Marvel Studios
Warning: Major spoilers ahead for "Thunderbolts*."
Marvel's latest movie,"Thunderbolts*," assembles an unlikely crew of assassins.
"Thunderbolts*," directed by Jake Schreier, follows antiheroes Yelena Belova (Florence Pugh), John Walker/US Agent (Wyatt Russell), Ava Starr/Ghost (Hannah John-Kamen), and Antonia Dreykov/Taskmaster (Olga Kurylenko) as they fall prey to a trap set by CIA director Valentina Allegra de Fontaine (Julia Louis-Dreyfus).
After escaping, the group, with the help of Alexei Shostakov/Red Guardian (David Harbour) and Bucky Barnes (Sebastian Stan), embarks on a mission to rescue a mysterious new character named Bob (Lewis Pullman) while facing their own inner demons along the way.
Here are all the callbacks, Easter eggs, and nods to the Marvel Cinematic Universe you might have missed.
Marvel Comics
Every Marvel movie starts with a studio title card showing comic panels flipping across the screen.
For "Thunderbolts*," all of these panels are related to the comic book character Robert "Bob" Reynolds, also known as Sentry.
It's a teaser that Pullman's Bob will become Sentry later in the film.
As the animation continues, darkness trickles over the comic pages until it completely covers the Marvel logo. This foreshadows the Void, the dark side of Sentry, who takes over Bob's mind in the film's final act.
There are other moments that foreshadow the Void's appearance in the film. For instance, Yelena describes her depression and loneliness as a void in the opening scene.
Chuck Zlotnick/Marvel Studios
"Thunderbolts*" opens with Yelena, a Russian assassin, completing an assignment for her employer, Val, at a lab in Malaysia.
To infiltrate the lab, Yelena expertly fights several armed guards in a sequence reminiscent of the corridor fight scene in "Oldboy."
"Thunderbolts*" director Jake Schreier hasn't said if he drew inspiration from the 2003 Park Chan-wook movie. However, other Marvel creatives have previously said they were influenced by the iconic fighting sequence.
The fight scene's visuals also feel like a nod to the Void's power to spread darkness that turns people into shadows.
Marvel Studios
"Thunderbolts*" introduces a new secret organization within the MCU known as the OXE group, which Valentina founded with the aim of creating a superhero who can protect the world.
A similar group also exists in the Marvel comics, but it was coincidentally first introduced in a 2023 "Thunderbolts" comic series months after the cast for the movie had been announced.
Valentina also heads up the OXE group in the comics. However, a robot clone of Valentina takes charge of the organization and uses it to help a new Thunderbolts team.
Chuck Zlotnick/Marvel Studios
Early in the film, when Yelena, John, and Ava are trying to escape Val's trap, they locate an independent power source blocking Ava's ability to move through solid objects.
"On your left," John tells Yelena as he reaches the power source and smashes it with his shield.
The phrase dates back to "Captain America: The Winter Soldier." It was used by Steve Rogers (Chris Evans) every time he passed Sam Wilson (Anthony Mackie) while running in Washington, DC.
Sam memorably said the line back to Steve in "Avengers: Endgame," when he and all the heroes in the Marvel Cinematic Universe arrived through portals to help defeat Thanos and his army.
Marvel Studios
Many aspects of "Thunderbolts*" mirror the 2012 movie "The Avengers."
Both films are about a group of misfits brought together by a spy boss who try to kill each other before deciding to work together to save New York from a major threat.
The destination of the final showdown in "Thunderbolts*" also calls back to the ending of "The Avengers."
The Thunderbolts confront the main villains, Val and Sentry, in the Watchtower, which is the same place Tony Stark/Iron Man (Robert Downey Jr.) confronted then-antagonist Loki (Tom Hiddleston).
The Thunderbolts also work together to save civilians outside Grand Central Terminal, where the original Avengers previously fought the Chitauri in "The Avengers."
But the final fight in "Thunderbolts*" contrasts with its predecessor. In "The Avengers," the titular heroes face off against an alien invasion, while in "Thunderbolts*," the villain is a man-made experiment gone wrong.
Chuck Zlotnick/Marvel Studios
At the end of "Thunderbolts*," Val tricks the team into appearing at a press conference where she introduces them as the New Avengers.
After the New Avengers moniker is name-dropped, composer Alan Silvestri's iconic "Avengers" theme discreetly starts playing.
Marvel Studios
The first part of the credits shows multiple magazine covers featuring the New Avengers.
Many of these covers recreate iconic posters and images, including the "We Can Do It!" poster produced by J. Howard Miller during World War II, featuring Yelena, instead of Rosie the Riveter. Another recreates the "Washington Crossing the Delaware" painting by Emanuel Leutze. In another, the team poses as the band Queen in the style of the cover of their second studio album, "Queen II."
This is intended to show the extent of the Thunderbolts' newfound fame following their formal introduction as the New Avengers.
Chuck Zlotnick/Marvel Studios
After the main credits, the "Thunderbolts*" logo switches to "The New Avengers" in a bright yellow bolded font.
It's the same logo seen in the Marvel comics, right down to the crossbar in the capital "A" doubling as a right-pointing arrow.
Marvel Studios
"Thunderbolts*" has two end-credits scenes. The first one is inconsequential, but the second teases Marvel's next movie, "The Fantastic Four: First Steps," which is set to be released in theaters on July 25.
In the scene, the New Avengers are interrupted by an alert about an extradimensional ship entering the atmosphere.
That spacecraft turns out to be one belonging to the Fantastic Four, as indicated by the retro style number 4 on the exterior. Michael Giacchino's theme music for the upcoming "Fantastic Four" reboot plays in the background as the ship soars through space.
Jesse Grant / Getty Images for Disney
Jake Schreier, the director of "Thunderbolts*," told Comicbook.com in a video published on Thursday that he did not film the second end credits scene.
Schreier said the specifics of the second end credits scene were decided "quite late," and it was filmed only recently.
"I was there when it was filmed and I can say that it comes from the set of a production that might be starting production right around now," Shreier said, seemingly referring to "Avengers Doomsday," which began production in March.
Cheryl Dunn/A24
Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson's signature tattoos and bald head are nowhere to be seen in the first trailer for A24's upcoming biopic about a legendary athlete.
In "The Smashing Machine,"Johnson transforms into mixed martial arts (MMA) and Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) fighter Mark Kerr, seemingly with the help of a wig and facial prosthetics.
The film, written and directed by Benny Safdie, has been in development since 2019 and was officially announced in late 2023. Now, it's gearing up for a fall release: October 3, 2025.
Here's what to know about the movie and the real-life UFC legend Johnson is portraying.
Kerr, born in 1968, is a two-time UFC Heavyweight Tournament Champion and a World Vale Tudo Championship tournament winner. Kerr's no-holds-barred fighting style earned him the nickname "The Smashing Machine."
His career was previously chronicled in the HBO documentary "The Smashing Machine: The Life and Times of Extreme Fighter Mark Kerr."
The documentary gives fans an inside look at Kerr's triumphs as a fighter, his relationship with now-ex-wife Dawn Staples, and his addiction to painkillers, which led to an overdose that he recovered from.
A24
In addition to Johnson portraying Kerr, "The Smashing Machine" stars Emily Blunt as Staples.
Johnson told Variety that he and Safdie connected about the biopic in 2019, when Seven Bucks Productions, the production company co-founded by Johnson and Dany Garcia, acquired the rights to Kerr's story.
The project was put on hold due to pandemic-related delays and other commitments, but eventually, Johnson and the director reconnected thanks to mutual acquaintance Blunt, who filmed "Oppenheimer" with Safdie and previously starred alongside Johnson in "Jungle Cruise."
A24
Nowadays, Johnson is known for roles in action movies like the "Fast & Furious" franchise, the "Jumanji" films, and Disney's "Moana" movies. But the actor knows a thing or two about being in the ring.
Before becoming a bankable Hollywood star, Johnson followed in his father Rocky Johnson's footsteps and became a professional wrestler. Johnson largely stepped back from WWE superstardom in 2004 and pivoted to a career as an actor.
"The Smashing Machine" marks a departure from Johnson's past work. In the biopic, he ditches superhero suits and musical tunes for a more emotional performance as Kerr, who struggled with an addiction to painkillers during his career as a professional fighter.
Johnson told Variety that he's not abandoning blockbusters, but he's eager to try something different.
"I'm at this point in my career where I want more," he said. "And I don't mean I want more box office. I mean I want more humanity. And that is why Benny Safdie is the perfect, collaborative, hungry partner for me."
"The Smashing Machine" hits theaters October 3.
John Phillips / Getty Images
"Sinners" has been the breakout project for 20-year-old singer-turned-actor Miles Caton.
The new film, directed by Ryan Coogler, topped the box office last week. "Sinners" is the only horror film to receive an "A" rating on CinemaScore in the notable ratings site's history.
While audiences may have gone for marquee actors like Michael B. Jordan and Hailee Steinfeld, many are leaving the theaters praising Caton's stellar performance as Sammie, the film's third lead character.
Here's what to know about the rising star.
Courtesy Warner Bros. Pictures
Like his character Sammie, Caton's family is very involved in church.
Caton's grandfather Archbishop Eric Figueroa Sr. is a working pastor in the Pentecostal church, and his mother and aunt are both gospel singers.
Caton told Variety in April that he has been singing since he was 3 years old.
Charles Sykes / NBC / NBCU Photo Bank
Caton has been building his career in music from a young age.
In 2017, a video of 11-year-old Caton singing Nina Simone's "Feeling Good" went viral. Jay-Z later included a clip of the video at the start of his music video for "4:44," the titular single of his 13th album.
A year later, at 12, Caton appeared on the third season of NBC's "Little Big Shots," a children's talent show.
In 2019, the pre-teen sang during a tribute to Dr. Martin Luther King on "The View" with Grammy-winning singer Yolanda Adams.
Dimitrios Kambouris / Getty Images for SiriusXM
While still in high school, Caton joined H.E.R. as a background singer on her "Back of My Mind" tour in 2022. He also joined the singer while she supported Coldplay on their "Music of the Spheres" world tour.
As part of the show, Caton would perform H.E.R.'s "Best Part" single as a duet with the Grammy-winning singer. The newcomer told Variety this put him on the "Sinners" casting team's radar.
"We got close β she became like a big sister to me β and she called me one day after we got back from tour, and she was like, 'Bro, somebody was in the crowd watching you, and they want you to audition for this role. I think you'll be dope,' Caton said, referring to H.E.R.
After the tour, Caton returned to high school and graduated at 18 in 2023.
Warner Bros.
"Sinners" director Coogler told Variety they picked Caton after seeing audition tapes from around the world because of his "once in a lifetime voice."
"He was just in the dark β like he didn't turn his lights on. Something about that was, like, so intriguing," the filmmaker said.
After getting the role, Caton had to learn how to play guitar, since his character Sammie is both a vocalist and a guitarist.
Caton told Vanity Fair he spent two months learning the instrument's fundamentals before filming began. He received lessons from Randy Bowland, a Philadelphia-based guitarist who has worked with legendary artists like Sting and Luther Vandross.
Gareth Cattermole / Getty Images for Warner Bros. Pictures
Caton is building his career in film and music simultaneously.
He released a single "This Ain't It" in 2023. He also cowrote an original song for "Sinners," titled "Last Time (I Seen the Sun)," with Alice Smith and the film's composer Ludwig GΓΆransson.
"Before, my main thing was music and just being an artist. But now, having this under my belt, I feel like I don't have to limit myself to just one thing. I feel like I can accomplish whatever I want to. So, I'm looking to get into some more acting roles."
In the interview with Variety, Caton suggested he'd love to be cast in a Marvel film. Coogler also directed "Black Panther," a standout film in the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
It's not every day you get a trailer for a new, live-action Predator movie, but today is one of those days. 20th Century Studios just released the first teaser for Predator: Badlands, a feature film that unconventionally makes the classic movie monster a protagonist.
The film follows Dek (Dimitrius Schuster-Koloamatangi), a young member of the predator species and society who has been banished. He'll work closely with a Weyland-Yutani Android named Thia (Elle Fanning) to take down "the ultimate adversary," which the trailer dubs a creature that "can't be killed." The adversary looks like a very large monster we haven't seen before, judging from a few shots in the trailer.
Some or all of the film is rumored to take place on the Predator home world, and the movie intends to greatly expand on the mythology around the Predators' culture, language, and customs. It's intended as a standalone movie in the Predator/Alien universe.
Β© 20th Century Studios
Warner Bros
Over two decades before Jason Isaacs had "The White Lotus" viewers meme-ing, debating, and dissecting his performance as Timothy Ratliff in season three, he played Lucius Malfoy β whom he called "an old-fashioned racist" β in "Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets."
Isaacs, 61, has famously played several villainous characters, and his latest turn in "The White Lotus" shares parallels with his celebrated performance in "Harry Potter." Both Ratliff and Malfoy are deeply flawed patriarchal figures whose families are mired in wealth, power, and an overinflated sense of self-importance.
However, Isaacs said he wouldn't characterize any of his characters as classic storybook "villains" because their motivations are realistic β and, in the case of Malfoy, rooted in historical precedent.
"I take parts when I go, 'That's a human being.' Lucius is an old-fashioned racist and he's trying to make Hogwarts great again," Isaacs told Business Insider, alluding to President Donald Trump's slogan, "Make America Great Again."
"He's a guy that believes when old, white, rich people like him ruled the world β wizards with 'pure' wizarding blood β it was better," Isaacs continued. "The great American industrialists at the turn of the 20th century were all eugenicists. They didn't think they were villains."
In the "Harry Potter" series, Malfoy is among the loyal followers of Lord Voldemort, a group known as Death Eaters. Over the years, many readers and book critics have noted the group's parallels with the Nazi party, connecting Voldemort's oppression of non-magical people ("muggles") and wizards with mixed parentage ("half-bloods") with Adolf Hitler's antisemitic, white supremacist doctrine.
Warner Bros. Pictures
Alongside Alan Rickman as Severus Snape, Helena Bonham Carter as Bellatrix Lestrange, and Ralph Fiennes as Voldemort, Isaacs' Malfoy is among the most memorably sinister presences in the "Harry Potter" series, which wrapped with "Deathly Hallows: Part 2" in 2011.
Isaacs, who was raised Jewish in Liverpool, England, said he nearly passed on the beloved franchise because he was already committed to playing Captain Hook in P.J. Hogan's live-action "Peter Pan."
Isaacs had originally auditioned for Gilderoy Lockhart, a handsome narcissist who only appears in the second "Harry Potter" film, but was offered Malfoy instead. Though Isaacs was hesitant to play two "children's villains" in a row, his family members persuaded him to take the role β much to his relief, in retrospect.
"It was a joy because every couple of years, I'd go to 'Harry Potter' land for a month or two months. I wasn't on it very much. I was doing many television series and films in between," Isaacs said. "It was like going back to a holiday resort, seeing your old friends. It was a joy."
Malfoy will soon be re-cast for HBO's forthcoming "Harry Potter" reboot, which will reimagine the classic movie series as a TV show.
Though Isaacs admitted it'll be "weird" for the original actors to see new versions of their characters onscreen, he said he's made peace with Hollywood's cyclical nature.
"My kids don't know that Tobey Maguire was Spider-Man or even Andrew Garfield. For them, it's Tom Holland," he explained. "Roger Moore was my Bond."
"Everyone's got their own person. This new 'Harry Potter' will be for the new generation that will watch it," he continued, adding: "Such is life. We've had a good run."
Read BI's full Role Play interview with Jason Isaacs here.
Warner Bros.
How can Hollywood studios like DisneyΒ get kids off YouTubeΒ or video games like Fortnite and Minecraft and into movie theaters?
The best answer so far this year seems obvious in hindsight: a movie about Minecraft itself.
Movie industry observers were caught off guard by how well "A Minecraft Movie" did this past weekend. The film from Warner Bros. and Legendary Studios opened to $313 million globally, including a $163 million showing in the US that more than doubled estimates.
Box-office analysts βΒ who are adults β may not have fully realized what a sensation Minecraft is among Gen Z and Gen Alpha.
"This was a wildly underrated movie, in terms of its potential box-office performance," Paul Dergarabedian, a box-office analyst at Comscore, told Business Insider in an interview.
Everyone in Tinsel Town is surely taking notes about the film's success, including executives at Hollywood titan Disney, which is full of famed franchises but has an uneven track record with video games.
The spectacular start for "A Minecraft Movie" makes sense considering how video game fans have shown up at theaters, said David A. Gross of movie consultancy FranchiseRe.
"Video-game-based movies are not a secret," Gross said, noting the hit movies based on Super Mario, Sonic the Hedgehog, Rampage, Uncharted, Angry Birds, and PokΓ©mon.
Still, the Minecraft movie's success is another head-turning moment for studio heads.
"Every studio executive is really looking at this right now and saying, 'How can we amplify β or level up β our participation within the video-game adaptation category?'" Dergarabedian said. He added that "they're mining the vaults β no pun intended β for whatever IP they may own or that they could acquire that's in the video game realm."
If video games surpass superheroes as the next movie mega-trend, it could reshape Hollywood.
Universal Studios could be a big winner since it has a strong relationship with Nintendo and has already scored big hits with the Super Mario blockbuster and "Five Nights at Freddy's." And while Warner Bros. still needs heroes as it reboots its DC Comics franchise with "Superman" this summer, its success with "A Minecraft Movie" will set up a potentially lucrative sequel.
Disney could suffer most in a shift away from superheroes, given its success with Marvel movies and spotty performance with video games.
The Mouse House has been leaning heavily on sequels and remakes lately, with mixed results. This strategy gave Disney the three biggest movies of 2024, but the subpar performance of "Snow White" last month suggests the plan is far from foolproof.
Could it be time to hunt for some new blockbuster IP? If so, Disney may have an ace in the hole: its $1.5 billion investment in Epic Games, which is the company behind Fortnite.
A movie about Fortnite, one of the world's most popular video games, could be a cash cow for Disney. If executed properly, such a film could perfectly strike the balance between familiarity β the backbone of Disney's beloved franchises β and novelty since the film would be fresh for audiences.
Although Disney doesn't appear to be actively doing much with its investment in Epic so far, it could end up being the IP breakthrough its film business needs.
Warner Bros.
"A Minecraft Movie," based on the second best-selling video game of all time after Tetris, is out on Friday and has received wildly mixed reviews: from scathing to positive.
But industry experts told Business Insider audiences will likely flock to cinemas regardless.
"Minecraft" is the latest video game to be adapted for the big screen. While 2005's "Doom" and 1993's "Super Mario Bros." were critical and commercial failures, more recent efforts have proved lucrative.
In 2023, "The Super Mario Bros" movie grossed over a billion dollars, despite negative reviews, and "The Last Of Us," which premiered on HBO that year, won eight Emmys βΒ showing that game adaptations can be successful.
But reviews of "A Minecraft Movie" that dropped on Wednesday ahead of its release didn't mince words. The film, starring Jack Black and Jason Momoa, follows a group of adults and children who are pulled through a portal to the world of Minecraft and must try to find their way home.
While some critics praised Momoa's performance and said film was fun and had great comedic moments, others called it generic and boring.
Nich Schager, a critic for Daily Beast, described the film as "an absolute disaster even gaming fans will hate."
A review by Jasmine Valentine, a critic for the video game and entertainment news website Dexerto, went viral after she called it "the worst film of the year."
"Minecraft fans should stick to the game, and moviegoers should spend their money elsewhere" pic.twitter.com/n2mfufhUBn
β Dexerto (@Dexerto) April 2, 2025
Regardless, Deadline and Variety reported this week, citing unnamed box office tracking services, that the film was predicted to gross between $130 and $150 million globally on its opening weekend. It cost $150 million to make.
This would made it the second-highest-grossing debut of a Western film in 2025, albeit in a particularly poor year for the box office so far.
That could be because "A Minecraft Movie" hits the sweet spot of appealing to parents and kids, Rob Mitchell, the director of theatrical insights at the film industry research firm Gower Street Analytics, told Business Insider.
It's "a film older generations might know the IP of, but that is suitable and fun for kids. It has 'family audience' appeal because everyone can go," he said.
"The timing, at the start of Easter holidays in many countries, is also excellent," he added, as children will have time to fill during spring break.
Jezz Vernon, a London-based film producer and a senior lecturer in film and industry studies at the University of Exeter, UK, said that parents will be seeking "cost-effective" activities to entertain their kids and themselves.
Courtesy Warner Bros. Pictures
"The Jason Momoa character in Minecraft is aesthetically 'stuck' in the eighties, which will pass by a 12-year-old as a reference β but is a dose of nostalgic humor for the adult audience," he said.
So it's unlikely that bad, or even good, reviews will make much of a difference at the box office. "Electronic word of mouth" is more important when it comes to a film becoming a hit and profitable enough to trigger sequels, Vernon said.
"While the angle taken for the film is not likely to appeal to all gamers, they will likely make up their minds based on marketing, not reviews, so that's a big potential audience," Mitchell added. What would be a worry is if general audiences don't like it, which could result in a big drop in ticket sales after the first week.
"Marketing can only build the initial opening weekend β but the longer term success of a film is all word of mouth," Vernon said.
Critic's negative reviews can of course coincide with a film flopping, such as Disney's "Snow White" remake, a blockbuster marketing toward children that is struggling to break even after premiering last month.
But "Snow White" was mired in multiple controversies in the past two years, and the IP it's based on is a lot older and "less connected to its current core younger audience" than Minecraft, Mitchell said.
Critics may not unanimously love "A Minecraft Movie," but it could be just the thing to give the film industry a boost in the run-up to the summer blockbuster season.
Marvel Studios / Disney
The following list contains Walt Disney Studios' theatrical film slate as of April 4, 2025.
Disney's slate for the coming years includes sequels and remakes of fan favorites, including "Frozen," "Lilo & Stitch," and "Freaky Friday."
It fits a wider studio trend of leaning on its most popular franchises to attract larger audiences to theaters.
On Thursday, Disney shared updates for its 2025 movie slate at Cinemacon, with a major focus on its Marvel releases, "Avatar: Fire and Ash," and other sequels.
If you have lost track of the multiple Disney projects in the works, here's a list of movies due to be released by 2031.
Ian Gavan/Getty
20th Century Studios' spy thriller stars Rami Malek as a CIA cryptographer who loses his wife in a terrorist attack.
When the agency won't go after her killer due to an internal conflict, Malek's character blackmails the CIA.
Rachel Brosnahan, Laurence Fishburne, and Julianne Nicholson also star.
Marvel Studios
"Thunderbolts*" appears to be Marvel's version of "The Suicide Squad."
The upcoming movie features a ragtag bunch of antiheroes, including a group of characters we've seen introduced in various films and Disney+ shows.
Bucky Barnes/The Winter Soldier (Sebastian Stan), US Agent (Wyatt Russell), Ghost (Hannah John-Kamen), Red Guardian (David Harbour), Contessa Valentina Allegra de Fontaine (Julia Louis-Dreyfus), Taskmaster (Olga Kurylenko), and Yelena Belova (Florence Pugh) will all star in the upcoming movie.
Disney
"Lilo & Stitch," a fun, touching family film about a fugitive alien that befriends a Hawaiian girl, is finally getting the live-action treatment.
The trailer seems to suggest that the live-action movie will be a replica of the original film with a few minor changes, instead of a new take on the story like 2025's "Snow White."
The original Stitch voice actor, Chris Sanders, will return, while Maia Kealoha plays Lilo, Sydney Elizabeth Agudong plays Lilo's sister, Nani, and Kaipo Dudoit plays Nani's love interest, David Kawena.
Tia Carrere, the original voice actor of Nani, also stars in the film alongside Billy Magnussen, Hannah Waddingham, Courtney B. Vance, and Zach Galifianakis.
Disney / Pixar
Pixar's next film follows a loner, alien-obsessed boy who goes on a space adventure after accidentally being picked as Earth's ambassador for the Communiverse, an interplanetary organization.
Adrian Molina, who co-wrote and co-directed "Coco," will direct the new original movie. It stars Yonas Kibreab as Elio, Zoe SaldaΓ±a as Elio's aunt, America Ferrera as Elio's mother, Jameela Jamil as Ambassador Questa, and Brad Garrett as Ambassador Grigon.
Marvel Studios
Matt Shakman, director of "WandaVision," will direct the reboot set in a technologically advanced version of 1960s New York.
The main heroes are Pedro Pascal, who stars as Mr. Fantastic; Vanessa Kirby as the Invisible Woman; Joseph Quinn as the Human Torch; and Ebon Moss-Bachrach as The Thing.
The heroes will face off against Galactus (voiced by Ralph Ineson) and the Silver Surfer, played by Julia Garner.
You can read more "The Fantastic Four: First Steps" here.
Disney
For two years, "Freaky Friday" stars Jamie Lee Curtis and Lindsay Lohan have said they were keen to do a sequel to the 2003 movie. Disney is finally granting their wish with "Freakier Friday," where they'll return as the mother-daughter duo Tess (Curtis) and Anna Coleman (Lohan).Β
But this time, there will be a four-way body switch between Tess, Anna, Anna's daughter (Julia Butters), and Anna's soon-to-be stepdaughter (Sophia Hammons). "The Good Place" star Manny Jacinto will play Lohan's fiancΓ©.
Chad Michael Murray, who played bad boy Jake in the first movie, is reprising his role alongside Mark Harmon, Christina Vidal Mitchell, Haley Hudson, Lucille Soong, Stephen Tobolowsky, and Rosalind Chao. "Never Have I Ever" actor Maitreyi Ramakrishnan will also star in the film.
You can read more "Freakier Friday" here.
Gerald Matzka/DPA
Disney shared the first trailer for Searchlight Pictures' film "The Roses" at Cinemacon on Thursday.
The movie is a remake of the 1989 film "The War of the Roses," an adaptation of a 1981 novel by Warren Adler that was based on the real-life English Civil War.
In the remake, Olivia Colman and Benedict Cumberbatch play Ivy and Theo Rose, a seemingly picture-perfect couple whose relationship comes to a breaking point when Theo's career falters while Ivy's ambitions take off.
Andy Samberg, Allison Janney, Ncuti Gatwa, and Kate McKinnon also star.
Antoine Flament / Getty Images
"Ella McCay" is directed by James L. Brooks, the co-creator of "The Simpsons" and an Oscar-winning director, and features a star-studded cast that includes Jamie Lee Curtis, Woody Harrelson, Kumail Nanjiani, and Ayo Edebiri.
Emma Mackey plays the lead, a young woman whose political career clashes with her family life.
Amy Sussman/Getty Images
This is the third entry in the "Tron" franchise, 45 years after the first movie was released.
Instead of a human entering the digital world, this film follows a sophisticated program called Ares (Jared Leto), who enters the real world and causes a clash between humans and AI.
Jeff Bridges, who starred in the first two movies, will appear in "Tron: Ares" alongside Evan Peters, Gillian Anderson, and Greta Lee.
David Bukach / 20th Century Studios
After Dan Trachtenberg's success with 2022's "Prey," a direct-to-streaming "Predator" prequel that won an Emmy for sound editing, Disney is giving him the reins to lead a theatrical "Predator" movie.
Per Disney, the film is set on a remote planet in the future and follows a young outcast Predator on the hunt to find the ultimate adversary. This time, Predator appears to be the hero instead of a villain and even has a human ally, played by Elle Fanning.
Walt Disney Animation Studios
Judy Hopper (Ginnifer Goodwin) and Nick Wilde (Jason Bateman) are on a new case, chasing a mysterious reptile causing panic in Zootopia.
The film will introduce new characters, such as Gary De'Snake (voiced by Ke Huy Quan), the reptile in question, and Dr. Fuzzby (voiced by Quinta Brunson), a quokka who is hired to give Judy and Nick partners-counseling.
Fox
"Avatar: Fire and Ash" was partly shot alongside "Avatar 2," but it will not be released until December 2025.
In this new adventure, Jake Sully (Sam Worthington), Neytiri (Zoe SaldaΓ±a), and their family meet two new tribes in Pandora β the peaceful wind traders and the Ash people, who appear to be the villains of the film.
Kevin Winter/Getty Images
Bruce Springsteen is getting the music biopic treatment, with Jeremy Allen White playing the Grammy-winning rock star.
Like with "A Complete Unknown," "Deliver Me From Nowhere" will focus on a key moment in his life, the creation of his "Nebraska" album in 1982. The film, directed by Scott Cooper, is based on Warren Zanes' 2023 biography of the same name.
Jeremy Strong will play Springsteen's manager, John Landau, and Paul Walter Hauser, Odessa Young, and Stephen Graham will play other real-life figures in the movie.
The film does not have a release date yet, but Disney said in the press release that the film will premiere in 2025.
Chris Pizzello/AP
At 2024's D23 event, Disney's biennial fan event, Pixar announced that Daniel Chong, the storyboard artist on "Bolt" and "Minions," would direct a new original movie called "Hoppers."
The film follows a young girl, Mabel (Piper Curda), who transfers her consciousness into a robot beaver to go undercover in the animal kingdom. Variety reported that Mabel will unite the animals against a real estate developer.
Essentially, it's "Avatar" with beavers.Β
Jon Hamm and Bobby Moynihan will also star in the movie.
Jesse Grant / Getty Images for Disney
In July 2024, Marvel announced at the San Diego Comic-Con that "Iron Man" star Robert Downey Jr. would return to the MCU as the main villain of "Avengers 5," Doctor Doom.
This will be Downey Jr.'s first Marvel project since Iron Man died in 2019's "Avengers: Endgame."
The Russo Brothers, who directed "Avengers: Infinity War" and "Endgame," are also returning to direct the film.
You can read more about "Avengers: Doomsday" here.
Lucasfilm
Pedro Pascal's Mandalorian is finally coming to the big screen, and he's bringing Grogu (aka Baby Yoda) with him.
"The Mandalorian," which follows a bounty hunter who finds a young alien (Grogu) and decides to raise him, is Lucasfilm's most successful "Star Wars" Disney+ series, winning 15 Emmys across three seasons.
"The Mandalorian" showrunner Jon Favreau will direct the movie.Β
At D23, Disney teased the return of the Mandalorian's iconic Razor Crest ship, which was destroyed in season two. "Star Wars: Rebels" character Zeb Orrelios will also appear in the movie.
Disney/Pixar
"Finding Nemo" director Andrew Stanton is directing the next "Toy Story" film.Β
This time, Woody, Buzz Lightyear, and the gang compete against a digital threat for children's attention.
Disney
Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson announced the live-action adaptation during a prerecorded video for a shareholders meeting in April 2023.
Johnson will reprise his role from the hit 2016 movie as Maui, but the original Moana actor Auli'i Cravalho announced on Instagram she won't reprise her role as the Disney princess.
Instead, she'll serve as an executive producer, while Catherine Laga'aia, a 17-year-old actor, will play Moana. John Tui, Frankie Adams, and Rena Owen will play Moana's family members.
20th Century Fox
In November 2024, Disney announced that "Ice Age" would be getting another sequel, which is currently in production.
Disney said some of the franchise's main voice cast are returning, includingΒ Ray Romano and Queen Latifah, who play the mammoth couple, Manny and Ellie.
John Leguizamo and Denis Leary will return to voice sidekicks Sid the Sloth and Diego the Sabretooth Tiger. And finally, Simon Pegg will voice Buck, a reckless weasel who joined the franchise in the third film.
Jay Maidment/20th Century Studios and Marvel Studios
This list does not contain 20th Century and Searchlight Pictures films.
January 16, 2026 β untitled Disney film
February 13, 2026 β untitled Marvel movie
March 27, 2026 β untitled Disney film
April 17, 2026 β untitled Disney film
August 7, 2026 β untitled Disney film
September 11, 2026 β untitled Disney film
November 6, 2026 β untitled Marvel movie
November 25, 2026 β untitled Disney animation
ABC
In December 2024, Disney and the BBC announced that "Bluey," the hit children's show about an anthropomorphic puppy, would be made into a theatrical movie.
The animated film will be written and directed by Joe Brumm, the creator of the show. It will continue the adventures of Bluey and his family rather than reboot the story.
Jesse Grant / Getty Images for Disney
This will be the follow-up to "Avengers: Doomsday" and will also be directed by the Russo Brothers.
Disney
At 2024's D23, Disney confirmed they will make a third and fourth "Frozen" movie.Β
Disney also revealed concept art that depicted Elsa, Anna, Olaf, and the shadow of a horned person who could be the film's villain.
Disney/Lucasfilm
Over the last few years, Disney has announced multiple "Star Wars" movie projects, but none have been given release dates.
This slot could be filled by Taika Waititi's "Star Wars" movie or the start of a new "Star Wars" trilogy that revolves around Rey (Daisy Ridley) rebuilding the Jedi order.
Jesse Grant/Getty Images
This list does not contain 20th Century and Searchlight Pictures films.
February 12, 2027 β untitled Disney film
March 5, 2027Β β untitled Disney film
April 2, 2027Β β untitled Disney film
May 28, 2027Β β untitled Disney film
June 18, 2027 β untitled Pixar movie
July 23, 2027 β untitled Marvel movie
August 6, 2027Β β untitled Disney film
September 17, 2027Β β untitled Disney film
October 8, 2027Β β untitled Disney film
November 5, 2027 β untitled Marvel movie
Marvel Studios
In October 2024, The Hollywood Reporter, Deadline, and Variety reported that Disney added three untitled Marvel movies to their slate on February 18, 2028, May 5, 2028, and November 10, 2028.
A representative for Disney did not immediately respond to a comment request from Business Insider.
Disney/Pixar
In March, Disney CEO Bob Iger announced during the company's annual meeting of shareholders that "Coco 2" is in the works.
The original co-directors, Lee Unkrich and Adrian Molina, will be returning.
The 2017 film, which grossed $814 million, featured an aspiring musician who journeyed to the land of the dead to discover why his family had banned music.
Fox
Sam Worthington and Zoe SaldaΓ±a star in the "Avatar" movies. This film was pushed back from a 2026 release date.
20th Century Fox; Media Magik Entertainment/YouTube
James Cameron had ideas for "Avatar 2" and "Avatar 3" in 2010. He originally announced "Avatar 4" in 2012, before revealing in 2015 that he also planned for a fifth film.
Disney/Pixar
At the D23 event in 2024, Pixar announced another "Incredibles" sequel.
"Incredibles 2," which premiered in 2018, was the highest-grossing animated film for six years until "Inside Out 2" overtook it.
Brad Bird, the director of the film series, will helm the new project.
Gabe Ginsberg/Getty Images
At 2024's D23, Dwayne Johnson announced that he was working with Disney to produce a film about the monster truck competition known as Monster Jam.
Axelle/Bauer-Griffin/FilmMagic/Getty Images
Although Wesley Snipes originated the role in the 1998 movie, Academy Award winner Mahershala Ali is playing the human/vampire hybrid, who protects humans from vampires, in the reboot.
Ali's Blade was first teased in a post-credit scene of "Eternals," but the "Blade" film has been plagued by production delays. In October 2024, Deadline, Variety, and The Hollywood Reporter said it had been removed from Disney's calendar.
A representative for Disney did not respond to a comment request from Business Insider.
The Avenue
Anthony Hopkins knows what's really scary, and it's not what you're thinking.
The legendary actor, who won his first Oscar for playing the cannibalistic serial killer Hannibal Lecter in "The Silence of the Lambs," has a knack for playing memorable villains. The secret, he says, is to subvert the audience's expectations.
"If you're playing a villain, play the opposite," he told Business Insider. "Always choose the opposite side. If you're playing somebody who's really evil, play them very pleasantly."
Hopkins used this tactic in his new thriller "Locked," in which he plays William, the wealthy, well-mannered owner of a luxury SUV who takes sadistic revenge on Eddie (Bill SkarsgΓ₯rd), a desperate small-time thief who tried to steal his car.
The film's unique concept β almost all of the action takes place inside the vehicle William has locked Eddie inside β intrigued Hopkins immediately.
He also thought it sounded like a fun, easy job: William only speaks to Eddie in voiceover for the first half of the movie, meaning Hopkins could record much of his dialogue ahead of time. "I didn't have to show up for work for about two weeks!" he marveled.
The Avenue
Hopkins was also captivated by his character's complex motivations, telling BI he knew that William was a role he wanted to play because he'd experienced a similar feeling with "The Silence of the Lambs" decades earlier. That time, the actor had only read a few pages of the script before deciding Hannibal Lecter was "the best part ever."
"I knew that it was one of those rare roles, one of those unique roles that I knew I could do," he said. "I just had an instinct, very much as I did with this guy in the film 'Locked.'"
"Locked" is now in theaters.
Gareth Cattermole/Getty Images
Cate Blanchett has had a thriving career for decades. However, career longevity for women in Hollywood wasn't as common in the 90s.
"The shelf life of actresses when I first came on the scene was about five years," Blanchett told Business Insider in an interview for her new film "Black Bag."
Blanchett, now 55, has had a remarkably consistent career since her breakthrough role in 1998's "Elizabeth," where she played a young Elizabeth I. She's also seen Hollywood evolve from a place where casual sexism and ageism toward women were commonplace.
Thankfully, that's changing, in large part due to the #MeToo movement and the increase in women working behind the scenes.
"I think that female producers have more agency," Blanchett said. "There's more females in the writing room, and the more diverse the industry is at base level, when things are developed, the more exciting it is for audiences."
Of course, Hollywood still has its issues β but as Blanchett sees it, all industries do. "I think there's ageism and sexism in every industry. I just think that we're a very public-facing industry," she said.
Claudette Barius/Focus Features
Not only has Blanchett stayed in demand for years, but she's arguably busier than ever.
In "Black Bag," the latest from legendary director Steven Soderbergh, Blanchett plays Kathryn St. Jean, a talented spy and the beloved wife of George Woodhouse, a brilliant intelligence agent played by Michael Fassbender. Woodhouse receives information suggesting that St. Jean may have betrayed the country, leading him down a rabbit hole of corruption.
The highly charged sexual relationship between the couple is key to their dynamic.
"There was a very strong sexual bond between George and Kathryn, and it was important for that to sing," she told BI.
Kathryn's sleek look is similarly integral to her character. Blanchett said she had to prise direction out of Soderbergh ("He's quite sort of enigmatic and removed"), but the one thing she was able to get out of him regarding who her character should be was "Big hair." Hence, Blanchett rocks a long, dark wig to transform into the character.
Blanchett said Soderbergh valued the characters' looks since he wanted "Black Bag" to feel "stylish and appealing and alluring."
"The thing that Steven said that really stayed with me throughout the shoot is that we're making a movie. We're not making a film," Blanchett recalled.
"Black Bag" is in theaters now.
Jacopo Raule/Getty Images
Hollywood is betting big on a longtime internet classic: the creepypasta.
Warner Bros. has won the rights to a film starring Sydney Sweeney based on a 4-year-old Reddit story posted to the r/nosleep community, The Hollywood Reporter first reported.
The r/nosleep community on Reddit is a place where users share scary first-person stories. The community encourages users to maintain "immersion" by behaving as if the stories are real.
The term "creepypasta" describes stories from the subreddit and is a play on the term "copypasta" β blocks of text that are so memorable they are reposted and repurposed across social media, becoming a meme.
The film will be based on one of the community's most popular stories titled, "I pretended to be a missing girl so I could rob her family."
The story follows a girl who pretends to be a daughter missing for several years so she can steal from a family. The plot is similar to the 2009 horror movie "Orphan," which follows a 33-year-old Russian woman pretending to be a young girl so that an unsuspecting family will adopt her.
Sweeney has signed on to star in and produce the project, and according to the report, Academy Award-winning "Forest Gump" writer Eric Roth will write the script.
Joe Cote, an English teacher from Massachusetts, posted the story on Reddit. Cote told The Daily Mail that his first thought when Hollywood talent managers reached out about the film last year was, "Holy crap. What is happening?'"
Cote did not immediately respond to a request for comment from Business Insider.
Hollywood has tried to bring other popular internet stories to the big screen before, banking on their already-established popularity.
In 2018, Ryan Reynolds agreed to produce a film based on a post on the r/nosleep subreddit called "The Patient Who Nearly Drove Me Out Of Medicine." The film was never released.
Maybe the most notable "creepypasta" to hit the big screen was the 2018 film "Slender Man," which is based on the Slenderman character that rose to fame through creepy stories on an internet forum called Something Awful.
In 2021, A24 also released "Zola," which was based on a popular Twitter thread in 2015 posted by A'Ziah King. It recounted her trip to Florida to become a stripper.
Reddit and the moderators of r/nosleep did not immediately return requests for comment from Business Insider. Warner Bros. also did not immediately return a request for comment.
Disney
Warning: Major spoilers ahead for the 2025 "Snow White" remake.
Disney's "Snow White" got another modern-day spin, more than 80 years after the animated movie "Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs" hit theaters.
Marc Webb's "Snow White," released on Friday, stars Rachel Zegler as the titular princess and Gal Gadot as her stepmother, the Evil Queen.
While this is not the first and only "Snow White" retelling (see: "Snow White and the Huntsman" and "Mirror, Mirror"), it is the most paint-by-numbers remake of the 1937 film and the Brothers Grimm fairytale.
Still, the new movie diverges from the source material in a few major ways. Here are the biggest changes.
Disney
In the animated movie, the titular character's name refers to her "skin white as snow." In the live-action remake, the movie opens by revealing that Snow White's name is an homage to the weather on the night of her birth. The princess was born on an evening when a blizzard swept through the land, leaving the kingdom in snow and ice.
Disney
"Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs" does not mention Snow White's parents. Instead, the animated movie kicks off with a storybook passage explaining that Snow White's vain and wicked stepmother feared that someday the princess's beauty would surpass her own, so she dressed her in rags and forced her to work in the scullery.
The 2025 movie starts with a similar storybook revealing that the kingdom was once ruled by Snow White's parents, the king and queen, and the land flourished under them.
Snow White's parents taught her to lead with love and make it a point to remember people's names. They also baked apple pies and distributed them throughout the kingdom to share their wealth with the townspeople.
After the queen falls ill and dies, the Evil Queen arrives, enchants the king, and marries him. It's only after they wed that she's revealed to be evil and power-hungry. The Evil Queen then warns the king of a threat beyond the kingdom and leaves to investigate it, but he never returns and the Evil Queen completely takes over.
Disney
In the animated movie, the Evil Queen instructs the huntsman to kill Snow White in a secluded glade and bring her back her heart in a box as proof. He instead tells Snow White to flee into the woods and puts the heart of a pig in the box.
In Webb's film, the huntsman lets Snow White escape and puts an apple in the box. Although this small change doesn't affect the plot, it avoids the unnecessary murder of an animal to trick the queen.
Disney
One of the biggest critiques of the animated classic is that the heroine spends most of the movie daydreaming about her Prince Charming someday finding her.
From the start of the 2025 movie, it's established that Snow White's destiny is to be a leader who's fearless, fair, brave, and true. "Someday My Prince Will Come" is replaced by a more empowering "I wish" song for Snow White, called "Waiting On A Wish."
In the updated song, she sings about her hope to become her father's daughter and the kind leader she was raised to be.
Giles Keyte/Disney
Prince Charming from the 1937 movie doesn't really have any discernible, distinguishing traits. He first encounters Snow White after hearing her singing beautifully and then wakes her from a sleeping death with love's first kiss after a lengthy search.
In the modern-day reimagining, there's no Prince Charming on a white horse. Instead, he's replaced with Jonathan, the captain of a group of bandits.
Giles Keyte/Disney
Snow White and Jonathan first meet in the palace scullery, where she's been banished to clean. Snow White sees him stealing food for himself and the other bandits and is caught by the palace guards.
As punishment, the Evil Queen chains him to the gate so he can freeze to death. Snow White savesΒ himΒ by untying him and letting him run free.
When Snow White later encounters Jonathan in the woods, she initially assumes he's just a selfish, common criminal, and he writes her off as an out-of-touch princess. But as they get to know each other, they realize there's more than meets the eye.
Instead of running off for good when the guards detect them, Snow White tricks the enemies and returns to fight alongside the bandits, which surprises and impresses Jonathan.
Meanwhile, Snow White's opinion of Jonathan changes and she develops romantic feelings for him after he selflessly takes an arrow for her and saves her life.
Later, when Jonathan gets captured and thrown in the palace dungeon, he tells the huntsman that Snow White showed him how to have hope and courage.
Disney
In the animated "Snow White," the princess cleans up the dwarfs' cottage to earn favor with the inhabitants, hoping they'll let her stay.
After the dwarfs return from work and meet Snow White, she offers to keep the place clean and cook for them, as long as they let her stick around.
The new movie avoids Snow White being relegated to the dwarfs' maid or chef. Upon arrival at the cottage, she falls asleep. When the dwarfs find her, they agree to let her stay with them to be out of harm's way. And during the musical number "Whistle While You Work," everyone gets involved in cleaning up the home.
Disney
The king's unexplained disappearance is a big part of the remake. Snow White goes on a journey in search of him, with the help of the bandits, because she believes she can restore the old kingdom.
When the Evil Queen, disguised as the hag, convinces Snow White to bite into the poisoned apple, she calls the old king a fool. At that moment, Snow White realizes that she's the Evil Queen in disguise and that her stepmother murdered her father.
Disney
In the animated movie, the other dwarfs make fun of Dopey because he can't talk, or never tried to.
In the 2025 film, a CGI Dopey is also silent and afraid to speak, but Snow White is kind is helps him find his voice. First, she teaches him to whistle, and he ends up being a natural.
Later in the movie, when Snow White awakes from her sleeping death, she says that the kingdom is her destiny and that it's time to step into her role as a leader.
Snow White warns the dwarfs that it'll be difficult because the Evil Queen will try to stop them. Then, to the surprise of everyone, Dopey says, "Let her try" and adds that they're not afraid anymore. At the end of the movie, it's revealed that he's actually the narrator.
Giles Keyte/Disney
There's no fight or standoff between Snow White and the Evil Queen in the original movie because by the time the princess wakes up, her stepmother has already fallen to her death.
But in the remake, Snow White heads to the castle to take back the kingdom. In response, the Evil Queen tells Snow White that if she wants the throne, she has to kill her with a dagger she conjured.
Predictably, Snow White refuses, so the Evil Queen gives the weapon to one of the palace guards and orders him to kill the princess.
Recalling what her mom taught her about making it a point to remember peoples' names, Snow White stops the guard by calling him by his name, Paul. She also reminds him of how he used to be a farmer and share his grove of cherry trees with others. Then, Snow White calls out the names of the other guards, winning them over with her kindness and turning them against the Evil Queen.
Snow White tells the Evil Queen to leave and never come back. But the villain tries to kill Snow White with the dagger. She's intercepted by the crossbow of the bandit named Quigg knocking the dagger out of her hand and turning it to dust.
Giles Keyte/Disney
In the animated "Snow White," the dwarfs chase the Evil Queen (in her hag disguise) up a cliff. While trying to move a boulder toward the dwarfs to knock them over, a lightning bolt strikes the ledge, and the Evil Queen falls to her death, the boulder crashing down with her.
Even though Snow White spares the Evil Queen's life in the remake, she still meets her demise.
After running back to her room in the castle, the Evil Queen rushes to her Magic Mirror, who calls her vain and says that Snow White's beauty comes from deep within. Therefore, she'll always be superior to the Evil Queen. Angry, the Evil Queen smashes the mirror. In shattering the mirror, she also disintegrates into ashes that get pulled through the magic vortex, presumably into some kind of void.
In the aftermath, Snow White becomes the new queen and restores the town to its former glory.
