The List of 2025 Upcoming Movies Is Full of Nostalgic Sequels. Why?

Hugh Grant, Renée Zellweger and Leo Woodall portrait artwork in Bridget Jones: Mad About the Boy film

As sequels to iconic films dominate the 2025 release calendar, many are left wondering if this nostalgia-driven trend is a creative comeback or just a safe choice for studios. Here’s why this year is all about revisiting the past.

Hugh Grant, Renée Zellweger and Leo Woodall portrait artwork in Bridget Jones: Mad About the Boy film

30/01/2025

By Gynna Bella and Marinieves Tejeda. Cover image: Iulia Ecaterina Paraschiv.

The list of upcoming 2025 movies is filled with sequels, remakes, and spin-offs of familiar stories. While Dune: Part Two has received nominations for Best Motion Picture and Best Original Score at the 2025 Oscars, there is an upcoming wave of sequels, especially those based on childhood favourites—stories we’ve grown up with and come to love. These films come with high expectations, as they promise to expand the original narratives while raising questions about the need to revisit stories that seemed to have reached their conclusion. As much as we love them, do these stories truly have anything new to say? This situation begs the question of why filmmakers are so obsessed with sequels, remakes, and spin-offs instead of exploring a new story.

Why Nostalgic Movies Are a Comfort in Uncertain Times

This obsession is arguably understandable. Familiar stories and characters are comforting and evoke nostalgia, particularly for those who grew up with them. In an increasingly uncertain world, media, as well as movies and TV shows, offer a source of comfort through difficult times. Additionally, their familiarity guarantees attention and hype from the existing fan base, making it a safer and less risky endeavour for movie producers. 
On the other hand, however, it might also be as simple as the death of original ideas. In this over-saturated market, it is nearly impossible to come up with something completely new and original. Almost everything has already been created or said; we are merely recycling and repurposing old ideas into something that appears ‘new’.
The billboard will be flooded with returns to familiar worlds, but it remains to be seen whether these new instalments will manage to capture the magic of their predecessors or simply serve as echoes of past glories. For those who are curious, we have selected some highlights of films you can expect to see in this new year.


The List of 2025 Upcoming Movies Is Full of Nostalgic Sequels. Why?


Illustration by Cristina Gonzalez Clavijo.

1. Bambi : The Reckoning, a Dark Twist on a Childhood Classic

If you’re not familiar with the original 1923 Austrian novel by Felix Salten, titled Bambi, a Life in the Woods, you may have seen the Disney classic adaptation. The children’s movie Bambi tells the tragic story of a young deer that loses his mother while being chased by a hunter. However, if you think it is safe to take young audiences to see this movie based on that premise, you might want to reconsider. 
In this horror retelling, our beloved, innocent deer goes on a rampage to seek revenge for his mother’s murder. Bambi terrorises a mother and son after a car accident, although the reasons behind his actions remain unclear. Additionally, it’s important to note that in this version, Bambi is portrayed as a mutated deer with super-strength.  


2. Peter Pan’s Neverland Nightmare: A Grimmer Version of the Beloved Story

Continuing with the theme of classic children’s stories turned dark, let’s forget the image of Jeremy Sumpter’s 2003 portrayal of Peter Pan as a whimsical, rebellious boy who never grew up. This time, Peter Pan is depicted as a murderous middle-aged man who kidnaps children. The story follows Wendy Darling as she embarks on an ‘adventure’ to rescue her brother. Along the way, she meets everyone’s favourite fairy, Tinker Bell, whose ‘pixie dust’ turns out to be not-so-magical after all.


Illustration by Iulia Ecaterina Paraschiv.

3. The SpongeBob Movie: Search for SquarePants: What’s Next

Any Nickelodeon kid who grew up watching SpongeBob can be excited about another sequel featuring our favourite yellow friend and his iconic laugh. So far, we don’t know much about the plot, but in this movie, SpongeBob embarks on a journey to find the Flying Dutchman. Honestly, when we saw the title, we couldn’t help but wonder: will SpongeBob be wearing his SquarePants in this movie? 


4. Bridget Jones: Mad About the Boy: New Beginnings and Nostalgia

At this point, we have followed Bridget Jones through every stage of her life, making it feel like we are watching a friend grow up. It is only fitting that we now see her in a new phase in life as a widow, dealing with grief and navigating middle adulthood—while being wooed by a younger man! Additionally, Hugh Grant returns to reprise his role as the charming but troublesome Daniel, Bridget’s old love interest.
The movie continues Hollywood’s current trend of placing older women at the centre of the narrative while also offering a dose of nostalgia through a beloved and relatable protagonist. 


5. Freakier Friday, The Ultimate Generational Swap

After twenty-two years of waiting, Freaky Friday is back! This time, it’s not just a mother-daughter swap; we’re talking about two characters from completely different worlds. Watch how a Gen Z influencer suddenly finds herself trapped in her mother’s 90s world, while her mom tries to survive in today’s viral chaos. From awkward selfies to TikTok fails, get ready for a cringe-worthy, laugh-out-loud adventure as they attempt to navigate each other’s lives.


Illustration by Iulia Ecaterina Paraschiv.

6. Zootopia 2: Bigger Cases, Bigger Adventures

The movie that successfully combines social commentary with humour and heart, captivating both kids and adults, is back. We return to the bustling, vibrant world of talking animals and urban adventures, with Judy Hopps and Nick Wilde reuniting to solve another zany case. This time, they’re tackling even bigger, more outrageous cases—proving that a bunny cop and a fox con artist can make quite the team in the world of high-stakes crime-solving.


2025 movies Honorary Mention: 

At this point, it seems we can’t go a year without the annual (or at least biennial) release of these seemingly never-ending franchises:

  • Jurassic World RebirthOh no, the dinosaurs are in trouble. Again.
  • Mission: Impossible – The Final ReckoningAt this point, we know these missions aren’t really impossible after all.
  • The Conjuring: Last Rites How many demons can you possibly fight in a lifetime? 
  • Saw XI: Mentioned for having more instalments than the Fast and Furious franchise.
  • Fast X: Part 2To be fair, this is the second part of the previous film. 

The recent wave of sequels, reboots, and spin-offs prompts an important question: Are we witnessing a genuine expansion of beloved stories, or is it merely a strategy to cash in on our nostalgia? Will Hollywood ultimately enrich our childhood memories, or will it risk tarnishing them this time around?

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