With streaming services taking over, and people enjoying watching movies in the comfort of their homes a lot more, it makes sense for the biggest streaming studios to produce and commission as many new features as possible. While adapting to streaming instead of theater premieres, more and more A-list actors are joining in on the trend and agreeing to star in big projects, even if they're for streaming services only.
However, it wouldn't be wrong to notice that some of the upcoming movies on streaming would be worth watching in the cinema. Their storylines, casts, or simply the overall potential could gather massive audiences to the theaters, where they'd enjoy their favorite actors on the big screens. While some of these movies aren't totally rejecting theatrical releases, a lot of them are confirmed to be streaming on Netflix,Paramount,Apple TV+, and Amazon for now.
10
Untitled Kathryn Bigelow Project
Directed by Kathryn Bigelow
Image via Vertical
After Kathryn Bigelow's nearly finished Netflix project Aurora got canceled and canned, it seemed there wouldn't be a future for her and Netflix again. However, Deadline announced in September this year that she'll be reuniting with Jason Clarke, who starred in her feature Zero Dark Thirty, for a still untitled project revolving around the White House staff. The IMDb synopsis says that the story revolves around the White House staff preparing for a missile strike, taking place in real time.
The cast is star-studded; besides Clarke, IMDb and Deadline name Idris Elba,Jared Harris, Rebecca Ferguson, and Greta Lee, among others. This movie is produced by and will premiere on Netflix, but considering the synopsis, the cast, and the general adoration for Bigelow's projects, it would be a shame if it didn't get a theatrical release, too. While that's yet to be determined, it's good to know that subscribers won't need to leave the coziness of their home to watch a potentially good flick, with the potential to be the most popular movie to stream when it comes out.
The Untitled Kathryn Bigelow Project is expected to be released in 2025 on Netflix.
9
'Play Dirty'
Directed by Shane Black
Image via Warner Bros. Pictures
Amazon, Team Downey, and Shane Black have joined forces to make one of the most anticipated Amazon Original movies of the next year, Play Dirty. The movie follows Parker (Mark Wahlberg), a professional thief who specializes in large-scale robberies and crimes; Parker is the protagonist of 24 of Donald Westlake's novels which he wrote under the pseudonym Richard Stark. Parker is a cold and professional character, and his main motivation is revenge. The book that the movie will follow is the first in the series, called The Hunter.
Play Dirty marks Shane Black's return to directing since 2018, when he did the reboot of The Predator. Mark Wahlberg is joined by LaKeith Stanfield as Grofield, a common companion to Parker in the novels and a warmer and more passionate personality. Next to him, Rosa Salazar, Dermot Mulroney, and Keegan-Michael Key are announced in unnamed roles. With the excitement rising around Play Dirty, and considering audiences can likely expect a fun caper movie, it would be a shame for it not to have a theatrical release. Amazon subscribers will have the most fun when this comes out, though.
Play Dirty is expected to be released in 2025 on Prime Video.
8
'The Gorge'
Directed by Scott Derrickson
Image via Apple TV+
Miles Teller and Anya Taylor-Joy headline The Gorge, a stylish sci-fi thriller about two postkeepers on the opposite sides of a massive gorge. When a danger beyond their powers gets their hands on them, they have to join forces to defeat and escape it. It's sort of a romantic thriller, with sprinkles of science-fiction and even horror; a great combo for a movie that would do well in the theaters. The director of The Gorge is Scott Derrickson, who also directed The Black Phone.
Seeing Anya Taylor-Joy in action roles is always a pleasure; she's a versatile actress and a chameleon when it comes to appearances, being able to pull off any look. In The Gorge, she has brown hair cut into a short bob with bangs, totally opposite from how viewers and fans are used to seeing her. Miles Teller also embraces his new action hero persona, while Derrickson surely prepared some intense moments, knowing his style. With a fantastic looking trailer, it's a shame that such a visual spectacle won't be released theatrically– it looks like it would be amazing on the big screens, particularly in IMAX.
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The Gorge
Director
Scott Derrickson
Runtime
127 Minutes
Release Date
February 28, 2025
Character(s)
Levi
, Drasa
, Erikas
, Janet
, Ruben
, Brit
, Joel
, Air Force Commander
Writers
Zach Dean
Producers
Gregory Goodman
, C. Robert Cargill
, Dana Goldberg
, David Ellison
, Don Granger
, Miles Teller
, Sherryl Clark
, Adam Kolbrenner
Producer
David Ellison, Dana Goldberg, Don Granger, Scott Derrickson, C. Robert Cargill, Sherryl Clark, Zach Dean, Adam Kolbrenner, Greg Goodman
Production Company
Skydance
Release Window
2025
The Gorge will start streaming on February 14, 2025, on Apple TV+.
7
'You’re Cordially Invited'
Directed by Nicholas Stoller
Image via Prime Video
You're Cordially Invited is one of the newest comedies coming to streaming in 2025; it stars Will Ferrell and Reese Witherspoon as parents organizing the weddings of their children and realizing the venue double booked them. They have to learn how to navigate the situation without destroying each other, but with that mishap, things just start going south. In one scene, Will Ferrell even wrestles an alligator. Nicholas Stoller wrote and directed You're Cordially Invited, and his previous projects include Forgetting Sarah Marshall and Neighbors.
Comedies used to do well theatrically, but there aren't many on the roster nowadays. When looking at the box office lists, it's mostly action, horror, or drama– which is also cool, but comedy would add some balance. This has been an ongoing problem, with comedies being slowly shifted to streaming services because theatrical releases cost a lot; this may be why You're Cordially Invited is sent to stream immediately, though it would be a pleasure to laugh in the theaters again. Regardless, fans are anticipating it on Amazon, so it'll be much comfier to snort and laugh at home where no one else (but the family) can hear it.
You're Cordially Invited will start streaming on January 30, 2025, on Prime Video.
6
'Fountain of Youth'
Directed by Guy Ritchie
Image via Entertainment Weekly
Guy Ritchie has been busy lately. With his latest hits, The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare and Operation Fortune, he's getting his hands on a movie that seems to pose a mix between those two. Fountain of Youth is advertised as an action adventure with Eiza González, Natalie Portman, and John Krasinski in the lead roles. It follows estranged siblings joining forces to find the coveted Fountain of Youth. If they find it, they, of course, hope its myth is real and can fulfill their desire for immortality.
Krasinski and Portman play Luke and Charlotte Purdue, brother and sister who have a background in archeology and history, as if their father was Indiana Jones (Harrison Ford). This movie is, as Ritchie says, "in the vein of Indiana Jones but contemporary." With a star-studded cast and an interesting, family-friendly story, learning that the movie will hit streaming services directly feels like a waste. Fountain of Youth could be a modern Indiana Jones iteration that would attract people of all ages to the theater. Though this way, folks will be able to pause the movie if their kids get fussy or want to play Indiana Jones themselves.
Fountain of Youth is expected to be released in 2025 on Apple TV+.
5
'Back in Action'
Directed by Seth Gordon
Image via Netflix
The return of Cameron Diaz should be enjoyed at the theaters. Jokes aside, Back in Action shows old faces returning to the action comedy genre– Cameron Diaz returns to film after ten years, and Jamie Foxx, who convinced Diaz to come back, returns to full-time movies after experiencing health issues in 2023. The duo is familiar with the action comedy genre in their own ways, and there's no doubt Back In Action is going to be fun and witty. Seth Gordon directed and co-wrote the movie, with his previous projects including the series Atypical and the movie The Lost City.
Back In Action follows Matt and Emily, a couple who are also former CIA agents. When they get in trouble after years of hiding, they must tackle two challenges: defeating those chasing them, and remembering the ropes after a long time away. The premise is kind of ideal for Diaz, who retired in 2014 after starring in Annie with Foxx. This action comedy would be great on the big screen, in part for nostalgia of seeing familiar faces, and in other parts because of its promising premise. It will, however, go to Netflix directly, with which Seth Gordon and Jamie Foxx are very familiar.
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Back in Action
Release Date
January 17, 2025
Studio(s)
Exhibit A
, Chernin Entertainment
, Good One Productions
Distributor(s)
Netflix
Back in Action will start streaming on January 17, 2025, on Netflix.
4
'Frankenstein'
Directed by Guillermo del Toro
Image via Netflix
Guillermo del Toro is preparing a spectacle for his longtime deal with Netflix. That spectacle is called Frankenstein, which he's been citing as his dream project for over a decade. After the success and praise of Robert Eggers' Nosferatu, people are excited about brand-new visions starring classical monsters and characters. Mary Shelley's Frankenstein is one of the stories most frequently adapted to the screen, but with the dedication that del Toro has invested in his adaptation, it's easy to deduce it will be much different than the rest. It could, arguably, be much better, too.
Guillermo del Toro's Frankenstein follows the scientist, Victor Frankenstein (Oscar Isaac), who wishes to invent a method that will bring the dead back to life. Eventually, Frankenstein succeeds at the impossible, with dire consequences for him and his once-dead creation. Besides Oscar Isaac, the cast includes Jacob Elordias the Monster, Mia Goth, Christoph Waltz, and Charles Dance. Frankenstein is a highly anticipated movie, so it's a shame it may not get a theatrical release, but if it doesn't, it'll be immediately available for streaming.
Frankenstein is expected to be released in 2025 on Netflix.
3
'The Electric State'
Directed by Anthony Russo & Joe Russo
The Electric State was originally a graphic novel, and Anthony and Joe Russo acquired the rights for it in 2017. Their plans changed and went back and forth, until they decided to direct it themselves and leave the script to Christopher Markus and Stephen McFeely. The Electric State is set in an alternate reality in which robots go rogue on humans and get collectively banished to a 200,000 square mile area called The electric state. The story itself follows the orphan Michelle (Millie Bobby Brown), who learns from one of the robots that he knows her missing brother. She joins forces with a former soldier, Keats (Chris Pratt), to traverse the electric state to find him.
The trailer for the movie is already out, and it looks very Russo Brother-like. Soft, warm colors, incredible visuals, and tale-like robots and worlds; this is why The Electric State would be a great experience in theaters. Universal first planned it for a theatrical release, but pulled the project and Netflix jumped in after the Russo Brothers directed The Gray Man for the production company. The anticipation for The Electric State is high, and fans will be able to stream it at home really soon.
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The Electric State
Michelle, an orphan in a robot-filled alternate 1990s, discovers her brother may still be alive after a mysterious robot visit. Teaming up with a smuggler and his sidekick, she ventures into the Exclusion Zone, only to uncover sinister forces behind her brother's fate.
Character(s)
Michelle
, Keats
, Mr. Peanut
, Dr. Amherst
, Colonel Bradbury
, Ethan Skate
, Herman
, Popfly
, Penny Pal
, Christopher
, Hospital Doctor
, Marshall
, President Clinton
, Orderly
Writers
Christopher Markus
, Stephen McFeely
Release Window
2025
The Electric State will start streaming on March 14, 2025, on Netflix.
Star Trek: Section 31 looks visually beautiful, with great costumes, and a versatile, underrated cast. Michelle Yeoh as the lead deserves every movie she makes to be released theatrically, but of course, this is a form of a spin-off from a Paramount+ series, and it makes sense for it to be released for streaming instead. Her character, Philippa Georgiou, was a beloved addition to the series, and one of the main reasons for the show's popularity, so there's no doubt viewers will stream this movie over and over again.
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In Star Trek: Section 31, Emperor Philippa Georgiou, joins a secret division of Starfleet tasked with protecting the United Federation of Planets and faces the sins of her past.
Director
Olatunde Osunsanmi
Writers
Craig Sweeney
Studio
CBS Studios, Secret Hideout, Roddenberry Entertainment
Studio(s)
CBS
Distributor(s)
Paramount Pictures
Star Trek: Section 31 will start streaming on January 24, 2025, on Paramount+.
1
'Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery'
Directed by Rian Johnson
Image via Lionsgate
The long awaited third installment in Rian Johnson's Knives Out is titled Wake Up Dead Man. It follows the previous movies' lead, the eccentric and keen private eye Benoit Blanc (Daniel Craig) solving another mystery. In the teaser where the title, Wake Up Dead Man, is revealed, Blanc says in a voiceover this is his "most dangerous case yet." Though the synopsis for the movie is still vague and potentially revolves around Blanc solving a musician's murder, fans of the franchise are anticipating nothing less than greatness in the third installment. Johnson started writing the script after the SAG AFTRA strike, and filming wrapped in August 2024.
Daniel Craig returns as Benoit Blanc, but the cast, just like the previous two movies, has a stellar cast with some currently popular names like Josh O'Connor and Cailee Spaeny, but also some more experienced names, like Glenn Close and Josh Brolin. While the Knives Out sequel, Glass Onion, premiered on streaming because it was sold to Netflix, the first Knives Out film was released in theaters. Even Daniel Craig said watching them all on the big screen would be an exciting and fun experience. With not much else known about the third Knives Out movie, the anticipation is still high, and it'll surely be a smash hit on Netflix.
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In "Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery," detective Benoit Blanc returns to solve the murder of a famous musician whose death shocks the entertainment world. As Blanc interrogates a diverse array of suspects, each with their own secrets and potential motives, he navigates through layers of deceit and betrayal. The investigation leads Blanc to confront unexpected challenges and unravel a complex puzzle that ties together the victim's past and present.
Director
Rian Johnson
Main Genre
Comedy
Writers
Rian Johnson
Studio(s)
T-Street Productions
Distributor(s)
Netflix
Franchise(s)
Knives Out
Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery will be streaming on Netflix in 2025
Image via Netflix
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Image via Warner Bros. Pictures
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Image via Lionsgate
English (US) ·