From reimagined classics to boundary-pushing original terrors, 2025’s horror slate proves we’ve entered a new golden age of horror cinema.
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Most horror fans and critics agree that 2024 was an exceptional year for genre entertainment, and with any luck, 2025 will be just as strong. Based on those films already announced, there is good reason to be optimistic and excited about what’s on the horizon. From retellings of classic stories to continuations of ongoing series to film adaptations of horror stories, these 25 films top our most anticipated list—and, understand, this list is only scratching the surface of much more to come.
We hope your year is filled with lots of onscreen horror but none offscreen. We also hope 2025 offers you plenty of unexpected thrills, endless entertainment, and ample time to relax and enjoy your favorite things—whether that’s watching as many horror movies as possible (yes, please) or spending hours gaming and testing your luck at online casinos with offers and benefits for the users.
The complete list in order of release date:
- Wolf Man (January 17)
- Companion (January 31)
- The Gorge (February 14)
- The Monkey (February 21)
- Drop (April 11)
- Sinners (April 18)
- Until Dawn (April 25)
- Final Destination: Bloodlines (May 16)
- 28 Years Later (June 20)
- M3GAN 2.0 (June 27)
- I Never Forget What You Did Last Summer (July 18)
- Thread: An Insidious Tale (August 29)
- The Conjuring: Last Rites (September 5)
- Him (September 19)
- The Bride! (September 26)
- Saw XI (September 27)
- The Black Phone 2 (October 17)
- Predator: Badlands (November 7)
- Thanksgiving 2 (November 2025)
- Five Nights at Freddy’s 2 (December 5)
- Return of the Living Dead (December 25)
- Guillermo del Toro’s Frankenstein (TBD 2025)
- Wildwood (TBD 2025)
- Fear Street: Prom Queen (TBD 2025)
- Dracula: A Love Tale (TBD 2025)
…
The Heavy Hitters
The most anticipated release of 2025 might be Guillermo del Toro’s Frankenstein, a project that’s been percolating in the filmmaker’s imagination for decades. With Andrew Garfield, Mia Goth, and Oscar Isaac attached, del Toro’s signature blend of grotesque beauty and emotional depth seems perfectly suited to Mary Shelley’s meditation on humanity and monstrosity. We don’t have an announced release date yet, but it’s expected sometime in 2025.
Speaking of Frankenstein’s monster, The Bride! (September 26) promises an intriguing reimagining of the creature’s companion, with Maggie Gyllenhaal directing (following her directorial debut with the psychological drama The Lost Daughter, which she also produced and adapted from a novella by Elena Ferrante). Besides what’s shaping up to be a stellar cast—including Christian Bale as the lonely Frankenstein’s monster, alongside Jessie Buckley, Peter Sarsgaard, Penelope Cruz, and Annette Bening—we don’t have a ton of details yet. But we do know this new take on the gothic tale of autonomy and creation will deviate somewhat from the original plot with hints that it will involve a much more complex story about social change in 1930s America.
The year also marks potential endings for beloved franchises. The Conjuring: Last Rites (September 5) promises to conclude Ed and Lorraine Warren’s paranormal investigations with what’s being billed as their most challenging case yet. It will be directed by Michael Chaves, who previously helmed The Conjuring: The Devil Made Me Do It (to which Last Rites is a direct sequel) and The Nun II.
The Conjuring isn’t the only wildly successful James Wan franchise returning to the big screen this year. The Insidious franchise earns its first spinoff with Thread: An Insidious Tale (August 29). So far, the Insidious films have been box office gold. While Thread is expected to be a standalone story, it could easily launch another successful franchise for the juggernaut Blumhouse. Hopes are high for this, especially with the announcement that Mandy Moore and Kumail Nanjiani were both cast to star in the film.
One of my favorite movies of 2024 was Longlegs, so I’m eagerly awaiting the latest from director Osgood Perkins, known for his stylish, atmospheric, and unnerving horror films. However, Perkins has stated that The Monkey (February 21), an adaptation of a short story by Stephen King, will be more comedic in tone and have a retro feel to it, similar to Misery, Creepshow, or Gremlins. Ok, still one million percent in! The movie stars Theo James, Elijah Wood, Tatiana Maslany, Rohan Campbell, and Sarah Levy. It’s being produced by genre wunderkind James Wan.
Last but definitely not least in this category, 28 Years Later (June 25) sees Danny Boyle returning to the franchise he launched, exploring a world where the Rage virus has had decades to reshape society. In addition to Boyle, 28 Days Later writer Alex Garland (Civil War) is returning to pen the screenplay along with the cinematographer Anthony Dod Mantle. Cillian Murphy is serving as executive producer, though he sadly won’t be starring in the film alongside Jodie Comer, Aaron Taylor-Johnson, and Ralph Fiennes. Notably, the film was shot on iPhones and filmed back-to-back with a planned sequel, 28 Years Later: The Bone Temple, directed by Nia DaCosta (Candyman) and written by Garland, with Boyle producing.
Fresh Blood in Established Universes
Several franchises are finding new life through creative reinvention. Predator: Badlands (November 7) follows in the footsteps of Prey by pushing the boundaries of the franchise in exciting new ways. Directed by Dan Trachtenberg (10 Cloverfield Lane), it stars Elle Fanning playing twins. The film will be set in an alien world in the future, a first for the franchise. It will feature a Predator as the protagonist, which is also a departure from the franchise’s history of Predators as monsters focused on hunting.
Saw XI (September 27) builds on the momentum of the well-received Saw X, with Tobin Bell returning. As of right now, not much else is known about the film’s plot, and we can’t be sure where it will fall in the timeline and whether it will occur before Jigsaw’s death or after, with Bell returning in flashback sequences. In Saw X, Shawnee Smith reprised her role as fan favorite Amanda, alongside Costas Mandylor as Mark Hoffman, another of Kramer’s apprentices. It’s possible both could be back in Saw XI, especially given the tantalizing tease we got at the end of Saw X.
Return of the Living Dead (December 25) reboots the 1985 horror cult classic. FX legend Tony Gardner (Zombieland, Hocus Pocus, Chucky franchise) is creating the zombies using modern technology and old-school practical effects. The story will keep the same dark humor and trioxin-fueled horror as the original while also adding a silly punk personality. Exclusive behind-the-scenes clips and the official teaser trailer are available at returnofthelivingdead.com.
Video game adaptations continue their renaissance with Until Dawn (April 25), directed by David F. Sandberg (Lights Out, Annabelle: Creation) from a screenplay by Gary Dauberman (Annabelle, The Nun, It). The film is set in the same universe as the video games but features an original standalone story that expands the series’ mythology. Five Nights at Freddy’s 2 (December 5) ups the ante following the massive success of Five Nights at Freddy’s with a bigger budget and a deeper dive into the sinister Fazbear Entertainment mythology.
Original Nightmares
Among the year’s most intriguing original properties is Wildwood (release date: TBD), a stop-motion animated film directed by Travis Knight (Kubo and the Two Strings) and produced by Laika Studios. The film is based on the Wildwood Chronicles series of novels by Colin Meloy and Carson Ellis. It follows Prue McKeel and her best friend Curtis as they explore a magical forest after Prue’s brother is kidnapped. The cast includes Peyton Elizabeth Lee, Carey Mulligan, Angela Bassett, Charlie Day, Tom Waits, and Jemaine Clement. It will be Laika’s first film in 15 years with a female protagonist. It’s billed as a dark fantasy adventure horror film.
Drop (April 11) is an upcoming thriller directed by Christoper Landon (Happy Death Day, Freaky) and written by Jillian Jacobs and Chris Roach, produced by Blumhouse. The film follows a widowed mother who is threatened with unimaginable consequences via her phone. It stars Emmy nominee Meghann Fahy (The White Lotus) and marks Landon’s return to the theaters after exiting the troubled Scream 7, which he was initially set to direct.
The hotly anticipated and newly titled Him (September 19) marks Jordan Peele’s return to the director’s chair. After redefining social horror with Get Out, Us, and Nope, Peele’s latest project is characteristically shrouded in secrecy, though early whispers suggest a bold exploration of masculinity and identity in modern America – themes that have undergirded his previous work while pushing into new psychological territory.
There’s ample buzz around Sinners (April 18), an upcoming horror film written and directed by Ryan Coogler (Black Panther). It stars Michael B. Jordan in an exciting dual role alongside Hailee Steinfeld. Warner Bros. Pictures won distribution rights in an intense bidding war, with filming wrapping in July 2024. The film’s trailer captivated audiences with its gripping visuals, intriguing and mysterious plot points, and strong performances.
This Valentine’s Day, Apple TV+ is bringing us The Gorge (February 14), a survival action-horror film directed by Scott Derrickson (one of two highly anticipated films coming from Derrickson in 2025) and written by Zach Dean. It stars Miles Teller, Anya Taylor-Joy, and Sigourney Weaver and revolves around two elite snipers who are assigned a mysterious mission: to guard either side of a deep and impenetrable gorge without knowing what actually lies beneath them. Dean’s spec script for the film made 2020’s “Black List” of the most-liked unproduced screenplays in Hollywood.
Another buzzy film featuring a couple of big-name leads is Companion (January 31), starring Jack Quid (The Boys) and Sophie Thatcher (Yellowjackets, Heretic). This sci-fi psychological thriller was written and directed by Drew Hancock and produced by the people who brought us Barbarian. The story is being kept under wraps, but you can get a small clue by visiting the Warner Bros. website, which leads you to a phone number you can text to get your own companion. You can watch the official trailer on YouTube.
More Univeral Monsters
Along with the resurrection of Frankenstein’s monster and his tortured Bride, Universal’s monster renaissance continues with Wolf Man (January 17), starring Ryan Gosling and directed by Leigh Whannell. After Whannell’s success with The Invisible Man, expectations are high for this psychological take on lycanthropy. Fortunately, we don’t have to wait long for this must-see release.
Similarly, Dracula: A Love Tale (release date: TBD) aims to reinvent the Count’s story through a romantic lens, promising a fresh perspective on Bram Stoker’s classic novel. The plot centers around a 15th-century prince who becomes a vampire after his wife dies and centuries later pursues a woman who resembles her. Caleb Landry Jones will play Dracula, with the brilliant Christopher Waltz playing his vampire-hunting foil. The film is written and directed by visionary filmmaker Luc Besson (Léon: The Professional, The Fifth Element, Lucy), who aims to explore the romance in the story and. how it relates to Dracula’s downfall. He has stated, “It’s a love story about a man who waits for 400 years for the reincarnation of his wife”. Besson came up with the idea for the film while working with Caleb Landry Jones on his most recent film, the exquisite Dogman (seriously, watch this film!).
Sequels Worth Screaming About
Not all sequels are created equal, and several 2025 offerings show genuine promise. The Black Phone 2 (October 17) brings back director Scott Derrickson (The Black Phone, Sinister) and Ethan Hawke to reprise his chilling role as the Grabber. The plot is expected to explore the Grabber’s past and possible supernatural ties. Another Blumhouse production, frequent collaborator C. Robert Cargill will co-write the script with Derrickson.
M3GAN 2.0 (June 27) looks to build on its predecessor’s viral success with more mayhem and an even more badass killer AI doll hellbent on revenge and total domination. The main stars of M3GAN, Allison Williams and Violet McGraw, will be returning with Jenna Davis once again voicing the titular doll.
Final Destination: Bloodlines (May 16) is being billed as a reimagining of the franchise. It will be set in the world of first responders. Series producer Craig Perry promises a fresh take without completely reinventing the wheel and losing what has made Final Destination such a beloved franchise. We’ll also get to see the late great Tony Todd reprising his iconic role as mortician William Bludworth.
Another horror franchise to get some new blood in 2025 is I Know What You Did Last Summer. The long-awaited sequel, I Never Forget What You Did Last Summer (July 18), promises to tackle trauma and survival through a contemporary lens. Freddie Prinze Jr. is confirmed to reprise his role from the original movies, and there are rumors Jennifer Love Hewitt may also be making a return to the franchise.
Fear Street: Prom Queen continues Netflix’s successful adaptation of R.L. Stine’s work with a blood-soaked take on ’80s teen horror while splattering King Eli Roth returns with another heaping helping of horror insanity with Thanksgiving 2 (working title), the sequel to his surprise holiday horror smash, Thanksgiving.
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