2025has delivered some excellent movies and a few major box office hits already, but we’re now entering the biggest time of the year: the summer movie season. Hollywood has tried to kick off the summer season early over the years with major blockbusters coming in March and April, and that’s no different in 2025 withA Minecraft MovieandSinnersdominating the box office. But the true summer movie season runs from the first weekend of May through Labor Day, the last weekend in August.
These summer months are traditionally when Hollywood likes to release many of the biggest films of the year, as kids are out of school and cinemas can provide some relief from hot temperatures. It’s no surprise, then, that some of2025’s most anticipated moviesare coming out this summer. Of the previous 25 movies featured on Screen Rant’s overall most anticipated list for the year, ten are releasing between May and August.
What movies each person is looking forward to is subjective, so one list can differ significantly from another. That’s why I called upon the Screen Rant team to share which movies they can’t wait to see. 17 editors, including myself, participated in this challenge, creating the following list ofthe most anticipated 2025 summer movies according to members of the Screen Rant editing team. Each editor submitted their top 10 list, with 10 points awarded for the number 1 movie, 9 points for the number 2 movie, and so on. 37 movies were featured, but here’s our collective top 15.
It’s always exciting to get a new movie from the mind of Ari Aster.HereditaryandMidsommarhelped him become one of the great new voices in horror. WhileBeau Is Afraiddidn’t quite land with audiences, the promise ofEddingtonis undeniable.Aster bringing his sensibilities to a pandemic-era dramedy makes this a big swing, but with Joaquin Phoenix, Pedro Pascal, Austin Butler, Emma Stone, and others featured, this will hopefully be a fulfilling ride for audiences and a break away from the usual big-budget, action-heavy blockbusters of the summer.
Eddingtonearned its spot on this list on the back of two reasonably high placements: second from Alex Harrison and fifth from Molly Brizzell. It’s the only movie featured in our Most Anticipated 2025 Summer Movies that was not included on at least three lists. This one is for the Ari Aster supporters and horror movie lovers.
Wes Anderson’s busy schedule brings us another movie from his brilliant mind this summer. It’s been two years since his last feature film, but he won his first Oscar last year with the short filmThe Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar. He returns to the big screen withThe Phoenician Scheme, an espionage comedy headlined by Benicio Del Toro. Some of Anderson’s frequent collaborators are back, including Scarlett Johansson, Tom Hanks, and Benedict Cumberbatch, whileMichael Cera is working with the director for the first time in what looks like pitch-perfect casting.
Wes Anderson and his fans have three editors to thank forThe Phoenician Schemeearning its spot. Alex Harrison, Jordan Williams, and Stephen Rosenberg all included the film in their top 10, with Alex and Stephen placing it in their top fives. They’re all more ready for the next symmetrical, colorful, and quirky Wes Anderson movie than the rest.
As great as its been havingCobra Kaithe last several years, 2025 is finally our chance to see theKarate Kidfranchise return to the big screen.Karate Kid: Legendsreturns Ralph Macchio as Daniel LaRusso and Jackie Chan as Mr. Han. It’s a continuation of the franchise that has recently revitalized interest in itself. It’s also a step in a new direction, focusing the story on a young kid played by Ben Wang. It might not come fromCobra Kai’s creators, butKarate Kid: Legendsoffers the first theatrical experience with the series in 15 years.
Karate Kid: Legendsreceived this placement after four of our editors included it on their lists. Marcelo Leite and Nicholas Raymond are highest on the movie after placing it in their top threes. Abigail Stevens and Fariba Rezwan also included it, albeit with lower rankings. In any case, these are the editors at Screen Rant who are most excited to see how the film brings Daniel and Mr. Han together, whether there are any majorCobra Kaiconnections, and experience the cinematic fights.
Two years after breaking hearts withPast Lives, Celine Song delivers her follow-up feature withMaterialists. Utilizing the star power of Dakota Johnson, Pedro Pascal, and Chris Evans, the movie explores a love triangle between the three asJohnson’s character must decide between a new romantic interest, Pascal, and her ex, Evans. Hollywood doesn’t often deliver romantic comedies with this level of stardom and prestige attached anymore, which makesMaterialistsall the more exciting. It’s sure to bring some romance and strong feelings to theaters this summer.
Materialistsfound itself on four lists from our editing team. Molly Freeman and Rachel LaBonte both put it in their top three, while Molly Brizzell and Alex Harrison also had it in their top 10. This one is for all thePast Lives/Celine Song crowd and the Dakota Johnson truthers, as well as anyone who enjoys Pedro Pascal’s charisma and Chris Evans' romantic side. Hopefully, this one becomes a commercial hit, and audiences love it as much as Song does love triangles.
Stitch is one of Disney’s most iconic animated creaturesand a beloved character for the Gen Z crowd. Disney’s live-action remake of the 2002 animated hit aims to capitalize on its success by bringing the blue alien’s hysterical antics and big heart back to theaters.Lilo & Stitchdoesn’t have the traditional star power of the studio’s previous animated remakes, as it’s instead accurately cast actors for the Hawaiian characters. That’s great and a chance for some star-making turns, but the real excitement here is re-experiencing Lilo and Stitch’s relationship in a new way.
Lilo & Stitchmarks the beginning of a greater consensus forming among the editors about which movies are among the most anticipated of the summer. Seven different editors included it on their lists, including me. The others are Brandon Zachary, Fariba Rezwan, Jordan Williams, Kara Hedash, Matthew Rudoy, and Molly Brizzell. Even asDisney’s live-action remake strategyhas started to bring diminishing returns, we all still have faith thatLilo & Stitchcould be the best one they’ve made in a long time, if not ever.
TheJohn Wickfranchise has become one of the most reliably entertaining action series in recent years. While we’re all waiting forJohn Wick 5now, Lionsgate is expanding the world in a fascinating way.Ana de Armas headlines the first movie spinoff,Ballerina, after making an impression on audiences with her scene-stealing action role inNo Time To Diea few years ago. Keanu Reeves will be back as the Baba Yaga too, with franchise director Chad Stahelski ensuring the action won’t disappoint, even if he didn’t oversee the entire production.
This one has been a longer wait than anticipated following a few delays, but even the reshoot reports haven’t deterred our excitement. Eight different editors includedBallerinaon their lists, which is enough support to make it the start of the top 10. The most enthusiastic of us all isAbigail Stevens, who hadBallerinaas her most anticipated movie of the summer. Fariba Rezwan included it in her top five too. Otherwise, Jordan Williams, Kara Hedash, Nicholas Raymond, Rachel LaBonte, and I had it in our top 10s.
It feels like it was just yesterday thatJurassic World Dominionwas supposed to end the franchise, and yet, here we are two years later with another installment. There might be some level of exhaustion with the series at this point, butJurassic World Rebirthhas the makings of an exciting, fresh step forward. The cast, led by Scarlett Johansson, is entirely disconnected from the previous six films, despite the story building upon the decades of world-building already established. Add in the promise of Gareth Edwards directing, andthis could be the first greatJurassicmovie since the original.
Interest inJurassic World Rebirthis collectively high among the editors, even if it does lack some of the top-end excitement. It’s featured on 10 different editors' lists, but it didn’t receive a single vote in the top three from any of them. Nicholas Raymond and Tom Bacon are the only ones who had it in their top five. Abigail Stevens, Kara Hedash, Marcelo Leite, Matthew Rudoy, Molly Freeman, Molly Brizzell, Rachel LaBonte, and I all had it in our top 10s still.
Predator: Killer of Killersis the new anthology film fromPreydirector Dan Trachtenberg, chronicling three different eras of fighters encountering the Yautja hunters. It arrives on Hulu this summer to provide a few new adventures in thePredatorfranchise and help make the wait forPredator: Badlandseasier to accept.
This is a unique entry on the list for a few reasons. For starters, it is the only animated movie to be featured, with Pixar’sElio, Paramount’sSmurfs, and others missing the cut.Predator: Killer of Killersis also the only streaming movie to earn a spoton the list. While the summer season is typically about seeing major movies in theaters, this is one example of a film that’s already mounting excitement for people to watch at home.
Predator: Killer of Killersreceived a smaller amount of recognition from our editors, as it was only on five lists. But, their enthusiasm for the film pushed it into our top 10. Alisha Grauso, Brandon Zachary, Kara Hedash, Marcelo Leite, and Tom Bacon all had in their top three, with James Hunt also including it in his top 10. It’s definitely one to keep an eye out for on Hulu, especially if you lovedPrey.
Disney may be the studio that has had the most success with live-action remakes, but 2025 brings DreamWorks and Universal into the mix withHow To Train Your Dragon. The trailer has raised concerns that the film will be a shot-for-shot remake of the 2010 animated movie. While it does indeed look similar, surely the original director, Dean DeBlois, would only return to help expand and improve Hiccup and Toothless' story. So far, the visuals look promising, and the early reception has been quite positive. Universal is clearly confident in it, withHow To Train Your Dragon 2already announced.
Anticipation for the live-action remake is evident with Screen Rant’s editors. There are 10 of us who included it in our lists, with Kara Hedash and Molly Brizzell the most excited for it with top three placements. Brandon Zachary, Nicholas Raymond, Tom Bacon, and I all had it in our top fives, while Alisha Grauso, Fariba Rezwan, Matthew Rudoy, and Molly Freeman kept it in their top 10s. As someone who loves the original three animated movies,I’ve got a lot of faith that the live-actionHow To Train Your Dragonremake will deliver.
Just missing out on a top five placement,28 Years Laterstill holds the crown as the most anticipated horror movie of the summer for us. The long-awaited third installment in Danny Boyle’s post-apocalyptic zombie franchise boasts his return as a director and Alex Garland writing the script, while Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Ralph Fiennes, Jodie Comer, and Jack O’Connell headline an impressive cast list.Sony has absolutely nailed the marketing campaign for28 Years Later, making it look incredibly thrilling and a can’t-miss cinematic experience.
Anticipation is incredibly high within the Screen Rant editing team for this one. Abigail Stevens, Alisha Grauso, Brandon Zachary, and Jordan Williams all had it as their second-most anticipated film of the summer. Alex Harrison, Fariba Rezwan, Stephen Rosenberg, and I also had it in our top 10s. If you’re looking forward to it as much as we are, hopefully you have one of therare28 Days Lateror28 Weeks Laterphysical media optionsto rewatch them ahead of time.
