The aroma of buttered popcorn, the sound of the arcade games and, of course, the excited chatter of people entering and exiting the movie halls. The movie theatre is one of my favourite places as a film fanatic, and while I love watching the actual movie, I always make sure to arrive 15 minutes early to catch the previews. Waiting in anticipation to see what’s in store for the future for me as each of the trailers plays is always an exciting feeling, which I hope you can experience as you read this blog, counting down some exciting movies set to release this summer.
1. Thunderbolts* -May 2, 2025
This marvel movie features a stand out ensemble cast including Florence Pugh, Sebastian Stan, Julia Louis-Dreyfus, and David Harbour. This newest addition to the MCU universe is based on the comic series under the same name, which follows a team of reformed villains. The premise of this movie involves six individual villains coming together to avoid death and work with the CIA. Fans of the MCU will be excited to see new and old characters, including Bucky Barnes and Yelena Belova.
2. Lilo and Stitch- May 23, 2025
The internet has been buzzing ever since Disney announced that this live-action version of the beloved movie Lilo and Stitch was in the works. After much anticipation, we can expect to see a familiar blue-faced alien on the big screen this May.
3. Karate Kid: Legends- May 30, 2025
Ralph Macchio and Jackie Chan will reprise their roles from their previous respective Karate Kid movies. While the movie’s creators claim that it will not be canon to the Cobra Kai universe, it is a continuation of the 1985 and 2010 films.
4. The Phoenician Scheme- May 30, 2025
This dark comedy, set to release in late May, is the latest work of unique director Wes Anderson, who is known for his eccentric and whimsical stylistic direction. The movie features well-known actors such as Tom Hanks, Scarlett Johansson, Michael Cera and more and follows the chaos that ensues after a wealthy business man appoints his only daughter, a nun, as his only heir.
5. How to Train Your Dragon- June 13th, 2025
The second live-action adaptation in this list has also been highly anticipated by diehard fans of the original animated series. This new movie will retell the story of Hiccup the Viking as he befriends the Night Fury dragon and convinces his village and father that they can coexist with dragons. The movie’s cast features a lot of young actors who have only just recently debuted in their acting careers and familiar faces like Mason Thames (Black Phone, 2021).
6. Elio- June 20, 2025
Elio is the newest PIxar release and follows the story of an 11-year-old boy who accidentally becomes Earth’s Intergalactic Ambassador after being beamed up by aliens he contacted. This movie is perfect for fans of Pixar animations who also love to geek out about space and sci-fi.
7. 28 Years Later- June 20th, 2025
A drastic turn from Elio, this film, also set to release on the same day, is a horror/thriller that takes place 28 years later after a deadly virus spreads across the world. A group of survivors live on a small, remote island. When one of them decides to venture back to the mainland, he must deal with the secrets and horrors he learns of the new world. The movie also stars Aaron Taylor Johnson (Nosferatu, 2025 and Bullet Train, 2022)
8. Freakier Friday- August 8th, 2025
Almost 2 decades later, beloved Disney characters played by Jamie Lee Curtis and Lindsay Lohan, Tess and Anna Coleman, are back! Now all grown up, Anna’s life is switched again, except this time, not only do her and her mother’s body gets swapped but her daughter and soon-to-be step-daughter are also thrown in the mix. This movie is sure to be a nostalgic hit and a great way to wrap up the summer.
