All the Big Horror, Sci-Fi, and Fantasy Films We’re Excited for in 2025

The year 2025 is one that movie fans have had circled on their calendars for a long time. It’s the year DC returns to the big screen in a big way. It’s the year Marvel unveils some of its biggest properties yet. And it’s the year filmmakers like James Cameron, Guillermo del Toro, and Edgar Wright tackle some serious dream projects. There’s more Mission: Impossible, more Jurassic Park, more Karate Kid, basically more of everything you love about movies.

Below is our list of the biggest sci-fi, fantasy, and horror films coming to theaters in 2025. Please note, though, that the list is not comprehensive as movies get announced all throughout the year, and that release dates are subject to change, which they always do. That said, here are almost 80 films currently scheduled from now until 2026.

What movies are coming out in January 2025?

Wolf Man (January 17)

Leigh Whannell, the co-creator of Saw and Insidious, is back playing in the world of Universal Monsters with his modern take on Wolf Man. After what he did with Invisible Man, we have high hopes. Christopher Abbott and Julia Garner star.

Presence (January 24)

Oscar-winning director Steven Soderbergh takes a stab at the horror genre with this innovative idea that sees a ghost story told from the first-person perspective of the ghost itself.

Love Me (January 31)

Steven Yeun and Kristen Stewart start in this very weird but always fascinating love story about a buoy and satellite who fall in love after humanity has ended.

Companion (January 31)

Jack Quaid and Sophie Thatcher star in this sci-fi thriller that asks: what would happen if Ex Machina and Clue had a baby?

What movies are coming out in February 2025?

Heart Eyes (February 7)

In a world where greedy idiots won’t let characters like Freddy and Jason back on the big screen, new slashers are needed. And maybe we have one with Heart Eyes, about a masked killer with heart eyes who stalks couples on Valentine’s Day.

Love Hurts (February 7)

Ke Huy Kwan finally gets his own starring vehicle in this action film about a real estate agent who is drawn back into his old life of violence and assassins.

Captain America: Brave New World (February 14)

Sam Wilson (Anthony Mackie) officially steps into the mantle of Captain America with his very own Marvel movie, and he’s got the Leader, a Red Hulk, and more along for the ride. We can’t wait to see where this film takes the Marvel Cinematic Universe next.

Paddington in Peru (February 14)

Everyone’s favorite marmalade-loving bear leaves the friendly confines of the United Kingdom for Peru. If it’s half as good as the previous Paddington film it’ll be one of the best of the year.

The Gorge (February 14 on Apple TV+)

Miles Teller and Anya Taylor-Joy star in this new sci-fi horror film from Black Phone and Doctor Strange director Scott Derrickson. They each play snipers protecting opposite sides of a giant gorge that may just be the entrance to hell.

The Monkey (February 21)

Fresh off Longlegs, Osgood Perkins is coming right back to theaters with this adaptation of a Stephen King short story about a monkey toy that assures you will die. Theo James and Tatiana Maslany are among the stars in this twisted-looking tale.

The Legend of Ochi (February 28)

A24 tries its hand at fantasy with this film about a young girl who befriends one of the forest creatures her people have been raised to fear. Willem Dafoe and Emily Watson are along for the ride.

The Day the Earth Blew Up: A Looney Tunes Movie (February 28)

For the first time in a long time (well, if you don’t count that second Space Jam), the Looney Tunes are back on the big screen. This time, Daffy Duck and Porky Pig attempt to save the world from an alien invasion.

What movies are coming out in March 2025?

Mickey 17 (March 7)

The Oscar-winning director of Parasite, Bong Joon-ho, comes back to the genre that made him famous: sci-fi. He teams up with Robert Pattinson in this adaptation about a man who does incredibly dangerous jobs, dies, and is then cloned. The film follows what happens when two of the clones end up meeting.

The Rule of Jenny Pen (March 7)

Iconic actors Geoffrey Rush and John Lithgow show down in this disturbing look at life in a nursing home as one man terrorizes the other with a baby doll. For real.

In the Lost Lands (March 7)

Milla Jovovich and Dave Bautista team up in this horror fantasy from Resident Evil director Paul W.S. Anderson. She’s a queen who, along with a trusty protector, heads into a magical forest to try and become a werewolf.

Novocaine (March 14)

Jack Quaid plays a man who is on a quest to save his kidnapped girlfriend. It only works, however, because he literally can’t feel pain.

Opus (March 14)

Ayo Edebiri plays a young journalist who thinks she’s got a great scoop when she’s allowed to interview a former pop star (John Malkovich) who disappeared for 30 years. Unfortunately, things take a horrific turn.

The Electric State (March 14 on Netflix)

Before heading back to the Avengers, the Russo brothers return with another sci-fi blockbuster. This one stars Chris Pratt and Millie Bobby Brown as they travel across a post-apocalyptic future looking for her brother. It looks absolutely bonkers.

Snow White (March 21)

We’ve seen The Little Mermaid, Cinderella, Beauty and the Beast, Aladdin, and even The Lion King. There aren’t many Disney animated classics that haven’t been adapted to live-action yet, but this year will shake loose a few more. First up, we get the Marc Webb-directed reimagining of Snow White with Rachel Zegler as the titular character and Gal Gadot as the Evil Queen. It should be very interesting to see how this one turns out.

Ash (March 21)

Music icon turned film director Flying Lotus is back with this sci-fi tale of an astronaut (Eiza González) who wakes up to find her whole crew has been killed and that a mysterious man (Aaron Paul) has been sent to help.

The Woman in the Yard (March 28)

Jungle Cruise and Carry On director Jaume Collet-Serra takes on this mysterious Blumhouse film that may be about a family who encounters a terrible presence in their yard. Or, at least that’s what the title implies.

What movies are coming out in April 2025?

A Minecraft Movie (April 4)

Jason Momoa and Jack Black star in an adaptation of the super popular video game. The trailers look kind of wacky but there isn’t a child alive who won’t want to check it out.

Drop (April 11)

Happy Death Day director Christopher Landon is back with another high-concept horror film. In Drop, a woman on a blind date gets a phone call telling her she has to kill her date or someone will kill her son. Jason Blum and Michael Bay produce.

Sinners (April 18)

Ryan Coogler and Michael B. Jordan reunite for this original, period horror film about a set of twins (Jordan) who must battle vampires in the deep South. You really can’t go wrong when these two team up so expectations are high.

Until Dawn (April 25)

Based on a video game of the same name, a group of friends attempts to survive a deadly mansion where every choice has a consequence. David L. Sandberg (Shazam) directs.

What movies are coming out in May 2025?

Thunderbolts* (May 2)

What intrigues us about Thunderbolts isn’t just the mysterious asterisk at the end of its title. It’s that the film is an Avengers-type team-up movie that brings together a ton of characters Marvel fans previously thought would be extraneous. Now they’re not, and they’re sharing the big screen. Let’s all cross our fingers.

Clown in the Cornfield (May 9)

It’s right there in the title. A clown comes out of a cornfield and starts killing people. That alone sounds intriguing but it’s the latest from Eli Craig too, who made the cult classic Tucker & Dale vs. Evil, which makes it that much more exciting.

A Big Bold Beautiful Journey (May 9)

In this “romantic fantasy,” Margot Robbie (in the film she chose to take after Barbie) and Colin Farrell set off on a journey that’s dictated by a unique GPS system. Whatever that means. It’s directed by Kogonada, whose last film, After Yang, was amazing. And his episodes of The Acolyte were pretty good too.

Final Destination: Bloodlines (May 16)

The Final Destination franchise is back, baby, and we can’t wait. Death kills you no matter what. And, what is especially cool this time is it’s from directors Zach Lipovsky and Adam Stein, who’ve been making awesome, smaller sci-fi movies for years and are finally getting their shot at the big time.

Hurry Up Tomorrow (May 16)

We don’t quite know what this one is about but the cast and filmmaker are incredibly intriguing. Trey Edward Shults (It Comes at Night) directs a story that ties into the next album from the Weeknd, with Jenna Ortega and Barry Keoghan starring.

Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning (May 23)

Tom Cruise stars in the eighth and potentially final film in his 25-year-long Mission Impossible franchise, typing up the loose ends left in 2023’s Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning. Expect things to be very big and very dangerous. Just don’t call it Dead Reckoning Part II, even though that’s what it is.

Lilo & Stitch (May 23)

Disney’s second live-action adaptation of one of their classic animated films in 2025. This one—about a young girl and a wild alien—feels a little more hopeful though, mostly because it’s directed by Dean Fleischer Camp who did Marcel the Shell With Shoes On.

Karate Kid: Legends (May 30)

The Karate Kid franchise returns to the big screen in this tangentially related follow-up to the Netflix show, Cobra Kai. Jackie Chan, who starred in the 2010 remake, returns along with a new student—and, somehow, he teams up with original series star Ralph Macchio.

The Life of Chuck (May 30)

Tom Hiddleston stars in the latest Stephen King adaptation from writer and director Mike Flanagan (Doctor Sleep, Gerald’s Game). It’s about a man who somehow witnesses his life in reverse order.

What movies are coming out in June 2025?

Ballerina (June 6)

The John Wick franchise expands with this spinoff starring Ana de Armas as another one of those unstoppable, coin-carrying assassins.

Elio (June 13)

The latest film from Pixar follows a young boy who is abducted by aliens and mistakenly assumed to be the leader of Earth. He must then do his best to save his home planet from the rest of space.

How to Train Your Dragon (June 13)

The original animated film is an all-time classic, so why not go with the trend and tell the same story in a different medium? At least in this case, the original film’s director Dean DeBlois is returning to tell the story of a young Viking and his dynamic dragon friend, Toothless. We have high hopes based solely on the magic of the original.

28 Years Later (June 20)

Original director and writers Danny Boyle and Alex Garland return to their world of fast zombies in the first film in a planned trilogy. Each has gone on to do amazing work since the incredible 28 Days Later, so we’re hoping for more of the same.

M3GAN 2.0 (June 27)

She’s back! And this time, she better still be dancing along with the killing.

What movies are coming out in July 2025?

Jurassic World Rebirth (July 2)

We should technically be excited about a new Jurassic movie, especially one starring Scarlett Johansson, Jonathan Bailey, and Mahershala Ali from Rogue One director Gareth Edwards. But after that last film, this will have to be really special to save the franchise.

Untitled Trey Parker, Matt Stone, Kendrick Lamar Musical (July 4)

The rumor is this one is about a young Black man acting as a slave re-enactor at a museum who learns that his girlfriend’s family actually owned his family. You know, typical, not at all controversial musical stuff from the guys who brought us South Park and “To Pimp a Butterfly.”

Superman (July 11)

The DC Universe officially kicks off with James Gunn’s take on the iconic superhero. The cast is stacked, the trailer was awesome, and if this isn’t one of the biggest films of the year, we’ll all be in shock.

The Smurfs Movie (July 18)

Every summer there are one or two more kiddie animated movies that make a ton of money. And, without any minions or emotions running around this summer, we have a feeling the return of our favorite blue creatures could be it.

I Know What You Did Last Summer (July 18)

Hollywood’s latest legacy sequel brings Jennifer Love Hewitt and Freddie Prinze Jr. back from the late 1990s-early 2000s horror franchise to help a new cast not get killed by a guy with a hook.

The Fantastic Four: First Steps (July 25)

We have a feeling this could get delayed a bit—but nevertheless, the debut of Marvel’s First Family into the MCU is incredibly exciting. We can’t wait to see Pedro Pascal, Vanessa Kirby, Joseph Quinn, and Ebon Moss-Bachrach as the iconic group.

What movies are coming out in August 2025?

The Naked Gun (August 1)

Liam Neeson takes over the Leslie Nielsen role in this reimagining of the classic 1990s cop comedy series. And, until right now, we didn’t realize those two names were so similar. That’s gotta be part of the gag, right?

Beneath the Storm (August 1)

Tommy Wirkola, director of Violent Night, is at the helm of what’s being described as a “shark thriller.” Hell yeah. We’re always interested in killer shark movies.

Freakier Friday (August 8)

Lindsay Lohan and Jamie Lee Curtis return in this sequel to their 2003 remake of the 1976 family comedy. Will they merely switch bodies once again? Is there something specific that makes it even freakier? We’ll find out soon.

Untitled Paul Thomas Anderson-Leonardo DiCaprio Movie (August 8)

While Warner Bros. has yet to officially reveal the title of this one, rumors suggest it’s probably called The Battle of Baktan Cross and is partially an adaptation of a Thomas Pynchon novel called Vineland. Neither of those are sci-fi but since we don’t officially know what this movie is yet, it hypothetically could be anything. Even sci-fi. And since we’re so excited for the team-up of Anderson and DiCaprio, we’re putting it on here.

Nobody 2 (August 15)

The first Nobody, starring Bob Odenkirk, was one of the best surprises in a very depressive time during the covid lockdown—so much so that a sequel was greenlit and now we get to see it. Here’s hoping this story about a regular man who is actually a trained killer is just as good, if not better, than the original.

What movies are coming out in September 2025?

The Conjuring: Last Rites (September 5)

Patrick Wilson and Vera Farmiga return for the fourth and final film in the main story of the Conjuring universe. The last one was a bit of a letdown, but hopefully bringing the story of the Warrens to a close will raise the stakes a bit.

Him (September 19)

We have to wait until 2026 for Jordan Peele’s next directorial effort, but he produced this intriguing thriller that follows a young quarterback who goes to train with an old veteran. Sounds simple but, apparently, it’s a horror movie. Can you say Substance?

The Bride! (September 26)

Jessie Buckley and Christian Bale star as the Bride and Frank in Maggie Gyllenhaal’s unique spin on the two classic Universal Monsters. And rumors are it might be a musical too? We cannot wait.

Saw XI (September 26)

The most recent Saw film saw the franchise go back to its roots with a prequel set between previous films. It felt a little forced, and now following up that story for another sequel feels even more so. But we don’t care. Give us all the traps, all the gore, all the Jigsaw.

What movies are coming out in October 2025?

Tron: Ares (October 10)

Fifteen years have passed since the most recent Tron film, Tron: Legacy, and finally a sequel is coming to theaters. This is mostly a reboot of the franchise though, with Jared Leto as the star playing a program that lives in an alternate grid than the ones we’re used to seeing. But Jeff Bridges is back, and Nine Inch Nails is doing the music, so we’re all over this one.

Animal Friends (October 10)

A star-studded cast (Ryan Reynolds, Jason Momoa, Vince Vaughn, Aubrey Plaza) lead this live-action and animated hybrid that’s being described as an R-rated road trip comedy. Seems a little cheesy but let’s wait to see a trailer and see what happens.

The Black Phone 2 (October 17)

The first film, starring Ethan Hawke as a kidnapping killer called the Grabber, was a surprise hit, so it’s no surprise the franchise is coming back for more. We don’t know what the story or angle is this time around but we really hope it grabs us. Get it?

Good Fortune (October 17)

An angel, played by Keanu Reeves, helps an assistant (Aziz Ansari) switch places with his rich boss (Seth Rogen) to prove rich people don’t have it so good. Except Ansari’s character disagrees and refuses to switch back, betraying the angel. It looks really funny.

Mortal Kombat 2 (October 24)

We really enjoyed the most recent Mortal Kombat movie and so too did audiences. That’s why we’re getting a sequel that, we hope, is even bigger and more exciting than the last one, especially since the last one was less about the titular event.

What movies are coming out in November 2025?

The Running Man (November 7)

The new Edgar Wright movie. That’s really all we need to know. So it’s just icing on the cake that Wright is adapting the Stephen King story made famous as an Arnold Schwarzenegger movie, this time with Glen Powell is in the lead role. This is among our most anticipated of the year for those reasons and more.

Predator: Badlands (November 7)

Here’s a new one. A filmmaker makes an unrelated spinoff to a popular franchise and instead of being forced to make a sequel, makes yet another unrelated spinoff. It’s odd but that’s what’s happened with director Dan Trachtenberg and the Predator franchise. He made Prey and now he’s making this new Predator movie starring Elle Fanning. Should be exciting.

Bugonia (November 7)

Yorgos Lanthimos, the director of Poor Things, The Lobster, and The Favourite, is back with a very weird-sounding (big surprise) sci-fi comedy. Jesse Plemons and Emma Stone star in a story of two conspiracy theorists who kidnap a powerful CEO because they think she’s an alien.

Now You See Me 3 (November 14)

Everyone’s favorite magician thieves, the Four Horseman, are back in another installment of this magic thriller series. All the main actors (Jesse Eisenberg, Woody Harrelson, Isla Fisher, Dave Franco, Morgan Freeman) return along with a few new additions like Justice Smith and Rosamund Pike.

Wicked: For Good (November 21)

The witches from Oz are back in part two of the massive hit adaptation of the fantasy musical. We’re guessing people are already holding space in line for tickets.

Zootopia 2 (November 26)

Nick Wilde (Jason Bateman) and Judy Hopps (Ginnifer Goodwin) are back on the case in a new film set in a world populated by animals. The first one was one of Disney Animation’s best so there’s every hope that this sequel will live up to it.

What movies are coming out in December 2025?

Five Nights at Freddy’s 2 (December 5)

The next chapter in the horror saga about the former kiddie restaurant now crawling with demonic animatronics.

Avatar: Fire and Ash (December 19)

It took a few extra years but James Cameron is back in 2025 with the third film in his record-breaking Avatar franchise. Will Fire and Ash live up to the now unfathomable expectations set by The Way of Water? Only time will tell but Cameron rarely disappoints.

Anaconda (December 25)

Christmas Day brings us the gift of a remake of the 1990s film Anaconda starring Paul Rudd and Jack Black in which the actors go to the jungle to remake the 1990s film Anaconda.

What else is coming out in 2025?

There are hundreds of other movies coming out in 2025 that don’t have release dates, posters, plot descriptions, etc. But, here are a few we’re most excited about.

Frankenstein (TBD 2025 on Netflix)

Guillermo del Toro is finally releasing one of his dream projects: Frankenstein. With a cast including Oscar Isaac, Jacob Elordi, Mia Goth, Lars Mikkelsen, Christoph Waltz, we expect it to be something special.

Eddington (TBD 2025)

Rumor is the latest film from Ari Aster (Midsommer, Hereditary) is a zombie film. We don’t know if that’s true but Aster quickly became a filmmaker we have to pay attention to, no matter what.

Untitled Predator Animation (TBD 2025)

Predator: Badlands is coming this year but we know a second film is coming too, this one animated and told anthology-style though various different times. It’s likely to be out before the live-action film, but no release date is set.

Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery (TBD 2025 on Netflix)

Odds are, Rian Johnson’s (potentially final) Knives Out movie will be a grounded murder mystery. But, it’s Johnson. And one never knows. Maybe he goes a bit supernatural with it.

Wildwood (TBD 2025)

Travis Knight (Bumblebee, Paranorman) and his team at Laika present their latest stop-motion animated film. This one follows two pals searching for another friend in a magical woods. Each of these are special and so we expect nothing less.

Want more io9 news? Check out when to expect the latest Marvel, Star Wars, and Star Trek releases, what’s next for the DC Universe on film and TV, and everything you need to know about the future of Doctor Who.