The Most Anticipated Sci-Fi Movies of 2025

Science fiction fans have been treated in recent years with some huge budget movies and franchises either being born (or reborn) in spectacular fashion. 2024 saw films in the Planet of the Apes and Dune franchises taking millions at the box office and as the industry recovers and bounces back from the writer’s strikes, it is full steam ahead with sci-fi.

Jurassic World: Rebirth

The Jurassic franchise comes back to life with Jurassic World Rebirth, directed by Gareth Edwards (Rogue One). This chapter is set five years after the events of Jurassic World: Dominion and explores a world where dinosaurs exist only in isolated environments near the equator.

Scarlett Johansson has joined yet another huge franchise and stars as Zora Bennett, a covert operative leading a team on a mission to secure genetic material from the last colossal dinosaurs. 

Also featuring huge names like Mahershala Ali and Rupert Friend, the film combines breathtaking action and promises some thought-provoking dilemmas about humanity’s meddling with nature.

A bit like the Marvel movies, the Jurassic series is going through something of a reset as the big studios try to keep these massive franchises as popular as ever – whether it will succeed or not remains to be seen.

This movie is currently slated for release by Universal Pictures on July 2, 2025.

Avatar: Fire and Ash

James Cameron continues his Avatar saga, taking us back to Pandora for another visually groundbreaking adventure. Cameron is now full-speed-ahead with these projects and after waiting 13 years for a sequel, the Avatar series could also have two more besides this one before the decade is out.

This sequel dives deeper into the cultures of Pandora’s diverse tribes and particularly explores the “Ash People,” known for their fiery temperament. Sam Worthington and Zoe Saldaña return alongside Sigourney Weaver and Kate Winslet, with fresh conflicts promising to challenge the heroes as a darker side of the Na’vi tribes is said to be revealed.

Of course, the audiences can expect state-of-the-art effects and underlying environmental themes as this is simply the way Cameron seems to approach the franchise. The Oscar-winning director has promised more character development in this upcoming movie.

The big advance in [‘Fire and Ash’] is just going to be greater character depth,” Cameron said. “We’re seeing new cultures, new creatures—all the same stuff you’d expect from an ‘Avatar’ movie, but the whole idea of this cycle of films is to live with these people and go on this epic journey with them. So I think it’s not about, ‘We’re going to show you the best water [VFX] ever done’—but you get more into the heart and soul of the characters. And there’s some very interesting new characters that come in as well.”

Mickey 17

Bong Joon-ho, the visionary behind Parasite, directs Mickey 17. It is based on Edward Ashton’s novel. Starring Robert Pattinson as a human “expendable” on a colonisation mission. 

Pattinson’s character, Mickey, is repeatedly cloned whenever he dies. After one iteration passes, the body is regenerated and most memories remain. Mickey 17 unintentionally survives an expedition to an ice world, but is thrust into conflict with his new multiple and replacement, Mickey 18.

From the trailer, the visuals look impressive, and judging by Joon-ho’s other work, this is bound to be a chilling story and an exploration of existentialism. 

The book that this is based on is called Mickey7, and was only released in 2022 making the movie a fast turnaround. Those who think they have heard a similar story before may be harking back to understated sci-fi masterpiece Moon, released in 2009 and starring Sam Rockwell.

Elio

Pixar ventures into space with Elio, a heartfelt story about a boy who accidentally becomes Earth’s ambassador to aliens when they mistake him for the leader of our home planet.

Directed by Adrian Molina initially, and taken over by Domee Shi and Madeline Sharafian, this animated feature balances cosmic adventure with tender moments of self-discovery. Well, it is a Pixar film, so expect it to tug at the heart strings. 

“Elio is a space fanatic with an active imagination and a huge alien obsession. So, when he’s beamed up to the Communiverse, an interplanetary organization with representatives from galaxies far and wide, Elio’s all in for the epic undertaking”

Aimed primarily at kids, this is a sci-fi film set to bring humor and charm to the year’s lineup. Pixar films come with incredibly high expectations after such a long track record of making amazing stories enjoyed by all ages. 

The Electric State

The Russo Brothers have taken a unique journey in Hollywood. After working on huge comedy shows like Arrested Development and Community, they were drafted into the Marvel Universe to direct multiple films. Now, they’ll head up a Netflix project in a dystopian world. 

The pair are no strangers to working with Netflix having directed the successful and bond-esque The Gray Man, released in 2022.

The Electric State is a sci-fi epic adapted from Simon Stålenhag’s graphic novel. Millie Bobby Brown and Chris Pratt lead this story set in an alternate version of 1994 where a young girl embarks on a journey across a robot-filled America to find her missing brother.

This is an ambitious project with over 300 million dollars spent on it. Much of that presumably went to the cast, as the film has a raft of stars including Millie Bobby Brown, Chris Pratt, Woody Harrelson, Anthony Mackie, Brian Cox, Jenny Slate, Giancarlo Esposito and Stanley Tucci, among others. Releasing in March, fans don’t have to wait too long for this fascinating project to finally be on their screens.

Bugonia

One of the most mysterious entries on the list, Bugonia is rumored to be a unique blend of ecological sci-fi and psychological drama. While details remain sparse, the film is a remake of 2003 South Korean film Save the Green Planet! by Jang Joon-hwan.

Focus Pictures have provided the simple synopsis: “Two conspiracy-obsessed young men kidnap the high-powered CEO of a major company, convinced that she is an alien intent on destroying planet Earth.”

If it is faithful to its source material, expect this to be a thought-provoking film about humanity’s relationship with nature. Emma Stone and Jesse Plemons are starring in the movie, which will come out at the back end of 2025.

28 Years Later

Danny Boyle returns to bring us 28 Years Later, the long-awaited follow-up to 28 Days Later and 28 Weeks Later. 

The story picks up decades after the Rage virus outbreak, exploring a world where humanity’s survival hangs by a thread as a community gets caught up in a battle with the same zombies we saw ravaging our screens in 28 Days Later and then 28 Weeks Later.

Known for his intense direction, Boyle’s return to the franchise is bound to reignite interest in this post-apocalyptic series, but it does not act as a sequel, per se. This is set in the same universe but follows a remote community, and fans are full of speculation after the trailer revealed a number of easter eggs including a potential return for Cillian Murphy. Jodie Comer and Aaron Taylor-Johnson are confirmed to star in the film.

The Bride!

The Bride! Is a movie that doesn’t have a huge amount of information floating around, but we do know that it reimagines the Frankenstein mythos through a feminist lens. The film follows the “Bride of Frankenstein” as she forges her identity in a world that fears her.

This movie is directed by Maggie Gyllenhall and has some huge stars in it, including her brother Jake, plus the likes of Jessie Buckley, Christian Bale, Penélope Cruz, Peter Sarsgaard, and Annette Bening.

Whether this retelling of a classic tale will be a hit or a flop remains to be seen, and it will be late 2025 until we see the release.

TRON: Ares

The TRON universe expands with TRON: Ares, directed by Joachim Rønning (Maleficent: Mistress of Evil). Fans were initially confused about whether this would be a sequel or just an expansion of the existing setting, as it follows a new character…

Jared Leto stars as the main character, Ares, but the rest of the cast is not as packed with A-listers as some others. It is fair to say that this is bound to be a pertinent movie due to its focus on the area of artificial intelligence.

“Tron: Ares follows a highly sophisticated program, Ares, who is sent from the digital world into the real world on a dangerous mission, marking humankind’s first encounter with A.I. beings.”

M3GAN 2.0

More AI darkness is promised in this movie, the sequel to the 2023 surprise hit M3GAN, this film continues the story of the AI doll with a dark side. The first installment blended horror and satire with sci-fi, and its follow-up is likely to delve deeper into the consequences of advanced robotics. Not many details have been released regarding the storyline.