Movies & Cinema

Fall and Winter 2025 movie preview: sequels, originals, and awards contenders

New York — As summer fades, the cinematic spotlight turns to fall and winter 2025, a season packed with sequels, franchise installments, and original dramas poised for awards consideration. From the return of Daniel Craig’s Benoit Blanc in Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery to family favorites like Zootopia 2 and Downton Abbey: The Grand Finale, audiences can expect a mix of thrill, spectacle, and heart. Musical adaptations, including Wicked: For Good, also promise a grand cinematic experience.

Sep 8, 2025 - 07:56

Fall and Winter 2025 movie preview: sequels, originals, and awards contenders

Illustrative image

Key September Releases

Sept. 5: The Conjuring: Last Rites (Warner Bros.) continues the James Wan horror franchise. Twinless (Lionsgate/Roadside) stars Dylan O’Brien in a dark comedy about twins, while Jay Duplass’ The Baltimorons (IFC) explores quirky Baltimore adventures.
Sept. 12: Downton Abbey: The Grand Finale (Focus Features) concludes the Crawley family saga. Other releases include Oliver Hermanus’ romance The History of Sound (Mubi) and mockumentary sequel Spinal Tap: The End Continues (Bleecker Street).
Sept. 19: A Big Bold Beautiful Journey (Sony Pictures) sees Margot Robbie and Colin Farrell in a sci-fi romance, while The Lost Bus (Apple TV+) dramatizes a true story of heroism during the 2018 Camp Fire.

October Highlights

Oct. 3: Dwayne Johnson stars in Benny Safdie’s The Smashing Machine (A24). Daniel Day-Lewis returns in Anemone (Focus Features), and Shelby Oaks (Neon) marks YouTube reviewer Chris Stuckmann’s directorial debut.
Oct. 10: Channing Tatum headlines Roofman (Paramount), and Tron: Ares (Disney) continues the futuristic sci-fi saga. Other notable releases include Julia Roberts in Luca Guadagnino’s After the Hunt and the horror film Vicious (Paramount+).
Oct. 24: Kathryn Bigelow’s A House of Dynamite (Netflix) and Yorgos Lanthimos’ Bugonia (Focus) are expected to attract critical attention, alongside sequels like Mortal Kombat II (Warner Bros.).

November Standouts

Nov. 7: Rami Malek stars in the historical drama Nuremberg (Sony Pictures Classics). Predator: Badlands (20th Century Studios) and Joachim Trier’s Sentimental Value (Neon) also release.
Nov. 21: Musicals and family films dominate with Wicked: For Good (Universal) and the action-packed Sisu: Road to Revenge (Stage 6/Screen Gems).
Nov. 26: Zootopia 2 (Disney) continues the animated franchise, while The Secret Agent (Neon) offers a Brazilian political thriller.

December Releases

Dec. 12: Daniel Craig returns in Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery (Netflix), and James Cameron expands his sci-fi epic with Avatar: Fire and Ash (20th Century Studios).
Dec. 19-25: Family films, holiday releases, and high-profile dramas include The SpongeBob Movie: Search for SquarePants (Paramount), Timothée Chalamet in Marty Supreme (A24), and Paul Feig’s thriller The Housemaid (Lionsgate).

Season Trends

This fall and winter blend franchise powerhouses with auteur-driven dramas. Original works from acclaimed filmmakers such as Kathryn Bigelow (A House of Dynamite), Chloé Zhao (Hamnet), Yorgos Lanthimos (Bugonia), and Guillermo del Toro (Frankenstein) provide awards season contenders, while sequels and adaptations ensure broad commercial appeal.

From heart-pounding horror to musical spectacles and family sagas, late 2025 offers an expansive slate for both theatergoers and streaming audiences, with something for every taste and age group.