Sneak Preview: 2025 – the year of the blockbusters

By Spielwarenmesse eG 

Films either become box office hits – or they’re classed as "art". You can’t have it both ways. Or can you? Barbie effortlessly mastered the fine line between biting satire on the one hand and commercial interests on the other. That particular blockbuster grossed an incredible $1.36 billion (around €1.26 billion), making it the highest-grossing release of 2023.

Do films serve to reflect society? In the field of film sociology, it is an acknowledged fact that, besides its pure entertainment purpose a film should convey a certain message or ideal. Films, even blockbuster films, are always a product of their time. The close relationship between the world and society at large is, therefore, no mere over-intellectualised hypothesis. The only question that arises is this: just how far can blockbusters go when an international licensing market and gigantic budgets are involved?

Witches and superheroes in the fight against the propaganda machine

The first part of the musical adaptation of Wicked was released in cinemas late last year. Director Jon M. Chu is bringing the American Broadway hit to the big screen. The prequel to The Wizard of Oz is divided into two parts. This first part has a running time of 2 hours and 40 minutes, making it already a whole lot longer than the musical it was based on. Good use was made of this time – not only for spectacular musical numbers, in which both Ariana Grande and Cynthia Erivo shone, but also for exploring in more detail one aspect of the books that is somewhat neglected in the stage version: the wizard’s propaganda machine. It’s responsible for making the talking animals – who are employed as professors at the university, for example – and ultimately Elphaba herself, responsible for the problems of the humans. Of course, snuggled up in your comfy cinema seat, you can just let the film wash over you, and switch your brain off. But there’s more to the film than that. It remains to be seen how just bold the second part will be, given that Wicked has already sold more merchandise than Barbie did last year.

Let’s move on to the new instalment of Captain America. The MCU (Marvel Cinematic Universe) has had to deal with two contrasting accusations in the past. On the one hand, the films are alleged to be nothing but escapism. In a much-quoted interview, even legendary director Martin Scorsese compared Marvel films to theme parks. On the other, voices were raised accusing the Captain America series of being nothing but military propaganda. Unfortunately, a superhero called "Captain America" is in an incredibly poor position to defend himself against such accusations. It took some time for Anthony Mackie, the new Captain America, to react and begin to reflect on his own role in political events (in the fictional MCU). The title of the film, due to be released in 2025, was toned down and changed from the previously announced Captain America: New World Order to Captain America: Brand New World.

The scientific ethics of dinosaurs

Way back in 1993, Steven Spielberg toyed with the concept of scientific ethics when he had dinosaurs cloned for his Jurassic Park film series. As we all know, the answer to the question of how far science can go ended in a spectacular disaster. While the fascination of the ground-breaking digital effects that brought the dinosaurs back to life on the silver screen overshadowed the actual, real confrontation with the moral dilemma, the 2015 remake was much less interested in grappling with it at all. In 2025, we’ll get to see whether the scientists in Jurassic World: Rebirth – led by Scarlett Johansson this time – have learnt from the mistakes of the past.

Eskapismus im Kinderzimmer?

It wasn’t just the Minions that proved that children’s films fuel the global licensing markets – while at the same time appeal to adult target groups with their meta-level message. So how much of a sense of a mission can a children’s film actually tolerate? That’s the big question. The curtain slowly rises on Dog Man. Yet another superhero, but this time one that’s half man, half dog. (Oh, yes, you read that right!) After a failed bomb disposal operation, an unconventional operation saves the lives of a policeman and his dog. In the film Dog Man, the main protagonist and titular superhero then does battle with a villainous cat, voiced by comedian Pete Davidson.

Disney always has something to offer for those who love fairy tales. This time, it’s the live-action film version of Snow White. Even before filming started, the whole idea of making a new version came in for a lot of criticism. The big bone of contention was the portrayal of the dwarves by people of small stature. If you can ignore the behind-the-scenes debate and the fact that Disney unceremoniously animated the seven dwarfs in response to the uproar outside the cinema, then you can expect everything that makes a Disney film magical. 

Animal lovers will be pleased to hear that Zootopia 2 is coming to a cinema near them in the autumn. As with the first part of the animated film, the humorous story once again contains messages that address issues affecting society at large. In a world in which all animals have overcome their instincts and live together side by side in peace and harmony, the main character is the first female police officer to uncover a conspiracy. Targeted attacks turn animals into beasts, and the female mayor involved (a sheep) uses this to stir up prejudice against predators and to deliberately incite hatred. It’s a well thought-out allegory with enough leeway in the story for anyone who just wants a bit of pleasure and relaxation in the cinema. So anyone who managed to come out of the cinema singing a happy song after Toy Story 3 in 2010, even though Barbie taught us in passing that "Authority should derive from the consent of the governed not from the threat of force!" will surely be able to immerse themselves effortlessly in the wholesome and apolitical world of children’s films in 2025.

Fighting summer depression with the Superman summer

The most eagerly awaited blockbuster of 2025 in the licensing industry is the new Superman. In true Barbenheimer style, Warner Brothers has already confidently proclaimed ‘Superman Summer’. And what is the strategy against the superhero fatigue that has been proclaimed by many? Superman has to be fun again! After the deliberately very dark (thematically, but also in colour grading) Superman films with Henry Cavill in the lead role, this time David Corenswet slips into the much lighter blue costume. Perhaps a rebranding as family fun is just the right move in these politically charged times? And maybe it really is the much teased return of the Superdog that can save the cinemas' summer earnings?

The politics of art

Can art – and thus cinema as a fictional art form – be political? Yes, it can. Films move somewhere between artistic freedom and political insight. They exhibit a special potential because they bring together a lot of people who look at society in many different ways. As we well know from film history, abstaining from making a political statement is a political statement in itself. That means this year, in 2025, we can still laugh and cry to our heart’s content in the cinema. Small escapes from our everyday life are definitely allowed. When the lights go out in the cinema, almost anything is possible!

Movie meets merchandising

It goes without saying that people will still be able to enjoy some exciting merchandise in 2025. For a lot of films, turning characters and themes into products is a key element of their financing. And it’s often the highly financed blockbusters, which also have a substantial advertising budget behind them, that ultimately generate income for their producers in the form of merchandise. After all, a film should linger in people’s memories – even, or especially, if it has made people think. Things only become critical when the film industry underestimates its audience. When all is said and done, merchandising or licensing without an exciting story and suitable projection screens is ultimately nothing more than colourful logos printed on T-shirts.

Overview of all blockbusters

31 Jan 2025   Dog Man
14 Feb 2025   Captain America: Brave New World 
21 Mar 2025   Disney´s Snow White 
  3 Apr 2025   A Minecraft Movie 
  1 May 2025   Thunderbolts 
21 May 2025   Mission: Impossible - The Final Reckoning 
22 May 2025   Lilo and Stitch 
12 Jun 2025   How to Train Your Dragon 
27 Jun 2025   F1 
   2 Jul 2025   Jurassic World Rebirth 
11 Jul 2025   Superman 
24 Jul 2025   Fantastic Four 
11 Sep 2025   Downton Abbey 3 
23 Oct 2025   Mortal Kombat 2 
13 Nov 2025   Now You See Me 3 
26 Nov 2025   Zootopia 2 
17 Dec 2025   Avatar: Fire and Ash