Hey guys and welcome back to a brand new preview post where I will be covering the films releasing in the first four months of 2025. The last few months of 2024 were quite varied and interesting in regards to what came out with a lot of movies living up to their respective hypes while others didn’t quite live up to certain expectations (I’ll get more into that for an eventual ranking I hope to do in the future). That being said, it is now time to look into what 2025 has to offer and while admittedly, the slate from January to April isn’t as packed as previous seasons, there is still plenty of stuff I am personally intrigued by. We’ll be looking into the 10 films I am most excited for as well as some honorable mentions that didn’t quite make the list but that I thought were worth discussing. So without further ado, lets jump right in!
10. Captain America: Brave New World
Release Date: February 14th
The first of three MCU films slated for this year, this 4th installment in the Captain America series, sees Anthony Mackie’s Sam Wilson (previously the Falcon) take on the iconic mantle that was previously held by Chris Evan’s Steve Rogers. He finds himself in the middle of an international incident involving President Thaddeus Ross, who is now played by Harrison Ford, following the passing of William Hurt who had previously played the character. Ross isn’t the only character from The Incredible Hulk appearing here as both Liv Tyler and Tim Blake Nelson will be coming back to reprise their roles as Betty Ross and The Leader, respectively. I find myself weirdly intrigued with this being something of a reunion for a film that isn’t exactly acknowledged that much in the MCU so I’m curious as to what role these characters will play in the film. The trailers seem to promise a tone that is in line with the likes of the political thriller esque Captain America: The Winter Soldier (one of my personal favorite MCU films) which I more than welcome. Casting Harrison Ford only makes the Tom Clancy comparisons more appropriate (almost like Clear and Present Danger in tights) and while I haven’t seen Falcon and the Winter Soldier, Sam taking the mantle has always been something I’ve been curious to see and as a fan of Anthony Mackie as an actor, it’s just neat to see him be the lead of a big budget movie like this after years of being a very good character actor. Now the extensive re shoots that have been done on this one have given me cause for concern as have allegedly not so great test screenings, which is why I may not have been AS high on this one as I once would have been still. Still I’ll choose to be optimistic and hope that all of the behind the scenes troubles aren’t reflected in the final product.
9. Dog Man
Release Date: January 31st
DreamWorks Animation returns to adapt another one of author, Dav Pilkey’s, works after the delightful Captain Underpants film from 2017. This wacky story concerns a police office and his dog getting injured, which then leads to a life changing surgery where their bodies are combined and the super-cop, Dog Man is born. Voice cast also includes the likes of Pete Davidson, Lil Rel Howery, and Isla Fisher. I’ve never read any of the Dog Man books, but I am certainly aware of them and their immense popularity among children. From what little I’ve seen, they seem very amusing and the basic premise is just so wacky (and honestly quite horrifying when one thinks about it) that it seems right up my wheel house. This movie looks like a lot of fun with a fun sense of humor and a really neat animation style that looks to capture the feeling of a book come to life. Here’s hoping that this next Pilkey collaboration yields another fun outing!
8. Companion
Release Date: January 31st
Amusingly opening on the same day as Dog Man is this mysterious romantic phycological thriller starring Sophie Thatcher and Jack Quaid and produced by the people who did Barbarian, which was a buzzy sleeper hit back in late 2022 that caught the horror world by storm (still really need to catch up on that one). One reason for that film’s success is that the marketing revealed very little, leading to a sort of “holy s***, you’ve got to see this for yourself” buzz that only added to the curiosity factor. It seems this one is trying something similar with only one cryptic, but effective teaser being released that showcases some intense imagery and what looks to be an interesting tone in regards to combining the horror and what looks to be a toxic romance at the center. I myself am very intrigued as to what this has in store and am hopeful that it can breakout and become a Barbarian like hit.
7. Black Bag
Release Date: March 14th
When it comes to prolific directors still working today, Steven Soderbergh is always one of the first names that pops up for me as he is someone who has not only been putting out films consistently for the longest time but is someone who is always willing to experiment and try out new things. From the Oceans trilogy to Erin Brockovich to Traffic to Logan Lucky to Unsane, this is a man who is willing to venture out into different genres and play around with filmmaking techniques and styles which is something I always admire in a director. Heck I have trouble keeping up with whenever he puts something out as every year he seems to have something coming out down the pipeline. For this year he has Black Bag which is a spy thriller that follows a couple who both happen to be intelligence agents. When the wife is suspected of being a traitor, the husband must face a dilemma in which both his marriage and the loyalty he has towards his country is tested. The cast is comprised of the likes of Michael Fassbender, Cate Blanchett, Rege-Jean Page, Marisa Abela, Naomie Harris, Pierce Brosnan, and Tom Burke. This just looks like a very solid old school spy thriller with a fantastic cast and a lot of intrigue which I am indeed a sucker for. With Soderberg at the helm I expect this to be yet another interesting piece of work from the filmmaker.
6. The Amateur
Release Date: April 11th
Like I said, I’m a sucker for spy espionage thrillers, hence why we’re going from one to another. This one concerns a CIA cryptographer, played by Rami Malek, whose wife is killed in a terrorist attack in London. When he realizes that his bosses will not do anything about it, he puts matters into his own hands and blackmails the agency to train him as a field operative as he goes on a killing spree to take down those responsible for his wife’s death. This just sounds and looks like a very good revenge thriller that is filled with plenty of great character actors (Laurence Fishburne, Rachel Brosnahan, Jon Bernthal, Michael Stuhlbarg, Holt McCallany, etc.). I’m a fan of Malek as an actor and am excited to see him be the lead of a movie like this. I also like how instead of being this unstoppable one man army, the main character is using less physical means of taking down his enemies, being less of a fighter. It adds an interesting spin to this sort of tale and I look forward in seeing how this plays out.
5. Wolf Man
Release Date: January 17th
The Universal Monsters are among the most iconic figures in all of horror, which makes it a shame that it has taken a while for them to find their silver screen footing in the modern age. After various failed attempts to create a cinematic universe portraying these icons as troubled anti heroes, Leigh Whannell stepped in with his take on The Invisible Man that actually let the title monster… be a monster (what a novel concept). Cue rave reviews (one of my personal favorites of 2020 and of this decade thus far), and solid financial success (would’ve made more if it weren’t for its legs getting cut off by Covid) that gave the brand more goodwill than it had achieved in a while. After getting various Dracula adjacent flicks (Renfield, Abigail, and The Last Voyage of the Demeter) we now have what is something of a spiritual successor to Invisible Man with Whannell taking a stab at the Wolf Man. This interpretation follows a family moving into a new home and they end up getting attacked by a mysterious creature that claws the father’s arm which leads him to slowly transform into a werewolf. Christopher Abbott and Julia Garner star as the couple and like Invisible Man, it is a modern day set take on the story. It looks quite promising with a solid hook and some of the imagery shown of the father transforming looks very effective. I don’t know if it’ll reach Invisible Man levels for me, but given Whannell’s track record I am hoping for another intense thrill ride.
4. Paddington in Peru
Release Date: February 14th
The Paddington franchise has been considered by many to be among the biggest surprises in recent memory when it comes to just how good and well received they have turned out to be. This is especially true in regards to Paddington 2 which is now considered a modern classic by so many in the film community (deservedly so, its wonderful). Now 7 years after that film’s release, we have the third installment which sees Paddington and his human family venturing into the Amazon in order to find his great Aunt Lucy who has gone missing. Director, Dougal Wilson, subs in for original helmer, Paul King, in his feature directorial debut with a lot of the cast from the previous two films coming in (save for Sally Hawkins as Mrs. Brown, who is being replaced by Emily Mortimer) with some new faces in the forms of Olivia Colman and Antonio Banderas. Even though King isn’t coming back, this still looks to be another delightful venture with Paddington and friends getting into another fun adventure that looks to contain the charm that made the previous films work so well. Everyone looks like they’re having fun and early reviews from its release in the UK have been solid so far. This doesn’t need to reach the heights of the other two in order to be a worthwhile venture and I’m confident that it will deliver.
3. The Day the Earth Blew Up: A Looney Tunes Movie
Release Date: February 28th
The Looney Tunes are some of the most iconic characters in all of fiction which makes the lack of respect shown towards them by their parent company all the more disappointing. With the promising Wile E. Coyote vs. ACME getting shelved for tax purposes, it seemed like WB (and specifically David Zaslov) were intent on destroying any goodwill associated with the company further. Thankfully though, during all of this mess, one Looney Tunes project that was originally intended for release on Max was able to escape with Ketchup Entertainment buying the rights to distribute this feature and give it a theatrical release. This is based off of the Looney Tunes cartoon series and features Daffy Duck and Porky Pig teaming up to stop an alien invasion after discovering a secret plot to take over the Earth and it is the first ever fully animated Looney Tunes feature length movie to be theatrically released (the rest have been either compilations or live action hybrid like the Space Jam films). That alone is enough to get me excited as I am a huge Looney Tunes fan and am glad that this project will get to see the light of day after the long road it took to get released. I’ve been hearing nothing but great things from those who have seen it and looks like a ton of fun with some clever jokes and slapstick. Given the small distributer, I’m not expecting it to make a ton of noise at the box office, but I’m just happy to see this go to theaters and hopefully get at least a little bit of attention.
2. Mickey 17
Release Date: March 7th
This is one that has been both long anticipated by many and also one that has moved dates numerous times. Now it looks to finally be coming out and I personally think that it looks awesome. This is the latest from director, Bong Joon-ho, who has such acclaimed films like Snowpiercer and Best Picture Winner, Parasite, and is his first feature length Hollywood production. It is based off of the 2022 novel, Mickey7, and it is a sci fi film that concerns a man named Mickey Barnes who signs up to be an “expendable”, which is a disposable employee who is regenerated every time an iteration of them dies. After the 17th multiple survives, he runs into a new multiple named Mickey 18 and mayhem presumably ensues. I absolutely love this premise as it has the potential to be a lot of fun, especially with Robert Pattinson as the various Mickeys. The wonderful trailer teases a darkly comedic tone as we see the various Mickeys get killed off in various ways and there seems to be some interesting satire at play as well. The supporting cast is also stacked including the likes of Naomi Ackie, Steven Yeun, Mark Ruffalo, and Toni Collete who all look to be having a blast in their colorful looking roles. I’m a huge Sci fi nerd, so the fact that we are getting such an ambitious one so early this year (one with an $150 million budget no less) is enough to get me estatic!
And my most anticipated movie of the late Winter/Spring period is…
Sinners
Release Date: April 18th
Ryan Coogler has proven himself to be a director that is known for making films of a high quality and is arguably one of the most prolific modern day directors working right now. He has yet to disappoint when it comes to his directorial outings as Fruitvale Station, Creed, and the Black Panther duology are all films that have varying degrees of strong critical acclaim. Now he returns from the MCU sandbox with an original horror film that concerns twin brothers (played by Michael B. Jordan) who return to their hometown in order to get away from their troubled lives and start over. However, they soon discover that a great evil is waiting for them. There is quite a bit of mystery surrounding this movie as the synopsis is quite vague and the only other details we really know is that vampires will be involved. Hailee Steinfeld and Delroy Lindo among others are also a part of the cast and despite the mystery, just the fact that we are getting an original Ryan Coogler horror movie with Michael B. Jordan (one of my favorite actors working today) and vampires are potentially involved is enough to get me stoked. Add in a stellar teaser trailer that shows off a visually striking and intense atmosphere (seriously, its one of the best trailers I’ve seen in recent memory) and we have the makings of what could be something truly special. Here’s hoping that not only is it great, but also that it becomes a hit as it would be so great to see a big original film like this succeed theatrically!
Honorable Mentions:
Now it’s time to discuss some other films that didn’t make the list but that I still have a certain level of interest in:
Den of Thieves 2: Pantera
Release Date: January 10th
Here’s a sequel action junkies and dads all around the world have been waiting for! Jokes aside, Gerard Butler and O’Shea Jackson Jr. reprise their roles from the surprise hit film as they now have to team up for a huge diamond heist. I wasn’t huge on the original film (even if it is better than one would expect from a Heat knock off), but I admit that this follow up does look very fun and has a neat hook. Plus, I’m always down to see Gerard Butler take down some bad guys.
Flight Risk
Release Date: January 24th
This was originally going to come out in October before getting delayed to late January. It is a thriller directed by Mel Gibson, set on a small plane where Mark Whalberg plays a hitman after a key witness who is being protected by an air marshal. I can’t say I’m happy that Gibson continues to get opportunities like this given his past actions, but putting that aside, this has the potential to be trashy fun.
Love Hurts
Release Date: February 7th
Ke Huy Quan gets another chance to show off his action movie muscles after winning the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor for his role in Everything, Everywhere, All at Once. In this action film he plays a realtor who is actually a retired hit man pulled back into the world he once left behind when his former partner warns him that his brother is hunting him. Ariana Debose and Daniel Wu also co star. This looks like quite a bit of fun and it is awesome getting to see Ke Huy Quan in another big role after his Oscar win.
The Monkey
Release Date: February 21st
Longlegs director, Ozgood Perkins, is back with his next horror project that is based off of a short story by Stephen King and is about a cursed toy Monkey and the horrifying deaths that occur because of it. I haven’t seen any of previous works (although I hope to change that before the release of this film) but it seems Perkins as a knack for very dark horror and this looks no different, with some pitch black comedy thrown in for good measure. Am definitely intrigued.
Cleaner
Release Date: February 21st
New action film from director Martin Campbell (Goldeneye, Casino Royale, The Foreigner, etc.) and stars Daisy Ridley as a window cleaner with combat abilities put in a Die Hard like situation. Yeah, this is my kind of meat and potatoes entertainment.
The Legend of Ochi
Release Date: February 28th
This fantasy adventure looks to be of a different kind of film than one is used to seeing distributed by A24. It follows a young girl who has learned to fear the creatures known as Orchi her entire life, but then finds a baby one and must return it with its family. It looks big in scope and has the potential to be a solid adventure (plus Willem Dafoe is an automatic plus).
Novocaine
Release Date: March 14th
Jack Quaid is once again back this season in an action flick that involves a man named Nathan Caine who is a mild mannered introvert who suffers a condition in which he cannot feel pain. When his girlfriend is captured he must go out and try and save her. I’m a fan of Quaid thanks to his work as Hughie in The Boys, so I’m happy to see him in more things and this one looks like a lot of fun with a great premise.
Snow White
Release Date: March 21st
The film that the internet has been raging about for various reasons (most of it stupid), is finally hitting the big screen with Rachel Zegler bringing the first ever Disney Princess to life in live action and Gal Gadot playing the Evil Queen. I honestly have very little interest in the Disney live-action remake stuff and the trailers for this haven’t done much for me. But who knows, maybe it can exceed my low expectations.
Alto Knights
Release Date: March 21st
Barry Levinson (director of Rain Man, Good Morning, Vietnam, etc.) returns to the directors chair for this Robert De Niro starring mob drama where De Niro does a dual performance playing two mob bosses in a war with one another. This sounds very promising, I just hope the fact that it doesn’t have a trailer yet doesn’t spell a lack of confidence in the final product.
A Working Man
Release Date: March 28th
This one has no trailer but is one that I’m down for just for what it is. It is a new Jason Statham action film from David Ayer and it follows a retired black ops agent trying to live a peaceful life as a construction worker but soon finds himself entangled in some sort of conspiracy. I’m a huge fan of Ayer and Statham’s last collaboration, The Beekeeper, which I found to be an absolute blast of an action film and among Statham’s best solo action vehicles. If this is anything like that, then bring it on!
A Minecraft Movie
Release Date: April 4th
Here is what looks to be among the bigger question marks of the year. I may not be a huge Minecraft guy, but I have plenty of friends who are and they are not particularly happy about what has been shown. I do agree that the first teaser was not the best first impression, although I think the second trailer is much better, showing some amusing jokes and colorful visuals. I have no clue if it will be any good, but the reputation of director, Jared Hess, (Napoleon Dynamite, Nacho Libre, etc.) has me a bit optimistic that it will at least be harmless fun.
Until Dawn
Release Date: April 25th
Based off of the popular horror video game about young adults trying to survive in a mountain setting, this is apparently in the same universe as the game, but is telling a new story with new characters with only Peter Stormare reprising his game role as Dr. Alan J. Hill. David F. Sandberg returns to his horror roots after helming the two Shazam! films (which themselves have some horror elements) and I am quite intrigued despite my limited knowledge of the games.
The Accountant 2
Release Date: April 25th
Here’s another sequel that I’m sure is bound to excite action fans and dads everywhere. The original Accountant film was a solid hit back in 2016 and has since become a stable on cable networks like TNT, meaning a lot of people have gotten the chance to catch up with it over the years. I think its a pretty solid film, so I have some interest in this one. Ben Affleck will reprise as role as Christian Wolff as will the rest of the main supporting cast and Gavin O’Connor is once again in the director’s chair.
Conclusion:
And that just about wraps my thoughts on the late Winter/Spring 2025 slate! There’s quite a bit that I am excited/curious about and I hope for the best when it comes to these movies. I also look forward in providing full on reviews for them as I hope to get back into the swing of things this year. With that said, what do you guys think? Which movies are you most excited about for this season and are there any you are looking forward to that I didn’t mention? There’s bound to be quite a few that left off the list. Anyways, feel free to leave your comments down below and as always take care and hope everyone has an awesome start to the new year!
Review Time 