Onscreen’s 2025 Preview

Words Lee Curtis

With the songs of recent musicals still on repeat – and the sound of Defying Gravity end note challenges ringing in everyone’s ears – it’s time to get excited for a year where musicals are the main event again. Disney brings their oldest fairytale of them all to life like never before with West Side Story star Rachel Zegler as Snow White. There are three biopics about the lives of music greats: Angelina Jolie stars as the voice of a century in Maria, Timothée Chalamet transforms into the voice of a generation, Bob Dylan in A Complete Unknown; and Jaafar Jackson becomes his uncle, the King of Pop, in Michael. Then, after an almost year-long intermission, Ariana Grande’s Glinda and Cynthia Erivo’s Elphaba fly back to cinemas for the second part of Wicked.

Love is in the air almost as much as music in an exciting year for cinema, with Andrew Garfield and Florence Pugh kicking things off with the decade-spanning tearjerker We Live In Time. There’s also the gothic tale of romance between a young woman and the Transylvanian vampire that stalks her wintry town in Nosferatu, before Nicole Kidman and Harris Dickinson turn up the heat in Babygirl. Of course, Bridget is back, too! Renée Zellweger returns to her iconic role as everyone’s favourite singleton to make this Valentine’s extra special with Bridget Jones: Mad About The Boy.

On the family film front, there’s more than enough to keep the whole family entertained throughout the year. Jack Black leads an all-star cast as video game hero Steve in A Minecraft Movie, and there are live-action takes on How To Train Your Dragon and Lilo & Stitch. Animated adventures await with Disney & Pixar’s Elio, The Bad Guys 2, and Zootropolis 2, as well as new films from beloved favourites The Smurfs and SpongeBob.

For more grown-up fun, Jamie Lee Curtis and Lindsay Lohan reunite for more body-swapping shenanigans in Freakier Friday, while Ralph Macchio and Jackie Chan team up to train a new generation in Karate Kid: Legends.

If action is your thing, then you’re in luck. Ana de Armas puts the spin in john Wick spin-off in Ballerina, Brad Pitt puts pedal to the metal in F1, and Scarlett Johansson puts survival skills to the ultimate test in Jurassic World: Rebirth. There are all-new takes on action/sci-fi classics, Tron: Ares, Predator: Badlands, and The Running Man, as well as the highly-anticipated return to Pandora in Avatar: Fire And Ash. 2025 also marks the end of an era as Tom Cruise’s Ethan Hunt faces his Final Reckoning in the eighth Mission: Impossible film.

As one era ends, another begins. The MCU takes flight in its exciting new direction with Captain America: Brave New World, Thunderbolts*, and The Fantastic Four: First Steps. It’s a new start for DC, too, as James Gunn gets his grand project off to a soaring start with his Superman.

Horor fans have a lot to look forward to, too. Nosferatu isn’t the only classic monster making a killer comeback as there’s all-new takes on Wolf Man and The Bride. The newest horror icon M3GAN boots up for more twisted games, plus there’s new films in some of the best-loved franchises: Final Destination, Scream, Saw, The Conjuring, Insidious, and more. There’s also the long-awaited return to the dystopian Britain created by Danny Boyle and Alex Garland in 28 Years Later.

For much more uplifting British tales, Gillian Anderson and Jason Isaacs star in The Salt Path, Martin Clunes and James Buckley become brewers in Mother’s Pride, and don’t forget your unmissable return to Downton Abbey for the third film in the series.

For more on these films, new additions, and up-to-date information on all of the major theatrical release throughout the year, be sure to follow our socials, keep an eye on our website, and pick up your free copy of every issue of our magazine - your ultimate guide to cinema.