The next two years promise to be an exciting time for movie fans, with several highly anticipated films set to hit theaters in 2024 and 2025. From long-awaited sequels and franchise extensions to original projects from renowned directors, there is no shortage of movies that have fans eagerly counting down the days until release. Here‘s a rundown of some of the most anticipated upcoming movie releases that should be on every film buff‘s radar.
Sequels and Franchise Installments
Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse – Part One
In 2022, Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse wowed audiences and critics alike with its groundbreaking animation and moving story. The sequel, Across the Spider-Verse, will be broken up into two parts, with the first installment swinging into theaters on June 2, 2024. While plot details are still mostly under wraps, we know Miles Morales will return along with Gwen Stacy. With the Spider-Verse concept allowing for virtually endless creative possibilities, fans can expect Across the Spider-Verse to be bigger, bolder and push the visual envelope even further.
Indiana Jones 5
Harrison Ford is picking up the iconic fedora and whip one last time for Indiana Jones 5, the final installment in the globetrotting adventure franchise, hitting theaters on June 30, 2023. While full story details haven‘t emerged yet, we know Indy will face off against ex-Nazi scientist Voller (Mads Mikkelsen) in 1960s New York City amidst the backdrop of the Space Race. With James Mangold (Ford v Ferrari) taking over directing duties, hopes are high that he can recapture the magic and fun that made the original trilogy so beloved.
Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part Two
Tom Cruise returns as Ethan Hunt next year when the first part of the spy sequel Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning arrives on July 14, 2023. But the epic two-part conclusion to the blockbuster franchise won‘t wrap up until Dead Reckoning Part Two lands on June 28, 2024. Plot specifics are characteristically being kept secret for now but if past installments are any indication, expect Hunt to take on his most death-defying stunts and impossible missions yet across these final two adrenaline-charged films.
Dune: Part Two
Denis Villeneuve’s Dune was a visual masterpiece, immersing viewers into the rich, meticulously constructed sci-fi world created by author Frank Herbert. As the title suggests, Dune: Part Two, scheduled for release on November 17, 2023, will pick up where the first left off to tell the rest of Paul Atreides’ (Timothée Chalamet) epic saga as he leads a revolution to avenge his noble family. Zendaya, Rebecca Ferguson and Josh Brolin will reprise their roles from the first film while new cast members like Florence Pugh and Austin Butler join the massive ensemble.
Anticipated Original Films
Barbie
Who would’ve thought that a Barbie movie directed by Greta Gerwig and starring Margot Robbie would become one of the most discussed upcoming releases? Yet, that’s exactly the case for the subversively clever-looking Barbie film coming July 21, 2023. Plot specifics are unknown but set photos hint at Barbie tackling real-world problems in her sparkly, pinked-out world. Given the impressive creative pedigree involved, this unique take on an iconic toy line could end up producing something special.
Oppenheimer
The legendary filmmaker Christopher Nolan follows up the mind-bending Tenet with what looks to be his most ambitious project yet – the J. Robert Oppenheimer biopic Oppenheimer. Cillian Murphy will play the complex theoretical physicist who helped develop the atomic bomb while an astounding supporting cast including Matt Damon, Emily Blunt, Robert Downey Jr. and more fill out the ensemble. Nolan is known to push the envelope with his artistic vision so the sheer scope and scale of dramatizing such a pivotal historical figure could make Oppenheimer a cinematic achievement for the books upon its July 21, 2023 release.
Killers of the Flower Moon
After years stuck in development, Martin Scorsese finally brings his passion project Killers of the Flower Moon to life on November 22, 2023. The crime drama tells the chilling true story of a string of murders targeting wealthy Osage Nation members in 1920s Oklahoma that the FBI struggles to investigate. With longtime collaborators Robert De Niro and Leonardo DiCaprio starring and a reported budget north of $200 million, Killers of the Flower Moon looks to be a sprawling, prestige picture aiming for awards glory.
Maestro
Bradley Cooper directs and stars as legendary composer Leonard Bernstein in Maestro, a Netflix biopic drama hitting the streaming platform sometime in 2023. Carey Mulligan costars as Bernstein‘s wife Felicia Montealegre while Sarah Silverman, Maya Hawke and Matt Bomer round out the supporting players. Bernstein was arguably the first major multimedia superstar conductor so there should be no shortage of interesting angles for Cooper to dramatize his subject‘s complicated personal and professional life.
Superhero and YA Adaptations
Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse
Miles Morales web-swings back to continue his transdimensional, animated adventures in Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse, arriving October 7, 2022. While Into the Spider-Verse focused on gathering different Spider-heroes from alternate realities, the sequel looks to expand that concept even further by introducing fan favorites like Spider-Gwen and potential villains. The first film raised the bar for comic book movies as a whole with its state-of-the-art photorealistic visuals so Across the Spider-Verse should continue to innovate.
The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes
This prequel to The Hunger Games series focuses on the early days of President Snow and the 10th Hunger Games in which he became a mentor to one of that year’s tributes. With Francis Lawrence returning to direct and a star-studded cast including Rachel Zegler, Hunter Schafer and Tom Blyth as young Snow, The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes explores the events and ideologies that molded Snow into Panem’s feared authoritarian leader. Fans get to return to Suzanne Collins’ dystopian world when the film opens November 17, 2023.
The Marvels
2023 is going to be a major year for Marvel Studios, including finally getting the highly anticipated sequel The Marvels. Coming February 17, 2023, the film brings back Brie Larson as Captain Marvel, now joined by fellow superpowered allies Ms. Marvel/Kamala Khan (Iman Vellani) and Monica Rambeau (Teyonah Parris). Plot specifics remain under wraps but with such an immense cosmic scale to play with, The Marvels should give fans plenty of dimension-hopping thrills while expanding Marvel’s spacefaring footprint even wider.
Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom
Jason Mamoa’s aquatic superhero goes on a globe-trotting adventure to save Atlantis once more in Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom when it makes waves into theaters December 25, 2023. Director James Wan is bringing back the massive spectacle that turned 2018’s Aquaman into a surprise billion-dollar smash while teasing that this sequel will be “more mature” in tone. Hopefully, that means exploring real character depth and nuanced storytelling rather than just relying on CGI slugfests again. Either way, big-budget underwater escapism will be on full display.
Animated Blockbusters
The Little Mermaid
Disney’s beloved 1989 animated classic gets an eye-popping live-action makeover when The Little Mermaid swims ashore May 26, 2023. Rising star Halle Bailey makes history portraying Ariel, Disney’s first live-action Black princess, while music icon Ursula is played to villainous perfection by Melissa McCarthy. With Oscar-winning director Rob Marshall (Chicago, Mary Poppins Returns) at the helm, all signs point to The Little Mermaid becoming another standout, visually stunning adaptation in Disney’s recent string of animated-to-live-action redos.
The Super Mario Bros. Movie
After decades of poorly received adaptations, Nintendo’s mascot finally gets the prestige Hollywood treatment he deserves with The Super Mario Bros. Movie, bouncing into theaters April 7, 2023. Produced by the animation wizards at Illumination Entertainment (Despicable Me) and boasting voice talent like Chris Pratt (Mario), Anya Taylor-Joy (Peach) and Charlie Day (Luigi), Super Mario Bros. aims to translate the zany fun of the videogames for a new generation. It remains to be seen if Mario’s cinematic potential will be fully unleashed but hopes are high.
Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse – Part Two
While Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse – Part One promises to expand Miles Morales’ superhero horizons by introducing even more alternate dimension characters, Part Two looks to raise the stakes astronomically. Slated for March 29, 2024, plot specifics are non-existent but the teaser trailer shows reality itself at risk of collapsing with epic battles across space, time and possible dark dimensions. Directors Phil Lord and Chris Miller pulled out all the creative stops for Into the Spider-Verse so expect them to be even more ambitious for the two-part sequel‘s climax.
Prestige Directors Tackling Passion Projects
Killers of the Flower Moon
Martin Scorsese directs longtime muse Leonardo DiCaprio in this historical crime drama about the early 20th century murders of multiple members of the oil-wealthy Osage Nation tribe, slated for release November 22, 2023. Robert De Niro also stars while Scorsese regular Eric Roth adapts the lauded book it’s based on, making this passion project a potential awards season heavyweight given the immense talent involved.
Napoleon
Visionary director Ridley Scott goes small-scale for his Napolean Bonaparte biopic simply titled Napoleon after years stuck in development. Joaquin Phoenix takes the title role while Vanessa Kirby plays Napoleon’s famous wife Josephine. While plot specifics are unknown, Scott considers this his most ambitious film yet, made possible thanks to recent virtual production advancements. With a planned 2023 release date, Napoleon could mark yet another legendary chapter in Scott‘s historic filmography.
Asteroid City
Quirky indie auteur Wes Anderson returns after the charmingly whimsical French Dispatch with what may be his most ambitious ensemble to date – Asteroid City. Although plot details are scarce, we know Anderson staples like Bill Murray, Adrien Brody and Tilda Swinton star among a sprawling cast. Recent behind-the-scene images tease yet another dollhouse-esque world brimming with Anderson’s trademark symmetrical visuals and meticulous production design. The only question is whether Asteroid City launches sometime in late 2023 or early 2024.
The Son
After racking up Oscars and acclaim with dark dramas like The Father and Amour, celebrated filmmaker Florian Zeller tackles mental health struggles from a different perspective with The Son. Hugh Jackman and Laura Dern star as parents of a depressed teenager (Zen McGrath) in this adaptation of Zeller’s own stage play. Expect the difficult subject matter to be handled with nuance thanks to Zeller’s deft direction and guiding vision. The Son hits select theaters November 11, 2022 before expanding wide in early 2023.
Returning Franchises and Shared Universes
John Wick: Chapter 4
Everyone’s favorite sharp-dressed assassin is back as John Wick unleashes more brutal, balletic violence across the globe in John Wick: Chapter 4, blasting into theaters March 24, 2023. Plot specifics are unsurprisingly kept secret but Keanu Reeves promises his titular antihero will be fighting for his very survival against the High Table organization and their army of assassins. Expect director Chad Stahelski to once again push the envelope raising the bar for slickly choreographed action cinema.
Transformers: Rise of the Beasts
The Transformers film series gets a jolt of new energy by going back to the popular 1990s Beast Wars era with Transformers: Rise of the Beasts. Director Steven Caple Jr. explores the origins of the Maximals and Terrorcons’ arrival on Earth while also introducing classic Autobots and Decepticons like Optimus Primal and Scourge. A brief teaser hints at gorgeously rendered CGI robotic creatures so hopes are high Rise of the Beasts can finally tap into fans’ nostalgia on June 9, 2023.
The Lord of the Rings: The War of Rohirrim
While live-action The Lord of the Rings spin-offs are headed to streaming, New Line Cinema returns fans to Middle Earth’s rich cinematic mythology with the anime film The War of Rohirrim. Set almost 200 years before Peter Jackson’s seminal trilogy, The War of Rohirrim chronicles Helm Hammerhand, Rohan’s greatest king, defending his people against an invading Dunlending army. With many original movie talent like director Kenji Kamiyama and composer Howard Shore involved, The War of Rohirrim aims directly for fans’ Tolkien hearts when it arrives April 12, 2024.
Untitled Star Wars Film
While Disney+ now hosts the majority of new Star Wars stories being told, Lucasfilm surprised fans by recently announcing a new theatrical movie in early development from Oscar-nominated director Damon Lindelof (Watchmen). No concrete details are available yet besides targeting a 2025 release but the fact Lindelof is tackling an original storyline with all new characters offers plenty of exciting creative possibilities to look forward to in the Galaxy Far, Far Away.
Shrek 5
Everyone’s favorite grumpy green ogre gets resurrected from animation exile with Shrek 5 finally lumbering into development. While far from guaranteed since the project has faced years of delays and rewrites, Universal remains keen on revisiting the lucrative $3.5 billion franchise last onscreen with 2010‘s Shrek Forever After. Series leading man Mike Myers and director Chris Meledandri (Despicable Me) are still attached so if all goes well, the fifth Shrek could charm audiences with his swampy fairytale satire once more sometime in 2025.
Conclusion
The next two years represent an exciting time for cinephiles and casual moviegoers alike thanks to an eclectic slate of highly anticipated upcoming releases spanning a variety of genres, budgets and creative ambitions. Whether it’s the conclusion of long-running franchises like Mission: Impossible or Indiana Jones, or innovative original projects from today’s most visionary directors such as Wes Anderson, Christopher Nolan or Jordan Peele, there will be no shortage of event films aiming directly for box office glory and cultural impact.
Superhero fatigue may be setting in for some but novel adaptations like Spider-Verse and The Hunger Games prequel along with MCU offerings like The Marvels could reenergize both fans and uninitiated newcomers. And with veterans like Scorsese, Scott and Spielberg still operating at an impossibly prolific pace, we could witness multiple landmark cinematic achievements before 2025 arrives.
Of course, no one can fully predict the next pop culture zeitgeist hit so movie lovers would be wise to keep an eye on buzzworthy contenders hiding just under the radar too. Whether it ends up being Greta Gerwig’s Barbie, Lindelof’s new Star Wars or an undiscovered indie gem, some of 2024-2025’s best may still be lurking there in the shadows, waiting to be unleashed onto unsuspecting audiences. Until then, it’s simply a matter of trying to be patient while eagerly counting down the days to experiencing these cinematic gifts already on the horizon.