2025is finally here. For movie lovers everywhere, that means a couple of different things. For one, it means that awards season is officially in full swing, with speculation continuing to grow regarding which movies from the past year will emerge triumphant. On the other hand, the start of the new year also means that the time has come to begin looking ahead to what moviegoers can expect to see in theaters over the next twelve months, with2025 seeing some highly anticipated sequelshitting screens.
This year is already shaping up to be a huge year formovies, with many exciting movies set to make their debut to audiences around the world and othermajor movie franchises returning in 2025.Among these upcoming franchise releases aremany sequels with absolutely staggering budgets. These big-budget,upcoming 2025 movie sequelsare sure to make quite a splash at the box office in 2025. Of course, it is also worth noting that several sequels which are sure to be quite expensive (such asZootopia 2andTron: Ares) have not yet announced their budgets, and thus will not be included.
Avatar: Fire and Ash
Cast
Avatar: Fire and Ash is a 2025 science fiction film continuing the saga of Pandora. Jake Sully and Neytiri confront a formidable new enemy, the Ash People, led by Varang. Struggling with personal loss and external threats, they strive to protect their family and Pandora’s future.
No discussion of high-budget franchises would be complete without mentioning James Cameron’s Oscar-winningAvatarseries. Thus far, there have only been two installments in the franchise, but they have already earned well over five million dollars at the box office worldwide.
These films may have absolutely massive budgets, butthey certainly don’t fail to deliver, with both installments thus far ranking among the highest-grossing movies of all time. With a budget of $250 million, James Cameron and his team appear to be very confident that the next addition,Avatar: Fire and Ash, will continue the trend of financial success.
25 Most Anticipated Movies Of 2025
2025 has plenty of exciting films to offer with Mission: Impossible, DC, Marvel, Avatar, and more returning. Here are our 25 most anticipated movies.
The third film in the franchise will feature the return of Sam Worthington, Zoe Saldaña, Sigourney Weaver, and various other consistent members of the cast. With the title,Avatar: Fire and Ash,fans are very excited to see what new sides of Pandora will be explored, with the film likely to occur in a setting much different from that of its predecessor,Avatar: The Way of Water.
Captain America: Brave New World
Captain America: Brave New World (formerly titledNew World Order)marks Sam Wilson’s first MCU big-screen appearance as Steve Rogers' successor after receiving the suit and shield in Phase 4’s The Falcon and the Winter Soldier. Anthony Mackie returns as the titular Avenger alongside Danny Ramirez as Joaquin Torres, Carl Lumby as Isaiah Bradley, and Tim Blake Nelson as The Incredible Hulk’s former ally Samuel Sterns. Harrison Ford makes his MCU debut replacing the late William Hurt as Thaddeus Ross.After meeting President Thaddeus Ross, Sam is caught in a global crisis. He must expose the mastermind behind a sinister plot before the world descends into turmoil. Captain America: Brave New World marks the big-screen debut of Sam Wilson as Captain America, and Harrison Ford makes his MCU debut, replacing the late William Hurt as Thaddeus Ross.
The Marvel Cinematic Universe typically spares no expense, and their first feature film of 2025 is looking like it will be no exception. Set to release on February 14,Captain America: Brave New Worldis reportedly being made on a budget of around $350-375 million, which would place itamong the most expensive movies the MCU has ever made.
Captain America: Brave New Worldwill be the first feature-length project to star Sam Wilson’s version of Captain America, as portrayed by Anthony Mackie.
The upcoming film will be the fourth installment in theCaptain Americafranchise, following 2016’sCaptain America: Civil War, although the titular hero has appeared in other MCU projects in between.Captain America: Brave New Worldwill be the first feature-length project to star Sam Wilson’s version of Captain America, as portrayed by Anthony Mackie.
The film will serve asa follow-up to the events of the Disney+ series,The Falcon and the Winter Soldier, which concluded with Wilson stepping into the role of the patriotic hero. Along with Mackie, Harrison Ford, Tim Blake Nelson, and Giancarlo Esposito are among the other prominent actors set to appear. Fans will be very curious to see how well this new version of Captain America fares compared to the original.
Mission: Impossible - The Final Reckoning
Mission: Impossible - The Final Reckoning follows Ethan Hunt and his team as they pursue a formidable AI called the Entity that has compromised global intelligence networks. With new allies and a haunting figure from Hunt’s past in pursuit, they must act quickly to avert a global catastrophe.
In May 2025, audiences will finally be given the much-anticipated next chapter of theMission: Impossiblefranchise.Mission: Impossible - The Final Reckoningwill serve as the direct follow-up to 2023’sMission: Impossible - Dead Reckoning Part One, in addition to beingthe eighth installment of the series as a whole.
Although the two films were shot at the same time,The Final Reckoninghas a much higher budget than its immediate predecessor. At $400 million, thebudget ofMission: Impossible - The Final Reckoningis a record-breakerfor the series, over $100 million more than that of the next most expensive installment.
Like the previous films in the franchise,Mission: Impossible - The Final Reckoningwill starTom Cruise as death-defying IMF agent Ethan Hunt, with Ving Rhames, Simon Pegg, and others also returning to their recurring roles once again. With such a dramatic increase in the budget, one can only imagine what kinds of dangerous, explosive stunts Cruise will have to perform. Whatever they may be, audiences are sure to be on the edge of their seats from beginning to end for this action-packed blockbuster.
Jurassic World Rebirth
Jurassic World Rebirth, set five years after Jurassic World Dominion, sees covert operations expert Zora Bennett guiding a team to obtain dinosaur genetic material. Their mission collides with a stranded family on a perilous island, uncovering a long-buried secret.
TheJurassic Worldfranchise will be getting an exciting new look in 2025. Set to release on July 2,Jurassic World Rebirthwill bring the iconic series in a new direction following the conclusion of the latestJurassic Worldtrilogy. This new film will featurean all-star cast led by Scarlett Johansson, Mahershala Ali, and Jonathan Bailey.
Marking the start of an entirely new storyline set in the same universe, the film will follow a specialized team as they travel to a remote equatorial area to obtain DNA from the largest dinosaurs left on Earth. Given the star-power of its cast and the certain inclusion of many stunning visual effects, it is no major surprise thatJurassic World Rebirthdemands a rather hefty budget.
The upcoming installment to the franchise has reportedly cost about $265 million to make, which would be essentially the same as the budget of the previous film,Jurassic World Dominion. Whilethe new dinosaurs have yet to be seen, one can rest assured that the filmmakers spared no expense in bringing them to life.
Wicked: For Good
Wicked: For Good concludes the two-part film adaptation of the acclaimed Broadway musical.
Near the end of 2024, the movie adaptation of the hit Broadway musical,Wicked, took the world by storm, captivating audiences with its clever story, stellar performances, and dazzling musical numbers. The complete story of the musical, however, proved to be far too much to fit into one movie. Not wanting to make the project feel rushed, the adaptation was split into two separate films.
After the massive success ofWicked, fans have already begun eagerly looking forward toWicked: For Good, the 2025 continuation which will finally give the story its proper conclusion. to effectively bring the land of Oz to life,Wickedparts 1 and 2required a large budget, with the budget for the second similar to that of the first film.
The firstWickedmovie grossed $709 million at the box office (viaBox Office Mojo).
Currently, the budget ofWicked: For Goodis estimated to be somewhere around $150-165 million. If the first part of the story was any indication,the upcoming conclusion to Elphaba and Glinda’s storyis bound to make the most of its hefty budget, creating stunning visuals that could only exist in one of the most magical worlds in cinema history.
In general, horror movies don’t typically receive massive budgets when compared to genres that can reliably attract wider audiences. The upcoming film,28 Years Later, though, is an exception. Thislong-awaited sequel to28 Days Laterand28 Weeks Laterreportedly demanded a budget of $75 million, making it one of the most expensive horror films in recent memory. Of course, given the massive scale of the film and the star power of its cast, it is certainly understandable why the film would require an above-average budget.
Returning to their positions on the first film in the series,28 Years Laterwill be directed by Danny Boyle and written by Alex Garland. Jodie Comer, Ralph Fiennes, and Aaron Taylor-Johnson are among the actors confirmed to be in the film. Given that28 Days Latermanaged to earn nearly $85 million on a budget of merely eight million, one can only imagine what28 Years Laterwill be capable of achieving with its budget being almost ten times greater.
Predator: Badlands
Predator: Badlands is a science fiction film set for release in 2025, building on the longstanding Predator franchise.
ThePredatorfranchise has been churning out new movies for decades now, with the first one hitting theaters back in 1987. Now, in 2025, the next installment in the series of sci-fi/action movies is aiming to make a major splash at the box office.Not much is known about the premise of the film thus far, but it has been announced that it will be directed by Dan Trachtenberg, who first rose to prominence with his work on10 Cloverfield Lane, before stepping in to directPrey. Elle Fanning is set to play the lead role.
If current estimates are correct, the upcoming installment,Predator: Badlands, will be the most expensive film in the series.
If current estimates are correct, the upcoming installment,Predator: Badlands, will be the most expensive film in the series. Reports indicate that the budget for the new movie will be around $100 million, surpassing that ofThe Predator($88 million). With this elevated budget,Predator: Badlandsis sure to include some very frightening antagonists, and plenty of high-energy action to impress its viewers.
Mortal Kombat II
Mortal Kombat II: A sequel to the 2021 film Mortal Kombat, this movie continues the saga of Earth’s champions as they face new threats from the Outworld. Building on the original’s mythical universe, the film delves deeper into the lore of the Mortal Kombat tournament and its legendary fighters.
Fans of theMortal Kombatvideo game series will likely be delighted to know that a new film based on the iconic games will be hitting theaters on July 01, 2025.Mortal Kombat 2will serve asa direct sequel to the 2021 movie adaptation, with many actors returning to reprise their roles. Simon McQuoid is also returning to direct the sequel, although the franchise will be turning to Jeremy Slater to take over as the new screenwriter.
10 Highly Anticipated Crime Thrillers Releasing In 2025
2025 is looking to be a promising year for crime thrillers, as there are several upcoming releases audiences are eagerly waiting for.
It has been revealed that the budget forMortal Kombat 2will be approximately $68 million. This feels like a positive sign for fans of the first film, as it is a noticeable increase from its $55 million budget.Specific details of the plot have not yet been announced, but the increased budget and the large ensemble cast both feel like good indicators for viewers planning on seeingMortal Kombat 2.
From the World of John Wick: Ballerina
Ballerina follows Eve Macarro during the events of John Wick: Chapter 3 – Parabellum, as she undergoes rigorous training in the assassin traditions of the Ruska Roma. The film expands on the John Wick universe, charting Eve’s initiation into the clandestine world of professional assassins.
Starting in 2014, John Wick became one of the most recognizable names in the action genre. The franchise of thrilling action films starring Keanu Reeves has been going strong for a decade now, with an exciting new installment set to premiere on July 04, 2025.
From the World of John Wick: Ballerina(orBallerinafor short) is not a typical sequel, but rathermore of a spin-off, highlighting a different storywithin the same universe (although Reeves will be returning to play John Wick one more time).Ballerinawon’t be the most expensive entry in theJohn Wickfranchise, but that doesn’t mean it has a small budget by any means.
An exact figure has yet to be released, but it is estimated that the budget for the film will be somewhere from $50-80 million. This amount should be more than enough to provide viewers with all the dangerous, nail-biting action they crave. With Ana de Armas stepping into the lead role,Ballerinahas the potential to be a thrilling new addition to the franchise.
Although its mid-pandemic release date preventedGreenlandfrom having too much success at the box office, the apocalyptic thriller film is returning with a new sequel in 2025. TitledGreenland: Migration,the sequel will take place after the catastrophic events of the first film, and will follow the Garrity family as they make a dangerous trek across the remains of Europe in search of a new home.
Gerard Butler and Morena Baccarin will be returning to reprise their roles from the original film.Greenland: Migrationmay not have a specific date for when in 2025 it will be released, but it does have a very sizable budget.
Current estimates put the film’s budget at somewhere from $65-90 million, marking a massive escalation from the first film. This could be a major risk for the studio, asGreenlanddid not fare particularly well financially. Hopefully,Greenland: Migrationwill be much more successful, and will achieve its goal of providing a thrilling story in a post-apocalyptic world.
