The most anticipated films of 2025

By Nathan Merchadier, 

Alexis Thibault, 

Alexandre Chevarin, 

and Violaine Schütz.

The Phoenician Scheme by Wes Anderson, starring Benicio Del Toro and Scarlett Johansson

In January 2024, Wes Anderson won an Oscar for his short film The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar, a first in his long career marked by so many cinematic highlights. In addition to being the topic of an exhibition at the Cinémathèque Française starting in March 2025, the film director is already preparing his upcoming feature. Entitled The Phoenician Scheme, it is said to be a spy movie exploring the turbulent relationship between a father and his daughter. The cast of The Phoenician Scheme brings together a host of actors who have already stood before the director’s camera, such as Bill Murray, Scarlett Johansson, Willem Dafoe, and Tom Hanks. Finally, Charlotte Gainsbourg and Benicio Del Toro will both be making their first foray into the filmmaker’s whimsical universe.

The Phoenician Scheme (2025) by Wes Anderson, starring Benicio Del Toro and Scarlett Johansson, coming out on May 28th, 2025.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yNN2PoilSp4
The trailer of From the World of John Wick: Ballerina (2025)

From the World of John Wick: Ballerina by Len Wiseman, starring Ana de Armas

The first images from the highly-anticipated spin-off of the John Wick saga, titled From the World of John Wick: Ballerina, features an unrecognizable Ana de Armas in the role of a vengeful ballerina. While the story happens around the same time as John Wick: Chapter 3 – Parabellum (2019), this new opus revisits the past of the famous hitman played by Keanu Reeves. It is during this period of time that he encounters a certain Rooney, portrayed by Ana de Armas. Speaking to the American outlet Collider a few weeks ago, the actress declared: “We got some amazing footage. It’s really spectacular. I’m really proud of the film. It’s really exciting. It’s going to be dangerous, sexy, and very John Wick.” This teaser will for sure heighten the audience’s anticipation for the release of the film…

From the World of John Wick: Ballerina by Len Wiseman, starring Ana de Armas and Keanu Reeves, coming out on June 4th, 2025.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=is2meozrnx0

Elio, the new Pixar Animation Studios film 

A few months after the commercial success of Inside Out 2 (2024), which broke the record with a $1.46 billion revenue in the box-office, Pixar Studios have announced their next project. Entitled Elio, the upcoming animated feature will trace the story of a young boy lost in a world inhabited by fascinating extraterrestrial creatures. In this galactic odyssey, Elio will have to face the incredible responsibility of representing Earth…

Elio by Domee Shi, Madeline Sharafian, and Adrian Molina, coming out on June 18th, 2025.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mcvLKldPM08
The trailer of 28 Years Later (2025).

 

28 Years Later by Danny Boyle, starring Aaron Taylor-Johnson

The trailer for the fourteenth film by British director Danny Boyle has received unanimous praise. Twenty-three years after 28 Days Later, he unveils 28 Years Later, the third installment in his horror series, this time led by actors Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Jodie Comer, and Ralph Fiennes. Alex Garland took on the script: as Britain has now lived through 28 years of a terrible epidemic that transforms humans into rabid, bloodthirsty monsters, a few groups of people are struggling to survive…

28 Years Later by Danny Boyle, starring Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Jodie Comer, and Ralph Fiennes, coming out on June 18th, 2025.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sMeM0euUbXg

F1 by Joseph Kosinski, starring Brad Pitt

Brad Pitt, Javier Bardem, Damson Idris, as well as drivers Lewis Hamilton, Charles Leclerc, Max Verstappen, and Fernando Alonso… Here’s the star-studded cast of F1, the upcoming film directed by Joseph Kosinski (Top Gun: Maverick, Oblivion), a blockbuster about car racing co-produced by Apple TV+. After an accident ends his career as a driver, Sonny Hayes becomes the mentor of a young racing prodigy, Joshua Pearce, who races for the fictional team APXGP…

F1 by Joseph Kosinski, starring Brad Pitt and Javier Bardem, coming out on June 25th, 2025.

Eddington by Ari Aster, starring Joaquin Phoenix and Emma Stone

After directing the terrifying films Midsommar (2019), Hereditary (2018) and the dark comedy Beau Is Afraid (2023), Ari Aster is now venturing into western cinema with a prestigious cast. The director brings back Joaquin Phoenix and adds Emma Stone, Austin Butler, and Pedro Pascal for his new film produced by A24. Eddington will immerse us in the heart of New Mexico, following a perilous cross-country journey organized by a couple…

Eddington (2025) by Ari Aster, starring Joaquin Phoenix, Austin Butler, and Emma Stone, coming out on July 16th, 2025.

Sentimental Value by Joachim Trier, starring Elle Fanning

This year, Norwegian director Joachim Trier has returned to the spotlight with Sentimental Value (2025), his new film in competition at the 2025 Cannes Film Festival, where it won the Grand Prix. The feature follows an aging patriarch (the excellent Stellan Skarsgård) who seeks to direct a new film in which, he hopes, his eldest daughter will play the lead role. Renate Reinsve and the brilliant Elle Fanning are starring in this family drama…

Sentimental Value by Joachim Trier, starring Elle Fanning, coming out on August 20, 2025.

It Was Just an Accident by Jafar Panahi

Last year, The Seed of the Sacred Fig by Iranian director Mohammad Rasoulof was widely expected to win the Palme d’Or, but it was ultimately edged out by the surprise winner Anora by Sean Baker. This time, Juliette Binoche, a strong supporter of the Woman, Life, Freedom movement, awarded the prize to another Iranian director. Jafar Panahi, a symbol of resistance against the power of the mullahs in Tehran, won the Palme d’Or at the 2025 Cannes Film Festival for It Was Just an Accident, a film that tells the story of victims of torture by the regime who find their torturer.

It Was Just an Accident by Jafar Panahi, in theaters on September 10, 2025.

The Bride! by Maggie Gyllenhaal, starring Penélope Cruz

The Bride! is one of the two films that put Frankenstein’s monster into the spotlight this year. Scheduled for release on September 24th, 2025, The Bride! draws loose inspiration from the 1935 film Bride of Frankenstein. Directed by actress Maggie Gyllenhaal, this fantasy feature film stars Christian Bale and Penélope Cruz, and is expected to explore a different aspect of a monster that continues to fascinate us.

The Bride! (2025) by Maggie Gyllenhaal, starring Christian Bale and Penélope Cruz, coming out on September 24th, 2025.

One Battle After Another by Paul Thomas Anderson with Leonardo DiCaprio

Two years after Killers of the Flower Moon (2023) by Martin Scorsese, Leonardo DiCaprio returns to the silver screen in Paul Thomas Anderson’s (Licorice Pizza) latest film. Scheduled for release in 2025, One Battle After Another will also feature Sean Penn (The Tree of Life) and Regina Hall (Scary Movie), yet details about the feature remain unknown.

One Battle After Another (2025) by Paul Thomas Anderson, with Leonardo DiCaprio and Sean Penn, coming out on September 24, 2025.

Bugonia by Yorgos Lanthimos, starring Emma Stone

After his Oscar-winning film Poor Things (2024), director Yórgos Lánthimos is back with Bugonia (2025). The film marks his fifth collaboration with actress Emma Stone, the new muse of the Greek filmmaker. The film is described as a remake of a South Korean comedy in which the CEO of a large corporation is kidnapped by two men who are convinced that she is an alien sent to destroy the planet. A quirky sci-fi feature that seems poised to fit right in with the director’s other wild projects.

Bugonia (2025) by Yorgos Lanthimos, starring Emma Stone and Alicia Silverstone, coming out on November 5th, 2025.

Avatar: Fire and Ash by James Cameron, starring Zoe Saldaña

A few years ago, director James Cameron signed an agreement with the government of New Zealand to shoot the next three installments of his Avatar saga there. Since 2014, he has been filming these movies without pause. Titled Avatar: Fire and Ash, the upcoming chapter of the wildly successful franchise will feature actors Sam Worthington, Zoe Saldaña, Kate Winslet, and Sigourney Weaver.

Avatar: Fire and Ash by James Cameron, starring Zoe Saldaña and Kate Winslet, coming out on December 17th, 2025.

The Housemaid by Paul Feig with Sydney Sweeney

For his upcoming film, American director Paul Feig (A Simple Favor) takes on the adaptation of a best-selling novel highly praised by online readers, The Housemaid. Starring Sydney Sweeney, Amanda Seyfried, and Michele Morrone, the film tells the story of a housemaid, played by Hollywood’s rising star Sydney Sweeney, who works for a wealthy couple living in the suburbs of New York. Among well-kept secrets and dangerous love affairs, this psychological thriller is set to heat up our winter.

The Housemaid (2025) by Paul Feig, with Sydney Sweeney and Amanda Seyfried, coming out on December 24th, 2025.

No Other Choice by Park Chan-Wook

Five years after Decision to Leave, South Korean filmmaker Park Chan-Wook returns with No Other Choice, a dark comedy adapted from the novel The Ax by American author Donald Westlake. Starring Lee Byung-Hun, the story follows a man who, after being laid off, desperately searches for a new job and then considers eliminating all his competitors… A scenario that has already been adapted for the silver screen by Costa-Gavras with The Axe (2005).

No Other Choice by Park Chan-Wook, release scheduled for 2025.

Mother Mary starring Anne Hathaway, FKA twigs, and Hunter Schafer

After the romantic comedy The Idea of You and the thriller Mother’s Instinct, the inimitable Anne Hathaway is set to star in David Lowery’s upcoming film Mother Mary. The star of the Devil Wears Prada (2006) will embody a pop star in a relationship with a fashion designer and will perform the character’s songs herself. Described as a “pop melodrama,” Mother Mary boasts a stellar cast, including Michaela Coel (I May Destroy You), Hunter Schafer (Euphoria), Kaia Gerber (Bottoms), and singer FKA twigs.

Mother Mary (2025) starring Anne Hathaway, Michaela Coel, and FKA twigs does not have a release date yet.

Frankenstein by Guillermo del Toro, starring Jacob Elordi

Since its creation by Mary Shelley in 1818, the myth of Frankenstein has been an endless source of inspiration and has captivated generations of filmmakers. Now, it is Guillermo del Toro’s turn to revisit this iconic work of science fiction in his upcoming feature film.

Simply titled Frankenstein (2025), the film boasts a stellar cast including Jacob Elordi as the monster, Oscar Isaac, and Mia Goth (X, Pearl, and MaXXXine), and is set to make waves on Netflix upon its release, scheduled for some time in 2025.

Frankenstein (2025) by Guillermo del Toro, starring Jacob Elordi and Mia Goth, does not yet have a release date.

Cleopatra by Denis Villeneuve, starring Zendaya

After lighting up the screen in Challengers and Dune: Part Two in 2024, Zendaya could step into the role of the ancient Egyptian queen Cleopatra in Denis Villeneuve’s upcoming film scheduled for 2025. Inspired by Stacy Schiff’s 2010 novel Cleopatra: A Life, this highly-anticipated project promises to be a colossal success, if it turns out not to be a mere rumour.

Cleopatra by Denis Villeneuve, starring Zendaya, scheduled for 2025.

I Want Your Sex by Gregg Araki, starring Charli XCX and Olivia Wilde

Following in Halina Reijn’s footsteps with Babygirl starring Nicole Kidman, Gregg Araki is set to reveal his new erotic thriller I Want Your Sex in 2025. Also focusing on sex and power, the film tells the story of the young Eliott, who starts working for the artist Erika Tracy and becomes her sexual muse… As for the cast, it’s hard not to be excited about a film featuring Olivia Wilde (Don’t Worry Darling), Cooper Hoffman (Licorice Pizza), and pop phenomenon of 2024 Charli XCX. A film that will for sure make a splash, both for its topic and for the presence of the artist behind the commercial success of Brat, one of 2024’s best albums.

I Want Your Sex (2025) by Gregg Araki, starring Charli XCX and Olivia Wilde, does not have a release date yet.