Not every movie is meant to play on the biggest screens available, but that’s never stopped Hollywood studios from trying to line up as many IMAX theaters as possible for their top releases. The real test of a great IMAX movie isn’t if it has the theaters; it’s whether the film can fully utilize the greater canvas and become more than just an average-looking flick on a bigger screen.
Looking ahead to the rest of this year, there are seven 2025 movies that we can’t wait to see in IMAX. Three of them are coming out in July since summer tends to have the big blockbusters. But our pick for No. 1 is coming near the end of 2025. When you consider the track record of the film’s director, it’s easy to see why we believe it will be the best IMAX movie of the year.
7. Wicked: For Good
Release date: November 21
Almost everyone knew that the Wicked adaptation was going to be big, but who could have predicted that it would nab $717.9 million worldwide and become one of the top box-office hits of the year? This Wizard of Oz Broadway prequel had dazzling visuals that filled up the screen as it told the tale of the future Wicked Witch of the West, Elphaba Thropp (Cynthia Erivo), and her unlikely friendship with Glinda Upland (Ariana Grande).
But now that we know what to expect from director Jon M. Chu’s Wicked: For Good, that easily makes it one of the most-anticipated IMAX titles of 2025. If Chu and his collaborators were able to go big in the first film, then they’ll defy gravity yet again for the sequel.
6. The Fantastic Four: First Steps
Release date: July 25
There are three Marvel Studios films coming in 2025, and no offense to Captain America: Brave New World and Thunderbolts, but The Fantastic Four: First Steps is the one that excites us, even though there has yet to be a trailer. Everything we know about this film suggests that it will take place in its own corner of the MCU with a retro-futuristic take on the 1960s and the first real depiction of the Fantastic Four’s planet-eating adversary, Galactus (Ralph Ineson). Casting Julia Garner as a female Silver Surfer has been contentious among some fans, but we’re eager to see how she looks on screen.
The Fantastic Four in the comics are all about sci-fi adventures that go beyond standard superhero fare, and this film also has a great cast, including The Mandalorian‘s Pedro Pascal, Vanessa Kirby, Joseph Quinn, and Ebon Moss-Bachrach. Mark my words: This will be the Marvel movie to watch in 2025.
5. Jurassic World Rebirth
Release date: July 2
Rogue One: A Star Wars Story is one of the best Star Wars films of Lucasfilm’s Disney era, and the director of that film, Gareth Edwards, is making the leap to another sci-fi franchise with Jurassic World Rebirth. Edwards is bringing in a hell of a cast for this film with Scarlett Johansson, Mahershala Ali, Jonathan Bailey, and Rupert Friend in the leading roles.
So far, Universal hasn’t shared any extended looks at this film, but few things play better on IMAX screens than CGI dinosaurs attacking humans who were dumb enough to get anywhere near them. Story details for the film are also scarce, but we know it takes place five years after Jurassic World Dominion, and the world’s no longer very welcoming to dinosaurs.
4. Sinners
Release date: April 18
Sinners is the dark horse choice for this list, but Ryan Coogler — the director of Marvel’s Black Panther movies — shot this film with IMAX cameras, so we’re expecting some eye-popping visuals in this period horror film.
Michael B. Jordan is leading the cast in a dual role as twin brothers Smoke and Stack, who somehow end up fighting for their lives against vampires, including a bloodsucker named Mary (Hailee Steinfeld). So many modern IMAX films are either sci-fi or superhero-related. It’s refreshing to see a horror film take advantage of the medium.
3. Superman
Release date: July 11
In James Gunn we trust. Even during Marvel Studios’ troubled period, the director of Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 — and the two films that came before it — proved that he was a master of marrying spectacle with affecting emotional stories. That’s exactly the approach that Superman needs to take.
This is a completely fresh start for the live-action DC movies, with a new Superman — played by David Corenswet — a new Lois Lane (Rachel Brosnahan), and a world of superheroes from the start. This movie even has the live-action debut of Superman’s super canine, Krypto. Out of all of the superhero films of 2025, this is the one we expect to soar the highest when it reaches IMAX screens.
2. Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning
Release date: May 23
In case you hadn’t noticed, the combination of writer and director Christopher McQuarrie and Tom Cruise has transformed the last three Mission: Impossible films into high-caliber action flicks that are practically events unto themselves. Cruise even insists on filming several of the most dangerous stunts himself, which is one of the reasons these films look so good on the biggest screens.
Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning is supposedly the last time out for Cruise’s Ethan Hunt as he searches for a way to neutralize the A.I. known as the Entity. Count on this to be jaw-dropping in IMAX, because McQuarrie and Cruise have always topped themselves before. And we fully expect that history will repeat itself in 2025.
1. Avatar: Fire and Ash
Release date: December 19
Surely you didn’t forget about James Cameron’s Avatar: Fire and Ash, the third film in his Avatar series. If you have, it’s probably because Avatar: The Way of Water came out just over two years ago, an eternity for a franchise. Not everyone loves the Avatar films’ stories, but few could ever argue against the beautifully rendered visuals Cameron and his special effects artists bring to life on the screen. Their vision of Pandora is a very convincing alien world, and we’d go back to the biggest IMAX screens just to appreciate those details.
Cameron is also one of the few filmmakers who effectively utilizes 3D effects without slipping into gimmicky shots and features. Bet against Cameron at your peril. Between the first two Avatar films and Titanic, Cameron has three of the highest-grossing movies of all time. If Fire and Ash continues the trend of Cameron’s stunning visuals, then we fully expect this movie will be a monster hit as well.
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