2025: A Mixed Bag Of Movie Sequels And Revivals

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We’re hearing about sequels all the time now. Even stories with clear endings aren’t safe – studios often want to make more money from popular movies, and that seems to be the reason for the upcoming sequel to The Devil Wears Prada. I’m looking forward to it, even though I have some doubts.

Most movies don’t need to become long-running series, and often those series go on for too long. Still, several movie franchises that were thought to be finished are likely to come back before 2030, simply because they could make a lot of money. For example, people still love seeing dinosaurs in the Jurassic Park movies, so those films continue to draw large audiences.

2025 was a strange year for movies, especially when it came to established franchises. Some big series that had been left for dead actually made successful returns, but the overall quality of releases was so varied that it’s hard to know what it all means. It almost makes you wonder if people are drawn to familiar titles regardless of originality, but it’s difficult to draw any firm conclusions from the year’s movies.

Some Of The Best Sequels In Recent History Came Out In 2025

It was a huge surprise for fans when the Final Destination series unexpectedly returned. Considering the films have never been critically acclaimed – with a Rotten Tomatoes score never exceeding 65

Hot on the heels of another horror revival, director Danny Boyle has delivered a new 28 Days Later film, titled 28 Years Later. Many are calling it one of the year’s best horror movies, and a strong return to the series’ roots. Like the original, it uses a fast-moving, apocalyptic outbreak to examine what makes us human and build on the story’s established world.

Rian Johnson consistently faces high expectations, and he’s largely delivered, even with the divided reaction to Star Wars: The Last Jedi. His latest, Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery, showcases his skill, feeling particularly inspired by Agatha Christie. Plus, he even managed to revitalize the Predator franchise with Predator: Badlands, winning over both fans and critics despite it being a somewhat stale series.

2025’s Remakes And Legacy Sequels Are A Mixed Bag

In 2025, bringing back classic franchises was a major trend. The year saw the return of Superman, offering a hopeful and inspiring cinematic experience reminiscent of the Christopher Reeve films. Another revival came with The Naked Gun, starring Liam Neeson as the son of the iconic Detective Frank Drebin, previously played by Leslie Nielsen.

While some recent sequels haven’t lived up to expectations – like the disappointing Karate Kid follow-up despite the presence of Jackie Chan and Ralph Macchio, or the I Know What You Did Last Summer remake which had trouble recapturing the original’s ’90s vibe – not everything is a misstep. The Running Man, for example, is actually better than the original.

Some Major 2025 Movie Sequels Failed To Live Up To Their Hype

Looking at 2025 releases, it seems reviving older, paused franchises might be a better bet than continuing disappointing sequels. Despite removing the controversial characters played by Chris Pratt and Bryce Dallas Howard, Jurassic World Rebirth still doesn’t live up to expectations. It adds unnecessary and confusing backstory, ultimately wasting the talents of its impressive cast.

Some highly anticipated sequels didn’t quite deliver. Freakier Friday felt out of touch and like it was trying too hard to appeal to a modern audience. But the biggest letdown was Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning. Despite featuring Tom Cruise’s most impressive stunt to date, the film struggled to create a satisfying emotional conclusion after decades of storytelling.

Big Names In The Industry Delivered Great Original Movies In 2025

Honestly, while big franchise movies will always be around, I don’t think they’ll be what people remember 2025 for. I’m really excited about Ryan Coogler’s Sinners – it feels like a strong contender to be only the second horror movie ever to win Best Picture. And everyone’s buzzing about Joseph Kosinski’s F1 with Brad Pitt, with a lot of people already saying it’s going to be the best movie to see in theaters next year. Plus, Timothée Chalamet has a new film coming out with A24 called Marty Supreme, which I’m definitely keeping an eye on!

2025 is shaping up to be a significant year for distinctive filmmaking. Paul Thomas Anderson’s film, One Battle After Another, is performing well at the box office, potentially paving the way for major studios to invest in more ambitious, director-driven projects. Meanwhile, Yorgos Lanthimos is back in contention for awards with Bugonia, a film starring Emma Stone and Jesse Plemons, both of whom are likely to receive Oscar nominations.

Despite a lot of sequels and remakes planned for 2025, KPop Demon Hunters stands out as a truly original film. While movies like Zootopia 2 and The Bad Guys 2 are based on existing properties, and How To Train Your Dragon and Lilo & Stitch are being reimagined with live-action, KPop Demon Hunters and Elio are both entirely new animated stories. KPop Demon Hunters quickly became Netflix’s most popular title ever, and its music even topped the Billboard charts.

The Good 2025 IP Movies Could Just Be Exceptions

Although 2025 saw a lot of successful sequels, we shouldn’t stop asking for new, original films. Avatar: Fire and Ash didn’t quite meet expectations, and it makes you think about what other creative projects a talented director like James Cameron could have pursued if he hadn’t been so committed to that series.

It’ll be interesting to see how sequels fare in 2026 and beyond.

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2025-12-31 01:49