Top 20 New Movies We Want to See This Summer

Every summer movie season has something for everyone, and 2025 is no exception — especially if you’re into superhero reboots, legacy IP revivals, high-octane F1 drama, or Tom Cruise defying death (again). This year brings James Gunn’s fresh take on Superman, while Pedro Pascal, Vanessa Kirby, Ebon Moss-Bachrach, and Joseph Quinn join the Marvel Cinematic Universe as the new Fantastic Four. Meanwhile, Dakota Johnson stars as a savvy matchmaker who finds herself entangled with both Pedro Pascal and Fantastic Four alum Chris Evans — making this summer a multiverse of movie moments that connect in unexpected ways.

1 – “Thunderbolts” (Walt Disney Studios) May 2

It wouldn’t be a summer movie season without a superhero flick. So what better way to kick things off than with a movie about antiheroes? Former antagonists and tragic villains from the MCU, including Yelena Belova (Florence Pugh), the Winter Soldier (Sebastian Stan), Alexei Shostakov/Red Guardian (David Harbour), John Walker/US Agent (Wyatt Russell), Antonia Dreykov/Taskmaster (Olga Kurylenko), and Ava Starr/Ghost (Hannah John-Kamen), return for a shot at redemption after finding themselves ensnared in a death trap set by Valentina Allegra de Fontaine. These disillusioned castoffs must embark on a dangerous mission that forces them to confront the darkest corners of their pasts. Directed by Jake Schreier from a screenplay by Eric Pearson and Joanna Calo, this film feels like a course correction for Marvel Studios after several releases that haven’t quite lived up to expectations.

2 – “Final Destination Bloodlines” (Warner Bros.) May 16

Set in the world of first responders—EMTs, firefighters, and police officers—Final Destination Bloodlines continues the franchise’s legacy of elaborate, Rube Goldberg-style deaths. This time, a college student experiences recurring nightmares of her family’s demise, leading her to return home and find the person who can stop it. While we can expect more deadly set pieces, early reactions suggest a more emotional storyline with strong character arcs. Directed by Zach Lipovsky and Adam Stein, and written by Guy Busick and Lori Evans Taylor, based on a story they developed with Jon Watts.

3 – “Mission: Impossible—The Final Reckoning” (Paramount Pictures) May 23

Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning was an overstuffed and emotionally distant first half of a two-parter, but it still delivered the high-octane thrills Tom Cruise is known for. Now, Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning seems poised to fix some of those missteps with a potentially franchise-defining finale. The film reunites Cruise with Hayley Atwell, Ving Rhames, Simon Pegg, Henry Czerny, and Angela Bassett, while delivering the death-defying stunts we’ve come to expect. Directed by Christopher McQuarrie, who co-wrote the screenplay with Erik Jendresen, this chapter could mark the end of Ethan Hunt’s story—or just the moment Cruise raises the bar even higher. How high? That’s anyone’s guess.

4 – “Lilo and Stitch” (May 23)

Disney continues its live-action streak with Lilo & Stitch, a reimagining of the 2002 animated classic that mixes sci-fi chaos with heartfelt family bonds. Set in Hawaii, the story follows Lilo (Maia Kealoha), a lonely and quirky girl raised by her older sister Nani (Sydney Agudong), who thinks she’s adopted a dog—only to discover it’s a rogue alien experiment. While the live-action take leans into nostalgia, it also introduces fresh elements that make it stand apart. Directed by Dean Fleischer Camp (Marcel the Shell with Shoes On) and written by Chris Kekaniokalani Bright, the film also stars Zach Galifianakis, Billy Magnussen, and Chris Sanders, returning to voice Stitch. With nostalgia and emotional depth, this could be a crowd-pleaser for audiences old and new.

5 – “The Phoenician Scheme” (Focus Features) May 30

In true Wes Anderson fashion, The Phoenician Scheme delivers his signature mix of quirky humor, meticulous visuals, and a highly stylized narrative wrapped in tension and intrigue. The plot centers on Zsa-Zsa Korda (Benicio del Toro), a wealthy businessman who names his only daughter, Sister Amara (Mia Threapleton), a nun, as his sole heir. Their lives spiral when they become targets of scheming tycoons, foreign terrorists, and relentless assassins. Anderson’s trademark eccentricity shines through in full force, bolstered by an ensemble cast including Michael Cera, Riz Ahmed, Tom Hanks, Bryan Cranston, Mathieu Amalric, Richard Ayoade, Jeffrey Wright, Scarlett Johansson, Benedict Cumberbatch, Rupert Friend, Hope Davis, Bill Murray, Imad Mardnli, and Willem Dafoe.

6 – “The Life of Chuck” (Neon) June 6

Based on Stephen King’s 2020 novella, The Life of Chuck, directed by Mike Flanagan, explores the human experience with a poignant touch. Starring Tom Hiddleston, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Karen Gillan, Jacob Tremblay, and Mark Hamill, the film focuses on the life of Chuck (Hiddleston), a man whose death is told in three distinct acts. Flanagan, known for adapting King’s work with Gerald’s Game and Doctor Sleep, seems to lean into a more emotional, introspective narrative, akin to Stand by Me and The Shawshank Redemption.

7 – “Materialists” (A24) June 13

Celine Song’s Materialists, her sophomore directorial effort, promises a thought-provoking exploration of human connection. Starring Dakota Johnson, Chris Evans, and Pedro Pascal, the film has potential to captivate, especially with its striking portrayal of Manhattan and the magical way it weaves in iconic songs like Madonna’s “Material Girl.” And seriously, what’s that Japanese Breakfast song in the trailer? I need to know!

8 – “How To Train Your Dragon” (Universal) June 13

Universal Pictures is already confident enough to announce a sequel to How to Train Your Dragon even before the first installment hits theaters. Early screenings at CinemaCon have already garnered positive reactions, fueling excitement. Dean DeBlois returns to direct after helming the hit animated trilogy. While the voice cast isn’t changing much, Gerard Butler reprises his role as Stoick the Vast. New to the cast are Mason Thames as Hiccup, Nico Parker as Astrid, and Nick Frost as Gobber. The film also stars Julian Dennison, Gabriel Howell, Bronwyn James, Harry Trevaldwyn, Ruth Codd, Peter Serafinowicz, and Murray McArthur.

9 “28 Years Later” (Sony Pictures) June 20

The summer season also has room for horror, and like all great horror films, they often serve as commentary on the society we live in today. With misinformation spreading like a virus, 28 Years Later feels like a timely return to the franchise. Survivors struggle to coexist in a world still ravaged by the Rage virus, but a small colony of survivors is about to discover how both the virus and humanity have evolved in unforeseen ways. Directed by Danny Boyle and written by Alex Garland, the film stars Jodie Comer, Aaron Taylor-Johnson, and Ralph Fiennes.

10 – “Elio” (Walt Disney Studios) June 20

Pixar’s Elio marks the studio’s return to original storytelling following Inside Out 2. The film centers on Elio (Yonas Kibreab), an 11-year-old boy struggling to fit in, who gets beamed up to the Communiverse—an interplanetary organization made up of beings from across the galaxy. Mistaken for Earth’s ambassador, Elio must navigate a crisis of galactic proportions while discovering his place in the universe. Originally set to be Adrian Molina’s solo directorial debut, Elio is now directed by Madeline Sharafian and Domee Shi, with Molina retaining a directing credit. The voice cast includes Zoe Saldaña, Remy Edgerly, Jameela Jamil, Brad Garrett, and Shirley Henderson.

11 – “M3GAN 2.0” (Universal Pictures) June 27

The murderous doll who captivated audiences in 2023 is back—and this time, she’s not alone. M3GAN 2.0 reunites the original creative team, led by James Wan, Jason Blum, and director Gerard Johnstone, for another round of A.I. mayhem. Two years after M3GAN’s deadly rampage, her creator Gemma (Allison Williams) is now a high-profile author advocating for A.I. oversight, while her niece Cady (Violet McGraw) rebels against her overprotective rules. When a defense contractor misuses M3GAN’s tech to create a military-grade weapon, Amelia (Ivanna Sakhno), things take a deadly turn. As Amelia gains self-awareness, Gemma must resurrect M3GAN—now stronger, faster, and more lethal. Directed by Gerard Johnstone, M3GAN 2.0 stars Brian Jordan Alvarez, Jen Van Epps, Aristotle Athari, Timm Sharp, and Jemaine Clement.

12 – “F1” (Warner Bros.) June 27

Joseph Kosinski’s directing style is visually striking and thematically rich, blending high-tech precision with deep human emotion. He brings this unique approach to “F1,” a Brad Pitt-starring vehicle that immerses audiences in the high-speed, high-stakes world of Formula 1 racing. The film becomes a visually dynamic experience, where the thrilling races serve as a backdrop for personal journeys of grit, ambition, and redemption. Kosinski’s direction ensures the pulse-pounding action isn’t just about the race itself, but also about the personal stakes of the drivers, making the action feel intimate, even in its grandest moments. It also stars Damson Idris, Kerry Condon, Tobias Menzies, Kim Bodnia, and Javier Bardem.

13 – “Jurassic World Rebirth” (Universal Pictures) July 2

Life finds a way. This is especially true for the Jurassic World franchise, which seemingly ended with “Jurassic World Dominion.” However, Jurassic Park screenwriter David Koepp found a way to keep it going with a new installment titled “Jurassic World Rebirth,” which sees Zora Bennett (Scarlett Johannson), a covert operative, is recruited by a pharmaceutical company to collaborate with paleontologist Dr. Henry Loomis (Jonathan Bailey) and team leader Duncan Kincaid (Mahershala Ali) on a top-secret mission. Their objective is to infiltrate a forbidden island—once the site of the original research facility for Jurassic Park—and locate the three largest remaining prehistoric species from land, sea, and air. The DNA of these creatures holds the key to a revolutionary drug capable of saving countless human lives. “Rogue One: A Star Wars Story” director Gareth Edwards helms this latest chapter that expands the universe.

14 – The Old Guard 2 (Netflix) July 2

The Old Guard 2 is the direct sequel to the Netflix actioner about immortal mercenaries on a revenge mission. The film stars Charlize Theron, KiKi Layne, Marwan Kenzari, Luca Marinelli, Matthias Schoenaerts, Vân Veronica Ngô, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Uma Thurman, and Henry Golding. While Theron’s character, Andy, is now mortal, you can expect her to be right in the middle of the high-stakes action once again. With a renewed sense of purpose in her mission to protect the world, Andy struggles with her newfound mortality as a mysterious threat emerges, one that could jeopardize everything she’s fought for over thousands of years. Though Gina Prince-Bythewood steps back as director, she remains a key creative force as a producer. This time, The Old Guard 2 is directed by Victoria Mahoney, from a screenplay by Greg Rucka, based on his comic book series.

15 – “Superman” (Warner Bros.) July 11

James Gunn makes his return to the superhero world with his cinematic interpretation of the iconic “Superman.” The film marks a fresh start for Warner Bros.’ superhero franchise, which has struggled to match the success of Disney’s Marvel Cinematic Universe. While details are scarce, the film is said to explore Clark Kent/Superman’s (David Corenswet) journey of reconciling his Kryptonian heritage with his adoptive human family in Smallville, Kansas. The film also stars Rachel Brosnahan as Lois Lane and Nicholas Hoult as Lex Luthor.

16 – “I Know What You Did Last Summer” July 18 (Sony Pictures)

​Jennifer Kaytin Robinson returns to the slasher genre with “I Know What You Did Last Summer” (2025), a direct sequel that blends nostalgia with fresh terror. Co-writing with Sam Lansky from a story by Leah McKendrick and Robinson, she reimagines the franchise for a new generation. The film introduces a group of friends who, after a deadly accident, are stalked by a figure who knows their dark secret. To confront this new threat, they seek help from Julie James (Jennifer Love Hewitt) and Ray Bronson (Freddie Prinze Jr.), survivors of the original Southport Massacre. While Hewitt and Prinze Jr. reprise their roles as the veterans providing guidance and closure. The ensemble cast includes Madelyn Cline, Chase Sui Wonders, Jonah Hauer-King, Tyriq Withers, Sarah Pidgeon, Billy Campbell, Gabbriette Bechtel, Austin Nichols, Lola Tung, and Nicholas Alexander Chavez.

17 – “The Fantastic Four: First Steps” (Walt Disney Studios) July 25

Matt Shankman didn’t live the Marvel Cinematic Universe for too long after showrunning “WandaVision.” He moved on to helm “The Fantastic Four: The First Steps” after Jon Watts, the director the Marvel Studios’ Spider-Man trilogy, stepped away to showrun Star Wars “The Skeleton Crew.” Unlike some of the previous Marvel Studios films, “Fantastic Four: The First Steps” takes place in an alternate universe and is set in a futuristic retro 1960s world during the height of the Space Race. Pedro Pascal leads as the stretchy Reed Richards aka Mister Fantastic, with Vanessa Kirby playing the fearless force field-wielding Invisible Woman – who can also turn invisible. Rounding out the core team are Joseph Quinn as the hot-headed Johnny Storm, aka the Human Torch, and Ebon Moss-Bachrach as the rock-skinned powerhouse Ben Grimm, aka the Thing. The rest of the cast includes Ralph Ineous as Galactus and his herald, the Julia Garner as the Silver Surfer.

18 – Happy Gilmore 2 (Netflix) July 25

Adam Sandler returns to his happy place but this time on Netflix. It’s been almost 30 years since we last saw Happy Gilmore, a delusional hockey player with anger issues who proved to be much better at swinging golf clubs on the greens than a hockey stick on the ice. Original Happy Gilmore stars Julie Bowen, Ben Stiller, and Christopher McDonald are set to reprise their roles and they will be joined by Benito Antonio Martínez Ocasio (aka Bad Bunny), daughters Sadie and Sunny Sandler, and Blake Clark. And it wouldn’t be much of a movie about golf without some cameos from real golf players like John Daly, Paige Spiranac, Rory McIlroy, Scottie Scheffler, Bryson DeChambeau, Brooks Koepka, Justin Thomas, and Will Zalatoris. It will be interesting to see why Happy has to return to the greens, but one thing is for sure: we can expect some outrageous swings, unfiltered trash talk, and a whole lot of nostalgia-fueled chaos.

19 – “Freakier Friday” (Walt Disney Studios) August 8

Nisha Ganatra brings the nostalgia with Freakier Friday, the long-awaited sequel to the 2003 Freaky Friday remake. Based on Mary Rodgers’s 1972 novel, this marks the seventh film in the franchise. Jamie Lee Curtis and Lindsay Lohan return, joined by original cast members Rosalind Chao, Chad Michael Murray, Mark Harmon, Ryan Malgarini, Christina Vidal Mitchell, Haley Hudson, Stephen Tobolowsky, and Lucille Soong. Newcomers include Julia Butters, Sophia Hammons, Manny Jacinto, Maitreyi Ramakrishnan, and Vanessa Bayer. This time, the magical chaos kicks up a notch with a multigenerational body swap: Tess Coleman (Curtis) finds herself in the body of Lily (Hammons), her daughter Anna’s soon-to-be stepdaughter. Meanwhile, Anna (Lohan)—now a mom herself—wakes up in the body of her teenage daughter Harper (Butters). And Harper? She ends up in Anna’s adult body, suddenly responsible for things she’s barely old enough to understand. Beyond the body-swapping hijinks, the film also aims to address and rectify some of the hurtful Asian stereotypes that appeared in the 2003 version, this time incorporating more thoughtful and meaningful Asian representation.

20 – Together (Neon) – July 30

A body horror film starring real-life husband and wife couple Dave Franco and Alison Brie, Together is Neon’s latest provocative entry into the genre—an unsettling exploration of intimacy, identity, and transformation. Considering they are married, the two used their real-life chemistry to bring the characters they play to life. Written and directed by Michael Shanks, the film centers on a codependent couple whose relationship reaches a breaking point during a remote getaway—only to take a surreal turn when they drink from a supernatural spring and wake up physically fused together.