The summer movie season has always been a time for Hollywood to release the most anticipated films of the year. Watching blockbusters in a relaxing, air-conditioned theater is the best antidote to the blazing sun outside. And while people were worried that the COVID-19 pandemic would ruin the theater industry forever, in-person theater viewing is back and stronger than ever, half a decade after its dip.
The summer movie list is usually filled with Marvel and other comic book films, but this year there’s only one big superhero release. Dinosaurs, racing, karate, and Tom Cruise running around shirtless (for the final time?) will have to make do. These are the summer movies coming out in 2025.
Mission: Impossible - The Final Reckoning (2025)
Tom Cruise used to be an Oscar-worthy young superstar before finding his niche as Ethan Hunt. The Mission: Impossible franchise has become his baby, with eight films so far and plenty of kick-butt action attached to them. The Final Reckoning is supposed to be the last movie in the franchise before Cruise and director Christopher McQuarrie pursue spinoffs. Mission Impossible: Dead Reckoning Part One underperformed at the box office in 2023, but I have a feeling this outing will be the talk of the early summer movie conversation. This one will come out on May 23, 2025.
Karate Kid: Legends (2025)
The Karate Kid franchise has been one of the surprisingly durable ones of the last 40 years. Karate Kid: Legends will reboot the movie side of things after the immense success of Netflix’s spinoff series, Cobra Kai. Jackie Chan and Ralph Macchio are the headliners here, so what else do you need to know? It should be all of the same martial arts-infused fun that parents and kids have been enjoying together for generations now. The film will release in theaters on May 30, 2025.
The Life of Chuck (2025)
Stephen King’s stories are still being adapted nearly a half a century after Carrie. The Life of Chuck is a uniquely told tale of a man named Charles Krantz. Viewers live through Chuck’s experiences beginning with his death near 40 years old and working back to his haunted past as a child. The movie was acclaimed in early release and will arrive in theaters on June 13, 2025.
28 Years Later (2025)
28 Years Later is the third movie in the cult horror franchise that started in 2002 with Cillian Murphy in the lead role. With Jodie Comer and Aaron Taylor-Johnson at the front of the ticket this time, the plot will follow the survivors of the apocalypse . . . wait for it . . . 28 years after its inception. There will be another sequel, 28 Years Later: The Bone Temple, that comes out in 2026. This one will release on June 20, 2025.
F1 (2025)
Racing movies starring big names have been much more in vogue in recent summers, from Ford v Ferrari in 2019 to Grand Turismo in 2023. This summer will get Brad Pitt onto the race track as a Formula One driver who rediscovers his spark while mentoring a youthful driver with high potential for success. In the process, Pitt’s character, Sonny Hayes, understands what was missing from his career during his beginnings. There are a lot of relative unknowns in the supporting roles, so this is a good chance for the film to be a career-launching effort for them. F1 releases on June 27, 2025.
Jurassic World Rebirth (2025)
Jurassic World Rebirth represents yet another re-start for the famous dinosaur franchise. Scarlett Johansson and Jonathan Bailey are the stars as the new researchers must fight for their lives and for the future of humanity in the face of monstrous new reptiles on a remote island. The decision to create new dinosaurs instead of just using real ones from prehistory is a slippery slope that might take the franchise into something Steven Spielberg never intended. The controversial sequel will come out on July 2, 2025.
Heads of State (2025)
Heads of State is Amazon’s biggest release of the summer and will bring some of the exhilarating action you’re used to experiencing in the theater to your couch at home. John Cena and Idris Elba play rival world leaders who must put their differences aside and team up to take down a threat that could destroy the world as we know it. Does it sound corny and contrived? Of course, but summer is all about letting your hair down and not taking anything too seriously. This movie is like eating junk food at the beach with your friends. Prime Video will have the film exclusively on streaming starting on July 2, 2025.
The Fantastic Four: First Steps (2025)
The Fantastic Four: First Steps has been one of the most coveted films in Marvel’s schedule ever since its announcement. Filling in the void before the next Avengers film and trying to capitalize on the positive energy surrounding Thunderbolts, this reboot of Fantastic Four has some of the biggest stars in the industry, from Pedro Pascal to Joseph Quinn of Stranger Things fame. First Steps will re-tell the story of the family’s inception, how they got their powers, and the usual trappings that come along with Marvel’s films. This movie should help the company launch its next era and regain its foothold in the comic book film world. Fantastic Four will come out on July 25, 2025.
