The ones to watch: what’s blowing up the box office in 2025.
Originally published on B&T
Guy Burbidge
Here Guy Burbidge, MD of Val Morgan Cinema, gives his view on what’s going to be blowing up the box office this year. Just so you don’t feel completely lost when your colleagues are talking about the Oscars at drinks this week.
2025 is shaping up to be another blockbuster year for cinema, with a slate of highly anticipated films spanning genres from family-friendly adventures to youth-driven epics— set to deliver some of the biggest cultural moments Cinema has ever seen.
For brands, this translates into an abundance of bankable opportunities to align with content that resonates across demographics.
The even bigger opportunity for brands, however, lies in the absence of major global sporting events this year. Without the usual sports spectacles dominating the calendar, cinema is set to take its place as the most powerful channel to connect with hard-to-reach audiences, such as families, youth, and NEOs.
We’ve compiled a list of films that brands need to have on their radar for 2025, including one guaranteed box office behemoth. These movies will not only draw audiences in droves but will lead the cultural conversations throughout the year, making them key moments brands won’t want to overlook.
A Minecraft Movie – releasing 3 April
The biggest video game in the world is set for its own big screen adaptation in the highly anticipated A Minecraft Movie. Based on the sandbox game, which has over 185 million active players worldwide, this live-action adaption is set to be the big blockbuster for the Easter period. It follows on from the success of The Super Mario Bros. Movie, which pulled in nearly 3 million admissions back in Easter 2023.
The film is set to connect with multigenerational audiences including families, youth and gamers eager to experience adventure, and is an ideal choice for auto brands to align with.
Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning – releasing 22 May
Tom Cruise is back with more jaw-dropping action in 2025 in what is rumoured to be the final film in the long running Mission: Impossible franchise. The Final Reckoning will mark the eighth film and is set to directly follow on from 2023’s hugely successful Dead Reckoning—the highest-grossing film in the franchise.
This film is rumoured to be one of the most expensive films ever made with a production budget of $400M as a result of Cruise’s trademark stunts, which will be an experience that demands to be seen on the big screen.
Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning will be the male NEO film of the year, so it’s the perfect match for luxury brands targeting premium audience demographics who live for bold thrills and high-end experiences.
How To Train Your Dragon – releasing 12 June
One of the most beloved family franchises is set to be reimagined in 2025.
The original How To Train Your Dragon animation was released in 2010, and it immediately cemented itself as a family classic, with a near unprecedented 99% score on Rotten Tomatoes. Its success spawned two sequels, which went from strength to strength at the box office, with the franchise averaging over $23 million at the Australian box office.
With this film being live-action, it will open the franchise to both younger and older families making it perfect for driving mass family reach for categories like auto, retail and education.
It’s also set to take advantage of the lucrative winter school holidays, with 80% of the highest-grossing family films of all time released in June, including 2024’s Inside Out 2, which broke the record for the highest-grossing animation of all time.
28 Years Later – releasing 19 June
The third film in the post-apocalyptic horror series, 28 Years Later, will be crawling into cinemas this June.
Last December, the trailer became the most-watched horror trailer of 2024 with 60.2M global views in just 24 hours, and the second most-viewed trailer of all time, behind It Chapter Two.
28 Years Later is set to be one of the year’s biggest horror films and a major opportunity for tech and gaming brands to engage with young audiences.
F1 – releasing 26 June
From the creative team behind Top Gun: Maverick comes another pulsating, edge-of-your-seat thrill ride – F1. Starring Brad Pitt as a Formula One driver who comes out of retirement to mentor and team with a younger driver, the film is set to tap into the incredible growth in popularity of the sport thanks to Netflix’s Drive To Survive.
The film was produced by Formula One legend Lewis Hamilton, who was on hand to ensure the film was as accurate as possible. It was also filmed on location at multiple Grand Prix events across the 2023/24 seasons. If it can recapture the exhilarating cinematic experience of Top Gun: Maverick, which sits as the fourth-highest grossing film of all time in Australia, then strap in because we will have another box office sensation on our hands.
F1 will deliver a thrill ride for young, adrenaline-charged audiences, which is why it’s the ideal film for luxury auto, technology and lifestyle brands to align with.
Jurassic World: Rebirth – releasing 3 July
One of the most beloved cinematic franchises of all time returns in 2025, with a whole new cast and story. Jurassic World: Rebirth will kick start a new series of Jurassic films, with superstars Scarlett Johansson and Jonathan Bailey starring, as well as two-time Oscar winner Mahershala Ali. The Jurassic franchise is one of the most bankable in the world, with the recent Jurassic World trilogy averaging a huge 2.57 million admissions in Australia. Set for release across the July school holidays, this four-quadrant blockbuster will pull a Jurassic-sized box office haul across H2.
Superman – releasing 10 July
The most iconic superhero in the world returns to the big screen in 2025. The first teaser trailer, released just before Christmas, sent the internet into a frenzy and became the biggest trailer launch of all time across both DC and Warner Bros. (with over 250 million views in the first 24 hours). It also ranks as the fifth biggest trailer launch ever overall. The movie was also ranked by IMDb users as the most anticipated movie of 2025.
While the film will have a strong P14-39 skew, it also offers four-quadrant appeal due to the cultural impact of the character, making it perfect for brands looking to drive mass reach across Q3.
The Fantastic Four: First Steps – Releasing 24 July
(L-R): Ebon Moss-Bachrach as Ben Grimm/The Thing, Vanessa Kirby as Sue Storm/Invisible Woman, Pedro Pascal as Reed Richards/Mister Fantastic and Joseph Quinn as Johnny Storm/Human Torch in 20th Century Studios/Marvel Studios’ FANTASTIC FOUR: FIRST STEPS. Photo courtesy of 20th Century Studios/Marvel Studios. © 2025 20th Century Studios / © and ™ 2025 MARVEL.
After the ground-breaking success of Deadpool & Wolverine in 2024, which sits as the eighth highest-grossing film of all time in Australia, it’s safe to say Marvel are ready for a huge year. The MCU is set to release three huge blockbusters in 2025, including Captain America: Brave New World (February 13th) and Thunderbolts* (May 1st), however their show-stopping moment is set to come in July.
For the first time, Marvel’s First Family is set to return to the MCU in one of the most highly anticipated superhero films in years, The Fantastic Four: First Steps.
We know Marvel films are always big with youth audiences and The Fantastic Four: First Steps will be no exception, making it the perfect film for technology, telecommunications, QSR, education brands and more.
Michael – Releasing 2 October
Jaafar Jackson as Michael Jackson in MICHAEL. Photo Credit: Kevin Mazur
The King of Pop is set to moonwalk into his own big screen spectacle in 2025, following the trend of hugely successful music biopics like Bohemian Rhapsody, Rocketman and Elvis.
The film comes from the same creative team behind Bohemian Rhapsody, which was a cultural phenomenon in 2018 grossing nearly $1 billion globally and sits as the highest-grossing drama film of all time in Australia. With Michael Jackson popularity still enormous today, with over 45 million monthly listeners on Spotify even in 2025, this film is expected to be one of the biggest cinematic experiences of 2025.
Michael is expected to play similarly to Elvis, which skewed towards NEOs (170ix) and P25-54 (52%), making it the perfect opportunity to reach high value Australians across Q4.
Wicked: For Good – Releasing 20 November
After the first film enchanted audiences across summer last year, Wicked returns for the second part in November in Wicked: For Good. The first part was a resounding success, pulling in over 2.2 million admissions and counting, with a strong P25-54 (55%) and female skew (66%).
With the film holding an incredible 95% audience score on Rotten Tomatoes, and publicity set to continue well into March with numerous Academy Award nominations, Wicked: For Good is expected to be even bigger than the first when it hits the big screen next summer.
It will be one of the biggest films across Q3 to reach female audiences in the lead up to Christmas and a strong opportunity for brands across retail, fashion, lifestyle, finance, insurance, and telecommunications.
Zootopia 2 – Releasing 27 November
The long-awaited Zootopia 2 will be hitting cinemas in late November just in time for Christmas. The original Zootopia delivered over $1 billion globally, including $28 million at the Australian box office – a result that even outgrossed the original Moana at the Australian box office back in 2016.
2024 showed that family films are the most bankable films in the world, with 70% of the top 10 biggest films of the year coming from the family genre.
This film is set to explode at the box office, similar to Inside Out 2 and Moana 2 last year, due to the nearly 10 years between sequels, creating appeal among both families and youth audiences who grew up watching the original.
It’s also set for the same release date that skyrocketed Moana 2 into the record books last year, which presents an exciting opportunity for brands looking to target families and youth.
Ending the Year with a Box Office Behemoth – Avatar: Fire & Ash – 18 December
2025 is set to end with a film more than just a big bet, it demands its own section. It’s a bona fide box office sensation that will certainly be the highest-grossing film released in 2025— James Cameron’s Avatar: Fire & Ash.
The original Avatar revolutionised the cinema industry with its phenomenal visuals and immersive 3D experience, propelling it to become highest-grossing film of all time in Australia and globally.
After a 13-year gap, Avatar: The Way of Water proved the franchise’s enduring appeal, delivering $2.3 billion globally and earning the title of the third highest-grossing film of all time in Australia with a massive $93.9 million haul.
Fire & Ash is not only set to dominate the box office across the summer period and well into 2026, but it’s certain to be the most bankable film of the year.
With 50% of The Way of Water’s nearly 5 million admissions coming from 3D sessions, brands won’t want to miss this rare opportunity to create an immersive 3D TVC and drive maximum impact within one of the year’s biggest cultural moments.
In terms of target audience? Everyone is going to see this one. And we mean everyone.