After last summer, which was sadly slim on major blockbusters, the sweaty months of 2025 are refreshingly stacked with big-budget, recognizable franchises and titles. Pass-the-popcorn stuff. I also threw in some smaller and original films just to help me sleep at night.
Here are 10 movies to catch in theaters this summer.
Karate Kid: Legends (May 30)
Since the 1980s martial arts classic, there have been a lot of bad “Karate Kid” movies. You know, “Part II,” “Part III” and “The Next Karate Kid” with Hillary Swank. But Netflix’s “Cobra Kai,” which brought back Ralph Macchio and William Zabka, was the perfect nostalgia trip. Here’s hoping the New York-set “Legends,” with Macchio and Jackie Chan, recaptures that magic.
Ballerina (June 6)
Marketed as “From the World of John Wick,” “Ballerina,” starring Ana de Armas, is this brutal-and-beautiful action franchise’s go at a more expansive cinematic universe. De Armas plays the dancer-assassin first introduced in “Parabellum.” I’m excited because there has never been a lousy “John Wick” film. I’m scared because the last four were directed by Chad Stahelski, while “Ballerina” belongs to Len Wiseman.
Materialists (June 13)
This romantic comedy is writer-director Celine Song’s follow-up to Best Picture-nominated “Past Lives,” one of the loveliest surprises of 2023. It stars Dakota Johnson, Chris Evans and Pedro Pascal. Johnson plays a very successful NYC matchmaker who falls for a client. Song’s movie could be 2025’s answer to “Hello, Dolly!”
Pixar’s Elio (June 20)
Once the King of All Animation, Pixar has hit a rough patch with original movies lately. Nobody would put “Elemental,” “Lightyear” or “Turning Red” on the list of the studio’s top 10. “Elio” has a jolly setup, though. A young outer space enthusiast gets beamed up, and aliens think he’s Earth’s leader. Sounds a bit like “Galaxy Quest” for the under-12 set.
Jurassic World: Rebirth (July 2)
Dinosaurs are my cinematic “I don’t know how to quit you!” This 32-year-old series’ last entry, “Jurassic World Dominion,” was dumb as a bucket of bones. Oh, how I hated it. But I’ve been missing our friends the T. rex and brachiosaurus. I’m hoping that director Gareth Edwards, who worked wonders with “Rogue One,” will make magic with Scarlett Johansson and “Wicked”’s Jonathan Bailey.
Superman (July 11)
It’s a bird… It’s a plane… It’s Warner Bros.’ attempt to reboot the DC Universe! James Gunn’s “Superman,” starring David Corenswet and Rachel Brosnahan, looks brighter and lighter than the turgid Zack Snyder movies with Henry Cavill. That’s the right tack to take with Clark Kent these days. We’ll see if audiences welcome with open arms or are steely toward the Man of Steel.
The Fantastic Four: First Steps (July 25)
Look, I’d like the Marvel Cinematic Universe to call it quits. But it won’t, so I have to find the silver lining — or in this case, the Silver Surfer. The first “Fantastic Four” film under Disney resembles an episode of “The Jetsons.” It takes place in the 1960s, on a parallel earth, and features a pretty prestigious cast: Pedro Pascal, Vanessa Kirby, Joseph Quinn, and Ebon Moss-Bachrach.
The Naked Gun (August 1)
Here comes that master of hilarity… Liam Neeson? What’s quite weird is that Neeson’s name is really close to the series’ original star Leslie Nielsen’s. But the similarities don’t end there. Nielsen also got his start in dramas before segueing into crazy comedies (remember “Dracula’s Dead and Loving It”?). Perhaps this detective noir sendup will be the start of a new chapter for the “Taken” star who I’ve never once seen smile.
Weapons (August 8)
The horror followup from the director of “Barbarian” has an enticing plot: 17 kids from the same school class in a small town mysteriously disappear overnight. Only one remains. It has a great cast, too. Josh Brolin, Alden Ehrenreich and Julia Garner, who was sensational on “Ozark” and “Inventing Anna.”
Highest 2 Lowest (August 22)
Spike Lee’s crime thriller starring Denzel Washington got great reviews out of the Cannes Film Festival this month. Washington plays a music mogul caught up in a ransom plot, and he’s joined by ASAP Rocky and Jeffrey Wright. It’s Lee’s first film since 2020’s surprising Vietnam flick “Da 5 Bloods.”
