Summary
There are many highly-anticipatedmovie releases of 2025and beyond that have garnered so much hype that they could be considered too big to fail. Despite complaints about howmost films these days seem to be adaptations and sequels, box office numbers have shown that’s what works.The highest-grossing movies of 2024 so farincludeKingdom of the Planet of the Apes,Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire, andDune: Part 2, as well as other films from established, successful franchises.
Inthe top 25 highest-grossing movies of all time, onlyTitanicandThe Super Mario Bros. Moviearen’t part of a film franchise. Even then, they have source material, the historic real-life ship disaster, and the popular Nintendo video games. Thus, it shouldn’t be surprising that the films on this list follow the pattern/success formula that has been proven time and time again. However, with the pressure of being highly anticipated, there could besome surprising underperformers and flopsin the bunch when they are finally released.
10 Upcoming Movies That Could Dethrone Dune 2 As 2024’s #1 Movie At The Box Office
Denis Villeneuve’s Dune: Part Two has been 2024’s most successful movie so far, but there are a few contenders that could dethrone its box office win.
A Minecraft Movie
Cast
A Minecraft Movie follows four misfits transported into the Overworld, a cubic world of creativity. To return home, they must navigate its challenges while on a magical quest with experienced crafter Steve, learning to master the intricate environment of this imaginative realm.
Minecraftis an upcoming live-action adventure filmbased on the Mojang Studios video game that is set to be released on July 26, 2025 with a star-studded cast. The sandbox game was originally released in 2009, and it’s honestly surprising that it’s taken this long for a film adaptation. Multiple Minecraft game modes open up many possibilities for the film, and not much has been revealed about the plot yet.
Jack Black, fresh off the success ofKung Fu Panda 4andThe Super Mario Bros. Movie, will star as the Minecraft player character Steve. He is joined by Jason Momoa, Danielle Brooks, Jennifer Coolidge, Kate McKinnon, Emma Myers, and more. With the popularity of the Minecraft video games and the film’s stars, it’s hard to see the movie failing.Super Mario Bros,Pokemon Detective Pikachu,Uncharted, andSonic the Hedgehoghave all proven the viability ofvideo game movies, andMinecraftwill likely follow in their footsteps as a box-office hit.
28 Years Later
28 Years Later follows a group of survivors living on an isolated island nearly three decades after the rage virus outbreak. Venturing into the quarantine zone of the mainland, they uncover dangerous secrets and transformations among both the infected and other surviving factions.
23 years after28 Days Laterand 18 years after28 Weeks Latercomes the third film in the post-apocalyptic horror film series,28 Years Later. The original film starredOscar winner Cillian Murphyas a bike courier who wakes up from a coma to find there’s been an accidental release of a highly contagious, aggression-inducing virus that has brought on an apocalypse. Despite not appearing in28 Weeks Later, which was a standalone sequel,Murphy is returning to his role as Jim for28 Years Later.
The first two films were successful, and28 Years Lateris expected to be as well. With Murphy more popular than ever, joined by Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Jodie Comer, and Ralph Fiennes, the film has an all-star cast. What could hurt the movie is the length of time between releases. While audiences who saw the original films might be lining up outside the theaters, younger audiences could be unfamiliar with them. Hopefully, new audiences will still be drawn to28 Years Laterby its story and cast.
28 Years Later Promises The Perfect Balance With Cillian Murphy’s Role
By confirming that Cillian Murphy is returning as Jim, 28 Years Later already promises it is taking the right balanced approach towards its story.
Jurassic World Rebirth
Jurassic World Rebirth, set five years after Jurassic World Dominion, sees covert operations expert Zora Bennett guiding a team to obtain dinosaur genetic material. Their mission collides with a stranded family on a perilous island, uncovering a long-buried secret.
Following theJurassic Worldtrilogy,theJurassic Parkfranchiseis being rebooted again with an entirely new cast forJurassic World 4. TheJurassic Worldmovies found success with Chris Pratt and Bryce Dallas Howard, but the franchise is moving in a new direction for the fourth film. There are no story details yet, but it will star Mahershala Ali, Scarlett Johansson, Jonathan Bailey, and more.
Even with all the changes,Jurassic World 4will likely be a big box office draw.Jurassic World Dominion(2022) was a critical failure, but it still made over $1 billion. The changes could actually bring even more success, as viewers could be curious about whatJurassic Park 4plans to do. Johannson has already led a major franchise, and she’s been missed as the MCU’s Black Widow, so it will be nice to see her in a huge film again.
Jurassic World 4 Rebooting The Franchise Makes 1 Decision Already Very Confusing
After the failure of Jurassic World: Dominion, the new movie is set to be a complete reboot. That complicates one crucial decision for the franchise.
Superman
Superman (2025): Superman follows the dual life of Clark Kent, a journalist in Metropolis, as he endeavors to reconcile his Kryptonian heritage with his human upbringing. Set against a backdrop of personal discovery, the film explores his journey of identity as he navigates his existence in a complex world.
The DCEU films experienced box office disappointment, with onlyAquaman(2018) passing the $1 billion milestone. The DCEU is no more, partially due to the box office struggles, and viewers can look forward tothe new, hopefully improved DCU, which will begin withSuperman. A lot is riding onSuperman, meaning it embodies both sides of the definition of “too big to fail.” If it fails, DC Studios will have even bigger problems than they thought.
Fortunately, it has a lot going for it. Experienced superhero film director and producer James Gunn will not just directSuperman, but he’s the new co-chairman and co-CEO of DC Studios with Peter Safran. A new actor, David Corenswet, is stepping into Superman’s tights after multiple films led by Henry Cavill. Corenswet’s supporting cast includes Rachel Brosnahan, Isabela Merced, Nathan Fillion, and Nicholas Hoult.Supermancan be a box office hit on curiosity alone, with people eagerly waiting to see if the DCU reboot will succeed.
The New Superman Movie Doesn’t Need To Get The Hardest Part Of His Origin Story Right In 2025
2025’s Superman will be flipping the script on the classic Superman story and will sidestep the hardest part of depicting his origins in the process.
Avatar: Fire and Ash
Avatar: Fire and Ash is a 2025 science fiction film continuing the saga of Pandora. Jake Sully and Neytiri confront a formidable new enemy, the Ash People, led by Varang. Struggling with personal loss and external threats, they strive to protect their family and Pandora’s future.
Avatar(2009) and its sequel,Avatar: The Way of Water(2022), are number one and number three on the list of highest-grossing movies of all time. Despite the 13 years between the two films and a great deal of skepticism that the sequel would be able to perform as well as it needed to (gross over $2 billion) to break even,Avatar: The Way of Waterdidn’t disappoint at the box office. Thus, there’s no reasonAvatar 3can’t follow in its footsteps.
Writer-director James Cameron plans to make fiveAvatarfilms, withAvatar 3fitting perfectly in the middle. Cameron has also saidAvatar 3will have a “shocking twist”that builds excitement. Criticisms ofAvatar’splots haven’t stopped it from succeeding, and it won’t be surprising ifAvatar 3crosses that big $2 million mark like its predecessors.
Frozen 3
Frozen 3 is the follow-up to the highly successful Frozen 2, released back in 2019 by Walt Disney Pictures and Animation Studios. The film was announced on August 23, 2025, The film is a direct sequel to the second film’s events and also cast Idina Menzel and Kristen Bell to reprise their roles as Elsa and Anna.
Frozen(2013)andFrozen II(2019) both make the list of the top 20 highest-grossing films of all time, making Elsa and Anna the most bankable Disney princesses. As was the case with many other sequels, many questioned the necessity ofFrozen IIand the cycle has repeated itself withthe upcomingFrozen III. Another cycle that can repeat itself is massive box office success. Unfortunately, the many years between the films andFrozen 4’sannouncementcould hurt its chances.
However, thanks to Disney+,Frozen IIIappeals to more than those who saw the first two films in theaters. Kids who were too young at the time (or perhaps not even born) have since streamed it, helping it stay relevant and popular. One ofFrozen III’sbiggest positives is its soundtrack, which will once again be done by Kristen Anderson-Lopez and Robert Lopez. “Let It Go” wascertified diamondin May 2024, with 10 million units sold, proving “Frozenfever” is alive and well.
Frozen 3’s Release Date Window Creates A Problem For The Disney Franchise
Frozen 3 has just received an exciting new update, but some information has raised major questions about the franchise, risking Frozen’s future.
Star Wars Episode 10
Star Wars: Dawn of the Jedi is the first movie to follow the sequel trilogy, where Mark Hamill’s Luke, Carrie Fisher’s Leia, and Harrison Ford’s Han Solo gave their final farewell. After the release of The Rise of Skywalker, development on a direct sequel had become dormant as Disney shifted focus on other parts of the galaxy, namely, Disney+ shows such as The Mandalorian, Andor, and Ahsoka. However, a movie starring Daisy Ridley as Rey Skywalker was officially announced at Star Wars Celebration 2023.
Star Warsis the most successful non-superhero franchise of all time, and it’s returning to movie theaters in 2026 withStar Wars Episode X: New Jedi Order.Star Warshas been set up as a series of trilogies, andNew Jedi Orderwill take place 15 years after the end of the Sequel Trilogy withThe Rise of Skywalker(2019). Despite some complaints about quality, theStar Warsfranchise is still extremely successful, with its most recent film earning over $1 billion.
No matter how many films are made,Star Warswill always remain a box office draw. Additionally,Star Warsdoesn’t have the problem some franchises do with the long gaps between films because fans can keep themselves occupied withtheStar WarsTV showsDisney+ keeps cranking out.New Jedi Orderwill also bring back Daisy Ridley as Rey, a character many viewers have gotten attached to.
10 Things That Must Happen If Rey’s New Jedi Order Movie Is To Be A True Star Wars Episode X
Rey Skywalker is getting a movie about her new Jedi Order. If it really wants to be a true Star Wars: Episode X, it must do these 10 things.
The Lord of the Rings: The Hunt for Gollum
The Lord of the Rings: The Hunt for Gollum is an upcoming fantasy adventure film that delves into the story of Gollum’s obsession with the One Ring.
Over 20 years since the originalLord of the Ringstrilogy ended and 10 years since the end ofThe Hobbittrilogy,the franchise will return to the big screen in 2026 withLord of The Rings: The Hunt for Gollum.Like others on this list,Lord of the Ringsis an extremely popular and successful franchise that has remained culturally relevant even without constantly producing new projects. In 2022, Amazon Prime producedThe Lord of the Rings: The Ring of Powertelevision show that proved how eager viewers are for newLOTRcontent.
The iconic voice of Gollum, Andy Serkis, is returning as the star and director ofThe Hunt for Gollum. Serkis has seen recent success as a filmmaker withVenom: Let There Be Carnage(2021). Peter Jackson, who directed every otherLord of the Ringsmovie, will remain involved as an executive producer. News aboutThe Hunt for Gollumhas been tightlipped, and once more details are released, there’s sure to be even more hype.
Avengers: Secret Wars
Avengers: Secret Wars is an anticipated installment in Phase 6 of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, serving as the finale of The Multiverse Saga. Scheduled for release in December 2027, the film’s plot remains under wraps, fueling curiosity about its role in the expansive Marvel narrative.
The Marvel Cinematic Universe has experienced many ups and downs in quality and success, with some films breaking box-office records while others wildly underperformed. Some have blamed theMCU’s failures on audience fatigue, as Marvel doesn’t just put multiple films in theaters a year, but there are television releases on Disney+ as well. This would suggest thatAvengers: Secret Warsis just worsening this perceived fatigue.
However,Avengers: Secret Warsis what can save the MCU from its slump.Secret Warsis set to be the final film in the MCU Multiverse Saga and Phase 6. Most importantly, it also marks the return of theAvengersfilms. The most recentAvengersmovie wasAvengers: Endgame(2019),the highest-grossing MCUfilm. TheAvengersfilms have been Marvel’s most successful, and casual fans who might have skipped out on other movies in the franchise are more likely to watchSecret Warssimply because it has theAvengersname attached.
TBA
Marvel’s X-Men
Marvel’s X-Men is the tentative title for the future debut of the legendary Marvel mutant superhero team in the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
The other major superhero movie to look forward to isMarvel’sX-Men, which currently doesn’t have a release date. There have been multipleX-Menmovies, including the original trilogy to theWolverinetrilogy, the prequel films, theDeadpoolmovies, and the flop spinoff,The New Mutants(2020). Disney obtained 20th Century Fox’s rights toX-Menin the Fox acquisition in 2019. Before theX-Menreboot movie,Deadpoolis joining the MCUwithDeadpool & Wolverine(2024).
The only detail that’s been revealed about Marvel’sX-Menis its writer. According toVariety, Michael Lesslie, known forThe Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes, is in talks to write the film. More details will come with time, andDeadpool & Wolverinewill surely provide some information and help build anticipation. Regardless of how viewers may feel aboutthe X-Men joining the MCU, they’re likely to watch to see just how they’ll fit in and what changes will be made to their story.
