Bob Dylan, Saipan, Peaky Blinders... 15 films to look forward to in 2025
Clockwise from left: Timothée Chalamet in A Complete Unknown; Steve Coogan and Éanna Hardwicke as Mick McCarthy and Roy Keane in Saipan; Adrien Brody and Felicity Jones in The Brutalist.
Anticipation has been building for Timothée Chalamet’s portrayal of Bob Dylan in the forthcoming biopic from James Mangold (Walk the Line). The movie is set in the early 1960s, when a young Dylan arrives in New York - and makes a musical decision with huge implications. Chalamet is joined by a cast that includes Edward Norton as Pete Seeger and Monica Barbaro as Joan Baez.
Adrien Brody has been generating Oscar buzz for his performance in US actor turned director Brady Corbet’s drama. He plays visionary architect László Toth, who arrives in America with dreams of rebuilding his life following the brutal experiences of WW2 in Europe. Felicity Jones and Joe Alwyn also star.
Many of Marvel’s sturdiest movies have centred on the escapades of the Captain and this time the reliably good Anthony Mackie is front and centre as the character. His Sam Wilson finds himself at the centre of a major international incident following the election of Thaddeus Ross (Harrison Ford) as president.
Filmmaker Aislinn Clarke’s Irish-language horror revolves around a care worker (Clare Monnelly) who is sent to a remote village to care for an agoraphobic woman. The woman (Bríd Ní Neachtain) fears both her neighbours and Na Sídhe - sinister characters from folklore she believes abducted her many years earlier in the film, which has been generating buzz on the festival circuit.
Following his Oscar win for the sensational Parasite, Korean filmmaker Bong Joon-Ho teams up with leading man Robert Pattinson for his latest. The actor plays Mickey, a disposable employee sent on a dangerous mission to colonise a distant planet. The film’s starry supporting cast includes Toni Collette and The End of the F***ing World’s Naomi Ackie.
The latest story from Marvel follows the exploits of a group of villains who are recruited to take on missions for the US government. Led by the assassin Yelena Belova (Florence Pugh), who audiences first met in Black Widow, the film also returns to the screen Marvel Cinematic Universe characters including Bucky Barnes (Sebastian Stan), and Red Guardian (David Harbour). The movie is being directed by Jake Schreier, who previously brought audiences the charming comedy-drama Robot & Frank.
Could this be the last action adventure featuring Ethan Hunt? One of the most successful series of modern times again features the tireless Tom Cruise as the secret agent out to save the world, this time from the impact of AI. Christopher McQuarrie at the helm continues his long-term partnership with his leading man. The big-name cast includes Rebecca Ferguson, Simon Pegg and newcomer Hannah Waddingham.
More than two decades after he appeared in Danny Boyle’s excellent post-apocalyptic horror, Cillian Murphy returns for its third instalment. The Oscar winner reprises his role as Jim, a young man who woke from a coma to a terrifying new reality in the original film. Details of this instalment are being kept under wraps, but Jodie Comer and Aaron Taylor-Johnson are among the cast.
James Gunn - the filmmaker who brought us the Guardians of the Galaxy movies - has been tasked with bringing Superman back to the big screen. Actor David Corenswet is the man chosen to don the iconic suit and cape, with The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel star Rachel Brosnahan cast as the reporter Lois Lane. Nicholas Hoult plays the suave villain Lex Luthor.
Likely to be one of the biggest Irish movies of the year, the story of one of the most divisive moments in Irish cultural history is coming to our screens. Based on the events leading up to Ireland’s controversial 2002 World Cup campaign, Cork actor Éanna Hardwicke will play Roy Keane, with Steve Coogan cast as Ireland manager Mick McCarthy. Directed by Lisa Barros D’Sa and Glenn Leyburn (Good Vibrations), it will remind us of those heady days when the nation had a collective football-related meltdown.
A movie about Michael Jackson is on the way, with the musician’s nephew Jaafar playing him as a young man. Little more is known about the direction the story will take, or how much the film will focus on various controversies related to and allegations against Jackson. We do know that Training Day director Antoine Faqua is making the project, with Miles Teller and Colman Domingo also among the cast.
Two conspiracy-fixated men kidnap the CEO of a company because they’re convinced she’s an alien trying to destroy Earth in the latest from Yorgos Lanthimos. The maverick Greek director of Poor Things continues his working relationship with Emma Stone, who stars, and with Ireland’s Element Pictures, with Ed Guiney and Andrew Lowe producing. Fellow cast members include Jesse Plemons and Alicia Silverstone.
Following its success at box offices worldwide this festive period, fans will be able to return for Part Two of Wicked late next year. The first instalment this week became the biggest-ever Broadway big screen adaptation, overtaking Mamma Mia to reach the milestone. Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande will be back as the two leads, with John M Cho returning as director.
Although plot details have yet to be announced, it’s highly likely that the latest Avatar movie will be a box-office juggernaut. The first two films, after all, are the first and third biggest-grossing movies of all time. A sequel to 2022’s The Way of Water and the third in the series, director and writer James Cameron has further Avatar instalments planned. Among the cast are Zoe Saldaña, Sam Worthington and Sigourney Weaver.
Can Peaky Blinders creator Steven Knight successfully navigate the move from TV to film format with his smash-hit series? His leading man Cillian Murphy certainly thinks so, and returns to play Thomas Shelby, leader of the Birmingham gang. He’ll be joined by fellow Irish star Barry Keoghan in the film, which completed production just before Christmas. Tom Harper, who previously directed early episodes of the series, will direct from Knight’s screenplay, with the film believed to be titled An Immortal Man. Rebecca Ferguson and Stephen Graham are also among the cast. Though not yet announced, a late 2025 release date is likely.
