With the first four months of 2025 now in the books, the movie studios have a lot of ground to make up compared to last year. As of this writing, the overall domestic gross for all releases stands at a quarter ($2.1 billion) of what it made last year ($8.6 billion). That number would be much lower if it weren’t for the one-two combination of A Minecraft Movie and Sinners lifting the industry (and Warner Bros. Discovery) out of a sluggish start to the year, going into what it hopes to be a big summer session for would-be moviegoers. May looks to capitalize on the positive momentum from April with a slew of highly anticipated wide releases (including several big-budget sequels) as well as a few retro screenings (Monty Python and the Holy Grail on May 4 and 7!!!) to keep an eye out for. Here are the notable titles to mark on your calendar, and as always, make sure you check your local listings for the Showplace Cinemas or AMC Theaters location of your choice!
Thunderbolts (May 2) – Looking to avoid the same fate as the Suicide Squad releases despite sharing the same ‘gang of antiheroes’ story, Marvel’s second release this year (after the disappointing results of Captain America: Brave New World) unites a ragtag team who must battle the darkest corners of their past both literally and figuratively. Florence Pugh, Olga Kurylenko, David Harbour, Julia Louis-Dreyfuss (Black Widow), and Sebastian Stan (Captain America) return to the MCU for this edgier, A24-esque action/comedy. Jake Schreier (Netflix’s Beef, Paper Towns) directs.
Friendship (May 9) – Speaking of A24, here’s one of this month’s releases from the current arbiter of cinematic taste. In this cringe-inducing comedy, a suburban father falls under the spell of a charismatic new neighbor. Paul Rudd (the Ant-Man series, speaking of Marvel) and Tim Robinson (Netflix’s I Think You Should Leave) star, with Kate Mara (The Martian) and Jack Dylan Grazer (IT, Luca) co-starring. Veteran television writer/director Andrew DeYoung makes his highly acclaimed feature debut, which premiered at last year’s Toronto Film Festival.
Final Destination: Bloodlines (May 16) – Proof that The Final Destination wasn’t exactly the final destination, New Line Cinema/WBD reboots the next chapter of this successful horror series. Much like the previous installments, a college student looks to stop a horrific sequence of events from happening to her family. If you’re a fan of outlandish gore and generational trauma, this one will most likely check all the boxes! Zach Lipovsky and Adam B. Stein co-direct, with Jon Watts (director of the Tom Holland Spider-Man series) producing.
Mission: Impossible—The Final Reckoning (May 23) – You’ve all seen the first seven installments, and Tom Cruise doesn’t like quitters. Everyone who was still alive in the last movie is still alive in this one. Go see it in a theater, please.
Lilo & Stitch (May 23) – Just when you thought you were done with Disney live-action remakes, here comes one that looks like it stays close to the spirit (and running time) of the original! Like its animated counterpart, the movie tells the story of a lonely Hawaiian girl who befriends a rambunctious alien on the run from its intergalactic captors. Zach Galifianakis (The Hangover) and Hannah Waddington (Apple TV’s Ted Lasso) co-star, with Dean Fleischer Camp (Marcel the Shell with Shoes On) directing.
Bring Her Back (May 30) – The other A24 film this month (this looks to be their release pattern this year) brings to the screen the latest horror offering from Danny and Michael Philippou, the writer/director brothers who brought you the 2022 surprise hit Talk to Me. The story revolves around a young brother and sister who uncover a ritual of unspeakable terror at the secluded home of their new foster mother. Sally Hawkins (The Shape of Water, Wonka) stars.
Karate Kid: Legends (May 30) – The team-up you always dreamt of but never thought would happen is happening! Daniel LaRusso (Ralph Macchio) and Jackie Chan (reprising his role as Mr. Han) join forces to help a young karate prodigy (played by rising star Ben Wang) train for the ultimate karate championship. Joshua Jackson (The Mighty Ducks) and Ming-Na Wen (Mulan) co-star, with British television director Jonathan Entwistle making his feature directorial debut.
Henderson resident McManus Woodend is an Assistant Professor of Digital Media at the University of Southern Indiana and has worked in film, television and commercials for more than 20 years. To see some of his work, visit www.mcmanuswoodend.com.
