Movies coming up in 2025 include Flow, Queer, Thunderbolts*, and Alien Weaponry: Kua Tupu Te Ara. Photo: Sideshow, Janus Films / Fremantle, A24 / Marvel Studios/Courtesy of Marvel Studios / NZIFF
It's time to look forward, not back, and to see what's heading incoming at local cinemas in 2025. All dates are subject to change.
Flow (9 January)
The past year saw lots of great family animations outside of the Disney machine - Robot Dreams and The Wild Robot were two great examples. Flow comes from Latvia and is the dialogue-free story of a group of animals trying to survive after a flood devastates their homes. The central character is just called Cat which means that I am already there for it.
The Brutalist (23 January)
At three and a half hours (plus an interval), Brady Corbet's epic story of architecture and America is the kind of film - serious, original, big themes - that they don't make any more and it's already lined up dozens of award wins and nominations. Adrien Brody, Felicity Jones and Guy Pearce star in it, and comparisons are being made with classics like The Godfather and There Will Be Blood.
Alien Weaponry: Kua Tupu Te Ara (6 February)
This year's Waitangi Day special local release is about one of Aotearoa's most remarkable cultural success stories - the teenage thrash metal band taking te reo Māori to the world. This film exists thanks to the dedication of documentary maker Kent Belcher who has had privileged access to the band for over six years.
Tinā (23 February)
Pasifika cinema found a big audience with Red, White & Brass in 2023 and there are high hopes that this heartwarming story of a Samoan relief teacher starting a choir at a posh Christchurch school will repeat the success. Anapela Polataivao stars and I expect the combination of cross-cultural friction, inspirational music and sports (there is a choir competition involved) will be irresistible.
The Rule of Jenny Pen (20 March)
James Ashcroft and Eli Kent adapt a second Owen Marshall story after the success of Coming Home in the Dark in 2021. This one ups the Hollywood star power by casting Oscar, Tony and Bafta award winner Geoffrey Rush and nominee of multiple Oscars, John Lithgow. The film is another dark thriller, this time set in a retirement home. Horror superstar Stephen King posted on X after the Fantastic Fest premiere in September: "I watched one of the best movies I've seen this year. It's called THE RULE OF JENNY PEN, and I urge you to watch it."
Queer (3 April)
Daniel Craig's post-Bond career takes a fresh turn with this adaptation of William S Burrough's 1985 autobiographical novel. Directed by Challengers' Luca Guadagnino, the is a story of a drug-addicted writer on a hedonistic but unfulfilling bender in Mexico, where he becomes obsessed by a US serviceman on shore leave (Drew Starkey).
Mickey 17 (17 April)
High-concept sci-fi gets the support of some heavyweight talent as Robert Pattinson stars in this film directed by Bong Joon-Ho, his first since winning the Best Picture Oscar for Parasite in 2019. Pattinson's character has hit a dead-end on Earth and volunteers to become an "expendable" - an employee who can be regenerated (more or less) whenever they die on the job. The 17th version unexpectedly survives and has to face off with the next generation - Mickey 18.
Thunderbolts* (1 May)
After a few misfires, Marvel has wisely decided to bring many of the most fun supporting characters in the Marvel Cinematic Universe into a team-up situation. Florence Pugh (the new Black Widow), David Harbour (Red Guardian) and Olga Kurylenko (Taskmaster) return from the Scarlett Johansson Black Widow film, Wyatt Russell and Sebastian Stan from The Falcon and the Winter Soldier series and Julia-Louis Dreyfuss as CIA director Valentina Allegra de Fontaine.
Mission: Impossible - The Final Reckoning (22 May)
The eighth - and the title would suggest last (but I wouldn't bet anything important on it) movie of the franchise is the completion of the challenge started in Mission: Impossible - Dead Reckoning Part One (2023). Writer and director Chris McQuarrie and star/force of nature Cruise make a great team and I, personally, can't wait.
M3GAN 2.0 (26 June)
The first M3GAN film in 2022 was a surprise smash hit and, never one to leave money on the table, producers Blumhouse have returned to New Zealand to make this sequel. Writer Akela Cooper and director Gerard Johnstone (Housebound) have returned as has Allison Williams as Gemma and the team of Amie Donalds and Jenna Davis as M3GAN. This iteration adds local favourite Jemaine Clement to the mix.
Superman (10 July)
Usually, by July, most of the calendar is full of unhelpful entries like "Untitled DC Event Film", "Untitled Marvel" or - most intriguingly - "Untitled Trey Parker / Matt Stone / Kendrick Lamar". One film we do have a title for is this next reboot of the Man of Steel story. It's of utmost importance to DC and Warner Bros, as they decided in 2022 to bring in Guardians of the Galaxy chief James Gunn to completely retool the entire franchise, with the first casualty being Henry Cavill as Clark Kent/Superman. David Corenswet (yes, who?) now has the role but I'm pleased to see that Rachel Brosnahan from The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel is Lois Lane. She has moxie!
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