While it may not hit the heights of “Barbenheimer,” summer movie season 2025 promises to be a big one. Officially, it all kicked off Memorial Day weekend with Tom Cruise in the final chapter of Mission Impossible. Unofficially, it started with the April 4 release of Minecraft and its $1 billion in worldwide ticket sales anticipated before the end of its theatrical run. That notwithstanding, there are still a lot of movies to see between now and Labor Day. We published our first cut of the summer fare — the openings in May/June here. Let’s move onto July!
JULY 2: JURASSIC WORLD: REBIRTH
Thirty-two years and seven films on, Jurassic Anything is starting to feel long in the tooth. Still, my inner nine-year old will join me, come what may, in a cinema seat over the July 4th weekend to catch the action. Rebirth’s ensemble features Scarlett Johansson, Mahershala Ali and Jonathan Baily. And of course, a lot of dinosaurs, this time mutated beasts from “failed genetic experiments” who have been living in isolation – until now.
Also Opening: Spinal Tap, a holiday scheduled theatrical re-release of the comedy classic in advance of Spinal Tap II: The End Continues, coming to theaters in September.
JULY 11: SUPERMAN
Call it 2025’s answer to ‘The Lubitsch Touch.’ The real superpower on display in the long-awaited Superman reboot will be the signature style of the man at its helm, Guardians of the Galaxy director, James Gunn. Square-jawed newcomer, David Corenswet, plays the Man of Steel – brought down to earth by The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel’s Rachel Brosnahan as Lois Lane, and a less than reliable super-dog, Krypto.
Also Opening: Sony Pictures Classics’ Don’t Let’s Go to the Dogs Tonight chronicles the life of an 8-year-old girl on a family farm in Rhodesia in the final days of white minority rule and Zimbabwe’s War of Independence. Based on the NYT bestselling memoir by Alexandra Fuller.
JULY 18: EDDINGTON
A contemporary Western billed as a dark comedy from director Ari Aster (Hereditary; Midsommar), it features Joaquin Phoenix and Pedro Pascal facing off in small-town, New Mexico, during the height of the pandemic. The US release will follow its Cannes premiere.
Also Opening: The Smurf Movie, and the return of the I Know What You Did Last Summer franchise with Jennifer Love Hewitt and Freddie Prinze Jr. back in the mix.
JULY 25: THE FANTASTIC FOUR: FIRST STEPS
The Summer of Pedro Pascal continues here in his third outing of the season. Pascal (Captain Fantastic) joins Vanessa Kirby (Invisible Woman), Joseph Quinn (Torch), Ebon Moss-Bachrach (The Thing) in the Marvel series reboot.
Also Opening: Happy Gilmore 2, streaming on Netflix, with Bad Bunny as Happy’s trusted caddie.
Steven Goldman is a member of the Critics Choice Association.