Fans of the Marvel multiverse have much to rave about in 2025, with Captain America, the Fantastic Four, and Black Widow dominating the screen. Parents bent on nostalgia have much to bond over with their kids, with yesteryear favorites like Looney Tunes, SpongeBob SquarePants, Snow White, and The Karate Kid all getting fresh features. And budding film buffs fiending for films as rewarding as they are challenging have mature studio houses A24 and Laika in their corners.
This is all to say, 2025 will be a great movie year for families. Ahead, we lay out all the new family and kids’ movies hitting the big screen, beginning in January. Some of the following films are the victims of industry delays, but most are shiny and new, so dig in. Also, we’ll update this list periodically, so check back for all the new release family movies heading to the theaters in 2025.
"Paddington in Peru"
After a long delay, the third installment of the Paddington series is finally on its way. Following its U.K. premiere on November 8, 2024, the lovable, marmalade-crazed bear will cross the pond and win over every heart with this latest chapter, rife with adventure and charm. Looks like this time, the P-bear and his humans are heading to Paddington’s native Peru to visit his Aunt Lucy, unaware of the mystery that awaits them.
Starring: Olivia Colman, Antonio Banderas, Imelda Staunton, Jim Broadbent, Emily Mortimer, Ben Whishaw, Julie Walters, and Hugh Bonneville
Rated: PG
Theatrical release: January 17, 2025
"Dog Man"
Following a life-threatening accident on the job, a police officer and his loyal K-9 are saved by doctors who Franken-fuse their bodies together. The resulting creation–a half-human/half-animal hybrid–becomes Dog Man, the city’s finest and furriest. He’s also the only cop up to the task of ridding the community of an evil orange cat named Petey who’s out to destroy all do-gooders.
Starring: Pete Davidson, Isla Fisher, Poppy Liu, Lil Rel Howery, Stephen Root, Ricky Gervais, and Billy Boyd.
Rated: PG
Theatrical release: January 31, 2025
"Captain America: Brave New World"
With every installment in the Marvel universe, the action gets bigger, the violence more graphic, and the narrative more convoluted. Brave New World is no different. With Anthony Mackie’s Sam Wilson carrying the mantle as Captain America after Chris Evans’ Steve Rogers ditches the shield to stay in the past with his leading lady, this latest chapter revolves around a nefarious international pickle. And it turns all the above up to an 11. So keep that in mind before taking the kids to see this new family movie in 2025.
Starring: Rosa Salazar, Harrison Ford, Liv Tyler, Giancarlo Esposito, Anthony Mackie, Danny Ramirez, Shira Haas, Takehiro Hira, Carl Lumbly, and Tim Blake Nelson.
Rated: TBD
Theatrical release: February 14, 2025
"The Day the Earth Blew Up: A Looney Tunes Movie"
Eh, th-th-th-th-th-th-th-that’s right, folks! Porky and Daffy are heading to the big screen, and we don’t know who’s more excited: today’s little ones or the Duck Dodgers fans of the ’80s and ’90s (aka us). In a setup similar to the cosmic toon co-starring Marvin the Martian, Porky and Daffy take on an alien invasion. Of course, we’ll have to wait and see if the tiny menace with a massive temper (or any other Merrie Melodies character, for that matter) makes a cameo. No word just yet.
Starring: Eric Bauza, Candi Milo, Peter MacNicol, Carlos Alazraqui, Kimberly Brooks, Peter Browngardt, and Rachel Butera.
Rated: PG
Theatrical release: February 28, 2025
"The Legend of Ochi"
The studio of poignant melancholy, social commentary, and modern horror, A24 gives family-friendly coming-of-age a turn with this fantasy adventure. Set on a small island in the Black Sea, the film follows a girl named Yuri, who was taught to steer clear of the forest creatures called ochi. Upon finding a baby ochi left behind by its pack, however, she does exactly the opposite, embarking on a journey that will change her forever.
Starring: Helena Zengel, Finn Wolfhard, Emily Watson, Willem Dafoe, Razvan Stoica, and Carol Bors.
Rated: PG
Theatrical release: February 27, 2025
"A Minecraft Movie"
This video game movie isn’t just for gamers; it’s for dreamers, creators, explorers, world builders, and, ahem, moms, as it stars a certain long-haired Hawaiian who just so happens to chart well with the demographic. Jack Black leads as a miner who gets sucked into a bizarre yet enchanting world of infinite straight-edged possibilities. While there, he teams up with four other misfits to stop dark forces from destroying the Overworld.
Starring: Jack Black, Emma Myers, Jason Momoa, Jennifer Coolidge, Jemaine Clement, Kate McKinnon, Danielle Brooks, and Sebastian Hansen.
Rated: PG
Theatrical release: April 4, 2025
"Sneaks"
A lot of shoes were made for walking, but these animated kicks were made for watching. This fun new family movie for 2025 revolves around a pair of collector sneakers—named Ty and Maxine, naturally—who get snatched by a shady “collector” character. While attempting to escape their shoe-napper, the two get separated, sending Ty on an odyssey through New York City to rescue his sister.
Starring: Keith David, Laurence Fishburne, Anthony Mackie, Martin Lawrence, Rico Rodriguez, Jonathan Kite, Macy Gray, and Chloe Bailey.
Rated: PG
Theatrical release: April 18, 2025
"Snow White"
Disney’s very first animated feature, a groundbreaking feat for the 1930s, is getting the live-action treatment with West Side Story’s Rachel Ziegler playing the innocent maiden with seven whistling forest friends and Wonder Woman’s Gal Gadot as the iconic wicked queen whose ruby red apples are killer. As we’ve seen with previous Disney live-action remakes, there are minor tweaks to the storylines so we’ll have to wait and see how loyal the studio stays to Grimm’s fairy tale.
Starring: Rachel Zegler, Gal Gadot, Andrew Burnap, Colin Michael Carmichael, Lorena Andrea, Ansu Kabia, Lulus Alexander, and Emilia Faucher.
Rated: TBD
Theatrical release: March 21, 2025
"Wildwood"
Another adventure filled with magic, wonder, and a little danger is arriving in 2025 from the studio house behind Boxtrolls, Coraline, and Kubo and the Two Strings. This time, the action unfolds around Prue McKeel, a 13-year-old girl on a mission to find her kidnapped brother. Two things parents should know: Laika never misses, always delivering fanciful animation bolstered by beautiful storytelling, but the studio’s films can also be a bit scary for the younger set.
Starring: Peyton Elizabeth Lee, Jacob Tremblay, Carey Mulligan, Mahershala Ali, Awkwafina, Angela Bassett, Jake Johnson, Charlie Day, Jemaine Clement, and Maya Erskine.
Rated: TBD
Theatrical release: April 11, 2025
"Thunderbolts*"
Another Marvel-ous feast featuring Hollywood A-listers decked out in rubber and latex, Thunderbolts* promises to be a fun romp. The story belongs to the Marvel-verse’s group of supervillains, including the Red Guardian and Black Widow, recruited by the government to carry out a dangerous mission. And because it’s a clever mash-up of action, comedy, and timely dropped curse words, this new family movie hitting theaters in 2025 may be more suitable for older kids.
Starring: Florence Pugh, Sebastian Stan, Olga Kurylenko, Rachel Weisz, David Harbour, Lewis Pullman, Julia Louis-Dreyfus, and Geraldine Viswanathan.
Rated: TBD
Theatrical release: May 2, 2025
"Karate Kid: Legends"
In 2010, producers resurrected the beloved, butt-kicking '80s franchise with a modern retelling of a fish out of water who embraces the teachings of a kung fu master. Fourteen years later, the dōjō is again open for big-screen business. Fans of the martial arts franchise are probably familiar with Netflix's Cobra Kai, which has continued the Karate Kid-verse with aplomb. We hear that Legends picks up three years after the events of the series. So catch up now!
Starring: Ralph Macchio and Jackie Chan, Ming-Na Wen, Joshua Jackson, Sadie Stanley, and Ben Wang
Rated: TBD
Theatrical release: May 30, 2025
"Elio"
Pixar has another deeply moving, beautifully animated feature exploring identity and purpose on the way. Following Inside Out 2, Elio is a charmer about a little boy who loves outer space so much he wants to be abducted by aliens. One night, he finally gets his wish and so begins an intergalactic adventure light years away from home but oh so close to the boy Elio wants to be.
Starring: Yonas Kibreab, Zoe Saldana, Brad Garrett, Jameela Jamil, Shirley Henderson, and Remy Edgerly.
Rated: PG
Theatrical release: June 13, 2025
"Lilo & Stitch"
Who’s ready for a live-action Lilo & Stitch? We know saying this is a Disney “live-action remake” is a bit misleading because casting a little alien with a soft blue coat and pink floppy ears is impossible. So there is some make-believe here. Lilo and Nina, however, are very real, and as for the story, we hear it’s staying true to the original comedy about a Hawaiian girl and the agent of chaos she mistakes for a dog.
Starring: Hannah Waddingham, Billy Magnussen, Jason Scott Lee, Tia Carrere, Zach Galifianakis, Chris Sanders, Courtney B. Vance, and Sydney Agudong.
Rated: PG
Theatrical release: May 23, 2025
"How to Train Your Dragon"
Another live-action remake, How to Train Your Dragon also relies on the magic of CGI to bring a few of its characters to life—particularly its titular aerial cryptid. Beyond Toothless, Hiccup and the rest of his peers and family are very real. As is the Norse folklore and Viking history on which the tale is built. About a young Viking raised to slay dragons, the story takes a detour when he instead befriends and cares for one.
Starring: Mason Thames, Nico Parker, Gerard Butler, Julian Dennison, Gabriel Howell, Bronwyn James, Nick Frost, and Harry Trevaldwyn.
Rated: PG
Theatrical release: June 13, 2025
"The Smurfs Movie"
The blue-hooded creatures we all know as Smurfs were introduced way back in 1981, and yet all these years later, their popularity has only grown. Over the decades, the dynamos—tiny in size, big on an adventure—have enjoyed morning cartoons, spinoff series, holiday specials, feature films, and more. And now, they have Rihanna. Voicing Smurfette, the pop legend is adding major star power to the franchise. So you can bet we’re super-Smurf-cited for this animated musical.
Starring: Rihanna, Hannah Waddingham, Xolo Maridueña, Kurt Russell, Natasha Lyonne, Amy Sedaris, John Goodman, Billie Lourd, Nick Offerman, Dan Levy, Sandra Oh, and Octavia Spencer.
Rated: PG
Theatrical release: July 18, 2025
"The Fantastic Four: First Steps"
Audiences are in for retro-futuristic thrills as the First Family of Marvel is welcomed to the Marvel multiverse. Set against a 1960s-inspired backdrop, Mister Fantastic, Invisible Woman, Human Torch, and The Thing fight to defend Earth from a space god named Galactus and his Silver Surfer. Good cast, fun promos (the one you see here was the fam’s 2024 Valentine), summer release: Let’s hope the fourth time’s a charm!
Starring: Pedro Pascal, Vanessa Kirby, Joseph Quinn, Ebon Moss-Bachrach, Julia Garner, Paul Walter Hauser, Natasha Lyonne, Ralph Ineson, John Malkovich, and Sarah Niles.
Rated: TBD
Theatrical release: July 25, 2025
"The Bad Guys 2"
After a Netflix film and a Christmas special, the Bad Guys are finally getting their names in bright lights on the movie marquee. If you’ve been keeping up with the menagerie, then you know that Mr. Wolf and his gang have gone good. However, this summer a few naughty students of their former work will force them to carry out one last job.
Starring: Sam Rockwell, Marc Maron, Craig Robinson, Anthony Ramos, Awkwafina, Zazie Beetz, Richard Ayoade, Lilly Singh, Alex Borstein, Natasha Lyonne, Maria Bakalova, and Danielle Brooks.
Rated: PG
Theatrical release: August 1, 2025
"Freakier Friday"
We asked. They said yes. And now, it’s almost here. Twenty-two years after Disney’s cult-favorite remake Freaky Friday starring Jamie Lee Curtis and Lindsay Lohan, the twosome are back, reprising their roles as the mother-daughter duo Tess and Anna. This go-round, Anna is a mom and about to become a stepmom, but not before walking in her mother’s shoes one last time.
Starring: Lindsay Lohan, Jamie Lee Curtis, Julia Butters, Chad Michael Murray, Christina Vidal, Mark Hymon, Manny Jacinto, Stephen Tobolowsky, Rosalind Chao, and Maitreyi Ramakrishnan.
Rated: TBD
Theatrical release: August 8, 2025
"Gabby’s Dollhouse: The Movie"
A hit Netflix series with 10 seasons in the books, Gabby’s Dollhouse is getting the feature-film treatment come September. Laila Lockhart Kraner will reprise her role as the cat-loving Gabby, a girl who wears magic cat ears that can shrink her down to dollhouse size, allowing her to go on fun animated adventures with her furry buddies. In this fun kids' movie coming in 2025, a trip with her grandma to Cat Francisco hits a snafu, sending Gabby on a cat-and-mouse chase through the real world.
Starring: Laila Lockhart Kraner and Sainty Nelsen.
Rated: G
Theatrical release: September 26, 2025
"Wicked: Part 2"
What happens to Fiyero? Are the animals OK? When does Dorothy show up? All will be revealed in part two of the breathtaking movie musical, along with the conflict resolution between Elphaba and the Wizard, and the reunion of Elphie and Glinda. What we don’t really know, though, is which blockbuster Wicked: Part 2 will eclipse on opening weekend. If its first half is any indication, whatever blockbuster is scheduled for the same weekend has some gravity-defying competition.
Starring: Ariana Grande, Cynthia Erivo, Marissa Bode, Michelle Yeoh, Jeff Goldblum, Ethan Slater, Peter Dinklage, Adam James, and Erin Battle.
Rated: PG
Theatrical release: November 21, 2025
"Zootopia 2"
It’s been almost a decade since the aptly named Judy Hopps, a bunny rabbit cop, and Nick Wilde, a sly fox, uncovered the government conspiracy that threatened to ruin an anthropomorphic town called Zootopia. A crowd-pleasing comedy loved by critics, the unicorn of a family film is finally getting a sequel. Details about the plot are a bit scarce at the moment; however, we do know Judy and Nick are set to crack another case, this one more perilous than the first.
Starring: Jason Bateman, Ginnifer Goodwin, Shakira, Ke Huy Quan, and Fortune Feimster.
Rated: PG
Theatrical release: November 26, 2025
"TheSpongeBob Movie: Search for SquarePants"
Life lessons and sage wisdom can come from anywhere—including a yellow sponge who lives in a pineapple. Since 1999, the Nickelodeon mainstay has been making kids of every age laugh and learn with his animated series and film franchise. Come next December, Search for SquarePants will head to the depths of the ocean as SpongeBob searches for the ghost of the Flying Dutchman. And you can bet there’ll be plenty of silliness and nostalgia to soak up.
Starring: Clancy Brown, Mark Hamill, Brian Doyle-Murray, Tom Kenny, Bill Fagerbakke, Rodger Bumpass, Mr. Lawrence, and Carolyn Lawrence.
Rated: PG
Theatrical release: December 19, 2025
