It’s a new year, which means there’s a whole new set of movies to get excited about watching, especially after the runaway success of the Keke Palmer and SZA-led buddy-comedy film One of Them Days.
But with so many movies coming out, from action thrillers like Ballerina to adventure comedies such as A Minecraft Movie, what are the match-watches of the year? It can be difficult figuring out what’s hot and what’s not, what’s worth the time and what’s a waste of time. So, we sifted through quite a few dozen trailers and releases for movies dropping over the next 11 months to tease out the best of the best, and ultimately, we landed on a solid 30 films you should absolutely put on your watchlist in 2025.
So, let’s just get right into it. These are Complex’s choices for the 30 most anticipated movies coming out in 2025. Are there any films you’re stoked about that we might’ve missed? Let us know in the comments.
Release Date: May 30
Cast: Jackie Chan, Ralph Macchio, Ben Wang, Joshua Jackson, Shaunette Renée Wilson
Director(s): Jonathan Entwistle
Distributor(s): Sony Pictures Releasing
The Karate Kid is back, but not quite as you remember him.
In the first film in the franchise following 2010’s The Karate Kid, Legends introduces martial artist prodigy Li Fong (Ben Wang), who lands in New York City with his mom after an unfortunate family tragedy. Burdened by his past and struggling to fit in, Fong enters a martial arts tournament with the help of Mr. Han (Jackie Chan) and the OG karate kid Daniel LaRusso (Ralph Macchio)—all in an attempt to overcome his old self and emerge anew while winning the competition. You can expect high-flying kicks, lots of drama, and philosophical platitudes soaked in Chinese historicism. It looks sick!
And if you’re into Cobra Kai, which serves as a sequel to the 1984 Karate Kid, then there may be some familiarity and surprises as Legends takes place three years after Cobra Kai’s final season. — Levi Winslow
Release Date: October 17
Cast: Keanu Reeves, Aziz Ansari, Seth Rogen, Keke Palmer, Sandra Oh
Director(s): Aziz Ansari
Distributor(s): Lionsgate Films
Aziz Ansari doesn’t do anything halfway. In his directorial debut, he’s assembled an all-star cast to bring big comedies back to the silver screen. “We had f*cking Keanu, man,” he emphasized at CinemaCon.
In Good Fortune, Ansari plays a hapless man doing odd jobs for a filthy-rich tech bro (played by Seth Rogen) at his home in the Hollywood Hills. That’s a pretty sh*tty life, but the effervescent Reeves stars as a guardian angel determined to prove to Ansari that life is worth living—and if that means a Freaky Friday body swap with Rogen, well…so be it.
Early reviews from CinemaCon say that Good Fortune had the theater in stitches, cementing it as one of the year’s most-anticipated comedies. With an absurdly fun—and funny—premise, a powerhouse cast, and Keanu Reeves playing a damn angel, how could it not be? — Brighid Tully
Release Date: March 28
Cast: Paul Rudd, Jenna Ortega, Will Poulter, Téa Leoni, Richard E. Grant
Director(s): Alex Scharfman
Distributor(s): A24
A24 is known for some wild films. Remember Lamb? Tusk? Even with those movies in mind, Death of a Unicorn looks like its wildest yet.
The film centers on a father and daughter (Paul Rudd and Jenna Ortega) who accidentally kills a unicorn with their car while driving to a weekend retreat. When they arrive at the retreat with their unicorn roadkill in tow, the wealthy elite at the event decide to capitalize on the creature’s restorative properties, mixing the powder of the unicorn horn into cocktails and finding a cure for cancer.
You can guess where the allegory is going for the trailer, but you probably aren’t expecting the arrival of a demonic unicorn to hunt everyone there.
With plenty of laugh-out-loud lines in the trailer (Jenna Ortega’s delivery of “It’s a f*cking unicorn” is priceless), Death of a Unicorn promises to combine sardonic humor with a one-of-a-kind creature feature for one-of-the-year’s most original films. We love originality. — Brent Ervin-Eickhoff
Release Date: October 10
Cast: Jared Leto, Evan Peters, Greta Lee, Jodie Turner-Smith, Cameron Monaghan
Director(s): Joachim Rønning
Distributor(s): Walt Disney Pictures, Paradox, TSG Entertainment
It’s been 15 years since Tron: Legacy hit theaters featuring stellar 3D effects and an electrifying soundtrack by the legendary duo Daft Punk. While it wasn’t the smash success initially that Disney was hoping for, Legacy became a cult hit post-release much like its predecessor, Tron.
In 2025, newcomers Jared Leto, Evan Peters, Sara Desjardins, and Cameron Monaghan enter The Grid, with OG Tron mainstay Jeff Bridges returning to join the ensemble cast as well. Plot details are sparse; all we know is a super-advanced program named Ares is sent from the digital world to the real world on a dangerous mission. A fantastic detail, though, is that the score will be produced by industrial rock icons Nine Inch Nails (with the movie scored by legends Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross). — Jamie Iovine
Release Date: August 8
Cast: Jamie Lee Curtis, Lindsay Lohan, Chad Michael Murray, Mark Harmon, Julia Butters
Director(s): Nisha Ganatra
Distributor(s): Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures
Mary Rodgers’ 1972 children’s novel has been incredibly fruitful for Disney, spawning everything from TV movies to a Broadway musical. With Freakier Friday (a follow-up to 2003’s Freaky Friday) on the way, it looks like the seventh installment in the body-swapping family comedy is going to be just as fun as previous iterations.
Reprising their roles as mother and daughter are Jamie Lee Curtis and Lindsay Lohan, who’s been slowly staging a career comeback in recent years. In this sequel, Lohan’s character, Anna, has a daughter and will soon have a stepdaughter joining the family, too. All of this is ripe for all kinds of body-swapping antics, with even more lessons to be learned as the family navigates their literal (and figurative) merge.
Disney has been doing a good job of capitalizing on beloved IP as of late, with Inside Out 2 showing that sequels can be as good as their original films. Beyond that, Lohan is on the record about a Freaky Friday sequel stating, “We would only make something that people would absolutely adore.” From Lindsay’s lips to The Mouse’s ears. — BEE
Release Date: April 11
Cast: D’Pharaoh Woon-A-Tai, Will Poulter, Cosmo Jarvis, Kit Connor, Finn Bennett
Director(s): Ray Mendoza, Alex Garland
Distributor(s): A24
If you thought Alex Garland’s Civil War or Annihilation had intensity, wait until you see what he’s cooked up with Warfare. Co-written and directed alongside Navy Seal veteran Ray Mendoza, this A24-backed war film isn’t just another action-heavy Hollywood feature; it’s personal, based on Mendoza’s real-life experiences during the Iraq War.
The stars in the movie are also another reason to be excited; A24 did not play around, assembling a roster of some of today’s most in-demand talent: Joseph Quinn (Stranger Things), Will Poulter (The Bear), Cosmo Jarvis (Shogun), D’Pharaoh Woon-A-Tai (Reservation Dogs), Charles Melton (May December)—we could keep going. Whether you’re a Garland fan, a war film buff, or just someone who appreciates top-tier cinema, Warfare is on this list for a reason. — Jacob Kramer
Release Date: May 9
Cast: Kelvin Harrison Jr., Halle Bailey, Da’Vine Joy Randolph, Brian Tyree Henry, Quinta Brunson
Director(s): Michel Gondry
Distributor(s): Universal Pictures
Inspired by Virginia Beach’s Atlantic Apartments, Golden is a coming-of-age musical directed by Michael Gondry (Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind), and co-produced by Pharrell (who’s also writing some of the film’s music.)
There isn’t much information on the plot, but the cast list is attention-grabbing in and of itself: Kelvin Harrison Jr., Halle Bailey, and Quinta Bronson, as well as hip-hop notables such as Missy Elliot, Andre 3000, and Anderson Paak. With an ensemble cast like this, you know we’re very much keeping tabs on what this film’s all about. — JI
Release Date: October 3
Cast: Jaafar Jackson, Colman Domingo, Nia Long, Miles Teller, Laura Harrier
Director(s): Antoine Fuqua
Distributor(s): Lionsgate, Universal Pictures
Director Antoine Fuqua has been tasked with doing what nobody has been able to do before or after the death of the King of Pop: tell the life and career of Michael Jackson.
There have been some attempts on the small screen which mostly—if not all—have led to disaster (remember when they cast a white guy?), but with a cast featuring the likes of Miles Teller, Nia Long, and the nephew of Michael Jackson himself, Jaafar Jackson playing the sequined-glove phenom, this could finally be the project Jackson fans have long awaited.
We have only seen a few screenshots of the production, and what was the original release date of April 18 has since been moved to October 3 due to the entire third act having to be reshot because of a recently discovered legal clause that the film can’t showcase the alleged assault victim from 1993. The Jackson estate claims that the movie, despite this, is not in turmoil, and they look forward to its release. Well, we are, too. — JI
Release Date: April 4
Cast: Pedro Pascal, Jay Ellis, Normani, Dominique Thorne, Ben Mendelsohn
Director(s): Anna Boden, Ryan Fleck
Distributor(s): Lionsgate
Not much is known about the plot, or plots, of Freaky Tales, but judging from the strength of the cast alone, this project has the potential to stand out in 2025.
The brief description talks about four different interconnected stories set in 1987 Oakland, CA about “the love of music, movies, people, places, and memories beyond our knowable universe.” Featuring performances from stellar names such as Pedro Pascal, Ben Mendelsohn, Tom Hanks, Normani, and the last feature film performance of the late Angus Cloud, Freaky Tales has the recipe to be an engaging anthology film. — JI
Release Date: March 14
Cast: Ayo Edebiri, John Malkovich, Juliette Lewis, Murray Bartlett, Amber Midthunder
Director(s): Mark Anthony Green
Distributor(s): A24
Ayo, it’s Ayo!
Sorry, we had to because Ayo Edebiri is a shining star in the new class of Hollywood talent, topping the top 10 of Complex’s best actors list of 2024. And for good reason; Edebiri can really act her damn ass off! That was evidenced in projects like Abbot Elementary, Bottoms, Dickinson, and The Bear. And now she’s back in a thriller that looks absolutely thrilling.
Opus stars Edebiri as Ariel Ecton, a young writer who gets to visit the remote compound of a pop star who disappeared 30 years ago. It’s an A24 thriller joint, so be prepared for all kinds of creepy and spooky shenanigans as Ecton finds herself trapped in the middle of a cult obsessed with and oblivious to (or maybe in on?) Alfred Moretti’s (John Malkovich) twisted plan. Despite the lighthearted trailer, the sinister undertones seriously get the hairs on our necks standing up. — LW
Release Date: April 4
Cast: Jack Black, Jason Momoa, Emma Myers, Danielle Brooks, Jennifer Coolidge
Director(s): Jared Hess
Distributor(s): Warner Bros. Pictures
Do you know what an “isekai” is? It’s Japanese for “another world,” but in terms of artistic expression, it’s a subgenre of fiction in which characters are transported to a world totally unlike our own.
That is A Minecraft Movie.
The goofy film sees four misfits—Garrett “The Garbage Man” Garrison (Jason Momoa), Henry (Sebastian Hansen), Natalie (Emma Myers), and Dawn (Danielle Brooks)—sucked into a portal to the Overworld, the dimension where players in Minecraft (Mojang Studios’ 2011 adventure sandbox game) begin their journey. This oddball troupe teams up with expert crafter Steve (Jack Black) to protect the Overworld from evil, find their way home, and reconnect with their creative side.
It’s Jack Black, so you know it’s going to be funny. And surprisingly, despite being a hunk, Jason Momoa has quite a few funny bones in his well-sculpted body. It looks like it’ll capture the extemporaneous hilarity of the game, which should make for a great time for folks familiar with Minecraft and a good primer for others who have never played the game in their life. Grab your pickaxe. — LW
Release Date: June 6
Cast: Ana de Armas, Gabriel Byrne, Lance Reddick, Norman Reedus, Keanu Reeves
Director(s): Len Wiseman
Distributor(s): Lionsgate
Vengeance never looked so graceful.
Taking place in between John Wick: Chapter 3 and John Wick: Chapter 4, Ballerina is essentially the same kind of narrative but with a young ballet dancer-turned-assassin instead of a hitman. The ballerina, Eve Macarro (Ana de Armas), sets out to kill the people who killed her dad. It’s very typical revenge tale type of stuff right here.
If you’re familiar with the Wickverse, then you know what to expect: blood, shootouts, fights, more blood, more shootouts, more fights—all soundtracked to a trumping score and shot with intricate detail to make sure you see every bullet pierce the skull and every arm broken in half. It’s brutal, it’s gruesome, and it’s just the way we like it.
And, of course, you get to see Keanu Reeves don the magnificently tailored suit of the Baba Yaga once more. This is wonderful to see, considering Reeves doesn’t know if he can kill again. — LW
Release Date: November 21
Cast: Cynthia Erivo, Ariana Grande, Jeff Goldblum, Michelle Yeoh, Jonathan Bailey
Director(s): Jon M. Chu
Distributor(s): Universal Pictures
Rebranded from Wicked: Part 2 (good call), Wicked: For Good is the sequel to 2024’s Wicked. A clever musical take on the origin story of The Wizard of Oz’s Wicked Witch of the West, Wicked was a record-breaking box-office juggernaut, earning $717.4 million globally to become the highest-grossing musical film of all time.
While some pundits are theorizing that a lack of notable songs like “Defying Gravity” and “Popular” may mean Wicked: For Good rakes in less from theatergoers, they fail to recognize the 2024 film’s real draw: the powerful performances and chemistry of its Elphaba (Cynthia Erivo) and Glinda (Ariana Grande).
With both actors back for more in 2025 (and the titular song “For Good” being a real tearjerker), we wouldn’t bet against Wicked: For Good. — BEE
Release Date: June 27
Cast: Brad Pitt, Damson Idris, Kerry Condon, Javier Bardem, Shea Whigham
Director(s): Joseph Kosinski
Distributor(s): Warner Bros. Pictures, Apple Original Films/Apple TV+
What Top Gun: Maverick did for fighter jets, we hope that F1 does for Formula One cars, as Maverick director Joseph Kosinski helms the massive Apple Films project. And when we mean massive, we’re talking about a reported staggering $300 million production budget that featured the movie’s production standing up a fictional F1 team to race alongside real teams like Ferrari and drivers such as Lews Hamilton.
F1’s plot centers on a veteran driver (Brad Pitt) trying to give it one last go alongside a determined rookie (Damson Idris), but the real attraction seems to be hearing, seeing, and feeling what it’s like to be behind the wheel of the fastest car in motorsports. Gotta go fast. — William Goodman
Release Date: 2025
Cast: Dwayne Johnson, Emily Blunt, Lyndsey Gavin, Oleksandr Usyk, Bas Rutten
Director(s): Benny Safdie
Distributor(s): A24
Garnering the accolades of The Highest Paid Actor in 2019 and 2020, and multi-time WWE Champion, Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson looks to add one more title to his resume: Oscar Winner.
Based on the legendary wrestler/MMA fighter Mark Kerr, Johnson has teamed with A24 to bring the legendary tough man to life. Emily Blunt also joins the project as Kerr’s then-wife, Dawn Staples. A24 is known to bring out the artistic side in its featured actors (look no further than Iron Claw’s Zac Efron), and this could be a huge shift in Johnson’s career as he captures the tumultuous life of one of the best to ever do it in the octagon. We haven’t seen a trailer or any footage just yet, but the on-set pictures of Johsnon as Kerr show he has truly transformed—at least aesthetically. — JI
Release Date: November 14
Cast: Jesse Eisenberg, Mark Ruffalo, Woody Harrelson, Dave Franco, Isla Fisher
Director(s): Ruben Fleischer
Distributor(s): Lionsgate Films
It’s been nine years since the second installment of the Now You See Me franchise, and news of the Four Horseman was scarce as the 2010s came to a close. But this November, the gang is getting back together (yes, including Isla Fisher!) for another heist.
Producer Adam Kurtzman told Screenrant that the threequel is, “In many ways…about a new generation and an old generation coming together.” While we don’t know much about the plot yet, it’s safe to assume there’ll be sleights of hand, illusions, and a disgruntled Mark Ruffalo. — BT
Release Date: July 2
Cast: Scarlett Johansson, Mahershala Ali, Jonathan Bailey, Rupert Friend, Manuel Garcia-Rulfo
Director(s): Gareth Edwards
Distributor(s): Universal Pictures
Dinosaurs are cool. That’s just a fact. But the Jurassic franchise needed a shake-up, and Rebirth is bringing it in the best way possible.
David Koepp, the original Jurassic Park screenwriter, is back after 30 years, ensuring this new era and storyline carries the DNA of what made the original a classic. Then there’s Scarlett Johansson, Mahershala Ali, Jonathan Bailey, and more—an incredibly stacked roster of faces ready to lead the charge into uncharted prehistoric territory. But the thing that has us most hyped about this film is Gareth Edwards (Rogue One, Godzilla, The Creator) is directing. That man is Himothy, and he always delivers—in scale, story, and sauce. We’ve enjoyed everything he’s done recently, and we believe this will live up to expectations. In Gareth, we trust. — JK
Release Date: 2025
Cast: Daniel Craig, Josh O’Connor, Cailee Spaeny, Andrew Scott, Kerry Washington
Director(s): Rian Johnson
Distributor(s): Netflix
While we don’t know a lot about Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery, the latest Rian Johnson-whodunnit, there’s still plenty to get excited about.
Daniel Craig’s beloved Benoit Blanc will be joined by a roster of exciting new talent (Caille Spaeny, Josh O’Connor) and plenty of beloved veterans (Glenn Close, Josh Brolin, Mila Kunis, Jeremy Renner, Thomas Haden Church, and Kerry Washington) for quite the star-studded cast. The name of the film is another song title, this time from U2’s The Joshua Tree, and seems to be the harbinger of a darker tone—maybe in the vein of Agatha Christie’s Hallowe’en Party. Let’s hope it gets some form of theatrical release before it hits Netflix. — WG
Release Date: July 11
Cast: David Corenswet, Rachel Brosnahan, Nicholas Hoult, Edi Gathegi, Nathan Fillion
Director(s): James Gunn
Distributor(s): Warner Bros. Pictures
A lot is riding on James Gunn’s Superman.
The second reboot of the Man of Steel in over a decade, the film will properly kick off DC’s second attempt at an interconnected universe, all spearheaded by Gunn himself. At this stage, however, there’s plenty to be excited over, including three picture-perfect castings in David Corenswet as Superman, Rachel Brosnahan as Lois Lane, and Nicholas Hoult as Lex Luthor. Combine that with imagery and a tone that evokes some of the canonical best Superman comic book tales, and it looks like the new DCU might be off to a roaring start, but we’ll find out for sure this summer. — WG
Release Date: March 7
Cast: Robert Pattinson, Holliday Grainger, Naomi Ackie, Toni Collette, Mark Ruffalo
Director(s): Bong Joon-ho
Distributor(s): Warner Bros. Pictures
Bong Joon-ho made history at the 2020 Oscars when Parasite was the first foreign-language film to win Best Picture, and his first film since 2019 is shaping up to offer similar darkly comedic gut punches.
Based on the Edward Ashton novel Mickey7, Mickey 17 tells the story of Mickey Barnes, a man wanting to escape Earth by signing up to be an expendable employee who’s regenerated after the former version dies. Starring Robert Pattinson (who’s no stranger to high-concept fare after films like The Lighthouse and Tenet), Mickey 17 isn’t just one of the most anticipated films of 2025—it might also be the easiest early pick for an Oscar contender, too. — BEE
Release Date: June 20
Cast: Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Jodie Comer, Ralph Fiennes, Jack O’Connell
Director(s): Danny Boyle
Distributor(s): Sony Pictures Releasing
Some movies fade into history. But 28 Days Later, the cult-classic 2003 zombie film, infected the culture and never left. Now, with 28 Years Later, Danny Boyle has returned to the director’s chair, ensuring this long-awaited sequel isn’t just another zombie flick—it’s a full-blown event.
In true Boyle fashion, he’s pushing boundaries, filming the entire movie on an iPhone to make the horror feel even more disturbingly real. Cillian Murphy, who carried the franchise on his back before he was well known, is back—this time behind the scenes as an executive producer, making sure the film stays true to its roots. At a time when the horror genre has leaned into the supernatural, 28 Years Later is a reminder of something far scarier: the sheer, relentless terror of an enemy that never stops running.
If you thought 28 Days Later was bad, just wait until you see what nearly three decades of infection looks like. — JK
Release Date: July 25
Cast: Pedro Pascal, Vanessa Kirby, Joseph Quinn, Ebon Moss-Bachrach, Ralph Ineson
Director(s): Matt Shakman
Distributor(s): Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures
Is the third time the charm? Because we’ve been down this road before.
In the mid-aughts, Marvel released two Fantastic Four movies to commercial success and mixed reviews. An attempt to reboot the franchise in 2015 went horribly wrong, and any future films were shelved.
This new movie, First Steps, will be the first time we’ve seen the team in a decade. They’ll be taking on Galactus, eater of planets, and if you watch it, stick around for the post-credits; there are rumors that Robert Downey, Jr. will debut in his new MCU role as Doctor Doom. — Kevin Wong
Release Date: February 14
Cast: Anthony Mackie, Danny Ramirez, Shira Haas, Carl Lumbly, Harrison Ford
Director(s): Julius Onah
Distributor(s): Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures
“You’re not Steve Rogers.” President Thaddeus Ross (Harrison Ford) sneers to Sam Wilson (Anthony Mackie) under his breath.
For the past six years (four, if you watched the Disney+ series The Falcon and the Winter Soldier), we’ve been waiting for the new Captain America to take flight. And judging from the trailer, it looks like he’ll be investigating a terrorist attack on the President.
Historically, the Captain America movies have been the most acclaimed and grounded of all the MCU solo projects. The intrigue around black ops, secret societies, and complex moral choices drives these films forward. And this movie seems to be similarly grounded—at least until Red Hulk goes on a tear and destroys the White House. — KW
Release Date: May 16
Cast: Abel Tesfaye, Jenna Ortega, Barry Keoghan
Director(s): Trey Edward Shults
Distributor(s): Lionsgate
We don’t know a whole lot about Hurry Up Tomorrow, but here’s what we do know: It’s a “musically driven psychological thriller” starring Jenna Ortega and Barry Keoghan. It’s also inspired by The Weeknd’s new album (out now) by the same name and directed by Trey Edward Shults, the filmmaker behind Waves and It Comes at Night. Not gonna lie, that’s a lot of star power.
Still. the plot of the film is unknown, so we’re flying blind here, but the titillation is half of the fun with this one. And since we’re talking most anticipated films, Hurry Up Tomorrow is definitely one that fans—and the team here at Complex—are all eagerly waiting for. — BT
Release Date: December 19
Cast: Sam Worthington, Zoe Saldaña, Sigourney Weaver, Stephen Lang, Kate Winslet
Director(s): James Cameron
Distributor(s): 20th Century Studios
Don’t ever doubt James Cameron.
While it took audiences over a decade to get the hot-anticipated follow-up to Avatar, 2022’s The Way of Water proved the legendary director still had the goods and that the film would be well worth the wait. This winter will deliver the third movie, Fire and Ash, which Cameron promises will push deeper into the emotionality of Jake Sully and his Na’vi family. Combine that with continued refinement of special effects that literally make you feel like you’re in another world, and we can’t wait a return to Pandora. — WG
Release Date: April 18
Cast: Michael B. Jordan, Hailee Steinfeld, Jack O’Connell, Wunmi Mosaku, Delroy Lindo
Director(s): Ryan Coogler
Distributor(s): Warner Bros. Pictures
Ryan Coogler and Michael B. Jordan are collaborating once again—this time on a horror film in which Jordan plays identical twins who return to their hometown and are attacked by vampires.
It takes place in early 20th century Mississippi—right around the time that the blues was born in the Mississippi Delta. So, it’s a period drama as well as a horror film. In the trailer, you can see Jordan firing a period-accurate Tommy gun, complete with a drum magazine. After so many high-budget outings, it’ll be fun to watch Coogler get back to the gritty basics. — KW
Release Date: Summer 2025
Cast: Denzel Washington, Ilfenesh Hadera, Jeffrey Wright, Ice Spice, ASAP Rocky
Director(s): Spike Lee
Distributor(s): A24, Apple Original Films/Apple TV+
The last time Spike Lee remade an Asian film, it was neither a critical nor a commercial success. But then again, the original South Korean Oldboy was nearly perfect, and Spike’s remake had nothing left to improve upon. Perhaps he’ll have better luck with Highest 2 Lowest.
This is a remake of the 1963 Japanese film High and Low, a crime thriller about white-collar crime and extortion. At least it won’t suffer from contemporary comparisons. Plus, Spike got Denzel Washington to sign on, which is excellent; Denzel hasn’t been in a Spike Lee joint since 2006 when he starred in Inside Man alongside Clive Owen and Jodie Foster. — KW
Release Date: May 23
Cast: Tom Cruise, Simon Pegg, Hayley Atwell, Vanessa Kirby, Ving Rhames
Director(s): Christopher McQuarrie
Distributor(s): Paramount Pictures
Is this the end for Ethan Hunt?
That certainly seems to be how Paramount is marketing the latest installment in Tom Cruise’s long-running Mission: Impossible franchise—right down to the film’s title and tone of the first trailer. If it’s indeed the end of the road for Hunt, it sounds like audiences are going out on a high note. A recent report from an initial screening had an audience member saying they felt as if they were “suffocating” throughout the film’s big stunt setpiece. We choose to accept that this Mission is going to be a full-on banger worthy of seeing on the biggest IMAX screen possible. — WG
Release Date: 2025
Cast: Adam Sandler, Margaret Qualley, Ben Stiller, Julie Bowen, Christopher McDonald
Director(s): Kyle Newacheck
Distributor(s): Netflix
Happy Gilmore ranks as one of Adam Sandler’s greatest movies ever — and for good reason. The role of a hockey-player-turned-golfer is perfect for an actor who can find comedy in foul-mouthed, fish-out-of-water characters, and Sandler’s deal with Netflix means fans of the ‘96 comedy get to see what misadventures Happy gets into in another sports comedy this year.
With Christopher McDonald, Dennis Dugan, Julie Bowen, and Ben Stiller reprising their roles alongside Sandler (not to mention cameos ranging from Travis Kelce to Eminem), Happy Gilmore 2 promises to deliver much of the same laughs when the film drops. RIP Bob Barker. — BEE
Release Date: July 4
Cast: N/A
Director(s): Trey Parker
Distributor(s): Paramount Pictures
This upcoming, untitled movie, which South Park creators Trey Parker and Matt Stone are co-producing with Kendrick Lamar and David Free, is a doozy: A Black man works in a living history museum as a slave reenactor discovers that his white girlfriend’s family used to own his ancestors. Oof.
Whenever the South Park boys run with an idea, it sounds, on paper, like a dangerous tightrope to walk. But for three decades, Parker and Stone have been proving the “could-never-be-made today” naysayers wrong; you actually can joke about anything, so long as you’re smart and you make it funny. — KW
