Every summer, Hollywood releases some of the most exciting movies of the year, and oftentimes, these films rake in significant amounts of money at the box office; the following 10 areset to be 2025’s biggest blockbustersof the summer. Currently,A Minecraft Movieis the highest-grossing movie of the year, having earned $355 million at the box office. This is followed byCaptain America: Brave New World($200 million) andDog Man($97 million.) Of course, the movie season is far from over and this summer is sure to see a new title reigning supreme as the highest-grossing film of 2025.
Summer 2025 is slated to have nearly 50 movies releasedin theaters, yet only a handful of them are likely to become blockbusters.The projects that are most likely to win big at the box office are those that are part of preexisting franchises or have considerable hype around them, which could be due to their cast and crew or other factors. All 10 of the movies below are projected to not only break even at the box office, but far exceed their budgets. The best case scenario is that one of these movies breaches the $1 billion mark.
One of the only movies on this list that is projected to be a blockbuster without being connected to a film franchise isF1.This highly anticipatedsports movie stars Brad Pitt as Sonny Hayes, a Formula One driver who begins a promising career in the 1990s only to get into an accident that forces him to quit. Decades later,Sonny is convinced to return to F1 by the owner of a struggling team.Alongside an overly confident rookie, Sonny rediscovers his passion and his talent.
F1is a particularly interesting blockbuster pick because, although it has quite a lot of hype around it, the movie’s cost could be a huge problem. Made on a $300 million budget, it won’t be easy forF1to make a splash at the box office. Just to break even, the moviewill have to make $600 million. However, this number is far from impossible, andifF1earns good reviews, then it could definitely become a box office success.F1will premiere on June 25.
A movie trend that isparticularly hot at the moment is live-action remakes, and one that is predicted to be a success isHow to Train Your Dragon.Based on the 2010 animated film of the same name, this movie followsHiccup, a viking teenager who doesn’t quite fit in with his violent, dragon-fighting peers. This discrepancy only worsens when Hiccup befriends a dragon who he calls Toothless, and discovers that these creatures may not be as evil as humans perceived.How to Train Your Dragonis set for release on June 13.
As Disney proved with 2025’sSnow White,live-action remakes are prone to controversy that can be devastating to a film’s performance, butHow to Train Your Dragonhas remained mostly in the clear. Based on the trailer,How to Train Your Dragonseems to honor the originalwhile also adding a more realistic, darker tone. Plus, the CGI is on the stronger side, which will be a huge help. Considering thatthe original movie made nearly $500 million, 2025’sHow to Train Your Dragoncould make that or even more upon its release.
Another popular movie type, the spinoff, is also getting a big spotlight this summer viaFrom the World of John Wick: Ballerina.After foursuccessfulJohn Wickmovies,the franchise is putting out a spinoff starring Ana de Armas as Eve Macarro, a ballerina who begins training as an assassinto avenge the death of her father. Keanu Reeves will reprise his role, alongside newcomers Norman Reedus and Gabriel Byrne.Ballerinawill come out on June 6.
The main reason whyBallerinais set to be a blockbuster is because it is preceded by other massively successful blockbusters. In 2014,John Wickgrossed $86 million on a $20 million budget, and since then, the films have only made more and more money. The most recentJohn Wickinstallment,John Wick: Chapter 4,made $440 million. Therefore, it seems likely thatBallerinawill make about that much, unless its reviews are worse than expected.
A franchise film that will be a unique blockbuster in summer 2025 is28 Years Later.This is the long-awaited sequel to the 2002 film,28 Days Later,which centered on Jim, a bike courier who wakes up from a month-long coma to discover that the world has been overtaken by a virus called the Rage, which turns humans into violent monsters. In the sequel,a group of survivors have found solace 30 years later, only to discover a mutation that could ruin everything.28 Years Laterwill premiere on June 20.
28 Years Lateris special among this year’s blockbustersbecause it is a horror movie. Typically, horror movies don’t do as well as more accessible movies. However, because28 Years Laterhas taken so long, and becauseAlex Garland and Danny Boyle both returnedto write and direct the film, it seems inevitable that the film will bring a lot of people to theaters. That’s not to even mention the star-studded cast, including Jodie Comer, Ralph Fiennes, Aaron Taylor-Johnson, and more. Most likely, it will make the $84 million that the original made, if not more.
This summer will not only see remakes and spinoffs, but finales as well. Set for release on May 23,Mission: Impossible - The Final Reckoningwill seeTom Cruise take on the role of IMF agent Ethan Hunt one last time, as he and his team track down a man who is trying to obtain an AI programthat will cause irrevocable damage. The film’s cast includes Hayley Atwell, Simon Pegg, Vanessa Kirby, Hannah Waddingham, and Nick Offerman.
Similar toBallerina,Mission: Impossible - The Final Reckoningis likely to be a box office hit because of the success of the earlier franchise films. In 2023,Mission: Impossible - Dead Reckoning Part Onegrossed less than it was projected to, but still made $571 at the box office.In that case, andthe case ofFinal Reckoning,reviews could make or break the film’s performance. This will be especially vital considering thatFinal Reckoninghas a huge budget of $400 million. It will certainly make a lot, but may not be as lucrative as other films on this list.
It shouldn’t come as a surprise to anyone that a couple of Disney movies are featured on this list. One that is sure to be notable this summer isFreakier Friday.The film is the sequel to the 2003 comedy,Freaky Friday,which centered on a mother and daughter who are complete opposites, but end up switching bodies, forcing them to understand each other’s struggles. As one might expect,Freakier Fridaywill see the pair body swap once again, but with the next generation.
Freakier Fridayis an exciting venture for Disney because it will be a welcome breakfrom live-action remakes. Jamie Lee Curtis and Lindsay Lohan are both set to reprise their roles, and based on the teaser, the film will be full of nostalgia and comical callbacks.Freaky Fridaygrossed $160 million back in 2003, andFreakier Fridaywill almost definitely hit that number. The only thing Disney needs to worry about is maintaining the magic and fun of the first film.
There are two superhero movies headed audiences' way in 2025, and both are set to be hits. The first isSuperman.Considered to bethe starting point of James Gunn’s brand-new DCU era,this film will tell the classic story of Superman, an alien who comes to Earth and takes on the alias of Clark Kent. Taking on the iconic lead role is David Corenswet, who will be joined by Rachel Brosnahan, Nicholas Hoult, Nathan Fillion, and Isabela Merced.Supermanis set for release on July 11.
Superhero movies can be somewhat hit or miss, especially coming from DC, butSupermanseems to have a strong foundation. Not only is it a blank slate for the company, but it also has a strong cast behind it.Based on the earnings of recent DC movies,Supermancould make between $200 and $700 million, depending on how well the movie is reviewed. Hopefully, it will be similar toThe Batman,and impress more than it disappoints.
The second big superhero movie of 2025, which will premiere only a couple of weeks afterSuperman,is Marvel’sThe Fantastic Four: First Steps.This is the second reboot of theFantastic Fourfranchise, and will followthe four heroes on a retrofuturistic version of Earth, where they must protect humanity from Galactus and the Silver Surfer.First Stepsis yet another star-studded affair, featuring Pedro Pascal, Joseph Quinn, Ebon Moss-Bachrach, and Vanessa Kirby. The film will come out on July 25.
First Stepsfaces some of the same obstacles thatSupermanfaces in terms of adecreasing interest in superhero movies. After flops likeThe MarvelsandMadame Web,there is the potential for this movie to disappoint viewers, and thus crash and burn. However,First Stepshas a solid group of people at its helm, and with its 1960s aesthetic, it could follow in the footsteps of more successful Marvel filmslike 2024’sDeadpool & Wolverine.In that case, it could make up to $1 billion.
Of all the franchises on this list, one of the highest-grossing has to beJurassic Park.This summer, the film series is continuing its blockbuster streak withJurassic World Rebirth.It followsa whole new set of characters who travel to an abandoned island that was once part of Jurassic Park.They are only there to collect samples, but inevitably, find themselves facing off against the last surviving dinosaurs. Scarlett Johansson, Jonathan Bailey, and Mahershala Ali star.Jurassic World Rebirthis slated to premiere on July 2.
TheJurassic Parkmovies haven’t always been well-received, but they have almost always killed at the box office. For example,Jurassic Parkand the threeJurassic Worldmovies all reached $1 billion at the box office.Jurassic Park IIIis the lowest-grossing film, and even that far exceeded its budget, at $368 million. With this in mind, it seems likely thatJurassic World Rebirthwill do very well at the box office, potentially reaching $1 billion or more if critics enjoy it.
The movie that may end up being the highest-grossing of the summer is Disney’sLilo & Stitch.Premiering on May 23, this movie is a live-action adaptation of the 2002 animated film of the same name, which followsa young Hawaiian girl named Lilo who stumbles upon an intergalactic criminal named Stitchwhom she makes her pet. As Stitch bonds with Lilo, he discovers the true meaning of family, and must try harder than ever to evade capture.
It is true that Disney movies can get a rocky reception, especially live-action remakes, butLilo & Stitchlooks like it could be really great. Unlike past Disney adaptations that have botched the CGI and overhauled the original story,Lilo & Stitchseems to be quite accurate. Last year, Disney took the top spot for highest-grossing movie withInside Out 2,andLilo & Stitchmay just be able to follow that trend, at least for the summer.
