Ready or not, 2025 is lurking around the corner, poised to become known as the Year of the Great Film Famine. The silver screen is losing its shine, and if 2024 wasn’t stellar in the annals of cinema, 2025 looks even bleaker. Around this time of year, the average cinephile usually starts circling release dates on their new calendars like hungry vultures. Yet, there are very few pops—the kernels might as well stay on the cobs, as the cinematic landscape of 2025 is as exciting as, well, a cornfield.
Hollywood seems to have hit snooze, and as releases are still staggering after last year’s industry strikes, the series of flops on both the blockbuster and indie fronts isn’t helping. Remakes, reboots, sequels, and spinoffs are taking over like an all-you-can-eat buffet of the same lukewarm leftovers. Brace yourself for From the World of John Wick: Ballerina, live action Snow White, a Naked Gun remake, Karate Kid: Legends, Superman: Legacy, Jurassic World: Rebirth, A Minecraft Movie, The Smurfs Movie, Wicked Part 2, Zootopia 2, Nobody 2, Avatar 3, Tron 3, Fantastic 4, Predator 7, Mission: Impossible 8, Saw XI, 28 Years Later... and yes, buckle up your seatbelts as you’re even getting Mel Gibson’s The Passion of
the Christ 2: Resurrection. Yikes.
But let’s look beyond the recycled offerings to see what the auteurs are up to, and what the industry is potentially schlepping over to Cannes and Venice. Here’s a roundup of some of the 50 most eyebrow-raising titles rumored to grace the screens in 2025— whether confirmed, penciled, or rumored.
General Releases
Wolf Man, by Leigh Whannell (January)
Another remake, but coming from Saw’s writer and The Invisible Man’s director, so there’s hope.
The Phoenician Scheme, by Wes Anderson (February)
Anderson loves European film festivals more than pastels and symmetry, so after Cannes' Asteroid City and Venice's The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar, it looks like Berlin will host his usual ensemble cast this time.
The Legend of Ochi, by Isaiah Saxon (February)
The Monkey, by Oz Perkins (February)
Alto Knights, by Barry Levinson (March)
Everyone loves Robert De Niro as a mobster—so why not two mobsters? De Niro plays rival bosses Vito Genovese and Frank Costello in this one, with a script by Goodfellas writer Nicholas Pileggi.
Black Bag, by Steven Soderbergh (March)
Mickey 17, by Bong Joon-ho (April)
A studio would have to be silly to dump Bong Joon-ho’s follow-up to Parasite. But it’s Warner Bros. after all... It is no secret that the Warner executives don’t like the latest film by the South Korean maestro, which, despite being ready by November 2023, was pushed to January 2025, the least profitable month. Coming from an auteur of the calibre of Bong Joon-ho, Mickey 17 is probably quite weird, possibly too much for a conservative studio who doesn’t like to gamble. But after winning the Palm d’Or and four Oscars, including Best Picture in 2019, why would they try to bury such an anticipated project? Why would they give up already on the film’s prospects for success, and how could they deny Bong another festival run? Even if Mickey 17 is not as great as the director’s previous flicks, and that’s a big if, the prestige both behind and in front of the camera, starring Robert Pattinson, is as much respected by the critics as beloved by the audiences worldwide. After multiple delays, it is now being rescheduled for April 2025. For just a month, Bong Joon-ho can forget a Cannes comeback...
The Last Disturbance of Madeline Hynde, by Kenneth Branagh (June)
The Battle of Baktan Cross, by Paul Thomas Anderson (August)
With Leonardo DiCaprio on board, PTA finally got a big budget—over $140 million, making this his most expensive film yet. Rumor has it this is his most “mainstream” movie to date, adapted from Thomas Pynchon’s Vineland.
The Smashing Machine, by Benny Safdie
The moment of truth: which one is the talented brother? Time for the Safdie brothers to go solo: Benny’s up first, directing The Rock as MMA fighter Mark Kerr. But without Josh, will he smash it, or just... fizzle?
Marty Supreme, by Josh Safdie
Meanwhile, Josh took on the less bruising sport of table tennis, with Timothée Chalamet playing legendary ping-pong pro Marty Reisman.
Honey Don’t!, by Ethan Coen
Speaking of sibling splits, in 2025 the lesser talented brother brings the second chapter in his “lesbian B-movie trilogy” following the awful Drive Away Dolls, also starring Margaret Qualley.
Animal Farm, by Andy Serkis
Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery, by Rian Johnson
Klara and the Sun, by Taika Waititi
I Love Boosters, by Boots Riley
Death of a Unicorn, by Alex Scharfman
The Ballad of a Small Player, by Edward Berger
The Lost Bus, by Paul Greengrass
Materialists, by Celine Song
Her debut Past Lives was a critical darling, and fingers crossed Song isn’t a one-hit wonder. With her second feature— a rom-com —she’s set to prove if she’s the fresh voice we all hope she is.
Cannes
The Way of the Wind, by Terrence Malick
With a rumored 3,000 hours of footage, Malick has been editing his Jesus biopic since 2019. Will we finally get to see Mark Rylance as Satan in 2025? This feels like the cinematic second coming, with Malick, Mel Gibson, and Martin Scorsese all competing to bring us their take on Jesus. Let the holy showdown begin.
F1, by Joseph Kosinki (June)
His previous blockbuster, Top Gun: Maverick, was the annual Hollywood crowd pleaser on the French riviera in 2022, so it’s a safe assumption that Kosinski might return to bring his adrenaline-fueled Brad Pitt racing drama. Fasten your seatbelts; it's Top Gear meets Top Gun.
Michael, by Antoine Fuqua (October)
Cannes has a known weakness for music biopics, no matter the quality, from Rocketman to Elvis. But with an October release, Fuqua’s Michael could see its premiere pushed to Toronto or Venice. Will it moonwalk into Cannes, or make a Thriller-like appearance later in the fall?
Atlantis, by Michel Gondry (May)
Pharrell Williams gets a biopic-musical treatment from Gondry, marking the French auteur’s return to Hollywood. If it’s anything like Gondry’s past work, expect visual whimsy and at least one scene with a singing hat.
Blue Moon, by Richard Linklater (May)
Another musical biopic, this time chronicling the final days of songwriter Lorenz Hart, with Ethan Hawke in the lead role. Linklater and Hawke reunite to tackle music, heartbreak, and maybe a little existential dialogue.
Nouvelle Vague, by Richard Linklater
Directors premiering two films in one festival isn’t unheard of (hello, Wim Wenders!), so Linklater’s making-of-Breathless might just debut at the cinematic temple of French New Wave. Let’s hope it’s more homage and less… well, whatever Le Redoubtable was.
Elio, Domee Shi & Madeline Sharafian (June)
The new sci-fi Pixar film. With Pixar Animation Studios' longstanding Cannes presence, and a June release, this is almost guaranteed to beam into the 78th edition. Fingers crossed for a heartwarming galactic story to balance out all the dark dramas.
Flowervale Street, by David Robert Mitchell (May)
Mitchell’s Under the Silver Lake wasn’t exactly a festival favorite, with A24 shelving it after its rough Cannes reception. This time, they’ll probably be treading carefully to avoid another “buried” project.
Highest 2 Lowest, by Spike Lee
Despite the monumental gaffe at the 2021 festival, when Lee spoilt the winner at the beginning of the Palm d’Or ceremony, he might be invited back to the most prestigious red carpet in the world. As if he hadn’t done enough damage to Asian cinema with his Old Boy remake, he is now tackling one of Kurosawa’s greatest masterpieces, High and Low. Thie fact this movie even exists is enough of a reason to be afraid of 2025. Baba Vanga teamed with Nostradamus couldn’t have prophesised such calamity.
Sentimental Value, by Joachim Trier
Never change a winning team, right? Trier returns, once again teaming up with Renate Reinsve after their 2021 hit The Worst Person in the World. Maybe this time they’ll snag the Palm d’Or instead of just our hearts.
No Other Choice, by Park Chan-wook
Korean auteur Park Chan-wook is reportedly bringing his new thriller to Cannes. His Decision to Leave had a mixed reception in 2022, but here’s hoping his latest doesn’t leave anyone undecided.
Die, My Love, by Lynne Ramsay
Ramsay returns with her first feature since 2017,and fifth feature overall, a dark comedy-horror starring Jennifer Lawrence and Robert Pattinson described as a journey into psychosis. Expect dark laughs and uncomfortable silences.
The History of Sound, by Olivier Hermanus
Father, Mother, Sister, Brother, by Jim Jarmush
An anthology comedy-drama with Cate Blanchet, Adam Driver, Vicky Krieps, and Tom Waits.
The Magnificent Life of Marcel Pagnol, by Sylvain Chomet (October)
If you longed for Chomet’s iconic style during the short animated opening sequence of Joker: Folie à Deux, you can now sigh in relief, as the French filmmaker is finally set to deliver another animation feature since his 2010 The Illusionist and his 2003 cult film The Triplets of Belleville.
Venice
Eddington, by Ari Aster
Ari Aster’s back with Eddington, a black-comedy western from A24, reuniting with Joaquin Phoenix after the lukewarm Beau Is Afraid, which flopped hard at the box office. With a lineup that includes Pedro Pascal, Emma Stone, and Austin Butler, A24 might rethink its strategy after last year’s slip-up. Who knew a frontier comedy could be their shot at redemption?
Bugonia, by Yorgos Lanthimos (November)
Yorgos Lanthimos is back at it with Emma Stone and Jesse Plemons in yet another bizarre tale. Here’s hoping Lanthimos doesn’t fall victim to “overproduction syndrome” (looking at you, Wes Anderson). If Lanthimos sticks to his signature brand of unsettling charm, expect something as weird as it is delightful.
Frankenstein, by Guillermo del Toro
Winner of the 2017 Golden Lion, the Mexican director will likely present his take on Mary Shelley’s novel to the Lido, starring Oscar Isaac, Mia Goth, Christoph Waltz, and Jacob Elordi as the Monster.
The Bride!, by Maggie Gyllenhaal (September)
The perfect double bill with the aforementioned Frankenstein, Venice would certainly be interested in securing both pictures.
Hamnet, by Chloé Zhao
Based on Maggie O’Farrell novel, Jessie Buckley and Paul Mescal star as Agnes and William Shakespeare. Zhao has been awarded the Golden Lion for Nomadland in 2020, so she’s expected to return.
The Running Man, by Edgar Wright
The Three-Flavours Cornetto Trilogy director’s new film is a dystopian thriller adapted from a Stephen King’s novel, starring Glen Powell.
Caught Stealing, by Darren Arnofsky
Still currently in production, it might premiere in Venice if completed in time, since Aronofsky is a festival regular.
After the Hunt, by Luca Guadagnino
Guadagnino doesn’t seem to believe in time off. After releasing two pictures this year, Challengers and Queer, there’s news of a new project he’s going to direct on a weekly basis. Starring Julia Roberts and Andrew Garfield, it might be ready for a festival release sooner than the expected.
Lucca Mortis, by Peter Greenaway
Starring Dustin Hoffman and Helen Hunt, this project marks the return of the legendary British filmmaker. You never know what to expect from an experimentalist like him, and his new film, on which he has been working on for over a decade, ranks among the most promising and original releases in the new year. Let’s just hope not to get another Megalopolis...
Jay Kelly, by Noah Baumbach
Baumbach returns to his roots with a coming-of-age comedy-drama, starring George Clooney and Adam Sandler.
Sacrifice, by Romain Gavras
He might follow the same patter of Athena in 2022, debuting in Venice before a streaming release. Yet, considering its star-studded cast including Chris Evans, Anya Taylor-Joy, and Brendan Fraser, he might realistically aim for a theatrical exhibition too.
In the Hand of Dante, by Julian Schnabel
Jason Momoa and Martin Scorsese star in the same movie (read it again, slowly), alongside Al Pacino and Oscar Isaacs playing the titular role of the Italian poet. Schnablel’s last, the Van Gogh biopic At Eternity’s Gate, scored Willem Dafoe the Volpi Cup for Best Actor, so he is probably returning to Italy with his new film, also considering the movie’s cultural background.
Untitled Damien Chazelle film
Untitled Kathryn Bigelow Netflix film
Untitled Alejandro Iñárritu film
Starring Tom Cruise as “the most powerful man in the world, who embarks on a frantic mission to prove he is humanity’s saviour before the disaster he’s unleashed destroys everything”. So potentially David Zaslav’s biopic.
In terms of box office potential, 2025 should have an easier time outshining 2024, largely riding on the wave of Avatar 3, which promises to give a hefty boost to revenues and bring audiences back to theaters. A few of these other titles may pull off surprises, and we might even discover a new critical darling or two. But looking at the overall lineup, 2025 feels like an extended trailer for 2026, which, with its high-profile projects and anticipated releases, already looks set to steal the spotlight.
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