20 movies to see in 2025

The “Final Reckoning” for the “Mission: Impossible” series, Paddington’s trip home to Peru and an even “Freakier Friday” are all on top as Hollywood heads into 2025.

After largely taking 2024 off to regroup, superheroes will be back in full force: A new “Captain America” movie is due in February, and “Superman” returns to the big screen in July. The Fantastic Four and the Thunderbolts crews will also be bringing their superpowers to cinemas.

And the year will see the return of Bridget Jones, “Jurassic Park” and Paul Thomas Anderson, for starters.

Yes, there will be plenty to sort through at the movies in 2025, so here’s a list of 20 movies to circle on the calendar as we head into the new year.

Circle those dates in pencil, not pen: as always, dates are subject to change. Movies are headed to theaters except where otherwise noted.

After reinventing “The Invisible Man” for modern audiences in 2020, writer-director Leigh Whannel takes on another Universal Monsters franchise, this time with Christopher Abbott and Julia Garner in the lead roles. (Jan. 17)

Bridget Jones is back, and she’s heading to streaming. Renée Zellweger returns for the fourth film in the rom-com franchise (its first entry since 2016′s “Bridget Jones’s Baby”), with Hugh Grant, Colin Firth and Emma Thompson returning to their roles. (Feb. 13, on Peacock)

Michael B. Jordan stars as twin brothers Elijah and Elias (who are vampires, if early reports are to be trusted) in writer-director Ryan Coogler’s (“Black Panther”) first original film since 2013′s “Fruitvale Station.” (March 7)

Florence Pugh (as her “Black Widow” character, Yelena Belova), Sebastian Stan (as his “Captain America” character, Bucky Barnes) and David Harbour (as Red Guardian) kick off the summer moviegoing season with this Marvel entry about a group of antiheroes leading missions for the U.S. government. (May 2)

Tom Cruise returns for the eighth installment in the death-defying “Mission: Impossible” series, the direct sequel to 2023′s “Mission: Impossible — Dead Reckoning Part One,” which may or may not signal the end of the franchise, though we’re leaning toward may not. (May 23)

It only feels like it’s been 28 years since the last one. The apocalyptic franchise returns for the first time since 2007′s “28 Weeks Later,” with Jodie Comer, Ralph Fiennes and Aaron Taylor-Johnson trying to outrun some really fast zombies. Danny Boyle directs. (June 20)

Everyone’s favorite meme turned successful movie franchise (2022′s “M3gan” earned $180 million worldwide) is back as the menacing, lifelike doll returns for more “Child’s Play”-inspired mayhem. (June 27)

A rebirth is what this series needs. Gareth Edwards (“Rogue One: A Star Wars Story”) directs Scarlett Johansson and Mahershala Ali in the latest chapter in this dino franchise that is starting to feel rather long in the tooth. (July 2)

James Gunn reboots the entirety of the DC Comics Universe starting with this new take on Supes, with David Corenswet donning the iconic cape, Rachel Brosnahan as his squeeze, Lois Lane, and Nicholas Hoult as his nemesis, Lex Luthor. (July 11)

Pedro Pascal, Vanessa Kirby, Joseph Quinn and Ebon Moss-Bacharach are the latest group of four tasked with making this twice-failed superhero franchise fantastic. This story is set in a ‘60s-inspired world, and features Julia Garner as the Silver Surfer. (July 25)

Liam Neeson, funnyman? The “Taken” buttkicker shows off another special set of skills in the role of Frank Drebin Jr., in “The Lonely Island’s” Akiva Schaffer’s reboot of the classic comedy series. With Pamela Anderson and Paul Walter Hauser. (Aug. 1)

Jamie Lee Curtis and Lindsay Lohan reunite, 22 years after they swapped bodies in 2003′s “Freaky Friday.” Is Pink Slip still together? (Aug. 8)

High season for musical biopics continues with Antoine Fuqua’s telling of Michael Jackson’s life story, with Jackson’s nephew Jaafar Jackson as the King of Pop, and Colman Domingo as his domineering father, Joe. (Oct. 3)

Fifteen years after “Tron: Legacy” — and 43 years after the original “Tron” — the futuristic series continues, headed up by Jared Leto and featuring a returning Jeff Bridges with a soundtrack by Nine Inch Nails. (Oct. 10)

The first part is a smash sensation and is possibly headed toward Oscar glory, part two — filmed at the same time as the first — picks up right where we left off. (Nov. 21)

Glen Powell takes on the role of Ben Richards, made famous by Arnold Schwarzenegger in the 1987 film, as a contestant on a game show who has to literally run for his life. “Shaun of the Dead’s” Edgar Wright directs. (Nov. 21)