone Temple was shot back-to-back with 28 Years Later and directed by Candyman’s Nia DaCosta, so whatever happens to Jim and the survivors, the story will continue. —CM

From Geoffrey Short/Universal Pictures.

M3gan 2.0Premiere Date: June 27
Director: Gerard Johnstone
Noteworthy Cast: Allison Williams, Violet McGraw, Brian Jordan Alvarez

Your favorite bow-wearing murderous doll is back for more. M3gan 2.0 will creepily dance her way into theaters this June, with Allison Williams reprising her role as the tightly wound toy engineer Gemma. Also set to return are Violet McGraw as her niece, Cady, and English Teacher’s Brian Jordan Alvarez as engineer Cole—who, apparently, did not die in the first film. The plot of M3gan 2.0 is under wraps, but the sequel is being written by M3gan screenwriter, Akela Cooper, so you can expect more of the first film’s campy thriller vibe—and perhaps even another viral dance or two. —CM

F1Premiere Date: June 27
Director: Joseph Kosinski
Noteworthy Cast: Brad Pitt, Javier Bardem, Kerry Condon, Tobias Menzies, Simone Ashley

In recent months, Formula 1 racing fans have spotted Brad Pitt and co. filming scenes at the 2023 British Grand Prix and 2024 Las Vegas Prix for an upcoming movie set in the sports world. Now we know that Pitt plays Sonny Hayes, a new member of the fictional APXGP team that also boasts Javier Bardem on its roster. Top Gun: Maverick’s Joseph Kosinski directs a cast that also includes The Crown’s Tobias Menzies, Bridgerton’s Simone Ashley, Snowfall’s Damson Idris, and The Banshees of Inisherin’s Kerry Condon. Adding to the movie’s F1 bonafides is the fact that record-breaking driver Lewis Hamilton, who has won seven Formula 1 World Drivers’ Championship titles, serves as an executive producer. —Savannah Walsh

From Universal/Everett Collection.

Jurassic World RebirthPremiere Date: July 2
Director: Gareth Edwards
Noteworthy Cast: Scarlett Johansson, Jonathan Bailey, Mahershala Ali, Rupert Friend

For those who haven’t already gazed longingly at the first-look photo of a bespectacled Jonathan Bailey, consider this the official notice that a new Jurassic film is coming. The Bridgerton and Wicked alum stars alongside Scarlett Johansson, Mahershala Ali, Rupert Friend, Bechir Sylvain, and more as members of a team tasked with harvesting vital genetic material from wild dinosaurs that are somehow still roaming the earth seven movies later. Rogue One’s Gareth Edwards directs the new installment from a script by David Koepp, who wrote the 1993 original film that spawned an expansive universe. —SW

Untitled Trey Parker FilmPremiere Date: July 4
Director: Trey Parker
Noteworthy Cast: Kendrick Lamar

Trey Parker and Matt Stone, the lauded comic minds behind South Park and The Book of Mormon, are bringing their warped brand of humor to the big screen once more. Details are sparse on the live-action Independence Day release, other than the fact that Grammy-winning artist Kendrick Lamar, who headlines this year’s Super Bowl half-time show, is involved both in front of and behind the camera. Paramount President and CEO Brian Robbins hyped the film’s release back in April, according to Deadline, declaring: “This script is one of the funniest, craziest and most original” that he’s ever read. —SW

SupermanPremiere Date: July 11
Director: James Gunn
Noteworthy Cast: David Corenswet, Rachel Brosnahan, Nicholas Hoult, Nathan Fillion

The stakes are high for the Man of Steel. After a trail of box office flops for DC Comics characters, including The Flash and Joker: Folie à Deux, James Gunn’s take on Clark Kent marks a rebirth of the DC Universe, as shepherded by the filmmaker in collaboration with fellow chair and CEO of DC Studios, Peter Safran. Following the caped hero’s Man of Steel era, this new phase is led by David Corenswet as Superman, Rachel Brosnahan as Lois Lane, Isabela Merced as Hawkgirl, and Nathan Fillion as Green Lantern. Nicholas Hoult, who lost the role of Batman to Robert Pattinson, will play the villainous Lex Luthor. —SW

The Fantastic Four: First StepsPremiere Date: July 25
Director: Matt Shakman
Noteworthy Cast: Pedro Pascal, Vanessa Kirby, Ebon Moss-Bachrach, Joseph Quinn

Perhaps no set of superheroes has faced a more treacherous path to the big screen than the Fantastic Four. Nevertheless, Marvel has persisted and will be launching a new iteration of the world-saving family directed by WandaVision’s Matt Shakman. Pedro Pascal is the ever stretchy Reed Richards, a.k.a. Mister Fantastic. Vanessa Kirby plays Sue Storm, or the Invisible Woman. Joseph Quinn is Sue’s high-flying brother, Johnny/Human Torch. And Ebon Moss-Bachrach rounds out the central team as Ben Grimm, a.k.a. the rock-like figure known as The Thing. They’re joined by a bevy of intriguing supporting stars including Natasha Lyonne, Julia Garner, Paul Walter Hauser, and John Malkovich. —SW

The Naked GunPremiere Date: August 1
Director: Akiva Schaffer
Noteworthy Cast: Liam Neeson, Pamela Anderson, Paul Walter Hauser

When they began filming this reboot in May of 2024, the working title was Law of Toughness. Neeson feels like a smart choice to play a new iteration of the comically clueless cop that Leslie Nelson made legendary, considering his own history of embodying deadly serious, very angry men. The new film apparently veers somewhat away from the spoof-laden humor of the original movies. —Jeff Giles

Courtesy of Disney

Freakier FridayPremiere Date: August 8
Director: Nisha Ganatra
Noteworthy Cast: Jamie Lee Curtis, Lindsay Lohan, Mark Harmon, Chad Michael Murray

Hold on, you’re saying this is gonna be Freakier than Friday? When Lohan and Curtis switched bodies and learned a little bit along the way? Come on, that was pretty freaky. Lohan’s character, Anna, now has a daughter of her own, and there’s a step-daughter in the offing as well. And Curtis, of course, now has an Oscar. —JG

The Battle of Baktan CrossPremiere Date: August 8
Director: Paul Thomas Anderson
Noteworthy Cast: Leonardo DiCaprio, Regina Hall, Teyana Taylor, and Sean Penn

Leo plus PTA equals an event film. Or at least that’s what Warner Brothers is hoping, having greenlit this movie with a budget north of $100 million—making it far more costly than any other Paul Thomas Anderson film in history. But it’s Leonardo DiCaprio! And Paul Thomas Anderson! Internet rumors have swirled, but nobody has been able to confirm the film’s plot or if it’s based on pre-existing material. Leaked photos from filming do show a disheveled DiCaprio sporting a mustache. There were also photos of a scene being shot outdoors in which Teyana Taylor and DiCaprio appear to be committing a robbery. Warners is hoping to recreate the box office magic of Once Upon a Time… in Hollywood with the midsummer release date of this film. Let’s hope their gambit works. —John Ross

HimPremiere Date: September 19
Director: Justin Tipping
Noteworthy Cast: Marlon Wayans, Tyriq Withers, Julia Fox, Tim Heidecker

That’s a very all-over-the-place cast list, making for a film that’s even more interest-piquing when you learn it’s produced by Jordan Peele—but not directed by him, though the one-word title and creepy premise seems to put the film in line with Peele’s features Us and Nope. This horror film is set in the world of professional sports (its original title was GOAT) and directed by TV vet Justin Tipping, making his major studio debut. Wayans plays an aging NFL quarterback; Withers is his perhaps unwilling protegée. —Hillary Busis

The Bride!Premiere Date: September 26
Director: Maggie Gyllenhaal
Noteworthy Cast: Christian Bale, Jessie Buckley, Penelope Cruz, and Annette Benning

Maggie Gyllenhaal’s follow-up to The Lost Daughter is a take on the classic Bride of Frankenstein story. Also penned by Gyllenhaal, the film tells the tale of Frankenstein’s Monster (played by Christian Bale) attempting to create a bride for himself (played by Jessie Buckley) in 1930s Chicago. Of course, things go awry very quickly when the beast finds he cannot control his creation. Gyllenhaal proved herself to be a formidable director with her first film, and this project, a period piece with fantastical elements, looks like an ambitious step forward for the writer-director. —JR

From Lions Gate/Everett Collection.

MichaelPremiere Date: October 3
Director: Antoine Fuqua
Noteworthy Cast: Jaafar Jackson, Colman Domingo, Miles Teller and Laura Harrier

Originally slated for an April release, this film was pushed to October by its distributor, Lionsgate—perhaps indicating that the studio sees it as an awards contender. Michael is a musical biopic of the King of Pop, with Jermaine Jackson’s son Jaafar Jackson set to play Michael. The film’s been under intense scrutiny since it was announced, with onlookers wondering how Fuqua will handle some of the alleged misconduct that has tainted Jackson’s legacy. (The singer always denied wrongdoing and was acquitted on all charges after being put on trial for alleged abuse in 2005.) A first look was shown to audiences at this year’s Cinemacon, which showcased Jaafar Jackson performing as Michael during his Off The Wall era. Expect the project to be covered to death leading up to its release. —JR

From Walt Disney Co./Everett Collection.

Tron: AresPremiere Date: October 10
Director: Joachim Rønning
Noteworthy Cast: Jared Leto, Evan Peters, Greta Lee, and Jodie Turner-Smith

Jared Leto stars in this stand-alone sequel within the Tron universe. Ares will turn the original premise of Tron on its head, having characters from the video game enter the real world. Director Rønning also told Deadline “this film will be more emotional” than its predecessors. Jeff Bridges is expected to make an appearance, and Trent Reznor’s Nine Inch Nails are composing the score to the film. —JR

Good FortunePremiere Date: October 17
Director: Aziz Ansari
Noteworthy Cast: Aziz Ansari, Keanu Reeves, Seth Rogen, and Sandra Oh

It’s been a rocky road for Aziz Ansari as a film director. His first film, Being Mortal, was forced to shut down due to alleged behavioral issues on set with one of its stars. Ansari then pivoted to Good Fortune, which he has described as a flat-out comedy, and follows the Parks and Rec alum as a down-on-his-luck gig worker who, through a guardian angel played by Keanu Reeves, gets to swap lives with his rich friend, played by Seth Rogen. —JR

BugoniaPremiere Date: November 7
Director: Yorgos Lanthimos
Noteworthy Cast: Emma Stone, Jesse Plemons, Alicia Silverstone

Did Emma Stone shave her head for this movie? Are the rumors true? What won’t she do for director Yorgos Lanthimos? Other than that, little is known about this film, an adaptation of the South Korean Jang Joon-hwan film Save the Green Planet! The plot is apparently centered on two men who kidnap a high-powered CEO who they think might be an alien sent to conquer planet Earth. This time around, Lanthimos has paired himself with former Succession writer Will Tracy—so expect the film to be darkly comedic, but maybe less esoteric than this summer’s Kinds of Kindness. —JR

Now You See Me 3Premiere Date: November 14
Director: Ruben Fleischer
Noteworthy Cast: Jesse Eisenberg, Lizzy Caplan, Dave Franco, Isla Fisher.

That wacky gang of magicians is at it again for the third installment of this heist-centric franchise that consistently does well at the box office. This time, the film is being helmed by Venom and Zombieland director Ruben Fleischer, and a new group of illusionists has been added to the already expansive cast—with Rosamund Pike and Ariana Greenblatt suiting up. —JR

Wicked Part TwoPremiere Date: November 21
Director: Jon M. Chu
Noteworthy Cast: Cynthia Erivo, Ariana Grande, Jonathan Bailey, Michelle Yeoh, Jeff Goldblum

No one mourns the wicked, and they won’t have to gnash their teeth awaiting the second half of this blockbuster musical either. While Broadway patrons only had to make it through an intermission to find out how Elphaba and Glinda’s story dovetails into The Wizard of Oz, the big-screen version gave itself an extra year to complete the tale. While the back half of the Stephen Schwartz fantasy musical is regarded as having fewer sing-along numbers than Act I, the lyricist-composer has crafted two new songs for the second film that will put to rest any singing-in-the-theater controversy (at least for the first few viewings). —Anthony Breznican

The Running ManPremiere Date: November 21
Director: Edgar Wright
Noteworthy Cast: Glen Powell, Josh Brolin

The 1987 Arnold Schwarzenegger action flick was a campy, neon-hued take on one of Stephen King’s earliest novels (originally published under the pen name Richard Bachman). Edgar Wright’s new adaptation promises to stick closer to King’s dystopian roots, although the filmmaker is known for adding his own subversive sense of humor to his work. While the earlier film costarred Family Feud host Richard Dawson as the unctuous host of a live-TV broadcast in which desperate people fight for their lives (and prizes!) in fatal gladiatorial combat, the new version has brought Josh Brolin aboard as the ringleader of this bloody show. In our era of humiliation-rich reality TV, The Running Man is still ahead of its time. —AB

Avatar: Fire and AshPremiere Date: December 19
Director: James Cameron
Noteworthy Cast: Sam Worthington, Zoe Saldaña

In the second Avatar film, the forest dwelling Na’vi leaders sought refuge from their water-dwelling brethren. But in this third installment to the otherworldly saga, James Cameron dials up the heat by sending them into the realm of creatures like themselves who dwell amid lava flows. The full story of this sequel hasn’t yet been revealed, but Cameron has already declared it the middle chapter in a five-movie arc that will complete the series. —AB

Deliver Me From NowherePremiere Date: Undated
Director: Scott Cooper
Noteworthy Cast: Jeremy Allen White, Jeremy Strong, Paul Walter Hauser

Based on Warren Zanes’s 2023 book of the same name, this drama explores the making of Bruce Springsteen’s landmark 1982 album, Nebraska. A fusion of roots and rock, pared down to the barest essentials of both forms, the album helped solidify Springsteen as a blue-collar troubadour. The Bear’s Jeremy Allen White plays the singer-songwriter as he holes up in a farmhouse to craft that legendary collection of songs, while Jeremy Strong plays his manager Jon Landau, and Paul Walter Hauser plays the guitar tech Mike Batlan, who helped him record the sessions. —AB

Courtesy of Ken Woroner/Netflix.

FrankensteinPremiere Date: Undated
Director: Guillermo del Toro
Noteworthy Cast: Oscar Isaac, Jacob Elordi, Mia Goth, Christoph Waltz

This is the movie Guillermo del Toro has wanted to make for most of his life. It’s an adaptation of Mary Shelley’s gothic novel but delivers many twists from the Pan’s Labyrinth and Shape of Water filmmaker’s own sprawling imagination. Oscar Isaac stars as the doctor who longs to play God, while Jacob Elordi is the monster he revives from the remains of the dead. Mia Goth plays the woman who captivates them both, while Waltz is the money man who funds this unholy research. The story is a mediation on fatherhood and legacy, and the darkest downturns that both can take. —AB

FREDERIC BATIER.

Mother MaryPremiere Date: Undated
Director: David Lowery
Noteworthy Cast: Anne Hathaway, Michaela Coel, Hunter Schafer, Kaia Gerber

When I find myself in times of trouble, David Lowery comes to me—speaking words of divas, played by the likes of Anne Hathaway and Michaela Coel. The Green Knight director’s latest A24 joint features Hathaway as the titular character, a pop star, and Coel as a fashion designer. It’s also a full-fledged musical boasting tunes by actual pop royalty Jack Antonoff and Charli XCX. What else should we expect? Well, even Lowery may not really know. “I’m in the edit right now and I have been wondering, ‘What is this movie?’” the filmmaker said on a podcast this summer. “I know what I set out to make, and that is indeed what I’ve made, but it is so wild. It is a movie that will provoke, I am sure, a lot of strong feelings, in every possible direction.” —HB

The Ballad of a Small PlayerPremiere Date: Undated
Director: Edward Berger
Noteworthy Cast: Colin Farrell, Tilda Swinton

Conclave director Edward Berger has a similarly starry follow-up film coming: this adaptation of Lawrence Osborne’s 2014 novel, focused on a British gambler (Farrell) who comes across an intriguing stranger (Swinton, who may as well have those words tattooed on her forehead) in Macau. The film will debut on Netflix, previously home to Berger’s Oscar-winning 2022 take on All Quiet on the Western Front. —HB

Courtesy of Atsushi Nishijima.

MaterialistsPremiere Date: Undated
Director: Celine Song
Noteworthy Cast: Dakota Johnson, Chris Evans, Pedro Pascal

A Celine Song love-triangle drama? Don’t mind if we do! The Past Lives writer-director returns to that fruitful premise for her next feature, starring Dakota Johnson as a matchmaker and a pair of certified internet boyfriends as the men vying for her heart. If Song’s husband, Challengers writer Justin Kuritzkes, convinced her to include a scene in which Pedro Pascal eats a churro, TikTok may well actually explode. —HB

By LUKA CYPRIAN/Bleecker Street.

The Wedding BanquetPremiere Date: Undated
Director: Andrew Ahn
Noteworthy Cast: Lily Gladstone, Kelly Marie Tran, Bowen Yang, Han Gi-chan

Ang Lee broke ground with 1993’s The Wedding Banquet, a rare queer-focused romantic comedy featuring a mostly Taiwanese cast. Andrew Ahn puts a modern twist on the original in this remake, which focuses on two queer couples who find themselves involved in an elaborate, nuptial-themed deception. “The four of us claimed each other so quickly. There’s space for everybody to try things, to have fun, to just bounce off of each other,” Gladstone told David Canfield for his exclusive first look at the film. “If I were to put a word around it, it’s ‘precious.’ Everybody feels precious to each other.”—HB

From Apple TV/Everett Collection.

The GorgePremiere Date: Undated
Director: Scott Derrickson
Noteworthy Cast: Miles Teller, Anya Taylor-Joy

The stars of Top Gun: Maverick and Furiosa know a thing or two about meticulously planned action sequences. They’ll put that information to good use in this Apple TV+ action flick from the director of Doctor Strange, centered on a pair of snipers tasked with defending the title location (where, of course, nothing is as it seems). “For one set piece, we had a WWII Willys Jeep pulled up the side of a rock wall while under attack,” Derrickson tells VF. “Miles and Anya did most of their own stunts while attached to safety wires.” —HB

Wake Up Dead Man: a Knives Out MysteryPremiere Date: Undated
Director: Rian Johnson
Noteworthy Cast: Daniel Craig, Josh O’Connor, Glenn Close, Josh Brolin, Mila Kunis, Jeremy Renner, Kerry Washington

Is any season more exciting than Knives Out sequel casting season? Like the original and its first sequel, Glass Onion, this Benoit Blanc mystery has assembled an impressive array of A-listers; though other details are being kept close to the vest, set photos indicate that the new mystery may revolve around the clergy. The only thing we really need to see, though, is the return of Hugh Grant as Blanc’s regular-guy live-in partner, Phillip. —HB

Untitled Noah Baumbach PicturePremiere Date: Undated
Director: Noah Baumbach
Noteworthy Cast: George Clooney, Adam Sandler, Riley Keough, Laura Dern, Billy Crudup, Patrick Wilson, Greta Gerwig

Phew! Baumbach’s giving Rian Johnson a run for his money in terms of starry ensembles, for another highly anticipated Netflix project—one the Marriage Story filmmaker and scribe cowrote with the very funny writer-actress Emily Mortimer. Though that’s about all we know about the film so far, it does seem encouraging to see that it’s stacked with actors who have worked with Baumbach to great effect before, including Adam Sandler, Laura Dern, and, of course, his partner and Barbie collaborator, Greta Gerwig. —HB

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