WithNetflixchanging the movie industry like never before, and still way ahead of its rival streamers in terms of revenue to play with, 2025 is set to be the platform’s best year yet for feature-length releases. Its action thrillers have bigger stars than ever before, its book adaptations are getting even more ambitious, and it has some long-awaited sequels in store for fans of various franchises. Among these streaming movie treats, there are bound to be some films that take off into the stratosphere, becoming massive Netflix hits.
Last year saw several direct-to-Netflix movie releases find great success, includingThe Unionstarring Mark Wahlberg,Jeremy Saulnier’sRebel Ridge, and Kevin Hart’s latest action comedyLift. Already this year, Cameron Diaz has proven more popular than ever after ending her acting hiatus to star inBack in Actionalongside Jamie Foxx, while Amy Schumer’s comedyKinda Pregnanthas just taken Netflix’s global number one spot. But things are just getting started. Here are 10 more movies scheduled for release on the platform between March and December 2025, which are almost guaranteed to become streaming smashes.
1The Electric State
Releasing March 14
Netflix had better hope this ambitious dystopian comedy-drama is a massive hit – they’ve spent more than enough money for it to be one.The Electric Statecost a whopping $320 million to make, with some stunning visual effects featuring alongside a stellar cast led by Millie Bobby Brown and Chris Pratt.
The movie isan adaptation of Simon Stålenhag’s 2018 illustrated novelabout an orphan and her robot friend searching for her brother in a post-apocalyptic world. The Russo brothers are directing, fresh from producing a string of innovative film successes off the back of their historic run directing record-breaking Marvel blockbusters. With expectations off-the-charts, theirnew releaseThe Electric Stateis not to be missed.
2Havoc
Releasing In Early 2025
Gareth Evans, the writer-director behindGangs of London, is about to hit us where it hurts with a rollicking ride through another criminal underworld. He has Tom Hardy on board asHavoc’s lead actor, and Forest Whitaker supporting for good measure, to tell the story of a police detective trying to rescue the son of a politician from a city’s seedy underbelly before it’s too late.
This hard-hitting action thriller is absolutely guaranteed to be a big hit.
Based on Netflix’s three most-streamed live-action movies from last year, this hard-hitting action thriller is absolutely guaranteed to be a barnstormingly big hit. The only question is, how big? Moreover, willHavocand Hardy earn the Netflix views they get from actionfans?
3Fear Street: Prom Queen
Releasing Mid-2025
This latestFear Streetis thefourth installment of the movie franchiseadapted from R.L. Stine’s classic slasher novels. Netflix has had the rights to this franchise since its first movie, and will be looking to make the most of this latest chapter of the saga by releasingFear Street: Prom Queenright around the time most high school seniors have their prom nights. That’s one way to spoil the party.
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It’s far from certain that this movie will take off. ButProm Queenand its ’80s settingmight just have the right combination of long-term franchise fans, teen-friendly nostalgia, and two of the streaming world’s breakthrough stars from 2024, India Fowler and David Iacono, tospring a scary surprise at the top of Netflix’s summer charts. It’s likely thatFear Streetwill shadow viewers until it is.
4The Old Guard 2
Releasing July 2
After the success of Gina Prince-Bythewood’s firstOld Guardfilm on Netflix back in 2020,The Old Guard 2is finally here five years later. A further adaptation of the superhero comic book series, withCharlize Theron reprising her role as Andromache “Andy” of Scythia, this sequel was mostly filmed in Rome’s Cinecittà Studios, implying that we could see a very different setting from whereThe Old Guardtook place.
KiKi Layne, Marwan Kenzari, Matthias Schoenaerts and Luca Marinelli also return from the first movie, while Uma Thurman and Henry Golding are exciting new additions to the cast, in as yet unspecified roles. WithThe Old Guard 2’s release date now confirmed, director Victoria Mahoney has now completed her second feature film. If it’s anything like as ambitious as her first 14 years ago, there’ll be a fair few moments of unexpected brilliance in this one, too.
5The Woman in Cabin 10
Releasing Late 2025
Australian theater director Simon Stone is directingKeira Knightley in her latest thriller movie,The Woman In Cabin 10, abouta mysterious disappearance on a luxury cruise. Guy Pearce, Kaya Scodelairo and David Ajala also feature in a superb all-British cast, with the film shot entirely at sea, off the southern English coast on the superyacht Savannah.
If Knightley’s work in last year’s excellent spy thriller seriesBlack Dovesis anything to go by, then there’s a lot to look forward to inThe Woman in Cabin 10.
Knightley’s most recent feature-length roles have been a distinctly mixed bag, although we have to go back to 2021 for her last part in a movie. On the other hand, if her work in last year’s excellent spy thriller seriesBlack Dovesis anything to go by, then there’s a lot to look forward to inThe Woman in Cabin 10. Either way, the movie’s intriguing title will surely pull its fair share of Netflix viewers in.
6RIP
Releasing Fall 2025
Ben Affleck and Matt Damon are reuniting inRIPto make it a perfect 10 for their feature-length collaborations. YetRIPwill be the first action movie that the pair have ever starred in together. It follows the work of Miami’s Tactical Narcotics Team, as they happen upon a giant stash of money in an abandoned house (viaTudum).
Affleck and Damon are both used to taking the lead in big-budget action movies, but they’ve never shared the spotlight as all-action leads.
It’ll be interesting to see how Affleck and Damon play off each otherin their respective roles, given that both are used to taking the lead in big-budget action movies, but they’ve never shared the spotlight as all-action leads. With these two actors historically a massive draw for Netflix, and this movie fitting the template of last year’s most-watched,RIPcould be an outside better for 2025 most-watched live-action feature on Netflix.
7Happy Gilmore 2
Adam Sandler is back in one of his most beloved roles, as highly unorthodox PGA golfer Happy Gilmore. A lot’s changed in Sandler’s career since the originalHappy Gilmorecame out in 1996, not least his $250 million deal with a streaming platform that was still 11 years from being founded at that time. He’s branched out as an actor since then, too, withSandler’s serious rolesin acclaimed films like 2002’sPunch Drunk Loveand 2019’sUncut Gemseach showing very different sides to his talent.
It’ll be interesting to see which sides of Sandler show in this sought-after sequel, wherehe’ll be reunited with some of his fellow cast members from the first movie, Julie Bowen, Christopher McDonald and Dennis Dugan. Ben Stiller and Bad Bunny will also appear at tee-off this time, though, as two of what will likely end up being several starcameos inHappy Gilmore 2.
8Frankenstein
Releasing November 2025
Guillermo Del Toro’s Pinocchiochanged what was possible for stop-animated filmmaking back in 2022. More importantly, it changed the game for Netflix when it came to big-budget movies made primarily for their aesthetic value.Del Toro showed that he could attract millions of viewers, as well as acclaim, with a darker, more difficult version of Pinocchio’s story than Disney was able to offer up. So, the platform has essentially given him a blank cheque for his next project, a whole new adaptation of Mary Shelley’sFrankenstein.
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Guillermo del Toro’s Frankenstein is finally releasing in November 2025, creating a major monster movie competition with another Frankenstein flick.
Tel Toro has promised to adhere to Shelley’s original novelmore than any other adaptation ofFrankensteinin history. The firstimages of Oscar Isaac as Victor Frankensteinand Jacob Elordi as the Monster he creates look suitably cinematic. It won’t have deterred Del Toro that another adaptation ofFrankenstein– Maggie Gyllenhaal’sThe Bride!– is coming out this year, either. A similar situation three years ago only made hisPinocchiolook even better.
9The Thursday Murder Club
Releasing In 2025
Richard Osman’sThursday Murder Clubseries is surely the literary phenomenon of the decade so far. Osman’s novels have sold over 10 million copies worldwide (viaThe Guardian), which is why Netflix will be thanking their lucky stars that they’ve got hold of the rights to feature-film adaptations of the series.
Netflix’s Upcoming The Thursday Murder Club Movie Is Reuniting 8 Actors Who All Appeared In The Same TV Show
Eight members of the cast for the upcoming Thursday Murder Club adaptation have previously appeared on the same long-running British TV show.
The Thursday Murder Clubis not only Netflix’s most exciting upcoming movie, but is arguably going to be the movie industry’s biggest streaming event of the year. It doesn’t exactly temper expectations that a cast including Helen Mirren, Ben Kingsley, Jonathan Pryce, and Pierce Brosnan has been announced, or thatNetflix are currently keeping the movie’s release date a closely guarded secret.It’s safe to assume that they have the Christmas holiday season in mind, though.
Another movie we can expect to see popping up on Netflix around that time is the latest installment of Rian Johnson’sKnives Outsaga, starring Daniel Craig as detective Benoit Blanc.Netflix spent a whopping $469 million on aKnives Outdealthat bought them movies, of whichWake Up Dead Manis the second. The first,Glass Onion, was released two days before Christmas in 2022. It was a phenomenal success throughout the holiday season, effectively proving thatthe streaming giant had made the right decision with their purchase.
Knives Out 3’s Release Window Means Netflix Officially Has A Murder Mystery Head-To-Head In 2025
Knives Out 3 is one of 2025’s most anticipated movies, but its new release window means it will compete with another Netflix murder mystery.
In thisthirdKnives Outmystery, Blanc has a new look, and travels to London for his next case.Netflixshould start ratcheting up their promotional campaign far in advance of the movie’s release, and we expect to see an initial teaser trailer released by the end of the summer. With Blanc returning alongside the screen premiere of Osman’s series, it could be an almighty battle of the detectives for Netflix’s Christmas number-one spot. Stay tuned.
