The Nvidia RTX 5090 and RTX 5080 launch is just around the corner, with both high-end GPUs due to be released on January 30. However, several reports from retailers and brands alike have stoked fears of shortages of both cards ahead of their release date.
With hopeful buyers already camping outside stores to get one of the coveted GPUs, Nvidia’s RTX 5090 and RTX 5080 are poised to be two of the most coveted graphics cards ever released, despite their $1,999 and $999 pricetags.
Manufacturer MSI (via WCCFTech) said the new GPUs will be in short supply due to the Lunar New Year, also known as Chinese New Year. This will affect the first wave of GPUs, with stock expected to stabilize throughout February and beyond.
Nvidia GeForce RTX 5090 – Photos
Several retailers have also spoken out regarding the supply of the RTX 5090 specifically, with Overclockers UK claiming it has only received “single digits at present.” Last week it said it only had a “few hundred” RTX 5080 GPUs for launch. This stock difficulty was corroborated by U.S. retailer PowerGPU, which tweeted: “The launch of the RTX 5090 will be the worst when it comes to availability.”
To quell the fears circulating online, Nvidia representative Tim@Nvidia posted a statement titled “GeForce RTX 50 Series Availability” on the company’s official forum. It reads:
“We expect significant demand for the GeForce RTX 5090 and 5080 and believe stock-outs may happen. Nvidia and our partners are shipping more stock to retail every day to help get GPUs into the hands of gamers.”
With fears of limited stock rising, scalpers are poised to cash-in, with several listings for RTX 5090 GPUs already on eBay as “pre-sale.” One such listing showcases an Asus ROG Astral RTX 5090 as being available to order from a collectibles reseller for an eye-watering $5,750, an 187% increase over the original MSRP for the already expensive $1,999 card.
Nvidia may have a different kind of stock to prioritize this week, even amid the new launch of its latest consumer GPUs. The company’s share price tumbled by 16.86% on Monday following the emergence of Chinese AI model DeepSeek, whose claims of being trained for just $6 million puts Nvidia’s datacenter GPU sales prospects at risk.
Sayem is a freelancer based in the UK, covering tech & hardware. You can get in touch with him at @sayem.zone on Bluesky.
Nvidia Issues RTX 5090 and 5080 Stock Shortage Warning to PC Gamers Ahead of Hotly Anticipated Release Date
Attention all PC gamers: Nvidia has issued a warning of potential stock shortages for the highly anticipated RTX 5090 and 5080 graphics cards. With the release date fast approaching, gamers are advised to act quickly if they want to secure one of these powerful GPUs.
The RTX 5090 and 5080 are set to revolutionize the gaming experience with their cutting-edge technology and impressive performance capabilities. However, Nvidia has cautioned that demand for these cards is expected to be extremely high, leading to possible shortages in stores and online retailers.
To avoid missing out on the chance to upgrade your gaming setup with one of these top-of-the-line graphics cards, it is recommended to pre-order as soon as possible or be prepared to act swiftly on release day. Keep an eye on Nvidia’s official website and authorized retailers for updates on availability and stock levels.
Don’t let this warning catch you off guard – be proactive and secure your RTX 5090 or 5080 before they sell out. Happy gaming!
Photo-Illustration: Vulture; Photos: Sundance Institute, Pavel Talankin, A24
Lest you get too comfortable thinking back on last year’s movies following this morning’s Oscar noms, the 41st Sundance Film Festival is kicking off tonight in Utah. Last year’s lineup brought us indie favorites like I Saw The TV Glow and Between the Temples, and this year’s festival promises a number of oddities and originals.
From Ayo Edebiri’s turn as a music blogger (too close to home) in Opus to mumblecore renegade Mary Bronstein’s sophomore feature after a 17-year(!) break to a two-part documentary on Pee-wee Herman, here are the 15 movies we’ll be lining up in the snow to see.
Photo: Sundance Institute
Filmmaker, actress, and journalist Hailey Gates makes her feature film debut with Atropia starring Alia Shawkat and Callum Turner as actors on opposite sides of a military role-playing simulation who fall in love by accident. Gates is a fascinating emerging figure in the industry, recognizable to cinephiles for her brief turns in Twin Peaks: The Return, Uncut Gems, and Challengers as the poor woman in estate law who matches with Patrick Zweig on Tinder, as well as being the granddaughter of screenwriter Joan Tewkesbury. Atropia is kind of giving something between Black Mirror and Westworld, sure, but with a supporting cast that boasts Tim Heidecker, Chloë Sevigny, and Ivy Wolk, there’s room for Gates’s debut to be one of the fest’s funniest flicks.
Photo: Sundance Institute
Cherien Dabis returns to Sundance for the third time with All That’s Left of You, in which she also stars, about three generations of a Palestinian family. It’s been nearly a year since No Other Land debuted at the Berlin Film Festival, setting off a chain of hesitancy and urgency around films that address the ongoing conflict between Israeli and Palestine. There is a dearth of Palestinian filmmakers making narrative films that feel as urgent and necessary as documentary ones, and Dabis’s latest promises “heart and soul while also contending with Palestinian history, collective grief, anger, and intergenerational trauma.”
Photo: Logan White
It’s been 17 years since Mary Bronstein’s Yeast (starring Greta Gerwig, the Safdie brothers, Sean Price Williams, and Bronstein herself) made waves across the burgeoning mumblecore scene, her debut feature an acerbic comedy that would predict a decade of work to come. Bronstein’s sophomore feature, If I Had Legs I’d Kick You (already a title for the ages), stars Rose Byrne, A$AP Rocky, and Conan O’Brien — three people who have maybe never shared a sentence until now. It’d be pleasurable enough to see any one of those people in a movie, but the combo working together in Bronstein’s sharp milieu guarantees laughs; whether those are laughs of genuine pleasure or nervous unease, we’ll just have to see.
Photo: Dennis Keeley/HBO
It’s been 18 months since Paul Reubens passed away, but prior to that, director Matt Wolf began a series of conversations with the actor about his work as an artist and as Pee-wee Herman, Reubens’s beloved alter ego. For all that we know and saw of Herman, Reubens worked hard to protect his personal life — right up until he lost control of everything. The two-part documentary is an intimate look into Reubens’s body of work, along with the uneasy clash between character and man, as well as a capstone of a creative life built around excitement and joy.
Photo: Jesse Hope
Okay, unfortunately, there has to be more to this blurb than “press still features Josh O’Connor in a cowboy hat,” but imagine if that’s all it said: Press still features Josh O’Connor in a cowboy hat. Rebuilding is the sophomore feature from Coloradan filmmaker Max Walker-Silverman, whose debut film, A Love Song— starring Dale Dickey and Wes Studi as old friends reconnecting — was a touching, romantic work. Rebuilding tells the story of a family putting their lives back together after a wildfire, a film with far more resonance than anyone could have predicted in the months leading up to the festival. With Walker-Silverman’s humanist touch in this “loving portrait of the American West,” Rebuilding could be one of the festival’s most prescient and moving films.
Photo: Adolpho Veloso
Greg Kwedar and Clint Bentley’s Sing Sing is in the Oscar conversation this year, but the duo is back already with an adaptation of Denis Johnson’s novella about a logger named Robert Granier in the early 20th-century West. With Bentley directing this time around, Train Dreams promises a “naturalism to this historical drama, love story, and metaphysical meditation that wrestles with our sense of being, and how we reconcile the immensity of our lives with our barely discernible place in the world.” If it’s as dreamy and moving as its source material, then Train Dreams will be a marvel to behold.
Photo: Luka Cyprian
Andrew Ahn’s remake of Ang Lee’s queer romcom is one of the festival’s buzziest titles, chockablock full of people we know and love: Bowen Yang, Kelly Marie Tran, and Lily Gladstone. For one, it’ll be nice seeing Gladstone in a movie where hopefully she doesn’t have to suffer and yearn quite as much as she did for Martin Scorsese and Kelly Reichardt. It’ll be interesting to see how Ahn reinvents Lee’s film — which wound up being a major awards player back in 1993 — and whether his take on The Wedding Banquet can cement it as one of the decade’s great rom-coms.
Photo: Sundance Institute
Bill Condon, who once brought us Dreamgirls, Chicago, and whatever was going on with the live-action Beauty and the Beast, arrives in Park City with a remake of the 1980s musical starring Diego Luna, Tonatiuh, and Jennifer Lopez. Can this cult classic find a new audience in the 2020s? What will J.Lo be wearing in Park City? Can Condon summon a real Sundance spectacle? This flashy musical feels very un-Sundance-y in the best possible way, which makes it one of the festival’s most curious anomalies.
Photo: Sundance Institute
Ira Sachs (Passages, Little Men) is one of our great directors of actors, and this one seems like a perfect one for his sensibility and talents. It’s a recreation of a now-legendary 1974 interview between writer Linda Rosenkrantz (Rebecca Hall) and downtown photographer Peter Hujar (Ben Whishaw). The interview is remarkable for its unremarkable-ness: Hujar relates the occurrences of an ordinary day to Rosenkrantz, who had planned to put together a book of interviews with people about their average days, though eventually she published this one as its own standalone book. Sachs’s ability to convey lives in miniature should serve him well with such an intimate, subtle premise, especially given the power of these two actors.
Photo: Bellota Films/Stemal Entertainment/Elefants Films
Gianluca Matarrese’s documentary focuses on two subjects that have recently become politically fraught: It follows the work of a Milan doctor who specializes in fertility treatments and gender-confirmation surgeries. Actually, he does more than that: Dr. Bini lends a sensitive ear to a diverse group of patients and their concerns, and he advises them about all matters relating to their situations. That he’s doing all this in Italy, still quite a conservative country, makes the subject doubly fascinating, potentially explosive, and maybe even inspiring.
Photo: Sundance Institute
A teacher in a remote Russian town, tasked with recording school assemblies, secretly begins filming the transformation of his school into a nationalistic and militaristic propaganda machine in the wake of Putin’s invasion of Ukraine. There have been a lot of documentaries about various aspects of the Ukraine War and the situation in Russia; some have admittedly been extraordinary. This unique perspective, shot over many months by someone who is not a professional filmmaker, could break out in ways that more polished work hasn’t of late.
Photo: Marcel Zyskind
Every year at Sundance there are at least one or two genre breakout titles originating in the Midnight Section. Here’s one that could pull off that trick this year: It retells the story of Cinderella (with some additionally gnarly tweaks) but from the perspective of one of her much-maligned stepsisters, Elvira, whose struggles with body image are even hinted at in the original fairy tale. Alternate and irreverent versions of legendary fables are nothing new nowadays, but this one seems uniquely promising and fun.
Photo: Sundance Institute
A true-crime doc that takes aim at true-crime docs? Director Charlie Shackleton takes us through a film about the Zodiac Killer that he never got to make — but maybe he sort of still did, albeit in somewhat experimental, interrogative fashion. With its familiar tropes, its faux-suspense, its boilerplate reenactments, the genre has taken over not just nonfiction streaming series but also the world of documentary in general, like a kind of uncontrollable cinematic weed. The idea of a film that deconstructs true crime and its clichés — and maybe us viewers in the process — is too delicious to resist.
Photo: Bartosz Świniarski
Iranian American director Alireza Khatami goes to Turkey with this one, a psychological thriller about a university professor who begins to suspect that the sudden death of his elderly mother might have some unstated, troubling causes. Privy to his suspicions and intentions is a mysterious gardener who seems to come out of nowhere with myriad solutions to our hero’s problems. The Turkish cast is excellent, and the idea of Khatami mixing his ambitious stylistic markers with a genre-inflected drama is beyond promising.
Photo: A24
John Malkovich plays a legendary pop star (we’re in), and Ayo Edebiri is the young writer (we’re in) who gets invited to his sinister estate (we’re in) and discovers sinister, cultlike goings-on (we are so in). But seriously, the culture has been sick with thrillers about young people getting invited to remote locales for bizarre rituals among the wealthy of late. Surely one of them will eventually prove to be good. Maybe it’s this one?
The 2025 Sundance Film Festival is right around the corner, and film enthusiasts are buzzing with excitement over the lineup of highly anticipated movies set to premiere at the prestigious event. From groundbreaking documentaries to captivating dramas, here are the 15 most anticipated movies that are sure to make waves at the festival:
1. “The Wilderness Within” – A psychological thriller following a group of friends on a hiking trip that takes a dark turn.
2. “The Last Dance” – A coming-of-age story set in the world of competitive ballroom dancing.
3. “Echoes of Silence” – A documentary exploring the impact of climate change on indigenous communities.
4. “Lost in Translation” – A romantic drama about two strangers who form a deep connection while traveling abroad.
5. “The Empathy Experiment” – A sci-fi film that challenges the boundaries of human connection in a digital age.
6. “Unearthed” – A horror film centered around a mysterious archaeological dig that unleashes a deadly curse.
7. “The Art of Letting Go” – A comedy-drama about a woman navigating the complexities of modern relationships.
8. “Rise and Fall” – A biographical film chronicling the rise and fall of a legendary rock band.
9. “Breaking Point” – A gripping thriller about a woman pushed to her limits by a stalker.
10. “Infinite Horizons” – A visually stunning exploration of the natural world and humanity’s connection to it.
11. “The Weight of Memories” – A poignant drama about a family grappling with the aftermath of a tragic loss.
12. “The Sound of Silence” – A musical journey through the streets of a bustling city.
13. “The Edge of Tomorrow” – A mind-bending sci-fi thriller that challenges perceptions of reality.
14. “Into the Unknown” – A documentary following a team of explorers on a daring expedition to the furthest reaches of the earth.
15. “The Power of Hope” – A heartwarming tale of resilience and redemption in the face of adversity.
With such a diverse and exciting lineup of films, the 2025 Sundance Film Festival is shaping up to be a must-see event for film lovers around the world. Stay tuned for more updates and coverage as the festival kicks off!
Netflix has one of the best movie libraries in streaming, if not the best. Often considered the king of streamers, Netflix has a strong collection of pictures, both original and acquired, that make it the ultimate destination for streaming fans looking to spend a night in. Netflix has also become a giant thanks to its constant flow of content, premiering a new movie every week and producing some very high-profile projects from major names in entertainment.
2025 won’t be any different, as Netflix has several major movies coming out over the next twelve months. From auteur-driven remakes of classics of horror to ambitious adaptations of sci-fi novels to long-awaited sequels to major successes, Netflix’s library for 2025 is full of modern hits in the making. These movies will all surely attract major crowds, and some might even become major players at the 2026 awards season, ensuring Netflix’s place as the ultimate leader in the streaming space.
7. Havoc
Netflix
Tom Hardy is one of the most accomplished actors of his generation, and everything he does comes with a degree of anticipation and prestige. However, Havoc is slightly more interesting, as it was initially shot in 2021 and has been in something of a limbo ever since it wrapped. Delays concerning the 2023 strikes and scheduling issues, plus reshoots last year, meant that the film went far too long without seeing the light of day.
Directed by The Raid‘s Gareth Evans, Havoc follows a detective entering the criminal world to save a politician’s son after a drug deal gone wrong. The supporting cast includes Oscar winner Forest Whitaker and Emmy nominee Timothy Olyphant, making it an even hotter ticket. It’s still unknown when it will premiere, but Evans stated last year he hoped for a release in the first half of 2025, meaning we might not have to wait long before this long-gestating project finally premieres.
6. The Electric State
Paul Abell/Netflix / Netflix
Millie Bobby Brown, undoubtedly the First Lady of Netflix, joins forces with Chris Pratt for the Russo Brothers’ sci-fi adventure The Electric State. Very loosely based on the eponymous 2018 graphic novel and set in a dystopian 1994, the film stars Brown as Michelle, a young woman approached by a robot who claims to have information about her missing brother. Alongside Brown and Pratt, the film also stars Oscar winner Ke Huy Quan, Stanley Tucci, and Giancarlo Esposito.
Although the Russo Brothers have been pretty hit-or-miss following their stint in the MCU, The Electric State seems right up their alley. However, the changes they made to the story have already attracted a negative reaction from fans, who expected a more straightforward adaptation of the source material. Brown will have a busy slate with Netflix in 2025, with this promising film premiering on March 14, plus the fifth and final season of Stranger Things coming out sometime after.
5. Jay Kelly
Walt Disney Pictures
In 2019, Noah Baumbach scored one of his greatest critical hits with Marriage Story for Netflix. While the follow-up, White Noise, was less successful, the director is back with the streamer for Jay Kelly, which might be his ticket back to the Oscars. Co-written by the ever-underrated Emily Mortimer, the film will star an ensemble cast, including Oscar winners George Clooney, Laura Dern and Jim Broadbent alongside Adam Sandler, Billy Krudup, and Riley Keough.
Not much is known about the plot, but we can expect another introspective dramedy based on Baumbach’s previous work. A more international story can also be expected, as the film was shot in New York, London, and Tuscany. Netflix will probably want to position this as an awards contender, so a premiere in the fall of 2025 makes sense. With such a talented ensemble and director, Jay Kelly has the potential to be one of the streamer’s most acclaimed efforts of the year.
4. The Immortal Man
BBC/Netflix
Peaky Blinders ended in 2022. Ever since, rumors have been circulating about a film adaptation that would continue the story of Tommy Shelby and his criminal family. Finally, in 2024, show creator Steven Knight confirmed a movie in the works, with Oscar winner Cillian Murphy reprising his role as Tommy Shelby. Stephen Graham, Sophie Rundle, and Packy Lee will also reprise their roles, with Rebecca Ferguson and Oscar nominee Barry Keoghan joining the cast.
Little is known about The Immortal Man‘s plot other than that it will take place years after the show’s conclusion. However, Peaky Blindersremains such a beloved show that it’s hard to imagine this movie not doing well. Murphy and Knight’s return, plus the promise of more stylish violence, are plenty to compel audiences to tune into this long-awaited movie. There’s no date of release, but considering it wrapped filming in December 2024, it’s safe to expect The Immortal Man at some point this year.
3. Happy Gilmore 2
Netflix
Happy Gilmore is one of Adam Sandler’s most beloved movies, so it was always going to get a sequel. The actor is famous for its long-term partnership with Netflix, and Happy Gilmore 2 will be another entry into their ever-expanding collaboration. Alongside Sandler, original stars Christopher McDonald and multi-Emmy winner Julie Bowen will also return, joined by newcomers like Bad Bunny and Margaret Qualley.
Like most Netflix movies set to premiere this year, plot details for Happy Gilmore 2 are scarce. However, audiences can expect the familiar brand of humor that has made Sandler such a massive star, plus a collection of cameos that will include several pro-golfers and musicians like Eminem. Sandler has carved himself a comfortable place among Netflix’s biggest stars, and Happy Gilmore 2 will only increase his lucrative relationship with the streamer.
2. Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery
Netflix
Ryan Johnson returns to the whodunit world with Wake Up Dead Man, the third entry in his Knives Out series following 2019’s Knives Out and 2022’s Glass Onion. Daniel Craig returns as detective Benoit Blanc, this time joined by a massive cast including Oscar nominees Glenn Close, Josh Brolin, Jeremy Renner, and Thomas Haden Church. Also starring are Josh O’Connor, Andrew Scott, Cailee Spaeny, Mila Kunis, and Kerry Washington.
Unsurprisingly, plot details are still under wraps, but we know both Brolin and O’Connor will play priests. Considering the huge success of both previous entries in this modern series, it’s safe to say Wake Up Dead Man is among the most highly anticipated movies of the year, not only from Netflix but overall. Knives Out and Glass Onion were both November releases, so chances are Wake Up Dead Man will follow suit and premiere the same month following an awards-friendly debut on TIFF.
1. Frankenstein
Netflix
Frankenstein will continue Oscar winner Guillermo del Toro’s collaboration with Netflix, yet another adaptation of Mary Shelley’s classic work of Gothic fiction. Oscar Isaac will star as Doctor Victor Frankenstein, with Jacob Elordi as Frankenstein’s monster and Mia Goth, Felix Kammerer, Lars Mikkelsen, and Oscar winner Christoph Waltz in undisclosed roles.
Knowing del Toro, fans can expect a faithful adaptation of Shelley’s classic with a political edge. Netflix will surely want to position this film as a major awards contender, so a late 2025 premiere makes the most sense, meaning fans will have to wait a bit until they see it. However, the wait will surely be worth it; del Toro is one of the most prolific and acclaimed directors working today, and his horror sensibilities are a perfect match for Frankenstein. Thus, this horror story is not only the most highly anticipated Netflix original of the year but arguably the most anticipated movie of 2025 overall.
"Black Panther: Wakanda Forever"
Fans are eagerly awaiting the sequel to the groundbreaking superhero film, which is set to explore the legacy of the late Chadwick Boseman’s iconic character, T’Challa.
"Stranger Things 5"
The beloved sci-fi series is returning for its fifth season, promising more supernatural adventures and 80s nostalgia.
"The Witcher: Blood Origin"
This prequel to the hit fantasy series will delve into the origins of the Witcher universe, exploring the history of the first Witcher and the creation of the monsters they fight.
"Avatar: The Last Airbender"
Based on the popular animated series, this live-action adaptation is highly anticipated by fans who are hoping for a faithful retelling of the beloved story.
"The Chronicles of Narnia: The Silver Chair"
The next installment in the Narnia film series, this adaptation of the classic novel promises to bring more magic and adventure to the screen.
"The Umbrella Academy: Season 4"
The dysfunctional superhero family is returning for another season of time-traveling shenanigans and world-saving missions.
"The Kissing Booth 4"
Fans of the teen romantic comedy series can’t wait to see how the love triangle between Elle, Noah, and Marco plays out in the fourth installment.
Tags:
Netflix movies, most anticipated movies, upcoming movies, movie rankings, Netflix originals, 2025 movies, new releases
The Cavs’ 12-game winning streak was snapped by the Pacers, but they made sure to get revenge the very next game. This 13-1 stretch has been something to behold, with Cleveland putting up an incredible 123 points per 100 possessions behind three 20-plus per game scorers in Donovan Mitchell, Darius Garland and Evan Mobley.
Yep, right back to winning. OKC is 3-0 since losing to the Cavs, and have an absurd plus-12.8 net rating through 39 games. For reference, the 73-win Warriors finished with a plus-10.6 net rating, so this is historic stuff from the Thunder.
What a stretch for the Rockets, who beat the Grizzlies twice in five days and then destroyed the Nikola Jokic-less Nuggets for a fifth straight win to pull into a tie with Boston in the loss column for the NBA’s third-best record. Houston’s offense, which struggled mightily to begin the season, is now all the way up to ninth in the NBA. That’s partially due to a heater from Jalen Green, who’s averaged 33 points and four assists on 55/53/96 splits over the five-game winning streak.
The Celtics have scored fewer than 100 points three times this season — and they’ve all happened in the past 10 days. Shooting variance? Sure. But this is what critics point to when it comes to the 3-heavy Boston attack — off games mean zero offense, as indicated by their 107.8 points per 100 possessions over their last five games, 27th in the NBA over that span.
Memphis is 5-5 over its last 10 games and defense has been the culprit, allowing 116 points per 100 possessions during that span. Ja Morant has been excellent since his return, averaging 23 points and six assists in five games as the Grizzlies have gone plus-48 in his minutes.
The Knicks have dismissed it, but they’re 0-5 against the Cavs, Celtics, Thunder and Rockets this season, with an average margin of defeat of over 15 points in those games. Those also happen to be the only NBA teams with a better record than them, so they’re obviously doing a lot right, but it’s still an alarming stat when you’re likely going to have to beat at least a couple of those teams in a playoff series to win a title.
You could feel the weight being lifted off of Jamal Murray’s shoulders during a vintage 45-point outburst, including 32 in the first half alone, in Tuesday’s win over Dallas. Afterward he said he was “in the zone,” and the Nuggets are going to need him to stay there if they’re going to make a run toward the top of the conference over the next couple of months.
The 59-point margin in Wednesday’s victory over the Nets was great, but the real exciting part was that Kawhi Leonard had by far his best game of the season, putting up 23 points in 23 minutes on 8-for-11 shooting. He also made all seven of his free throws after taking just three total in his first three games — a sign that he may be getting more comfortable playing through contact as he continues to ramp up his activity.
That’s five wins in six games for the Bucks, who have ridden their two stars to the tune of nearly 53 points per game during that stretch. As usual, they’ve relied on knockdown shooters surrounding Giannis Antetokounmpo and Damian Lillard, with Milwaukee landing second in the NBA with a 39% mark from beyond the arc. After all the ups and downs, the Bucks are in fourth place in the Eastern Conference.
One of the Mavericks’ best three-man combos this season is Luka Doncic, Kyrie Irving and Dereck Lively II (plus-18 net rating in almost 200 minutes). Now they’re all injured. So it shouldn’t be much of a surprise that Dallas is 2-8 over their last 10. Irving played through a disc issue in Tuesday’s loss to Denver but did not look sharp, scoring 11 points in 30 minutes on 4-of-18 shooting.
Paolo Banchero made his triumphant return from an oblique injury and looks no worse for wear, averaging 25 points, seven rebounds and four assists on 49/47/77 splits in his first three games since October (though turnovers have been a bit of an issue). Unfortunately the Magic need to get used to playing with a superstar again, as they’ve lost three of their last four.
Stout defense. Six players with at least 14 points. Knockdown 3-point shooting. Wednesday’s win over the Heat laid the blueprint for Lakers success, and it ended a rough three-game skid. The Lakers are 8-3 when Austin Reaves dishes out at least seven assists — a good sign considering he’s averaging nine over his last 10 games.
The Wolves are 8-2 this season when Anthony Edwards scores 30 points or more, a figure that could lead to some more high-volume shooting nights from the prolific superstar. He’s only attempted 20 or more field goals in one of the team’s last four games (a 41-point effort in a win over the Wizards).
Just when Indiana was starting to put it together, Tyrese Haliburton comes up with a hamstring injury — a scary sight given his history, even though it’s the other leg. Hopefully he won’t be out long, since he was at the top of his game with 21 points and nine assists per game on 50/40/88 splits over the Pacers’ recent 7-1 stretch.
Well they finally lost, but the seven-game winning streak did wonders for the Kings’ postseason positioning. They’re now squarely in the jumble of teams in the West Play-In spots, exactly what they needed after the firing of Mike Brown. The difference has been the defense, which ranks in the top 10 over their last eight games.
Wouldn’t it be wild if Jimmy Butler just laced them up and took the floor for Friday’s game, the first after the conclusion of his seven-game suspension? While it doesn’t seem likely, Miami is going to need to figure out what to do with its disgruntled star moving forward, assuming they can’t (or aren’t ready to) find a suitable deal.
Steph Curry clarified his comments about not wanting the Warriors to sacrifice the future with an all-in move, reiterating that he still believes his team can make some noise as currently constructed. Viewers may disagree after seeing the product on the floor over the last 25 games, in which Golden State has gone 8-17 (with three of the wins, interestingly, coming against the Timberwolves).
Best story in the NBA? Not many saw the Pistons — winners of nine of their last 11 — being two games over .500 at this juncture of the season, and Cade Cunningham is the primary reason. His All-Star case is virtually impenetrable at this point, with the power guard averaging 25 points, nine assists and seven rebounds on 38% 3-point shooting.
Hawks legends Keaton Wallace and Daeqwon Plowden helmed an improbable road victory over the Bulls on Wednesday without Trae Young, Jalen Johnson, Zaccharie Risacher and De’Andre Hunter for Atlanta’s third win in its last four games. Vit Krejci has been on a roll, averaging 13 points, 4.5 assists and four rebounds over the four-game stretch on 50% 3-point shooting.
Ever wonder what this team would look like if Victor Wembanyama had some shooting around him? The Spurs are 23rd in the NBA in 3-point accuracy, and percentage points away from being 28th. Only one player (Julian Champagnie) is shooting over 37% on reasonable volume. Moving forward, the priority of the Spurs front office will surely be getting some more marksmen around their generational talent.
The Suns finally look like they’re starting to put things together, winning three of their last four, and they added big man Nick Richards to fill in the gaping hole in the middle. In six games since being removed from the starting lineup, Bradley Beal is averaging 16 points and four assists on 51% shooting.
One loss just gets worse than the last for the Bulls, who may have hit rock-bottom with a double-digit defeat — at home — to a skeleton Hawks crew missing Trae Young, Jalen Johnson and other key rotation pieces. The porous Chicago defense allowed 46 combined points to Keaton Wallace and Daeqwon Plowden. And no, I did not just make those names up to see if you were still reading.
Paul George is “bored” guarding centers and apparently the 76ers are bored of winning, as they’ve dropped four in a row to fall to a ghastly 15-24 on the season. You have to start wondering when they reach the point of no return, as the math isn’t exactly in their favor. On the plus side, George is starting to look like the player Philadelphia hoped they’d signed, averaging 25 points, eight rebounds and six assists on 47/46/100 shooting splits during the latest losing streak.
Brooklyn has been throwing out some wild lineups recently, and it caught up to them in a big way with a *59-point* loss to the Clippers on Wednesday. When they have their guys it’s a different story, evidenced by the 18-point hurting they put on the Trail Blazers with Cam Johnson, Ben Simmons and D’Angelo Russell all in action. The Nets are 0-8 without Johnson this season.
It’s been a rough year for Portland in terms of wins and losses, but nights like Tuesday — when Scoot Henderson dropped a career-high 39 points and, most notably, made eight of his 10 3-point attempts, make the suffering worth it. The second-year guard has averaged 14 points and five assists over his last 12 games on 43% 3-point shooting.
OK Raptors, we see you. Consecutive wins for the first time since early December is reason enough to celebrate, the latest being a thorough handling of the defending champion Celtics on Wednesday. Chris Boucher has gone from irrelevant to a spark plug off the bench, averaging 15 points and eight rebounds in just 21 minutes over his last four games.
The Pels have ripped off three wins in four games, and the loss was by a single point to the Celtics. When he’s not getting suspended for missing team flights, Zion Williamson has been excellent in his return to the floor, averaging 20 points, seven rebounds and five assists in 27 minutes in his first three games since early November.
Utah’s starting lineup for Wednesday’s loss to the Hornets had an average age of 22, so they’re clearly embracing the youth movement. The elder statesman was 26-year-old forward Micah Potter, who has all of 42 NBA games under his belt.
Sure there were a couple of postponements thrown into the mix, but the Hornets have won two of their last three behind some stout defense and A LOT of shots from LaMelo Ball. The unbashful guard has averaged 14 3-point attempts over his last three games, making just 29% of them. But hey, he’s also dished out nine assists per game, so it’s not like he’s being a ball hog.
It’s not a good sign when you look at a box score and say, “Oh wow, the Wizards only lost by 14!” The margin against the Wolves looked great after consecutive losses of 33 and 41 to the Bulls and Thunder, respectively. Rough times in the nation’s capital.
—
6-33
The NBA Power Rankings have seen a major shakeup as the red-hot Houston Rockets have leapfrogged the ice-cold Boston Celtics. The Rockets have been on fire as of late, winning their last six games and climbing up the standings. Meanwhile, the Celtics have been struggling, losing their last four games and dropping in the rankings.
One of the most anticipated matchups in the upcoming week is the rematch between the Cleveland Cavaliers and the Oklahoma City Thunder. The last time these two teams faced off, the Cavs came out on top in a thrilling overtime victory. Now, both teams are looking to solidify their playoff position and potentially make a deep postseason run.
As the regular season winds down, every game becomes crucial for teams jockeying for playoff positioning. The Rockets and the Cavaliers are looking to make a statement with their recent hot streaks, while the Celtics and the Thunder are looking to bounce back from their recent struggles. It’s sure to be an exciting week in the NBA as teams battle it out for supremacy in the power rankings.
Tags:
NBA Power Rankings, Rockets, Celtics, Cavaliers, Thunder, NBA rematch, NBA standings, basketball rankings, NBA teams, NBA news, sports updates, NBA highlights, NBA analysis
CHICAGO — Derrick Rose knew he’d be unable to hold back tears, so he figured why try?
“That’s why I had to wear the glasses, because I knew I was going to get emotional,” Rose said Thursday at a private screening of “Becoming a Rose,” the self-directed retirement film from the former Chicago Bulls star.
The two-minute tribute will debut during a halftime ceremony honoring Rose at Saturday’s Bulls game against the New York Knicks. It will be the apex of an evening reserved for the Chicago native and 2011 NBA MVP who announced his retirement in September. The Bulls have dubbed the matchup “Derrick Rose Night.”
GO DEEPER
For ‘Derrick Rose Night’ in Chicago, peers fondly remember former NBA MVP’s career
Players on both teams will wear themed shooting shirts to honor Rose’s time with both franchises. The date of the game will be numerically printed on the front (1.4.25), and the shirts will include Rose’s jersey numbers worn with the Bulls, Knicks and at Simeon Career Academy. The Bulls, his first NBA team, will launch the Derrick Rose atrium experience, showcasing everything from memorabilia to a mosaic in the shape of Rose’s logo and made using photos throughout his life and career.
Throughout the game, there will be moments recognizing Rose, his family and many of his former Bulls teammates who will be on hand. Chicago mayor Brandon Johnson also proclaimed Jan. 4, 2025, as “Derrick Rose Day” in Chicago.
“I can’t explain it,” Rose said. “That’s something that you see in movies, or I’m normally on the couch watching somebody get this.”
But the culmination of Rose’s coronation will be different. At a time when all the attention will be heaped on Rose, he went out of his way to redirect the flowers back to his beloved hometown. What fans will see Saturday is a heartfelt tribute video not to Rose, but to the city of Chicago. With his eldest son, PJ, narrating and co-starring, Rose and his team, in conjunction with Adidas, crafted a touching salute to the people and places in Chicago that made him.
“Roses need water and sunlight to grow, but this Rose needed a city,” PJ narrates at the start of the film.
“I want the city to feel like they can stunt on another city or state and be, like, ‘Look what we got. Look what we made,’” Rose said. “Because it’s no way that I could tell my story without telling the city’s story.”
Rose is the rarest of all sports heroes: a prospect who, against long odds, grew to become the youngest MVP in NBA history for his hometown team. He spent his first eight seasons in Chicago after the Bulls drafted him No. 1 in 2008. The player nicknamed “Pooh” by his grandmother when he was a child won Rookie of the Year in 2009, earned three All-Star selections by 2012 and guided the Bulls to the Eastern Conference finals in 2011 before knee injuries derailed his career.
“From a city that raises you with tough love and lifts you up in tough times.”
“Pooh’s as special as they come,” former Bulls star and Rose’s friend Joakim Noah told The Athletic. “When that crowd (Saturday) is going to chant ‘MVP,’ it’s bigger than just basketball. It’s just beautiful to see how far he’s come. This story is about more than just winning a championship. This is a painful story. This is as soulful as they come. This is a Chicago story.”
Rose and Joakim Noah (13) were teammates in Chicago for seven seasons (Ezra Shaw / Getty Images)
“Becoming a Rose” takes the audience on an intimate journey with Rose and his family, snaking from the United Center to his childhood home on the city’s south side, and back. In between, Rose shows his son Murray Park — not just a playground, but Rose’s prove-it-ground — as well as the halls and gymnasium of Simeon, where he led his high school team to back-to-back state championships. Rose also shows his son the old barbershop on the block, where so many boys became men.
“Whenever we see athletes and we see their retirement video, it’s always about them,” said Carlyle Garrick, director of the tribute. “It’s videos and stories, highlights and plays, that we’ve seen forever, and we’re just rewatching those for the 30th time. But it was nice to see his family, his friends and places that were special to him. Hearing PJ’s voice also gave it that familial texture.”
The film took three days to shoot in early December. On the first day of filming, the crew was welcomed by 22-degree temperatures. Reflecting on the frigid conditions, it’s the only time Rose didn’t express anything but reverence for Chicago.
“It was so cold out there, bro,” Rose remembered. “When I came back, I was so cold I had to put on tights under my long johns. And my guys were regular, like, ‘What?’ They were laughing at me. But it made me appreciate being here, because something as minute as that can help build your character if you’re mindful of it.”
Garrick, a California native who played linebacker at Oregon from 2011-15, said it was the coldest he’s ever been. He also will remember Rose’s commitment to the project resulting in one of the fastest turnarounds he’s been a part of. Garrick said productions of this magnitude typically take about three months.
Storytelling through film is one of Rose’s many passions. He described himself as a visual learner, and “Becoming a Rose” is his directorial debut. Rose additionally is manifesting a partnership at a major studio. Rose listed Quentin Tarantino among his favorite directors and said he envisions featuring family members prominently in his films one day.
“A quiet kid with a loud dream.”
Garrick’s respect for Rose grew more after experiencing the latter approach a new craft. He said Rose joined every video call with a notepad and a camera, determined to learn the process while offering critical creative input. From the overall concept to every painstaking detail of production, Rose was involved.
“I’m watching every step so that when I am in that position, I can express myself the way a great director is supposed to express themselves,” Rose said.
He’ll never stop being a student of the game.
“That’s why I feel like this film is an authentic view of who Derrick is and who this city is,” Garrick said. “He’s investing into all of us, himself as well, and proving to people that ‘I really care about this craft.’ He might not say it, but he is truly leading this charge. It’s a special thing to see somebody post-playing care about something this much so early.”
For Rose, it’s about using his massive platform and putting a twist on his community outreach, just like it was always bigger than basketball for Rose during his playing career.
“Of course, you can express yourself, art wise, through film. But at the same time, we’re trying to employ people, too,” Rose said. “We could shoot this film, and we could have used everybody from different cities and fly them in, but we used people who were from here. A lot of us were (Black and Brown people) on the set working. That’s where I see us, our team, adapting: giving in different ways, finding unique ways to show gratitude.
“When you look at the economy and really think practically about what’s going on and how people are hurting, coming back here and just seeing the visual, certain places still look the same. Every year I’m going to come back, it may still look the same. I’m going to say that for the next 10, 20 years The question is going to come up, ‘Who’s going to change it?’ I’ll answer the question: It’s going to be me. It’s going to have to be me or my team to change it. Taking responsibility, taking ownership in it … but doing it smart and doing it the right way by employing people and giving people opportunities.”
“A rose can be many colors. But this Rose will always be Chicago red.”
The final scene shows Rose sharing the United Center court with only his eldest son, now far removed from the toddler who stole hearts while sitting atop Rose’s lap after playoff games. Together, they launch shots in an empty arena. Rose sinks a basket and hoists his arms in celebration. A faint chant of “M-V-P” plays as the film fades out.
For all he did for Chicago, and for all he meant then and still does now, the roar Rose receives Saturday is expected to be deafening after fans see his carefully curated tribute to the place he’ll always call home.
“This is going to represent a Chicago feel, a Chicago way, of presenting ourselves to the world,” Rose said. “It’s all intrinsic. It’s all real, and I hope you guys love it.”
(Top photo: Christian Petersen / Getty Images)
Derrick Rose, the former NBA MVP and beloved point guard, has had a storied career filled with triumphs and setbacks. Now, as he nears the end of his playing days, a new chapter is about to be written in his legacy with the release of his highly anticipated retirement film, ‘Becoming a Rose’.
The film chronicles Rose’s journey from his humble beginnings on the streets of Chicago to becoming one of the most electrifying players in the league. It delves into the highs of his MVP season with the Chicago Bulls, the devastating knee injuries that threatened to derail his career, and the resilience and determination that allowed him to continue playing at a high level.
Throughout the film, we see Rose’s unwavering dedication to the game and the impact he has had on the basketball world both on and off the court. From his iconic buzzer-beaters to his philanthropic efforts in his hometown, ‘Becoming a Rose’ showcases the full spectrum of his career and the indelible mark he has left on the sport.
As fans eagerly await the release of this poignant and inspiring film, they can reflect on the incredible legacy that Derrick Rose has built over his career. ‘Becoming a Rose’ promises to be a fitting tribute to a player who has captured the hearts of basketball fans around the world and solidified his place in the annals of the game.
Tags:
Derrick Rose retirement film, Derrick Rose documentary, basketball legend Derrick Rose, NBA retirement film, Derrick Rose career highlights, Derrick Rose retirement story, Rose documentary film, Derrick Rose retirement tribute, Derrick Rose retirement journey.
After the earthquake comes the aftershocks. So it’s always fascinating to see what happens when there’s a real shake-up in music’s direction. Of course, 2024 was dominated by an explosion in subversive girly pop—Charli XCX, Sabrina Carpenter, Chappell Roan. Presumably, though, those women all have more touring and writing to do before we hear new music from them. So what follows in their wake, and can the likes of Lady Gaga and Madonna compete on this new playing field?
Country music continued to make inroads by expanding its parameters (from Jelly Roll to Shaboozey), so it’s easy to imagine the genre will only keep growing, in whatever new forms it might take. A rumored new Morgan Wallen album would keep the momentum rolling for the Nashville superstar who defines this era.
The old-school formula of announcing a release date ahead of time and setting up an album with a single seems almost quaint now, so information about 2025’s big records is obviously limited. We expect new projects from Ed Sheeran (he’s “getting back into big pop”) and Miley Cyrus (inspired by Pink Floyd’s The Wall!), know that Blondie and LCD Soundsystem are putting albums out, and hear rumbles, however uncertain, from Janet Jackson and Cardi B.
Some predict that Taylor Swift will lay low for a while following the end of the Eras tour, but I don’t believe she’s capable of that. And then there’s, sigh, Rihanna—nine years since the last album and we still feel obligated to close our eyes and make a wish every January. Meantime, here’s what we know so far about the year to come.
Mac Miller, Balloonerism (January 17)
In 2020, Circles was the first posthumous release from Miller after his death in 2018, and it became his biggest album ever, including the hit “Good News.” This often-bootlegged collection dates back to 2014, and apparently contains several tracks featuring a then-obscure young singer known as SZA. In announcing the project’s release, Miller’s family noted that the rapper had gotten so close to finalizing the album that he had commissioned artwork. “We believe the project showcases both the breadth of his musical talents and fearlessness as an artist,” said the estate. “Releasing Balloonerism was something that Malcolm frequently expressed being important to him.”
The final installment in a trilogy that began with 2020’s After Hours and continued on 2022’s Dawn FM, Abel Tesfaye’s sixth studio album will be accompanied by a “psychological thriller” feature film starring Jenna Ortega and Barry Keoghan, due out in May. Producers on the new record include Max Martin and Pharrell Williams, and Tesfaye has said that the album is “probably [his] last hurrah” under The Weeknd persona; “I’m definitely trying to shed that skin and be reborn.”
Last January, a few months after her mysterious appearance working the counter at an Alabama Waffle House, Lana Del Rey said that an album called Lasso was coming out in September and that she was ditching the dream-pop and going country. As the recording went on and the title shifted to The Right Person Will Stay, she seems to have backed off the strict genre description—though she’s still headlining the Stagecoach festival in April. Del Rey has teased that the first single from the 13-track album is “Henry” (presumably the same song as “Henry, Come On,” previewed with a snippet last year), and indicated that producers include previous collaborators Jack Antonoff, Zach Dawes, and Drew Erickson, as well as Nashville powerhouse Luke Laird.
Christopher Polk – Getty Images
Lady Gaga, TBA
Having survived the disaster of the Joker: Folie a Deux movie, Lady Gaga bounced back with “Die with a Smile,” her smash duet with Bruno Mars, and “Disease,” the first single from her upcoming seventh album, which she says is coming in February. Gaga claims that the record contains “so many different genres, so many different styles, so many different dreams,” and that “there’s a lot of pain associated with this adventure…And when I start to explore that pain it can bring out another side to my artistry.”
We knew that Sir Paul was working with superproducer Andrew Watt on his first album since 2020’s solo “rockdown” project McCartney III; that’s how he ended up in the studio with the Rolling Stones in 2023. Things seemed to have gone quiet since then, but McCartney recently posted on his website that his new year’s resolution is to complete the album. “I’ve been working on a lot of songs, and have had to put it to the side because of the tour,” he wrote. “So, I’m hoping to get back into that and finish up.” Some speculation has the project coming sooner rather than later.
Jim Dyson – Getty Images
Elton John, TBA
His five-year-long farewell tour finally ended, but Sir Elton hasn’t slowed down. In the last few months, there was the Never Too Late documentary (complete with a new duet with Brandi Carlile), the opening of The Devil Wears Prada musical in London (at which he announced his struggle with vision loss), and the opening—and closing—of the Tammy Faye musical on Broadway. Captain Fantastic has also said that he’s working on a new album with lyricist Bernie Taupin; “You will be getting some more [music],” he recently told Stephen Colbert. “The juices have never dried up.”
Bruce Glikas – Getty Images
J. Cole, The Fall Off (TBA)
Let’s not forget that it was actually a J. Cole lyric that lit the match on the Kendrick Lamar-Drake battle that overshadowed hip-hop in 2024. At a recent Madison Square Garden performance, Cole dropped a hint that his new album could come out before the fifth and final Dreamville festival in April; “Hopefully I’ll have something new to perform for y’all,” he said at the close of the show. The Fall Off has been a long time coming; he started work on it in 2016, announced a release in 2020, but maybe this time it’s for real.
Astrida Valigorsky – Getty Images
Madonna, TBA
Since the release of her last studio album, Madame X, in 2019, Madonna hasn’t had an easy time. The Celebration tour was postponed after she was hospitalized (and put in a medically induced coma) with a bacterial infection, her brothers Anthony and Chris both passed away, and she has grappled for years with the autobiographical film she planned to direct. She recently wrote that she’s shifted her focus to recording new music with longtime collaborator Stuart Price. “Songwriting and making music is the one area where I don’t need to ask anyone for their permission,” she posted. “i’m so excited to share it with you. Who wants to hear new music in 2025!”
THE HAPA BLONDE – Getty Images
Bruce Springsteen, TBA
It’s shaping up to be an interesting year for The Boss. He turned 75 in September but he remains on the road, returning to Europe for dates over the summer. August will mark the 50th anniversary of Born to Run, and filming continues on Deliver Me From Nowhere, with Jeremy Allen White playing Springsteen during the making of the Nebraska album. And in December, his team put out a statement indicating that releases (plural) in 2025 will include “a look back at Springsteen’s storied recording career, featuring never-before-heard material,” leading to widespread whispers about a sequel to 1998’s Tracks—a box set which included outtakes, B-sides, alternate versions, and demos.
Valerie Terranova – Getty Images
Spinal Tap, Spinal Tap II (TBA)
Turn the amps up to 11, hide your drummers—the Tap is back. Forty-one years after the mother of all mockumentaries, This is Spinal Tap, was released, Spinal Tap II is due out later this year. The soundtrack album will include guest spots from Paul McCartney and Elton John, who both have cameos in the film (not “Spinal Tap-type songs,” according to director Rob Reiner, “ones that people know”). It’s unclear whether we’ll get music from other stars who show up on screen (Lars Ulrich, Garth Brooks, Questlove), but Reiner did reveal that one new Derek Smalls track is called “Rockin’ in the Urn”—”all about the fact that even after he’s dead, he’s still going to be performing.”
Andreas Rentz – Getty Images
You Might Also Like
As music lovers eagerly await the release of new music from their favorite artists, anticipation is building for the most highly anticipated albums of 2025. Here are the top 10 albums that fans can’t wait to get their hands on:
1. Adele – After her hugely successful album “25,” fans are eagerly awaiting Adele’s next release, rumored to be titled “30.”
2. Kendrick Lamar – The Grammy-winning rapper is set to release his highly anticipated follow-up to “DAMN.” in 2025.
3. Rihanna – Fans have been waiting for new music from Rihanna for years, and 2025 may finally be the year they get their wish.
4. Taylor Swift – With each album release, Taylor Swift continues to reinvent herself, and fans are excited to see what she has in store for 2025.
5. Drake – The Canadian rapper has been teasing new music for a while now, and fans are hoping to finally hear his next album in 2025.
6. Billie Eilish – After the success of her debut album “When We All Fall Asleep, Where Do We Go?,” fans are eagerly awaiting Billie Eilish’s next release.
7. Kanye West – The enigmatic rapper and producer is always full of surprises, and fans can’t wait to see what he has in store for 2025.
8. The Weeknd – After the success of his album “After Hours,” fans are eagerly awaiting The Weeknd’s next project.
9. Lorde – The New Zealand singer-songwriter has been quiet on the music front lately, but fans are hopeful that she will release new music in 2025.
10. Frank Ocean – The elusive singer-songwriter is known for his unique sound and style, and fans are eagerly awaiting his next album.
With so many highly anticipated albums set to be released in 2025, music fans have a lot to look forward to in the coming year. Which of these albums are you most excited for? Let us know in the comments!
China on Thursday said it was adding dozens of American companies to its export control list to “safeguard national security and interests.”
China’s Ministry of Commerce said it would impose measures on 28 U.S. entities and would also prohibit exports of dual-use items to the listed companies starting on Thursday, reported the Global Times, a Chinese daily viewed as aligned with Beijing, and the government-run Xinhua news agency. Dual-use items refers to those that can be used for either civilian or military purposes.
China also sanctioned 10 defense firms on Thursday over military sales to Taiwan, the self-governing island that China claims as its own, adding them to China’s “Unreliable Entities List,” the ministry said, according to AFP.
“It really does seem to be a warning shot — that escalation in U.S. policies against China, particularly under Trump, will be met with a more aggressive response,” Jesse Schreger, an associate professor of Macroeconomics at Columbia Business School, told CBS MoneyWatch. “China is signaling it will not take tariffs passively.”
The threat to not sell dual-use goods to listed companies could be consequential, given China’s role as the world’s manufacturing powerhouse, said Schreger. Unclear is how China intends to enforce the measures and which products will be viewed as dual use and therefore have their sales restricted. Tires, for instance, could be viewed as produced for both civilian and military use, he noted.
The moves come as Beijing readies for the return of President-elect Donald Trump to the White House and after the Biden administration broadened its restrictions on Chinese firms amid an escalating back-and-forth. During his presidential campaign, Trump also raised the idea of imposing a tariff of up to 60% on all Chinese goods.
“The desire to put high tariffs on China seems credible, if you think back to the first Trump administration and its willingness to use [tariffs] for geopolitical ends,” offered Schreger. “The Biden administration didn’t undo that — in fact, they professionalized it. The Trump administration’s rhetoric might have been stronger, but the Biden administration took this economic battle to the next level.”
China last month said it was investigating U.S. microchip maker Nvidia over potential violations of Chinese anti-monopoly laws.
China’s action comes less than a week after it placed sanctions on seven companies in responding to recently announced U.S. military sales and aid to Taiwan.
Still, sanctions by Beijing targeting American defense companies tend to have a muted impact given that U.S. military firms don’t sell arms or related goods to China. The tit-for-tat trade measures also could be limited, some analysts think.
“Changes to immigration, trade and fiscal policy under the second Trump administration will likely be meaningful but stop short of some of the more dramatic proposals,” stated Goldman Sachs analysts in a recent report. “We expect tariffs on imports from China and autos, but not a universal tariff, which would carry economic and political risks that we think the White House will prefer to avoid.”
Kate Gibson is a reporter for CBS MoneyWatch in New York, where she covers business and consumer finance.
In response to the anticipated tariffs imposed by the Trump administration, China has announced that it will target dozens of U.S. companies. This move is seen as a retaliatory measure against the U.S. government’s trade policies.
The targeted companies include some of the biggest names in the technology, agriculture, and manufacturing sectors. This escalation in the trade war between the two economic powerhouses is expected to have far-reaching consequences for both countries and the global economy.
As tensions continue to rise between the U.S. and China, many are worried about the potential impact on businesses, consumers, and the overall stability of the global market. It remains to be seen how this latest development will play out, but one thing is clear – the trade war between the U.S. and China shows no signs of slowing down.
Movie fans flocked to the cinema in 2024, with Inside Out 2, Deadpool & Wolverine, Despicable Me 4, Moana 2, Dune: Part Two, and Wicked dominating the worldwide box office.
Beetlejuice came out of retirement to entertain new audiences, while the likes of Alien: Romulus and Longlegs scared cinemagoers into parting with their cash.
However, the past few years have been tumultuous for the film industry.
After COVID all but wiped out trips to see a movie on the silver screen, studios are now having to contend with the cost of living crisis and audiences preferring to wait for digital releases.
There was even the double-whammy of industrial action waged by the Writers Guild of America (WGA) and SAG-AFTRA which shuttered production for months and led to delays in the release calendar.
In 2023, the successful simultaneous theatrical release of Barbie and Oppenheimer – two movies collectively known as Barbenheimer – hinted at a return to box office bonanzas previously witnessed pre-pandemic.
However, a number of movies that would normally reap billion-dollar rewards floundered in 2024 – including Madame Web and Joker: Folie à Deux.
Even Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga was deemed a failure despite proving a hit with critics.
The simultaneous release of Wicked and Gladiator II – known as Glicked – failed to match the Barbenheimer buzz, with the musical going on to slay Ridley Scott’s sequel in ticket sales.
It may be back to business for Hollywood, but 2024 showed that it’s far from back to normal.
So, as we head into 2025, here are some of the movies that are aiming to entice audiences to the cinema this coming year.
Superman
The Man of Steel will be returning to the big screen this summer.
Starring David Corenswet (Pearl, Twisters) in the leading role, the film will explore Clark Kent/Superman’s journey to reconcile his Kryptonian heritage with his adoptive human family in Smallville.
The movie boasts a stacked cast, with the likes of Rachel Brosnahan (The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel) as Lois Lane, Nicholas Hoult (Juror #2) as Lex Luthor, and the always impressive Skyler Gisondo (Booksmart) as Jimmy Olsen.
YouTube
This content is provided by YouTube, which may be using cookies and other technologies.
To show you this content, we need your permission to use cookies.
You can use the buttons below to amend your preferences to enable YouTube cookies or to allow those cookies just once.
You can change your settings at any time via the Privacy Options.
Unfortunately we have been unable to verify if you have consented to YouTube cookies.
To view this content you can use the button below to allow YouTube cookies for this session only.
Written and directed by James Gunn (Guardians of the Galaxy, The Suicide Squad), expect large action sequences, a bouncing soundtrack, and witty one-liners.
As with his other movies, Gunn’s brother Sean (Gilmore Girls) is expected to make an appearance – this time round as businessman Maxwell Lord, a supervillain we previously saw portrayed by Pedro Pascal in Wonder Woman 1984.
Superman will be the first film in the new DC Universe (DCU) and will kickstart the franchise’s Chapter One: Gods and Monsters phase.
DC Studios and Warner Bros Pictures will be banking on this to be a hit given Shazam! Fury of the Gods, The Flash and Blue Beetle flopped at the box office.
Instagram
This content is provided by Instagram, which may be using cookies and other technologies.
To show you this content, we need your permission to use cookies.
You can use the buttons below to amend your preferences to enable Instagram cookies or to allow those cookies just once.
You can change your settings at any time via the Privacy Options.
Unfortunately we have been unable to verify if you have consented to Instagram cookies.
To view this content you can use the button below to allow Instagram cookies for this session only.
One hurdle will be winning over Henry Cavill fans, who announced in 2022 he was returning as Superman only for the offer to be seemingly rescinded.
Cavill claimed he was told by bosses at DC Studios to announce his return, which was made prior to Gunn and producer Peter Safran taking charge of the company.
According to reports at the time, Cavill did not have an official deal in place to return as the superhero.
While most will be able to understand Gunn’s preference for a younger Superman, Corenswet will have to bring his A-game to win over any salty Cavill supporters.
Superman is scheduled for release in July.
From the World of John Wick: Ballerina
The John Wick franchise has been given a pulse-pounding spin-off.
Ana de Armas (The Gray Man, Knives Out) takes charge as Eve Macarro, an assassin-in-training who sets out to seek revenge against the people who killed her family.
Image: Ana de Armas as Eve Macarro in Ballerina. Pic: Lionsgate
De Armas showcased her capable action skills when she lit up the screen as CIA agent Paloma in the James Bond movie No Time to Die.
She also gave us a taste of her driving, shooting and fighting abilities as CIA agent Dani Miranda in The Gray Man.
Going by the Ballerina trailer – where she launches herself through a window before taking on a flamethrower with a high-pressure water hose – fans are in for another wild ride.
YouTube
This content is provided by YouTube, which may be using cookies and other technologies.
To show you this content, we need your permission to use cookies.
You can use the buttons below to amend your preferences to enable YouTube cookies or to allow those cookies just once.
You can change your settings at any time via the Privacy Options.
Unfortunately we have been unable to verify if you have consented to YouTube cookies.
To view this content you can use the button below to allow YouTube cookies for this session only.
The film – directed by Len Wiseman (Underworld, Live Free or Die Hard) – takes place between the events of John Wick: Chapter 3 – Parabellum and John Wick: Chapter 4.
The man himself – Keanu Reeves – makes a cameo in the movie.
Ian McShane, Anjelica Huston and Lance Reddick (in his final screen appearance) also reprise their roles from the previous instalments.
Ballerina is scheduled for release in June.
Wicked: For Good
We’re off to see the wizard… again.
The much-loved Broadway and West End musical has been given the silver screen treatment.
The recently released Part One broke a number of box office records – including the highest grossing Broadway adaptation in global box office history (surpassing 2008’s Mamma Mia!) and biggest global opening for a non-sequel film in 2024.
The first instalment has already recouped its reported $150m budget, however Universal Pictures’ marketing blitz would not have come cheap and will most likely take a good chunk out of its profit.
Image: Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande in Wicked. Pic: Universal Pictures
For those that are yet to see the film, the story – based on Gregory Maguire’s 1995 novel – features the characters from L Frank Baum’s 1900 book The Wonderful Wizard of Oz and its 1939 film adaptation starring Judy Garland.
Wicked takes place in the Land of Oz in the years surrounding Dorothy Gale’s arrival and tells the tale of how Elphaba Thropp, a young woman born with green skin, later becomes the Wicked Witch of the West.
To avoid any major spoilers, the first film ended with Elphaba, played by Cynthia Erivo, and Glinda Upland, played by Ariana Grande, discovering Jeff Goldblum’s the Wizard of Oz was not as powerful or as wonderful as they first thought.
Image: Pic: Universal Pictures
The second act will see the pair’s friendship being put to the test as they embrace their new respective identities as the Wicked Witch of the West and Glinda the Good, as well as unveiling who the other characters truly are along the way.
The star-studded cast have already covered a number of the musical’s songs – including What Is This Feeling?, Dancing Through Life, Popular and Defying Gravity – but there’s still plenty more to come with For Good fully expected to be a showstopper.
Wicked: For Good is scheduled for release in November.
Jurassic World Rebirth
Famed producer Frank Marshall previously stated that the plot of Jurassic World Dominion would mark the “start of a new era” of the franchise in which humans have to co-exist with dinosaurs.
Rebirth takes place five years on from the events of the last movie, with the planet’s ecology proven largely inhospitable to dinosaurs.
In this adventure, an expedition braves isolated equatorial regions to extract DNA from three colossal prehistoric creatures that are believed to be key to a drug that will bring miraculous life-saving benefits to humankind.
Image: Jonathan Bailey and Scarlett Johansson in Jurassic World Rebirth. Pic: Universal Pictures
Scarlett Johansson leads the cast as skilled covert operation expert Zora Bennett.
The Avengers star rarely picks a bad movie and in this instalment she’s joined by Bridgerton’s Jonathan Bailey, who’s currently riding high as Fiyero Tigelaar in Wicked.
Image: Mahershala Ali in Jurassic World Rebirth. Pic: Universal Pictures
Jurassic World Rebirth is scheduled for release in July.
Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning
Could this be Tom Cruise’s final mission as dogged IMF agent Ethan Hunt?
Following on from the events of Dead Reckoning Part One, Hunt and his team of operatives continue their race against time to take down rogue AI The Entity.
YouTube
This content is provided by YouTube, which may be using cookies and other technologies.
To show you this content, we need your permission to use cookies.
You can use the buttons below to amend your preferences to enable YouTube cookies or to allow those cookies just once.
You can change your settings at any time via the Privacy Options.
Unfortunately we have been unable to verify if you have consented to YouTube cookies.
To view this content you can use the button below to allow YouTube cookies for this session only.
This eighth instalment in the Mission: Impossible film series is scheduled for release in May.
The Running Man
Shaun of the Dead and Baby Driver filmmaker Edgar Wright is behind the camera for this remake of Stephen King’s hit novel.
Published in 1982 under the writer’s pen name Richard Bachman, the story is set in a dystopian US during the year 2025.
The 1987 cult classic starring Arnold Schwarzenegger revolved around a state-controlled game show in which convicted criminals could earn their “freedom” by escaping death at the hands of professional killers within an abandoned part of Los Angeles.
Wright’s movie will follow the book’s storyline more closely, in which the contestants take part in the reality show to win money and are chased across the globe by the murderous hunters.
Image: Glen Powell is one of Hollywood’s hottest stars of the moment. Pic: PA
Glen Powell (Twisters, Anyone But You), one of Hollywood’s hottest actors at the moment, is playing protagonist Ben Richards.
Katy O’Brian (Love Lies Bleeding) has been cast as one of the contestants being hunted for sport. She’s also set to appear in Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning, so this could potentially be the year we witness the birth of a new action star.
Josh Brolin (Dune) will put on a good show as the ruthless and narcissistic producer Dan Killian, while Lee Pace (Guardians of the Galaxy) will frighten as lead hunter Evan McCone.
Filming began in the UK in November, with Powell spotted in Glasgow with his rescue dog Brisket.
The Running Man is scheduled for release in November.
Captain America: Brave New World
Following Chris Evans’ Steve Rogers’ retirement, Sam Wilson, played by Anthony Mackie, has taken up the mantle of Captain America.
This 35th film in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) will see the Avenger caught up in the middle of an international incident.
Image: Anthony Mackie as Captain America/Sam Wilson. Pic: Marvel Studios
Harrison Ford replaces William Hurt, who portrayed Thaddeus “Thunderbolt” Ross in the MCU from 2008 until 2021 before his death in 2022.
Image: Harrison Ford as President Thaddeus Ross/Red Hulk. Pic: Marvel Studios
The character of Ross, a former army general and secretary of state, is now the US president and will also explode on to the screen as Red Hulk.
Whether friend or foe, there will be plenty of other formidable opponents for Wilson to take on – including Giancarlo Esposito’s (Breaking Bad) Seth Voelker/Sidewinder.
YouTube
This content is provided by YouTube, which may be using cookies and other technologies.
To show you this content, we need your permission to use cookies.
You can use the buttons below to amend your preferences to enable YouTube cookies or to allow those cookies just once.
You can change your settings at any time via the Privacy Options.
Unfortunately we have been unable to verify if you have consented to YouTube cookies.
To view this content you can use the button below to allow YouTube cookies for this session only.
Captain America: Brave New World is scheduled for release in February.
Thunderbolts
A group of antiheroes – that we’ve seen in previous Marvel movies – have been recruited to go on missions for the American government.
Image: (L-R) David Harbour, Hannah John-Kamen, Sebastian Stan, Florence Pugh and Wyatt Russell. Pic: Disney
This is the final film of phase five of the MCU, with the likes of Florence Pugh as Yelena Belova, Sebastian Stan as Bucky Barnes and David Harbour as Alexei Shostakov/Red Guardian set to kick ass.
YouTube
This content is provided by YouTube, which may be using cookies and other technologies.
To show you this content, we need your permission to use cookies.
You can use the buttons below to amend your preferences to enable YouTube cookies or to allow those cookies just once.
You can change your settings at any time via the Privacy Options.
Unfortunately we have been unable to verify if you have consented to YouTube cookies.
To view this content you can use the button below to allow YouTube cookies for this session only.
One of Marvel’s most iconic superhero families is coming back to the big screen.
In a 1960s-inspired retro-futuristic Earth, the Fantastic Four must protect their home from being devoured by the cosmic being Galactus, played by Ralph Ineson, and his enigmatic herald, the Silver Surfer, played by Julia Garner.
Pedro Pascal and Joseph Quinn, who recently appeared on screen together in Gladiator II, will reunite as Reed Richards/Mister Fantastic and Johnny Storm/Human Torch respectively.
The Crown’s Vanessa Kirby is playing Sue Storm/Invisible Woman, while The Bear’s Ebon Moss-Bachrach has been cast as Ben Grimm/The Thing.
Image: Ebon Moss-Bachrach, Joseph Quinn, Pedro Pascal and Vanessa Kirby. Pic: Alberto E. Rodriguez/Getty Images for Disney
Natasha Lyonne (Orange Is The New Black, Russian Doll) has been cast in an undisclosed role, with John Malkovich rumoured to be playing villain Ivan Kragoff/Red Ghost.
Additionally, former Iron Man Robert Downey Jr is expected to appear as Victor von Doom/Doctor Doom in a post-credits scene.
Instagram
This content is provided by Instagram, which may be using cookies and other technologies.
To show you this content, we need your permission to use cookies.
You can use the buttons below to amend your preferences to enable Instagram cookies or to allow those cookies just once.
You can change your settings at any time via the Privacy Options.
Unfortunately we have been unable to verify if you have consented to Instagram cookies.
To view this content you can use the button below to allow Instagram cookies for this session only.
The Fantastic Four: First Steps is scheduled for release in July.
M3GAN 2.0
The killer doll returns for a second helping, but not much is yet known about the horror sequel.
It could be like Terminator 2: Judgment Day, where a good M3GAN is sent to protect creator Gemma, played by Allison Williams, and niece Cady, played by Violet McGraw, from another artificially intelligent hostile toy.
Image: M3GAN. Pic: Universal Pictures
Whatever the storyline, the first film was a hit due to its twisted sense of humour and creative kills, so fans should expect more of the same.
M3GAN 2.0 is scheduled for release in June, with spin-off SOULM8TE expected to follow in January 2026.
28 Years Later
The third instalment in the 28 Days Later film series reunites Oscar-winner Cillian Murphy with director Danny Boyle and writer Alex Garland.
Also co-written by Boyle, 28 Years Later sees the return of the rage virus and will follow a group of survivors as they navigate their way through a world ravaged by hordes of the infected.
YouTube
This content is provided by YouTube, which may be using cookies and other technologies.
To show you this content, we need your permission to use cookies.
You can use the buttons below to amend your preferences to enable YouTube cookies or to allow those cookies just once.
You can change your settings at any time via the Privacy Options.
Unfortunately we have been unable to verify if you have consented to YouTube cookies.
To view this content you can use the button below to allow YouTube cookies for this session only.
The life and career of Michael Jackson is being brought to the big screen by acclaimed director Antoine Fuqua (Training Day, The Equalizer trilogy).
Written by John Logan (Gladiator, The Aviator), the film will tell the tale of the King of Pop from his time with The Jackson 5 as a child to his final weeks before his death in 2009.
Given the timeline, it will be interesting how the filmmakers approach the highly publicised child sexual abuse allegations labelled against the American singer-songwriter.
Image: Jaafar Jackson as Michael Jackson. Pic: Lionsgate/Kevin Mazur
Jackson is being played by his own nephew, Jaafar Jackson, alongside a cast that also includes Kat Graham (The Vampire Diaries) as Diana Ross and Miles Teller (Top Gun: Maverick) as entertainment lawyer John Branca.
Michael is scheduled for release in October.
F1
Brad Pitt will put pedal to the metal in this sports action drama.
Image: Brad Pitt filming F1 at Silverstone in 2023. Pic: PA
The movie revolves around former Formula One driver Sonny Hayes, played by Pitt, who is tempted out of forced retirement caused by a crash to mentor rookie prodigy Joshua Pearce, played by Damson Idris, for the Apex Grand Prix team.
Image: Pitt and Damson Idris. Pic: PA
F1 is scheduled for release in June.
Snow White
Walt Disney’s 1937 cartoon classic – based on the 1812 fairytale by the Brothers Grimm – has been given a live-action reimagining.
Image: Rachel Zegler as Snow White. Pic: Disney
Image: Gal Gadot as the Evil Queen. Pic: Disney
Rachel Zegler (West Side Story) is playing the Disney princess, with Gal Gadot (Wonder Woman) as the Evil Queen.
YouTube
This content is provided by YouTube, which may be using cookies and other technologies.
To show you this content, we need your permission to use cookies.
You can use the buttons below to amend your preferences to enable YouTube cookies or to allow those cookies just once.
You can change your settings at any time via the Privacy Options.
Unfortunately we have been unable to verify if you have consented to YouTube cookies.
To view this content you can use the button below to allow YouTube cookies for this session only.
The plot of the third instalment in the heist-thriller series is yet to be unveiled, but will no doubt be packed with mind-bending illusions and surprising twists.
Mark Ruffalo (Dylan Rhodes), Jesse Eisenberg (J Daniel “Danny” Atlas), Woody Harrelson (Merritt McKinney), Dave Franco (Jack Wilder), Isla Fisher (Henley Reeves) and Lizzy Caplan (Lula May) are set to reprise their roles as the mischievous magicians.
Award-winner Rosamund Pike has joined the cast in an undisclosed role, with Ariana Greenblatt (Barbie, Avengers: Infinity War) also adding another potential hit to her filmography.
Now You See Me 3 is scheduled for release in November.
Predator: Badlands
Fans of the Predator series are in for a treat with not one, but two movies due to be released in 2025.
A currently untitled movie – written and directed by Dan Trachtenberg – was secretly shot and is due to be released ahead of Predator: Badlands.
Badlands, also written and directed by Trachtenberg, will be the ninth in the overall franchise.
Starring Elle Fanning (Super 8, Maleficent), the standalone movie will follow two sisters who, while traversing a wasteland, discover their horrifying past.
Predator: Badlands is scheduled for release in November.
How to Train Your Dragon
DreamWorks Animation’s How to Train Your Dragon has been given a live-action remake.
Image: Mason Thames in How To Train Your Dragon. Pic: Universal Pictures
Loosely based on the 2003 novel by Cressida Cowell, the fantasy film follows the unlikely bond between Hiccup Horrendous Haddock III, played by Mason Thames, and Toothless, a Night Fury dragon.
YouTube
This content is provided by YouTube, which may be using cookies and other technologies.
To show you this content, we need your permission to use cookies.
You can use the buttons below to amend your preferences to enable YouTube cookies or to allow those cookies just once.
You can change your settings at any time via the Privacy Options.
Unfortunately we have been unable to verify if you have consented to YouTube cookies.
To view this content you can use the button below to allow YouTube cookies for this session only.
How to Train Your Dragon is scheduled to be released in June.
Lilo & Stitch
Walt Disney’s 2002 animated hit has been given a live-action/CGI makeover.
As with the cartoon, the film will revolve around the close bond between an orphaned Hawaiian girl and a dog-like extraterrestrial creature that has been engineered to be a force of destruction.
YouTube
This content is provided by YouTube, which may be using cookies and other technologies.
To show you this content, we need your permission to use cookies.
You can use the buttons below to amend your preferences to enable YouTube cookies or to allow those cookies just once.
You can change your settings at any time via the Privacy Options.
Unfortunately we have been unable to verify if you have consented to YouTube cookies.
To view this content you can use the button below to allow YouTube cookies for this session only.
Renee Zellweger is back as Bridget Jones in this fourth instalment of the popular film series.
This time round, Helen Fielding’s much-loved character is a widowed single mother.
As she juggles work and parenthood, there’s also a whole new sexual and cultural landscape to negotiate.
YouTube
This content is provided by YouTube, which may be using cookies and other technologies.
To show you this content, we need your permission to use cookies.
You can use the buttons below to amend your preferences to enable YouTube cookies or to allow those cookies just once.
You can change your settings at any time via the Privacy Options.
Unfortunately we have been unable to verify if you have consented to YouTube cookies.
To view this content you can use the button below to allow YouTube cookies for this session only.
Colin Firth will appear in the film as Mark Darcy despite the character being killed off, and Hugh Grant returns as Daniel Cleaver.
Leo Woodall (The White Lotus, One Day) is a new addition as one of Jones’ new love interests.
Image: Renee Zellweger and Leo Woodall in Bridget Jones: Mad About the Boy. Pic: Universal Pictures
Bridget Jones: Mad About the Boy is scheduled for release in February.
A Minecraft Movie
Minecraft is the best-selling video game in the world.
Whether that transfers into cinema ticket sales or becomes another box office bomb like last year’s Borderlands is yet to be seen.
The movie revolves around four misfits who are suddenly pulled through a mysterious portal into a bizarre, cubic wonderland that thrives on imagination.
To get back home, they’ll have to master that world while embarking on a quest with an unexpected, expert crafter.
YouTube
This content is provided by YouTube, which may be using cookies and other technologies.
To show you this content, we need your permission to use cookies.
You can use the buttons below to amend your preferences to enable YouTube cookies or to allow those cookies just once.
You can change your settings at any time via the Privacy Options.
Unfortunately we have been unable to verify if you have consented to YouTube cookies.
To view this content you can use the button below to allow YouTube cookies for this session only.
Comedian Jack Black and Aquaman himself Jason Momoa will be joined by Emma Myers (Wednesday), Danielle Brooks (Orange Is The New Black) and Sebastian Eugene Hansen (Just Mercy).
A Minecraft Movie is scheduled for release in April.
Freakier Friday
More than two decades on from the 2003 film Freaky Friday, Jamie Lee Curtis and Lindsay Lohan have reunited for a sequel.
The story picks up years after Tess, played by Curtis, and Anna, played by Lohan, endured an identity crisis.
Anna now has a daughter of her own and a soon-to-be stepdaughter. As they navigate the myriad challenges that come when two families merge, Tess and Anna discover that lightning might indeed strike twice.
Instagram
This content is provided by Instagram, which may be using cookies and other technologies.
To show you this content, we need your permission to use cookies.
You can use the buttons below to amend your preferences to enable Instagram cookies or to allow those cookies just once.
You can change your settings at any time via the Privacy Options.
Unfortunately we have been unable to verify if you have consented to Instagram cookies.
To view this content you can use the button below to allow Instagram cookies for this session only.
Freakier Friday is scheduled for release in August.
Tron: Ares
This is the third instalment in the Tron franchise.
The sci-fi will follow Ares, played by Jared Leto, a highly sophisticated programme that is sent from the digital world into the real world on a dangerous mission, marking humankind’s first encounter with AI beings.
Image: Tron: Ares. Pic: Leah Gallo/Disney
Jeff Bridges will reprise his role from the previous films, with Greta Lee (Past Lives), Evan Peters (American Horror Story) and Gillian Anderson also set to appear.
Tron: Ares is scheduled for release in October.
Avatar: Fire and Ash
James Cameron’s third instalment in the Avatar film series is set for release just in time for award season.
The director has hinted that Fire and Ash – once again starring Sam Worthington and Zoe Saldana – will be darker and more harrowing than Avatar and The Way of Water.
Avatar: Fire and Ash is scheduled for release in December.
Untitled I Know What You Did Last Summer sequel
I Know What You Did Last Summer is a much-loved 90s horror slasher celebrated in the same way as the likes of Scream and Urban Legend.
This currently untitled fourth film in the franchise began principal photography in Sydney before the turn of the year.
We know that Outer Banks star Madelyn Cline is one of the lead cast.
Jennifer Love Hewitt will reprise the role of Julie James from the first two films, with Freddie Prinze Jr also returning as Ray Bronson.
Instagram
This content is provided by Instagram, which may be using cookies and other technologies.
To show you this content, we need your permission to use cookies.
You can use the buttons below to amend your preferences to enable Instagram cookies or to allow those cookies just once.
You can change your settings at any time via the Privacy Options.
Unfortunately we have been unable to verify if you have consented to Instagram cookies.
To view this content you can use the button below to allow Instagram cookies for this session only.
Buffy the Vampire Slayer alum Sarah Michelle Gellar, who is married to Prinze Jr, played the character of Helen Shivers in the first film but was killed off.
However, she appears to have joined her husband on set and shared a behind-the-scenes snap jokingly teasing a Scooby-Doo reunion, another franchise the couple also co-starred in.
Instagram
This content is provided by Instagram, which may be using cookies and other technologies.
To show you this content, we need your permission to use cookies.
You can use the buttons below to amend your preferences to enable Instagram cookies or to allow those cookies just once.
You can change your settings at any time via the Privacy Options.
Unfortunately we have been unable to verify if you have consented to Instagram cookies.
To view this content you can use the button below to allow Instagram cookies for this session only.
Cameron Diaz has ended her 11-year retirement by teaming up with Jamie Foxx in this action comedy.
Image: Jamie Foxx and Cameron Diaz in Back in Action. Pic: John Wilson/Netflix
The pair play CIA spies who are pulled back into the world of espionage after their secret identities are exposed.
YouTube
This content is provided by YouTube, which may be using cookies and other technologies.
To show you this content, we need your permission to use cookies.
You can use the buttons below to amend your preferences to enable YouTube cookies or to allow those cookies just once.
You can change your settings at any time via the Privacy Options.
Unfortunately we have been unable to verify if you have consented to YouTube cookies.
To view this content you can use the button below to allow YouTube cookies for this session only.
Back in Action is scheduled for release in January.
Frankenstein
Oscar-winning director Guillermo del Toro is behind the lens for this retelling of Mary Shelley’s 1818 gothic novel.
Oscar Isaac is playing Victor Frankenstein, with Hollywood heartthrob Jacob Elordi (Saltburn) taking the role of his monster.
Much-loved horror final girl Mia Goth (X film series) and Christoph Waltz (Inglourious Basterds, Spectre) will also be in the movie.
Image: An extra on the set of Frankenstein in Edinburgh. Pic: PA
Principal photography took place in Toronto, but parts of the film were also shot in Scotland.
Edinburgh’s Royal Mile was transformed into a market, with crews also setting up gallows in the capital’s Makars’ Court.
Image: Pic: PA
Image: Pic: PA
Frankenstein is scheduled for release in 2025.
Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery
Daniel Craig will return as master detective Benoit Blanc.
This third instalment in the Knives Out film series boasts an ensemble cast that includes Josh O’Connor, Glenn Close, Josh Brolin, Mila Kunis, Jeremy Renner, Kerry Washington, Andrew Scott, Cailee Spaeny, Daryl McCormack and Thomas Haden Church.
Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery is scheduled for release in 2025.
2025 may seem like a long way off, but the film industry is already buzzing with excitement over the most anticipated films set to hit cinemas in the UK. From big-budget blockbusters to indie gems, there’s something for every movie lover to look forward to. Here are some of the most anticipated films coming to cinemas in 2025:
1. Avatar 5 – James Cameron’s long-awaited sequel to the groundbreaking sci-fi epic is finally set to arrive in 2025, promising more stunning visuals and immersive storytelling.
2. Fantastic Beasts 4 – The wizarding world of Harry Potter continues to expand with the fourth installment in the Fantastic Beasts series, set to enchant audiences with magical creatures and thrilling adventures.
3. Black Panther: Wakanda Forever – The highly anticipated sequel to the groundbreaking Black Panther is sure to be a fitting tribute to the late Chadwick Boseman and the iconic character he brought to life.
4. Jurassic World 4 – The Jurassic Park franchise continues to roar to life with the fourth installment in the Jurassic World series, promising more dinosaur action and jaw-dropping special effects.
5. The Batman – Robert Pattinson takes on the iconic role of the Dark Knight in this highly anticipated reboot of the Batman franchise, promising a darker and more gritty take on the beloved superhero.
6. Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 – The ragtag team of misfit heroes returns for another cosmic adventure in the third installment of the Guardians of the Galaxy series, promising more humor, heart, and epic action.
7. The Little Mermaid – Disney’s live-action adaptation of the classic animated film is set to enchant audiences with its magical underwater world and beloved songs.
8. Top Gun: Maverick – Tom Cruise reprises his role as Maverick in this long-awaited sequel to the 1986 classic, promising more high-flying action and adrenaline-pumping thrills.
These are just a few of the most anticipated films set to hit cinemas in the UK in 2025. With an exciting lineup of sequels, reboots, and original films, there’s something for every movie lover to look forward to in the coming year.
Superheroes! Witches! Sequels! Not one but two Frankenstein-related films! Welcome to your moviegoing guide to the new year
Gooodbye, 2024, you year of belated sequels, failed superhero-movie spin-offs, sci-fi extravaganzas and a hit witch musical, you! Hello, 2025, the upcoming annum that promises more, er, belated sequels, sci-fi extravaganzas, hopefully better superhero-movie spinoffs and the second half of that hit witch musical! If you like movie stars, get ready for Tom Cruise, Jamie Foxx, Cameron Diaz, Ben Affleck, Jason Momoa, Robert Pattinson, Michael B. Jordan, Adam Sandler and Timothée Chalamet to grace the screens of a theater (or your favorite streaming service) near you. You want A-list directors? Everyone from Ryan Coogler, Celine Song, Bong Joon-ho, and Ari Aster to Paul Thomas Anderson, Guillermo del Toro, Steven Soderbergh (twice), James Cameron, and both Safdie brothers are set to release their latest over the next 12 months. And naturally, we’re also staring down a lineup that’s also heavy on horror, comedy, and a biopic or three.
Here’s your guide to the 50 movies you need to see in 2025. We’ll update release info throughout the coming months. Dates are, of course, subject to change and the whims of fate.
‘Back in Action’ (January 17)
Image Credit: John Wilson/Netflix
Should you want to rekindle that old early-2000s-action-comedy feeling, Netflix is happy to oblige with this throwback starring Cameron Diaz and Jamie Foxx as a married couple who used to be C.I.A. agents. Then some old enemies still nursing grudges come after them and their family, and guess who’s suddenly not retired from active duty anymore? Speaking of retirement: It’s nice to see Diaz back, kicking asses and taking names and, per the trailer, poppin’ wheelies on motorcycles and then hitting bad guys with said motorcycles.
‘Presence’ (January 24)
Image Credit: Peter Andrews/NEON
Steven Soderbergh has never met a genre he didn’t want to tweak, revise and/or give the chopped & screwed treatment to, and this time, one of the most versatile American auteurs working today decides to renovate the haunted-house movie. After a matriarch (Lucy Liu) and her just-south-of-dysfunctional family move into their New Jersey dream home, they begun to suspect that they’re not the only occupants residing in the place. The twist of sorts here: Soderbergh shoots the film from the perspective of the restless spectre whizzing throughout the hallways.
‘Companion’ (January 31)
Image Credit: Warner Bros. Pictures
Just your typical boy-meets-girl, boy-takes-girl-away-to-chill-with-friends-in-remote-countryside, boy-eventually-hunts-girl-with-gun romance — you know the drill. The fact that trailers have been crowing that writer-director Drew Hancock’s thriller comes from “the studio that brought you The Notebook … and the creators of Barbarian” give you a hint of the sick sense of humor at work here. We’ll also note that you may want go into this as cold as possible, given that there’s a very big secret at the center of it. Trust us on this. The Boys‘ Jack Quaid is, ironically, the boy; Heretic‘s Sophie Thatcher is the girl; Rupert Friend, Lukas Gage, Never Have I Ever‘s Megan Suri and What We Do in the Shadows‘ Harvey Guillén costar.
‘Love Hurts’ (February 7)
Image Credit: Allen Fraser/Universal Pictures
You may have forgotten that, in between gracing The Goonies as a child actor and kicking much ass in Everything Everywhere All at Once, Ke Huy Quan worked as a stunt coordinator; this star vehicle for the Oscar winner will certainly remind you that the dude has serious fight-scene chops. A small-town realtor finds that his past as an enforcer for his gangster brother (Daniel Wu) has caught up with him, when some thugs pay a visit in the name of payback. It seems that, once upon a time, he was supposed to whack a fellow criminal associate named Rose (Ariana DeBose) and ended up letting her go. Now they want to whack him. The thing about being a professional killer, however, is that it’s similar to riding a bike: Even if you haven’t done it in years, the skills comes right back to you after a second or two. From the makers of the Bob-Odenkirk-goes-John-Wick movie Nobody (which, it’s worth noting, has its own sequel coming out on August 15th).
‘Sly Lives!’ (February 13)
Image Credit: Stephen Paley/Hulu
Filmmaker/bandleader/human-music-encyclopedia Ahmir Thompson — you know him as Questlove — follows up his invaluable 2021 documentary Summer of Soul with this deep-dive portrait of Sylvester Stewart, the ex-radio D.J. who turned Sly & the Family Stone into one of the most groundbreaking bands of all time. Then he hit a rocky patch in the mid-1970s and never fully recovered. Expect loads of vintage live footage that attests to what a dynamite band they were and why Stone was considered such a revolutionary breaker of musical boundaries, but the doc’s subtitle — “The Burden of Black Genius” — suggests Questlove is also going after bigger cultural game as well.
‘Captain America: Brave New World’ (February 14)
Image Credit: Eli Adé/2024 MARVEL.
The first big MCU release of 2025 builds off of the TV series The Falcon and the Winter Soldier, which saw Sam Wilson (Anthony Mackie) picking up the shield and donning the red, white and blue costume of his former Avengers associate. Our new Captain America must now figure out who’s behind a conspiracy to assassinate President Thaddeus Ross (Harrison Ford, who’s an old hand at this POTUS-under-fire game) involving, among other things, a super soldier turned into a Manchurian Candidate-style sleeper agent. Complicating manners even further: Ross has a tendency to occasionally turn into a red-hued version of the Hulk known in the comics as [checks notes] Red Hulk. Danny Ramirez is Wilson’s literal wingman, having become the new Falcon; Unorthodox‘s Shira Haas is an ex-Black Widow operative; Giancarlo Espositio and Tim Blake Nelson provide the supervillainy.
‘The Gorge’ (February 14)
Image Credit: Laura Radford/Apple TV+
A top U.S. military sniper (Miles Teller) is given a very specific — and somewhat peculiar — assignment: stand watch over a chasm in the middle of nowhere. On the other side of this giant hole in the ground is another expert marksman (Anya Taylor-Joy) from Eastern Europe, who’s also been tasked with presiding over what’s known as “the gorge.” Neither are supposed to communicate with each other. They eventually form a long-distance–ish bond. Did we mention that what they’re guarding is also “the door to hell”? Scott Derrickson (Doctor Strange, Sinister) directs.
‘Paddington in Peru’ (February 14)
Image Credit: Studiocanal
Everyone’s favorite wry, pantless bear — sorry, Winnie the Pooh, your reign is finito! — returns, and this time, he’s in South America! After receiving a strange letter from his aunt in Peru, Paddington (once agin voiced by Ben Whishaw) heads down to make sure she’s ok. Good thing he did, too, because it turns out she’s gone missing while searching for the lost city of El Dorado. Hugh Bonneville, Emily Mortimer, Olivia Colman and Antonio Banderas offer the bear necessities as back-up for the tiny, furry star.
‘The Monkey’ (February 21)
Image Credit: Neon
Say what you will about the cinematic-serial-killer-mix-tape that is Longlegs — the movie had a hell of a vibe and a crack marketing campaign. Director Osgood Perkins and his patrons at NEON are applying the same cryptic-plus-creepy formula to his new film, an adaptation of a Stephen King short story about a toy monkey that has tendency to cause mayhem when it claps its cymbals. Which is bad news for Theo James, Tatiana Maslany, Elijah Wood, Sarah Levy and anyone else who is in close proximity to the li’l supernaturally cursed simian guy.
‘Mickey 17’ (March 7)
Image Credit: Warner Bros.
South Korean filmmaker Bong Joon-ho’s follow-up to his Oscar-winning behemoth Parasite stars Robert Pattinson as a volunteer astronaut sent to colonize an icy, far-away planet. The mortality rate is high, so our deep-space explorer keeps getting endlessly “copied” after deaths by interstellar accidents, cosmic-Yeti maulings, etc. But his memories remain intact, however, which eventually causes a good old-fashioned existential crisis when some of his “multiples” start to share the same timeframes. Send in the clones! Toni Collette, Mark Ruffalo, Steven Yeun and Blink Twice‘s Naomi Ackie join in the semi-satirical, dystopian sci-fi fun.
‘On Becoming a Guinea Fowl’ (March 7)
Image Credit: Chibesa Mulumba/A24
Rungano Nyoni’s follow-up to 2017’s I Am Not a Witch starts with a woman named Shula (Susan Chardy) coming across a dead body in the road. The fact that she’s dressed exactly like Missy Elliott from “The Rain (Supa Dupa Fly)” video, down to the silver helmet and puffy black jumpsuit, shows you that Nyoni has a wicked sense of humor; the revelation that the corpse is “Uncle Fred,” a well-known pedophile who chronically abused the village’s young women for years without consequences, demonstrates that the movie is also not fucking around. A pointed take on the social protections afforded to predators to avoid “awkwardness,” the unnecessary shame shared by survivors and the need to call out complicity and speak out regardless of such stigmas. God bless A24 for finally bringing their sleeper hit from last year’s Cannes to a theater near you.
‘Black Bag’ (March 14)
Image Credit: Focus Features
Steven Soderbergh — that guy again! — delivers a spy thriller in which Michael Fassbender and Cate Blanchett are a couple both working within the intelligence world. Unlike the Back in Action spouses (see above), they’re anything but retired, and try to keep a church-and-state separation between the personal and the professional. Those lines get blurred, however, when he’s tasked with plugging a leak, i.e. finding out who’s selling the agency’s secrets to potentially dangerous third parties. Anyone care to guess who the prime suspect is? Hint: He’s married to her. Regé Jean-Page, Tom Burke, Industry‘s Marisa Abela, Naomi Harris and Pierce Brosnan — no stranger to the spy-movie business himself, you may recall — round out the cast.
‘The Electric State’ (March 14)
Image Credit: Netflix
The latest from Joe and Anthony Russo (Avengers: Endgame) imagines a future in which a robot rebellion is put down and all mecha-insurgents all forced to live in a maximum-security area known as “the electric state.” Then a young woman (Millie Bobbie Brown) is told by a robot that her long-lost brother is somewhere within the no-man’s-land, and along with a soldier (Chris Pratt), they go off in search of her beloved kin. See, other than taking all of our jobs, AI is, like, totally helpful and cool!
‘Opus’ (March 14)
Image Credit: A24
Some 30 years ago, a massive pop star named Moretti (John Malkovich) disappeared from the public eye. Now, he’s organizing a comeback from his remote desert compound filled with hangers-on and a cult of fans to do his bidding. The star has also invited a young journalist named Ariel (Ayo Edebiri) — feel free to break out your copies of The Tempest now, folks — to document the process as he mounts his second chance at stardom. Let’s just say things get complicated in director Mark Anthony Green’s feature debut, and that next to John Malkovich in Being John Malkovich, this may be the role that John Malkovich was born to play.
‘The Alto Knights’ (March 21)
Image Credit: Eric Charbonneau/Getty Images
Taking a momentary break from railing against the threat of fascism that currently looms on our political horizon, Robert De Niro stars in Barry Levinson’s Mob drama about Mafia bosses Vito Genovese and Frank Costello vying for the top spot in the nationwide criminal syndicate. The catch is: De Niro is playing both roles. Katherine Narducci, Debra Messing and Shōgun‘s Cosmo Jarvis costar.
‘Snow White’ (March 21)
Image Credit: DISNEY
The O.G. Disney animated joint gets the live-action treatment, with West Side Story‘s Rachel Ziegler as the fairest of them all, Andrew Burnap as one very charming prince, Gal Gadot as an evil queen (seriously, her character’s name on IMDb is listed as “Evil Queen”), and Ansu Kabia as the huntsman who suggests she hightail it into the woods tout de suite. As for the seven gents who take this fugitive princess in, Disney has heard the early complaints regarding outdated, and potentially offensive stereotypes and “reimagined” them as odd-looking CGI dudes. So long as they happen to be grumpy, sleepy and/or prone to sneezing, we’re sure everyone will be cool with it except conservative trolls, who’ve been on this remake since Ziegler’s casting was first announced and will go to great lengths to find culture-war ammunition in anything. The script is credited to Greta Gerwig, who wrote Barbie, and Erin Cressida Wilson, who penned the screenplay for Secretary, and we’re praying this is secretly an amalgamation of both of those two projects.
‘Happy Gilmore 2’ (2025)
Image Credit: Scott Yamano/NEtflix
Holy shit, it’s happening: Adam Sandler is finally bringing back his the man who turned golf into a full-contact sport, in this long-awaited sequel to his 1996 breakthrough comedy. The trailer gives us glimpses of cameos from Bad Bunny and Travis Kelce, and we bet they’re not the only famous faces from the world of sports and pop culture to make guest appearances. We also bet that Happy has not totally mellowed with age; that his feud with Shooter McGavin (Christopher McDonald) is about to nuclear; and that Sandler and longtime buddy/cowriter Tim Herlihy are about to make a lot of bros squeal like delighted schoolchildren. Now, about that potential Billy Madison sequel we’ve also been waiting for….
‘Death of a Unicorn’ (Spring 2025)
Image Credit: A24
Driving through a nature preserve owned by a stinkin’ rich Big Pharma family, a dad (Paul Rudd) and his teen daughter (Jenna Ortega) hit an animal. Once they bring the poor thing to the main estate, everyone discovers it’s… a unicorn. Like, an actual unicorn! Scientists show up to study it, everyone seems stoked that these mythical creatures exist and all is well. Until the dead animal proves to be not-so-dead. And also, it’s extremely angry parents show up looking for their lost kin, and maybe you shouldn’t piss off a Momma Unicorn? Will Poulter, Richard E. Grant, Téa Leoni, Barry‘s Anthony Carrigan and Jessica Hynes are also along for this A24-sponsored ride.
‘A Minecraft Movie’ (April 4)
Image Credit: Jun Sato/WireImage
Remember when you were like, “Yeah, I love playing Minecraft the game, but I sure do wish it was a live-action movie! Notably, one in which Jack Black and Jason Momoa and Danielle Brooks and that kid from Wednesday both created things with those blockity-shaped blocks and fought off monsters with blocky heads! That would be cool!” Well, the good suits at Warners somehow heard you say this and, following your exact casting specifications, made this a reality. If you can think it, and it’s also a potentially valuable I.P., they can build it. Kate McKinnon, Jermaine Clement and Jennifer Coolidge are also listed as cast members. We’re assuming they voice either enchanted golden apples or several totems of undying.
‘Sinners’ (April 18)
Image Credit: Warner Bros. Pictures
Ryan Coogler returns with a horror story featuring twin brothers — both played by his longtime leading man Michael B. Jordan — who stumble across something unholy happening in their small hometown circa the 1930s. The specifics of the story are scarce, but a) you get two MBJs for the price of one, b) you know the Creed/Black Panther director will undoubtedly tackle the supernatural aspects with his characteristic verve, and very likely socially conscious edge, and c) JFC, does this look scary!
He has given us bold reimaginations of supernatural family feuds, folk horror and Freudian-nightmare psychodramas — now, filmmaker Ari Aster gives us his take on the neo-Western. The word on the street is that it involves a a contemporary story of a sheriff in New Mexico who’s looking to level up in terms of law-enforcement gigs. Beyond that, all we know is that the cast is to die for: Joaquin Phoenix, Emma Stone, Pedro Pascal, Austin Butler, and Yellowstone‘s Luke Grimes all have plum parts. We can’t wait.
‘The Wedding Banquet’ (April 18)
Image Credit: Luka Cyprian/Bleecker Street
Andrew Ahn (Driveways, Fire Island) directs this remake of Ang Lee’s 1993 romantic comedy in which a young man (Bowen Yang) in need of a green card marries his friend (Kelly Marie Tran). It’s a completely transactional union, until his grandmother (Oscar-winner and Pachinko MVP Youn Yuh-jung) decides to throw him an extravagant, traditional wedding. She also does not know he’s got a long-term boyfriend as well. Lily Gladstone and Joan Chen costar.
‘The Accountant 2’ (April 25)
Image Credit: Albert L. Ortega/Getty Images
We’ve got a soft spot for Gavin O’Connor’s 2016 action movie about a super-accountant on the spectrum played by Ben Affleck, whose work for criminal organizations eventually gets the numbers savant into a hell of a jam — so the news that the writer-director and his star were reteaming for a sequel was great news. Jon Bernthal and J.K. Simmons are set to revise their role from the first film, and we assume we’re going to get the exact same mix of math and mayhem, in that order.
‘Thunderbolts’ (May 2)
Image Credit: Marvel Studios
The Marvel Cinematic Universe has been slowly developing a handful of memorable side characters who tend to straddle the line between good and evil — your Winter Soldiers, your Red Guardians, your U.S. Agents etc. Now, they’ve gathered many of them together as a team, and quicker than you can say “this sounds a lot like The Suicide Squad, to be honest,” they’ve been given their own movie in which they fight an even bigger, more devastating threat. The trailer does make this look like a lot of fun, and we’ll watch Florence Pugh do her irreverent, heavily accented Yelena Bolova act any day of the week, so….
‘A Big Bold Beautiful Journey’ (May 9)
Image Credit: Amanda Edwards/Getty Images
Fellow fans of the video artist/filmmaker Kogonada (Columbus, After Yang), take heed: His latest work stars Margot Robbie and Colin Farrell as two strangers who, thanks to a magical GPS system, embark together on a [checks notes] big, bold, beautiful journey. Frankly, you had us at “Koganada’s new movie.” Dig this supporting cast: Phoebe Waller-Bridge, Jodie Turner-Smith, Lily Rabe, Hamish Linklater, Jacqueline Novak, Billy Magnusson, Sarah Gadon.
‘Golden’ (May 9)
Image Credit: Universal Pictures
Folks who caught Pharrell Williams’ LEGO-documemoir Piece by Piece last year may remember the musician talking about his upbringing in Virginia Beach’s Atlantis Apartments. Now, he and director Michel Gondry have crafted a 1970s coming-of-age movie set in that same complex — and they’ve also made it a musical, with original songs cowritten by Williams and the Dear Evan Hansen duo Benji Pasek and Justin Paul. We’re guessing that poignancy and whimsy are on the proverbial menu. The all-star cast includes [deep breath] Kelvin Harrison Jr., Quinta Bronson, Da’Vine Joy Randolph, Halle Bailey, Brian Tyree Henry, Missy Elliott, Janelle Monae, Anderson .Paak, André 3000, and Tim Meadows, among others.
‘Mission: Impossible — The Final Reckoning’ (May 16)
Image Credit: Paramount Pictures/Skydance
So the last time we saw Ethan Hunt, superspy extraordinaire, he was paragliding to safety with one of the two keys that would hopefully help tame a sentient A.I. Now, Tom Cruise’s indefatigable hero of the Mission: Impossible series returns to finish the job. Filmed at the same time as 2023’s M:I — Dead Reckoning Part One, the second half of this latest (and last?) adventure was supposed to come out this past summer; personally, we’re glad they’re letting us have a breather between watching the megastar risk his life onscreen for our entertainment. Series regulars Ving Rhames, Simon Pegg, Angela Bassett, and Vanessa Kirby are back. Ditto the key folks (pun intended!) we met in the last installment: Haley Atwell, Pom Klementieff, Esai Morales and Shea Whigham. Dun-dun-dun-DUN, dun-dun-dun-DUN-DUN….
‘Karate Kid: Legends’ (May 30)
Image Credit: Jonathan Wenk/Columbia Pictures
There was the original 1984 Karate Kid, who introduced us to Ralph Macchio’s martial-arts underdog and spawned sequels and the Netflix show Cobra Kai. And there was the 2010 remake, in which Jaden Smith is a tween mentored by Jackie Chan’s Mr. Han. Now, thanks to the miracle of inter-corporate I.P. melding, we know get a film that includes both of the big-name characters from each film. That’s a lot of kicking, people!
‘Materialists’ (2025)
Image Credit: Doug Peters/Getty Images
Writer-director Celine Song immediately established her voice as a filmmaker with the Oscar-nominated 2023 drama Past Lives. So we’re beyond excited to see her new film, in which Dakota Johnson is a professional matchmaker who, ironically, suffer from her own romantic woes. Pedro Pascal and Chris Evans costar as her potential suitors.
‘Ballerina’ (June 6)
Image Credit: Larry D. Horricks/Lionsgate
Attention, fellow die-hard John Wick fans (we guess you’d call us Wickheads?): The storyline of this franchise spin-off, about a dancer-assassin named Rooney (Ana de Armas) seeking vengeance for the murder of her family, takes places between the third and fourth Wick movies, which means that Keanu Reeves will be showing up as everyone’s favorite killer on the run. Ditto series regulars Ian MacShane, Angelica Huston and (RIP) Lance Reddick. Expect well-choreographed mayhem.
‘Elio’ (June 13)
Image Credit: Pixar
Oh goody, new Pixar! This animated adventure revolves around an 11-year-old named Elio who is convinced there are intelligent life forms somewhere out there in the galaxy. It turns out the boy was right. Not only that, these aliens think he’s Earth’s one true leader, and have beamed them up to an interstellar summit so he can represent our big blue marble while a gaggle of extraterrestrials try to avert total cosmic catastrophe. It’s codirected by Adrian Molina and Madeline Sharafian, both of whom worked on Coco; and Domee Shi, who’s responsible for our favorite Pixar short Bao and the company’s 2022 hall-of-famer entry Turning Red.
’28 Years Later’ (June 20)
Image Credit: Andrew Toth/WireImage
Danny Boyle revisits the dystopian world he created in 28 Days Later (and that Spanish horror director Juan Carlos Fresnadillo expanded on in the sequel 28 Weeks Later) — you know, the one where a virus turns most of the populace into running, jumping, rage-filled zombies? It seems that, nearly 30 years later, these violent, uncontrollable sickos still live among us, which makes things hard for dad Aaron Taylor-Johnson and his son Alfie Williams. Jodie Comer and Ralph Fiennes are among the non-infected fighting off the walking not-quite-dead. Oooh, this is gonna be good.
‘F1’ (June 27)
Image Credit: Warner Bros. Pictures
Brad Pitt has a need — a need for speed! And what’s speedier than Formula One racing? The star plays a former hotshot driver who retired from the circuit after an accident left him shook. There’s a new prodigy (Damson Idris) on the scene, however, so the former ace is coaxed back to the big leagues in order to coach this future Lewis Hamilton. Joseph Kosinski (Top Gun: Maverick) directs. Kerry Condon, Javier Bardem, and Tobias Menzies costar. The cars go vrooom.
‘M3GAN 2.0’ (June 27)
Image Credit: Geoffrey Short/Universal Picture
Take a hike, Chucky — the new slasher-flick psycho-doll du jour is back! This sequel to the 2022 hit about a humanoid companion who becomes a little too stabby-murdery for comfort promises more A.I. paranoia, more kills and quite likely more of that creepy M3GAN dance. Allison Williams and Violet McGraw are also around to warn people that yo, this doll is dangerous!
‘Jurassic World Rebirth’ (July 2)
Image Credit: Jasin Boland/Universal Pictures
Because you can’t keep a lucrative franchise down! Scarlett Johansson leads an operation designed to track down the few remaining dinosaurs left after Jurassic World Dominion and extract some genetic info from them, all in the name of science. Things, unsurprisingly, run amuck. Mahershala Ali, Rupert Friend and Wicked‘s Jonathan Bailey provide some Homo sapien support. The CGI dinos provide the conflict and the chomping. Director Gareth Edwards did the intriguing big-creatures-vs-people indie Monsters and Rogue One, so it’s got that going for it.
‘Trey Parker & Matt Stone/Kendrick Comedy’ (July 4)
Image Credit: Vivien Killilea/Getty Images; Arturo Holmes/Getty Images
Ok, this sounds wild: Last year, it was announced that Trey Parker and Matt Stone were working on a musical starring Kendrick Lamar (!), and that it would be released on Independence Day of 2025. It’s written by Vernon Chatman, the co-creator of Wonder Showzen and a longtime collaborator of theirs (he’s a producer on South Park and voices Towelie). If the plot is even close to what was reported in 2022, then dear god, we are in for one of a boundary-pushing, can-we-actually-laugh-at-this? treat.
‘Superman’ (July 11)
Image Credit: Warner Bros. Picture
James Gunn drops his first big project as the new creative braintrust behind the DC Cinematic Universe 2.0 (Creatures Commandos was more of a soft launch, so don’t @ us), and he’s essentially kicking things off with the most iconic character in their stable. David Corenswet dons the red cape to play the Man of Steel and his alter ego Clark Kent; Rachel Brosnahan is the marvelous Ms. Lois Lane; Nicholas Hoult rocks the chrome dome as Lex Luthor. Judging from the trailer, Gunn is intent on dropping a lot of deep-cut D.C. characters in this inaugural outing as well. It takes a very specific comic-book fan of a certain age to get jazzed to see Krypto the Dog get his big-screen debut.
‘I Know What You Did Last Summer’ (July 18)
Image Credit: Gregg DeGuire/Variety/Getty Images
The 1997 slasher flick gets a new “requel” — that’s a combo franchise “reboot” and “sequel,” for those of you who didn’t see the 2022 Scream film — that puts a host of new faces in the path of that killer fisherman with a hook, and brings back a of couple of the original’s key cast members. Cue O.G.’s Jennifer Love Hewitt and Freddie Prinze Jr. screaming for those kids to watch out!
‘Fantastic Four: First Steps’ (July 25)
Image Credit: Gilbert Flores/Variety/Getty Images
Twice, the powers that be have tried to turn the Marvel quartet to end all Marvel quartets into top-tier superhero-movie properties. (Three times, if you count the Roger Corman-produced version in the ’90s.) Twice, they have not quite succeeded in capturing what made the comic’s version of these characters so memorable and vital. Now, with the Fox heroes folded into the MCU, yadda yadda yadda, we may finally get a Fantastic Four movie that feels closer to the ones readers know and love. Pedro Pascal is Reed Richards, the stretchiest scientist around. Vanessa Kirby is Sue Storm, whose super power is… whoa, wait, where did she go?! Stranger Things‘ Joseph Quinn gets lit as Johnny Storm, a.k.a. the Human Torch. And Ebon-Moss Bachrach is Ben Grimm, whose career as the Thing gets off to a rocky start. [Dodges tomatoes thrown from pun-hating audience] And the whole thing takes place in the early 1960s, which was the same era that found Stan Lee and Jack Kirby introducing the group and changing comic books forever. Or maybe that’s four-ever. [Gets hit in face with rotten fruit]
‘Freakier Friday’ (August 8)
Image Credit: Glen Wilson/Disney
Back in 2003, Jamie Lee Curtis and a young Lindsay Lohan starred in a remake of the 1970s Disney classic about a mom and a daughter that switch bodies. It was a big hit. Curtis went on to play a number of characters, revitalize the Halloween franchise and win an Oscar. Lohan did Mean Girls and went through several lifetimes’ worth of ups and downs, eventually settling into a more stable groove. The fact that they’ve both reunited for a sequel is great news for fans of the original, and promises a bunch of new body-switching shenanigans. Let’s see how much freakier this Friday can get.
‘Untitled Paul Thomas Anderson Movie’ (August 8)
Image Credit: Getty Images
Rumors are abound about the next Paul Thomas Anderson film: We’ve seen a possible title floating around, as well as news tidbits that claim its everything from an original story to a contemporary version of a Thomas Pynchon novel. Stills taken during production of star Leonardo DiCaprio on set, rocking what seems to be a prison ‘stache and a sweet flannel robe, have circulated. We know that Sean Penn, Benicio Del Toro, Regina Hall, Teyana Taylor, Alana Haim and Wood Harris are in the cast. Other than that, we’re told it’s set to hit theaters in the dog days of summer. The important thing here is that we’re getting a new Paul Thomas Anderson movie this year, you may start whooping and hollering now!
‘The Bride’ (September 26)
Image Credit: Niko Tavernise/Warner Bros. Pictures.
The first of two films to draw heavily from The Bride of Frankenstein this year (see below), actor-director Maggie Gyllenhaal’s punk-musical reimagination of what’s arguably the best of the original Universal Horror movies (come fight us, The Invisible Man stans!) features Christian Bale as the stitched-up — and apparently inked up — monster, and Jessie Buckley as his made-to-order bride. Penelope Cruz, Annette Bening, Peter Sarsgaard, John Magaro, Jake Gyllenhaal, Julianne Hough and Jeannie Berlin head down to the lab to see what’s on the slab as well.
‘Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery’ (2025)
Image Credit: Netflix
Rian Johnson’s gloriously goofy detective series goes for Round 3, as Daniel Craig’s sleuth Benoit Blanc finds himself embroiled in another case with loads of suspects and a suspiciously high body count. The plot itself is a mystery, but we do know that Johnson has once again assembled a who’s-who for his whodunnit: Andrew Scott, Glenn Close, Kerry Washington, Josh Brolin, Jeremy Renner, Cailee Spaeny, Josh O’Connor, Mila Kunis and Thomas Haden Church, among others.
‘Michael’ (October 3)
Image Credit: Kevin Mazur/Lionsgate
Yes, the Michael Jackson biopic is indeed here. The Gloved One is played by none other than Jafaar Jackson, Jermaine’s son and Michael’s nephew. Colman Domingo plays the Jackson patriarch, Joe; Miles Teller is John Branca, Michael’s lawyer (and co-executor of his estate); Kat Graham plays Diana Ross, Kendrick Sampson is Quincy Jones and Larenz Tate is Berry Gordy. Antoine Fuqua (Training Day) is calling the shots. Shamone, everyone.
‘Frankenstein’ (2025)
Image Credit: Euan Cherry/Getty Images
You might say that Guillermo del Toro — award-winning writer-director, horror aficionado, maestro of the macabre — has been chasing after Mary Shelley’s Gothic interpretation of the Prometheus myth in one form or another throughout his prolific career. Now, the gentleman has finally made his own spin on this classic tale of daring to tread where no man should, i.e. making them monsters outta dead-people parts. Oscar Isaac is the good doctor know for his reanimation experiments; Jacob Elordi is the creature given both life and a sense of existential crises; Mia Goth, Ralph Ineson, and Christoph Waltz lend their talents as well. The fact that del Toro has cited artist Bernie Wrightson’s sketches of the monster as a big inspiration gives us high expectations; that he also wanted to blend elements of both the original story and The Bride of Frankenstein makes us positively giddy.
Yorgos Lanthimos reunites with Emma Stone and her Kinds of Kindness costar Jesse Plemons for this English-language remake of the 2003 South Korean sci-fi/comedy/thriller Save the Green Planet! The gist: Plemons is one of two disturbed young men who kidnap Stone’s high-powered CEO because they’re convinced she’s an alien. If you’ve seen the original, you know that things get weird. Given the previous collaborations between the Greek filmmaker and the Oscar-winning actor, we’re betting that things get even weirder in this new version. (We just pray they keep the ending.)
‘Wicked: For Good’ (November 7)
Image Credit: Universal Pictures
And now for the conclusion of Jon M. Chu’s two-part adaptation of the Broadway musical juggernaut, which rewinds back to show us how The Wizard of Oz‘s resident good witch Glinda (Ariana Grande) and wicked witch Elphaba (Cynthia Erivo) became the best of frenemies. Fans of the play knows how it ends, but for the rest of you new to this tragic and tuneful tale, hold on to your fucking broomsticks! Jeff Goldblum, Michelle Yeoh, Bowen Yang, Jason Bailey, Peter Dinklage and rest of the gang from Part 1 are all present and accounted for.
‘The Running Man’ (November 21)
Image Credit: Joe Maher/Getty Images
Who better to give us a Running Man for the 21st century than Edgar Wright, a filmmaker with a wonderfully sick sense of humor and a knack for goosing well-worn genre material? The real question is whether this story by Stephen King — sorry, “Richard Bachman” — written in the 1980s, about a game show where contestants are hunted for sport, will seem even mildly satirical in this day and age. (The source material does take place in the “futuristic” year of 2025, so….) Glen Powell is the man on the run, hoping to win cash prizes and avoid the hunters trying to kill him. Josh Brolin is the host who’s making sure the broadcasting of this life-or-death spectacle is a ratings hit. Michael Cera, William H. Macy, Katy O’Brian, Sean Hayes and Lee Pace are either offering their support, competing against Powell or trying to murder him. You’ll find out whether our man is a millionaire or toast after a word from our sponsor.
‘Marty Supreme’ (2025)
Image Credit: Maja Smiejkowska/PA Images/Getty Images
Lotta folks were wondering what the deal was with Timothée Chalamet’s slim, trim mustache he was sporting during the press tours for A Complete Unknown, and no, he’s not following that Bob Dylan film with a biopic on John Waters. He grew it for this period drama from Josh Safdie (Uncut Gems, Good Time), about a ping-pong champion loosely based on real-life table-tennis whiz Marty Reisman. It’s both a sports drama and the answer to the future trivia question, “Which movie stars Chalamet, Gwyneth Paltrow, Penn Jillette, Tyler the Creator and Abel Ferrara?” (Also worth noting: Benny Safdie, Josh’s brother, is also set to have his own sports drama The Smashing Machine, which details the life and times of UFC fighter Mark Kerr, coming out in 2025 as well.)
‘Avatar: Fire and Ash’ (December 19)
Image Credit: 20th Century Studios
James Cameron shot this third Avatar movie simultaneously with the second one, 2022’s Avatar: The Way of Water — and the title to this new one sounds way, way more menacing and apocalyptic than its predecessor. The usual suspects (Sam Worthington, Zoe Saldaña, Sigourney Weaver, Kate Winslet, Stephen Lang) are back for more as well, continuing the saga of the Na’vi. Expect this film to make a hundred thousand gajillion dollars as well.
This year’s slate of movies spanned across almost all genres. From Wicked to Deadpool and Wolverine, there was something for everyone. As we bid farewell to 2024, here’s a look at some of the most anticipated movies set to release in 2025:
Here are 2025’s most anticipated movies
Captain America: Brave New World
Set to release on February 14, Captain America: Brave New World marks Sam Wilson’s (played by Anthony Mackie) debut as the titular role. It is directed by Julius Onah and produced by Kevin Feige and Nate Moore. “After meeting with newly elected U.S. President Thaddeus Ross, Sam finds himself in the middle of an international incident. He must discover the reason behind a nefarious global plot before the true mastermind has the entire world seeing red,” the film’s official synopsis reads.
Snow White
Rachel Zegler plays the role of the namesake princess in the upcoming Disney film Snow White. Set to release on 21 March, it is directed by Marc Webb and stars Gal Gadot as the Evil Queen. Barbie’s Greta Gerwig has co-written the screenplay alongside Erin Cressida Wilson. The live-action version of the 1937 Disney classic is finally set to hit the theatres after being postponed due to the strikes.
Thunderbolts*
Thunderbolts* is Marvel’s newest take on the all-villain arc. Directed by Jake Schreier, the action film is set to hit the theatres on May 2. Its lead cast includes Florence Pugh as Black Widow Yelena Belova, Sebastian Stan as Bucky Barnes, David Harbour as Alexei Shostakov, Lewis Pullman as Robert Reynolds, Wyatt Russell as John Walker, and Julia Louis-Dreyfus as a US agent.
Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning
Tom Cruise returns as Ethan Hunt in what could be his final act in the Mission: Impossible series. The Final Reckoning serves as the second part of the current chapter Dead Reckoning, which was released in 2023. Set to release on May 23, the action film stars Rebecca Ferguson, Ving Rhames, Simon Pegg, Hayley Atwell, Vanessa Kirby, Holt McCallany, and Hannah Waddingham.
Jurassic World Rebirth
Starring Scarlett Johansson, Jonathan Bailey, and Mahershala Ali, Jurassic World Rebirth will hit the theatres on July 2. The film takes place five years after the events of Jurassic World Dominion, “when the planet’s ecology has proven largely inhospitable to dinosaurs,” according to the official synopsis. “Those remaining exist in isolated equatorial environments with climates resembling the one in which they once thrived. The three most colossal creatures within that tropical biosphere hold the key to a drug that will bring miraculous life-saving benefits to humankind.”
Superman
Set to release on July 11, Superman marks David Corenswet’s debut as the titular superhero. Directed by James Gunn, the film stars Rachel Brosnahan as Lois Lane and Nicholas Hoult as Lex Luthor. The synopsis for the film according to Rotten Tomatoes reads, “Superman embarks on a journey to reconcile his Kryptonian heritage with his human upbringing as Clark Kent.”
As we look ahead to the year 2025, the excitement is already building for some of the most anticipated movies of the year. From superhero blockbusters to reboots of classic franchises, there is something for everyone to look forward to.
One of the most highly anticipated movies of 2025 is “Captain America: Brave New World.” Following the events of “Avengers: Endgame,” this film will see a new Captain America take up the shield and continue the fight against evil. Fans are eagerly awaiting to see who will take on the iconic role and what new threats will be faced.
Another superhero film generating buzz is a new installment in the Superman franchise. With a new actor stepping into the role of the Man of Steel, audiences are curious to see how the character will be reimagined for a new generation. Will Superman face off against familiar foes or will new villains be introduced to challenge the hero?
Jurassic World fans will also have something to look forward to in 2025 with “Jurassic World Rebirth.” The film promises to bring back the excitement and thrills of the original Jurassic Park series while introducing new dinosaurs and adventures. Will the park finally be able to stay open without any incidents, or will chaos once again reign supreme?
Other highly anticipated movies of 2025 include a new James Bond film, a long-awaited sequel to a beloved animated classic, and a reimagining of a popular fantasy series. With so much to look forward to, it’s clear that 2025 will be a year to remember for moviegoers everywhere. Stay tuned for more updates on these exciting projects as they continue to develop in Hollywood.
