2025 Summer Blockbuster Pool List

As always, if I forgot a Icelandic film about a cursed puffin or the 7th “Based on a true story no one cared about the first time they heard it” film of the year, no apologies. I’m just listing the contenders here (or at least movies I couldn’t resist saying something about). Let’s get on with it!!! 

May 2

Thunderbolts*
Marvel movies are back to opening the Summer Movie Pool!!! This one includes all the superheroes everyone loves like… Ghost and Taskmaster?! Alright, so this is Marvel’s attempted version of the Suicide Squad and these days we could all use a little fun. Please be fun*.

May 9

Clown in a Cornfield

Fight or Flight

Juliet & Romeo

Shadow Force

Uh, let’s just say none of these films are expecting to compete with Thunderbolts… or any other new Netflix/Prime/Apple+ streaming movie that weekend.

May 16

Final Destination: Bloodlines  
In the first of our 2000’s horror-film reboots we have the sixth Final Destination film. I don’t recall if the other FD films were ever a summer release, yet if this doesn’t perform well here, this may be Final Destination’s final destination. 

Hurry Up Tomorrow

The Weeknd and Jenna Ortega star in a nightmarish film that became the soundtrack for The Weeknd’s new album. Wait, what?! The movie is the soundtrack for the album? Sure, that checks.

May 23

Lilo & Stitch [Live-Action]
The good news is that there’s no way this film could do worse than the live-action Snow White that was released earlier this year. Well… almost no way. Let’s go for one more ride on that Hawaiian Roller Coaster Ride!

Mission: Impossible - The Final Reckoning

I think the only “final” thing about this film is that there will never be a “Part One” as part of a Mission: Impossible franchise again. This is not Dead Reckoning Part Two, I repeat, this is not Dead Reckoning Part Two. This is clearly The Final Reckoning. Why would anyone be confused?

May 30

Karate Kid: Legends

I feel like one of the only 80’s kids that’s never watched Cobra Kai. Still, as someone who’s watched both versions of The Karate Kid numerous times, I have no idea why this film is happening. That said, pay days for Jackie Chan and Ralph Macchio are never a bad thing, even if I’d rather they’d be for More Rumble in the Bronx and My Cousin Vinny Too.

June 6

From the World of John Wick: Ballerina

Even the Baba Yaga can get a little long in the tooth sometimes, so here comes another character from the John Wick universe to seek revenge. Hopefully, this one does involve canine murder. Woof.

The Life of Chuck

A Stephen King/Mike Flannigan collab that’s not a 10-part series on Netflix? Sign me up!

June 13

How to Train Your Dragon [Live-Action]  

Anything Disney can do, DreamWorks can copy too. Set your watches now for the countdown to Live-Action Minions.

June 20

28 Years Later

It looks like a film that hits hard. It might be harder than summer audiences want.

Pixar's Elio

It’s been awhile since the last original Pixar film “mega” hit. Coco was 2017 and Inside Out was 2015. Can Elio buck that trend or are we destined to just more Finding Monsters Inc Toy Stories?

June 27

F1 

Brad Pitt tries to do for F1 what Tom Cruise tried to do for Days of Thunder. Since Days is where Tom met Nicole Kidman, Brad’s girlfriend better keep an eye on his co-star.

M3GAN 2.0

The first M3GAN was surprisingly smarter in some of its themes than expected. Unsurprisingly, the 2.0 version looks to have none of that… so bring it on! 

July 2

Jurassic World: Rebirth  

I wouldn’t even want to give birth to a dinosaur the first time. Rebirthing it seems a lot worse. 

July 11

Superman  

It’s funny that my wife asked why we’re getting “another” Fantastic Four film when she didn’t ask why we’re getting another Superman film. Maybe it’s because we all know it’s been 45 YEARS since we’ve had a good Superman film (though I did enjoy Man of Steel more than most). 

July 18

I Know What You Did Last Summer

Here’s another 2000’s horror franchise trying to rebrand for a new generation. By this point, doesn’t everyone already know what they did last summer?

Smurfs Musical

I’ll just leave this one as is. Smurfs Musical. I think that says it all.

July 25  

The Fantastic Four: First Steps

Will these be the first steps toward making Marvel movies that matter? If they can’t get the FF right this time, it’s just not happening. Com’on, guys, do it for HERBIE. He deserves it. 

August 1

The Bad Guys 2

An animated sequel to an animated film? How novel. 

The Naked Gun

Leslie Nielson being replaced by Liam Neeson was not on my bingo card, but I’m all for it. Honestly, Liam’s already been being a little Lt. Drebin-esque in his last few action films anyway. Let’s make the laughs intentional this time.  

August 8  

Freakier Friday

How did they choose this as the Lindsey Lohan reunion film and not The Parent Trap?! It’s an outrage! Annie and Hallie as adults getting tricked by their kids… or maybe they switch again and they’re the ones tricking their kids… Who cares, that’s the way better film and premise. The nanny and the butler are still around. They send their kids to Janice’s summer camp. Meredith comes in with some crazy scheme to tear the sisters apart. It’s all perfect and… and… I’ve obviously thought about this way too much. 

August 15  

Nobody 2

Yup, we’ve definitely reached the end of the Summer Blockbuster Season when a sequel to a surprise COVID minor hit is hitting the screens. So sad I don’t have two more Kevin Costner Horizon movies to not see. Sniff sniff.