2025 has seen plenty of brilliant films by talented filmmakers and storytellers. From superhero blockbusters like “Superman” and “The Fantastic Four: First Steps” to bone-chilling thrillers like “Weapons,” moviegoers and film critics have been able to enjoy a diverse and strong slate of films this year. However, with only two months left in the year, it’s time to start looking forward to the Wildcats’ most anticipated upcoming movies.
Supergirl
Earlier this summer, James Gunn’s “Superman” took the world by storm and jump-started the new rebooted DC Universe (DCU). As new heroes like Peacemaker and the Green Lanterns expand the DCU in television projects throughout the coming year, DC fans are eagerly awaiting the next big-screen flick. Next summer, the DCU will see Superman’s reckless, party-hard cousin—and her super-dog—take center-stage in “Supergirl.”
“Supergirl,” starring Milly Alcock in the titular role, directly adapts Tom King and Bilquis Evely’s “Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow” comic book in which a jaded Supergirl takes up an intergalactic revenge quest on behalf of a young alien girl, Ruthye Knoll. The comic explores the tragedy of Kara Zor-El’s origins, who, unlike her cousin, lived on the planet Krypton for 14 years and watched her world slowly crumble away before being sent off to Earth.
The film casts Eve Ridley as Ruthye, along with Matthias Schoenaerts as the villainous Krem of the Yellow Hills, David Krumholtz as Zor-El and Jason Momoa as alien bounty hunter Lobo.
Fans of DC might recognize Jason Momoa as the previous DC cinematic universe’s Aquaman, who was featured in several projects alongside heroes like Gal Gadot’s Wonder Woman and Ezra Miller’s Flash. But with the rebooted universe, Momoa has now been entirely recast as Lobo, with a new actor to fill the wet boots of the Atlantean king later on in the DCU.
“I think [Momoa] is a much, much better fit for Lobo than Aquaman,” said senior Logan Hindes. “He looks just like the character and exudes that energy that Lobo has. The movie’ Aquaman is nothing like the Aquaman in literally every other media.”
The Maiden of Might soars across the silver screen on June 26, 2026.
The Odyssey
After centuries of countless inspiring retellings, Homer’s iconic Greek epic “The Odyssey” is setting its sails once more, this time on the big screen as a live-action adaptation.
Directed and written by Oscar-winner Christopher Nolan, “The Odyssey” reimagines Homer’s timeless tale of Odysseus’s long and arduous journey home after the Trojan War. The voyage is treacherous, forcing Odysseus to face mythical creatures and vengeful gods, providing an exhilarating foundation for Nolan’s new film to build upon.
Beyond its legendary source material, the film’s all-star cast has reeled in enormous anticipation. The cast includes cinema legends such as Matt Damon, Tom Holland, Zendaya, Anne Hathaway, Robert Pattinson, Lupita Nyong’o, Mia Goth and Elliot Page. With a strong lineup that blends both veteran performers and rising stars, audiences are eager to see how each actor breathes new life into Homer’s initial characters.
With so much mystery surrounding the film’s production, buzz about “The Odyssey” has only intensified as small teaser trailers have recently been released. Sophomore Nathan Lee shared his excitement for the project as he expressed, “I think this movie is going to be special because it’s showing an ancient Greek mythology story that hasn’t really been told before properly through the big screen.” Like many fans, Lee believes in the production’s potential to introduce one of history’s most legendary epics to a new generation of viewers.
As a longtime admirer of Nolan’s work, Lee noted that the director’s signature style and approach to movie-making will undoubtedly make “The Odyssey” an engaging watch. “All of Nolan’s films that I’ve seen so far have been very good. He’s great at making these big worlds and complex concepts while still keeping them understandable for the audience.”
“The Odyssey” will lift its anchor and leave its port on July 17, 2026.
Spiderman: Brand New Day
Look out! Here comes the 4th film of the MCU’s favorite webhead, “Spiderman: Brand New Day.” Intended to start a new trilogy of Tom Holland-led Spider-Man films, “Brand New Day” serves as a return to the status quo for the character following the previous installment of the franchise, “Spider-Man: No Way Home.”
The film, directed by “Shang-Chi” director Destin Daniel-Cretton, finds Holland working with an ever-growing and intriguing supporting cast, currently including John Bernthal as the Punisher, Mark Ruffalo as the Hulk, Michael Mando as Scorpion, Marvin Jones III as Tombstone and J.K. Simmons as J. Jonah Jameson, along with Sadie Sink, Tramell Tillman and Liza Colon-Zayas in unconfirmed roles. The film brings back Zendaya’s MJ and Jacob Batalon’s Ned Leeds as well, which is a surprise to fans given the memory-wiping ending of “No Way Home.”
Senior Brady Martzke shared, “It’s strange they’re bringing back MJ, especially since I feel it undoes some of the character development for Peter at the end of ‘No Way Home’. But I guess we’ll see how they handle it in the film.”
After years of the webslinger’s adventures entailing Avengers-level threats, global plots and multiversal shenanigans, fans are hoping to see the film ground Spider-Man alone in New York City with street-level villains and conflicts—along with having Peter Parker deal with his typical Parker problems of paying the rent and battling job insecurity. However, the inclusion of certain characters in the film is raising the eyebrows of many Marvel fans.
“I’m happy Punisher is in the film since he ties into that more grounded, gritty corner of Marvel,” Martzke said. “But I don’t know why the Hulk is being included. It’s continuing that trend of tying Spider-Man back to the Avengers, which I don’t think is good for the character.”
Fans of the wallcrawler will have to wait until July 31, 2026 to find out how Spider-Man will navigate through the ever-growing onslaught of heroes and villains.
The Bride!
In the upcoming year, a thrilling, emotional and unique film is set to come to theaters.
Directed by Maggie Gyllenhaal, “The Bride” is a reimagining of the classic 1935 film, “The Bride of Frankenstein.” Set in the 1930s, Frankenstein, played by Christian Bale,sees Dr. Euphronus to create a companion for the lonely monster. The two use the body of a murdered woman and bring to life… “The Bride!” In a turn of events, she exceeds their expectations, igniting romance, attracting police surveillance and she even conducts radical social changes.
This horror and dark romance has an astonishing cast, with Oscar winners Christian Bale and Penelope Cruz, as well as Oscar Nominees Jake Gyllenhaal, Jessie Buckley, Annette Bening and Jeannie Berlin.
With many failed attempts of classic horror remakes, people have high hopes for “The Bride,” as it’s being made through Warner Bros. Compared to the original, this movie promises an entirely new vision. The movie looks like it will explore political concepts, as well as include some gory scenes and an emotional romance.
“I thought [the trailer] was really cool, but I thought it was a little boring and honestly a little repetitive. It’s like phony scary,” freshman Christine Stayt said. “A lot of modern adaptations are kinda bad, so I’m hoping to have high expectations. I really think it’s going to be good because it looks modern and it actually looks like its own thing and not a copy. [I’m looking forward to seeing] Jake Gyllenhaal and Christian Bale.”
“The Bride” is expected to come alive in theaters on March 6th, 2026.
Wicked: For Good
Coming to theaters soon is the sequel we’ve all been waiting for…”Wicked: For Good!” “Wicked: For Good!” takes us through the 2nd part of the extraordinary musical adaptation. Elphaba, now known as the “Wicked Witch of the West,” lives in exile in the Ozian forest, while Glinda occupies the palace in Emerald City. While Glinda takes in her fame and popularity, infuriated mobs begin to rise against the Wicked Witch, causing major conflict. Elphaba will have to work with Glinda for the sake of Oz, and she’ll have to change everything…for good!
With astounding music scored by John Powell and Stephen Schwartz, there are eleven songs on the soundtrack, all performed by an extremely talented cast. These actors and actresses include none other than Cynthia Erivo, Ariana Grande, Ethan Slater, Jonathan Bailey, Jeff Goldblum and many more.
Last November, the first installment, “Wicked,” took the film industry by storm, influencing pop culture as well as rekindling the love of musicals for many. Cynthia Erivo’s iconic riff in the song “Defying Gravity” became a viral sensation, drawing attention to her overall performance in the film. All over social media, her voice became iconic, boosting the movie’s fame even more. Additionally, Ariana Grande’s role in the movie grabbed the attention of many. From die-hard Arianators to your average movie lovers, everybody was pleasantly surprised by Ariana’s captivating performance.
The two actresses together were what made the production so brilliant; from their beautifully blended voices to their acting skills, they truly shone together. To add, their friendship grew beyond what anyone could’ve ever imagined. As seen in interviews and press tours, their bond was unmatched, even going as far as getting matching tattoos in honor of the film.
“My first thoughts on the movie is that it’s gonna be amazing and I’m really excited. I’ve seen the trailer multiple times. I like the emotion and the depth and how much it shows, but at the same time keeping some of the stuff in,” sophomore Diego Martinez said. “I think the movie will have an impact because a lot of people were new to it and now they’re not.”
“I know all of the songs and everything. My favorite is ‘Thank Goodness.’ I think I’m most excited to see the new song. I think it’s called ‘The Girl in the Bubble’ or ‘There’s No Place Like Home,’” Martinez expressed.
As we can see, this film is highly anticipated by many. “Wicked: For good” comes to theaters November 21, 2025.
The Hunger Games: Sunrise on the Reaping
With even more exciting news, yet another Hunger Games movie is soon to come.
The recently released book, “The Hunger Games: Sunrise on the Reaping,” is already getting its own movie adaptation! Fans everywhere are ecstatic about the cast and the playful way it was revealed. On social media, each character and their cast member were announced in individual videos, gradually leading up to the full cast. This fun and exciting way of revealing characters was highly engaging, giving the movie a boost in its attention. Some actors/actresses include Joseph Zada, Elle Fanning, McKenna Grace, Witney Peak, Maya Hawke, Ralph Fiennes, Jesse Plemons, Kieran Culken and many more!
This dystopian film explores Panem 24 years before Katniss Everdeen’s time. We begin our story following a young, 16-year-old Haymitch Abernathy, who is from District 12. He soon becomes a tribute to the brutal 50th Hunger Games, also known as the Second Quarter Quell. In this event, the number of tributes from each district doubled, making it one of the most gruesome games in Panem’s history. Throughout the film, Haymitch will have to learn how to navigate through the violence while also keeping a strategic mindset if he wants to survive.
“I think it’s going to be really good. I’m excited to watch it since I’ve seen all of the other Hunger Games movies. I’m excited to see the story of Haymitch and how he won his games. I’m just excited to see how it all unfolds and things that we haven’t learned yet about his story,” sophomore Hadassah Okewoye said. When asked about the casting, Okewoye expressed, “The casting is so good. I know they spent a lot of money casting. [I’m looking forward to seeing] McKenna Grace. She’s a really good actress, and I’ve seen her in a bunch of other films and I think she’d be really good in this one.”
The book itself has fantastic reviews, and fans seem to be loving this new addition to the franchise. Directed by Francis Lawrence, who also directed the previous Hunger Games movie “The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes,” this film is sure to impress once it reaches the big screens on November 20, 2026.
These are just glimpses of the new productions heading to theaters in the coming year. From bold new adaptations to franchise continuations and ever-expanding story worlds, this movie season is one you won’t want to miss. Cats, make sure to bring your friends, family and a bag of popcorn to experience these upcoming cinematic masterpieces!
