Hollywood’s franchise obsession is showing no signs of slowing down. The top 10 movies of 2024 were all tied to existing intellectual property (IP), and 2025 looks set to follow the same trend. Major studios like Universal, Disney, and Warner Bros. are relying heavily on sequels, prequels, and reboots to draw in audiences.
By 2025, up to 70% of these studios' releases could be linked to familiar stories and characters. Paul Dergarabedian of Comscore says audiences gravitate toward these "known commodities," driving the studios' strategy.
Original films barely made a dent in 2024, with just two standouts: Paramount’s "IF" and Neon's "Longlegs." Everything else was a sequel or tied to a book, TV show, or historical figure. Despite that, these films pushed the domestic box office to $6.3 billion.
While franchise fever isn’t cooling off in 2025, there’s still hope for fresh ideas. Analysts like Shawn Robbins highlight upcoming original films from directors like Jordan Peele and Paul Thomas Anderson that could stand out amid the sequel-heavy slate.
Wall Street doesn’t expect the box office to hit $10 billion until 2026, with major titles like "Avatar," Avengers, and Star Wars on the horizon. Iconic franchises like Super Mario, Shrek, and Toy Story will also play a big part in boosting future ticket sales.
A glance at the final quarter of 2024 and the packed 2025 lineup reveals Hollywood’s major studios betting big on 50 sequels, prequels, and reboots to keep the box office thriving.
Source: https://www.cnbc.com/2024/10/06/box-office-2025-movies-existing-intellectual-property.html
By 2025, up to 70% of these studios' releases could be linked to familiar stories and characters. Paul Dergarabedian of Comscore says audiences gravitate toward these "known commodities," driving the studios' strategy.
Original films barely made a dent in 2024, with just two standouts: Paramount’s "IF" and Neon's "Longlegs." Everything else was a sequel or tied to a book, TV show, or historical figure. Despite that, these films pushed the domestic box office to $6.3 billion.
While franchise fever isn’t cooling off in 2025, there’s still hope for fresh ideas. Analysts like Shawn Robbins highlight upcoming original films from directors like Jordan Peele and Paul Thomas Anderson that could stand out amid the sequel-heavy slate.
Wall Street doesn’t expect the box office to hit $10 billion until 2026, with major titles like "Avatar," Avengers, and Star Wars on the horizon. Iconic franchises like Super Mario, Shrek, and Toy Story will also play a big part in boosting future ticket sales.
A glance at the final quarter of 2024 and the packed 2025 lineup reveals Hollywood’s major studios betting big on 50 sequels, prequels, and reboots to keep the box office thriving.
| Year | Movie Title | To Be Released | Studio |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | Smile 2 | Oct. 18, 2024 | Paramount Pictures |
| 2024 | Venom: The Last Dance | Oct. 25, 2024 | Sony Pictures |
| 2024 | Gladiator 2 | Nov. 22, 2024 | Paramount Pictures |
| 2024 | Wicked: Part One | Nov. 22, 2024 | Universal Pictures |
| 2024 | Moana 2 | Nov. 27, 2024 | Walt Disney Pictures |
| 2024 | Kraven the Hunter | Dec. 13, 2024 | Sony Pictures |
| 2024 | The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim | Dec. 13, 2024 | Warner Bros. |
| 2024 | Mufasa: The Lion King | Dec. 20, 2024 | Walt Disney Pictures |
| 2024 | Sonic the Hedgehog 3 | Dec. 20, 2024 | Paramount Pictures |
| 2025 | Den of Thieves: Pantera | Jan. 10, 2025 | Lionsgate |
| 2025 | Wolf Man | Jan. 17, 2025 | Universal |
| 2025 | Paddington in Peru | Jan. 17, 2025 | Sony |
| 2025 | Dog Man | Jan. 31, 2025 | Universal |
| 2025 | Captain America: Brave New World | Feb. 11, 2025 | Disney |
| 2025 | Bridget Jones: Mad About the Boy | Feb. 14, 2025 | Universal |
| 2025 | The Smurfs Movie | Feb. 14, 2025 | Paramount |
| 2025 | Snow White | Mar. 21, 2025 | Disney |
| 2025 | Minecraft | Apr. 04, 2025 | Warner Bros. |
| 2025 | Michael | Apr. 18, 2025 | Lionsgate |
| 2025 | Thunderbolts | May. 02, 2025 | Disney |
| 2025 | Mission Impossible 8 | May. 23, 2025 | Paramount |
| 2025 | Karate Kid | May. 30, 2025 | Sony |
| 2025 | Ballerina (John Wick) | Jun. 06, 2025 | Lionsgate |
| 2025 | Dirty Dancing | Jun. 06, 2025 | Lionsgate |
| 2025 | How to Train Your Dragon | Jun. 13, 2025 | Universal |
| 2025 | 28 Years Later | Jun. 20, 2025 | Sony |
| 2025 | MEGAN 2.0 | Jun. 27, 2025 | Universal |
| 2025 | Spider-Man Universe (Untitled) | Jun. 27, 2025 | Sony |
| 2025 | Jurassic World: Rebirth | Jul. 02, 2025 | Universal |
| 2025 | Superman: Legacy | Jul. 11, 2025 | Warner Bros. |
| 2025 | I Know What You Did Last Summer | Jul. 18, 2025 | Sony |
| 2025 | Fantastic Four: First Steps | Jul. 25, 2025 | Disney |
| 2025 | The Bad Guys 2 | Aug. 01, 2025 | Universal |
| 2025 | The Naked Gun | Aug. 01, 2025 | Paramount |
| 2025 | Nobody 2 | Aug. 15, 2025 | Universal |
| 2025 | Insidious (6th) | Aug. 29, 2025 | Sony |
| 2025 | The Conjuring: Last Rites | Sep. 05, 2025 | Warner Bros. |
| 2025 | Downton Abbey sequel | Sep. 12, 2025 | Universal |
| 2025 | Gabby’s Dollhouse | Sep. 26, 2025 | Universal |
| 2025 | Saw XI | Sep. 26, 2025 | Lionsgate |
| 2025 | The Bride! | Sep. 26, 2025 | Warner Bros. |
| 2025 | Tron: Ares | Oct. 10, 2025 | Disney |
| 2025 | The Black Phone 2 | Oct. 17, 2025 | Universal |
| 2025 | Mortal Kombat 2 | Oct. 24, 2025 | Warner Bros. |
| 2025 | Now You See Me 3 | Nov. 14, 2025 | Lionsgate |
| 2025 | Wicked: Part II | Nov. 21, 2025 | Universal |
| 2025 | Zootopia 2 | Nov. 26, 2025 | Disney |
| 2025 | Five Nights at Freddy’s 2 | Dec. 05, 2025 | Universal |
| 2025 | Avatar: Fire and Ash | Dec. 19, 2025 | Disney |
| 2025 | SpongeBob Movie: Search for SquarePants | Dec. 19, 2025 | Paramount |
Source: https://www.cnbc.com/2024/10/06/box-office-2025-movies-existing-intellectual-property.html
