12 blockbuster films set for release in 2025 and when they’re hitting cinemas in the UK - including Michael

• 2025 is already set to be an important year in the world of film.
• From biopics of two hallowed names in music history to a return to the “Abbey,” we’re already marking release dates on our schedules.
• Here’s our pick of 12 films set to grace cinema screens in 2025, along with when those films are set to arrive in UK theatres.

Is it too early to speculate what is going to reign the box office in 2025 only nine days into the new year?

Not when you have several films that could either make-or-break franchises (we’re looking at you, superhero films), films that are already eliciting awards buzz and some long awaited licenses finally arriving on the silver screen.

Will Marvel Studios pull themselves out of the skid that was their previous entries into the MCU, or will James Gunn’s eagerly anticipated “Superman” reboot help usher in a new king of the superhero universe on screen?

Then again, how can you not be excited for the return of favourites such as “Downton Abbey,” the final “Mission: Impossible” and… a sequel to the hit teen slasher “I Know What You Did Last Summer?”

That last title was a turn up for the books for this humble writer also.

But come what may, here’s our picks of some blockbuster films set to arrive on cinema screens throughout 2025 that have been announced so far, and for the art-house types we’re sticking with those films that we know are going to be the talk around the water cooler in the office, or around the table at the local pub or coffee shop.

What are the must-see blockbusters coming to cinemas in 2025?

A Complete Unknown

• Starring: Timothée Chalamet, Edward Norton, Elle Fanning, Monica Barbaro, Boyd Holbrook
• Age rating: 15
• Release date: January 17 2025

There’s been a decent amount of buzz surrounding Timothée Chalamet’s turn as a young Bob Dylan in one of two huge biopics set for release in 2025. James Mangold’s work centres on a young Dylan who moves to New York City, hoping to meet his idol Woody Guthrie and make his mark in the folk music scene.

With the help of Pete Seeger and manager Albert Grossman, Dylan gains initial recognition but struggles with creative control and the pressures of the industry. His relationships, both personal and professional, are tested as he navigates fame and a desire to push boundaries.

Yes - they will also cover why Dylan was referred to as a “Judas” also.

Superman

• Starring: David Corenswet, Rachel Brosnahan, Nicholas Hoult, Anthony Carrigan
• Age rating: Expected to be 12A
• Release date: July 11 2025

The great DC reset, with James Gunn at the helm of what could be a make-or-break moment for the comic book universe. Despite trepidation after the announcement Henry Cavill would be replaced in the role as Kal-El/Clark Kent/Superman, the trailer for the film was well received and there is an excitement surrounding the super-reboot.

With a cast that includes Nicholas Hoult, swapping Marvel for DC as he takes on the role of Lex Luthor, and the inclusion of Krypto the Superdog, the promise is that the film will still have that trademark Gunn humour, but by his own admission it’s set to be a lot more serious than his previous outings.

Mission: Impossible - The Final Reckoning

• Starring: Tom Cruise, Hayley Atwell, Ving Rhames, Simon Pegg, Vanessa Kirby
• Age rating: Expected to be 12A
• Release date: May 21 2025

We bid one last farewell to Tom Cruise’s endearing Ethan Hunt character in what is set to be an explosive conclusion to the “Mission: Impossible” franchise, which seemed to grow from strength-to-strength with each additional sequel.

But “The Final Reckoning” is set to be the last outing for the Impossible Missions Force, following directly on from “Mission: Impossible - Dead Reckoning Part One” which concluded with Ethan and Benji (Simon Pegg) continuing their mission to find the Sevastopol and destroy the Entity.

Snow White

• Starring: Rachel Zegler, Gal Gadot, Andrew Burnap
• Age rating: Not yet rated by the BBFC
• Release date: March 25 2025

If you’ve yet to grow tired of Disney’s live-action remakes/reimaginings of their previous works (I’ve yet to), then their latest offering might be something for you. The musical is in good hands, with director Mark Webb at the helm (“500 Days of Summer”) and Greta Gerwig (“Barbie”) teaming up with Erin Cressida Wilson for the screenplay.

But we’d be lying if we didn’t mention the raft of controversies during the production of the film, be it the casting of Zegler as the Disney princess, the use of CGI for the dwarves and Zegler’s own comments regarding the vaunted 1937 classic.

A Minecraft Movie

• Starring: Jack Black, Jason Momoa, Matt Berry, Jennifer Coolidge
• Age rating: Expected to be PG
• Release date: April 4 2025

It’s been a long-time coming, dating back to an initial television series based on the world-building franchise back in 2012, but finally “Minecraft” hits the silver screen - despite the apprehension after the first trailer dropped.

But with Jack Black no doubt set to shine in the family-friendly movie, much like he has done with “School of Rock,” “Kung Fu Panda” and “The Super Mario Bros. Movie,” and Jason Momoa showing more often-than-not he has some comedic chops, “A Minecraft Movie” is set to be a big deal - and possibly a sleeper hit this year?

28 Years Later

• Starring: Jodie Comer, Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Cillian Murphy, Ralph Fiennes
• Age rating: Expected to be 18
• Release date: June 20 2025

Danny Boyle’s long awaited and eagerly anticipated follow up to 2007’s “28 Week Later,” the film once again makes use of handheld technology akin to the original film’s use of DV cameras - a first at the time.

Shot on iPhones (according to production notes), and with a sequel having been filmed back-to-back alongside “28 Years Later,” the new film follows “a group of survivors lives on a small island connected to the mainland by a single, heavily-defended causeway. When one of the group leaves the island on a mission into the dark heart of the mainland, they discover secrets, wonders, and horrors of the outside world”

I Know What You Did Last Summer

• Starring: Jennifer Love Hewitt, Freddie Prinze Jr., Madelyn Cline, Sarah Pidgeon
• Age rating: Not yet rated
• Release date: July 18 2025

The official title of the fourth film in the “I Know What You Did Last Summer” franchise has yet to be revealed, but we do know that both Jennifer Love Hewitt and Freddie Prinze Jr. are once again returning to the franchise in what has been called a direct sequel to the second film.

Though they are not set to be the main actors involved in the film, with Madelyn Cline (“Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery”), Sarah Pidgeon (“Tiny Beautiful Things”) and Chase Sui Wonders (“Bodies Bodies Bodies”) among a new generation of teens our antagonist, whoever that may be, is set to stalk.

The Fantastic Four: First Steps

• Starring: Pedro Pascal, Vanessa Kirby, Joseph Quinn, Ebon Moss-Bachrach
• Age rating: Not yet rated
• Release date: July 25 2025

While there are other MCU films set for release before “The Fantastic Four: First Steps” (“Captain America: Brave New World,” “Thunderbolts*”), there is a lot on the line regarding the latest reboot of Marvel’s first family after several previous attempts.

Having switched release schedules around after the drama that was “The Kang Dynasty” imploding and bringing back MCU favourite Robert Downey Jr. for the upcoming crossover event, there’s a lot of expectation on “The Fantastic Four” to help usher in Phase Six of the Marvel Cinematic Universe.

Downton Abbey 3

• Starring: Hugh Bonneville, Laura Carmichael, Samantha Bond, Paul Giamatti
• Age rating: Not yet rated
• Release date: September 12 2025

We hope that the spirit of Dame Maggie Smith lives on in the third outing for the beloved period drama, with much of the original cast from the series set to return alongside the welcome returns of Paul Giamatti (“The Holdovers”) and Dominic West (“The Crown”) after their appearances in the second film.

No official synopsis has been released regarding what the film is set to revolve around, but owing to the success of the last two films and how “Downton Abbey” has firmly established itself as part of modern pop culture, we’re sure whatever reason there is for the film audiences will be there in cinemas to see what unfolds.

Michael

• Starring: Colman Domingo, Jafaar Jackson, Nia Long, Miles Teller
• Age rating: Not yet rated
• Release date: October 3 2025

The long awaited biopic based on the life and times of The King of Pop, “Michael” follows Jackson’s life and career from his time with the Jackson 5 as a child in the 1960s and 1970s to his final weeks before his death in 2009.

Helmed by Antoine Fuqua (“Training Day”) and starring perennial award-nominee Colman Domingo (currently an award favourite for “Sing Sing”,) the much-vaunted role of Michael Jackson is played by Jafaar Jackson in his film debut - Jackson also happens to be the nephew of Michael.

The Black Phone 2

• Starring: Mason Thames, Madeleine McGraw, Ethan Hawke
• Age rating: Not yet rated
• Release date: October 17 2025

The follow up to 2021’s sleeper hit, “The Black Phone 2” brings several cast members from the original film back, including Ethan Hawke as the malevolent Grabber.

The original film, released during a time when COVID-19 was still putting people off heading to the cinema, exceeded expectations when it earned $161.4 million at the box office from a budget of between $16 to $18 million.

Wicked: For Good

• Starring: Cynthia Erivo, Ariana Grande, Jonathan Bailey, Peter Dinklage
• Age rating: Expected to be PG
• Release date: November 21 2025

Do we need to say anything more about the follow up to last year’s smash-hit? Should we hold space for the sequel? With the first “Wicked” currently leading the pack at the SAG Awards, “Wicked: For Good” hopefully eschews the weird marketing that many felt the first film had - but on this occasion, we know what to expect. Right?

There are plenty more films set to hit UK cinemas in 2025, so why not take advantage of Odeon’s MyLIMITLESS membership, which offers unlimited visits to your local cinema for a monthly fee. For more information, visit the MyLIMITLESS page on Odeon's website.