Since its launch in 2007, Netflix has revolutionized the way we watch television and movies. For better or worse, the streaming giant ushered in the age of digital streaming. Dozens of copycat streaming services have popped up over the years. Netflix, however, continues to reign supreme as the most popular streaming platform with the most subscribers — a whopping 260 million of them as of December 31, 2023.
In addition to its now-retired mail-based movie rental business, Netflix started off by streaming popular movies and TV shows, helping them surge in popularity. But over the years, Netflix has shifted to creating original content, producing its own hit TV shows and movies. Let’s now take a peek at 2025 and check out some of the most promising Netflix original films hitting our screens this year.
10
‘Back in Action’
January 17, 2025
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Release Date
January 17, 2025
Cameron Diaz is back in action. Literally. Diaz is emerging from her 12-year acting retirement to appear in a new Netflix original movie. Back in Action is an action comedy where two former CIA agents are roped back into the world of espionage after their secret identities are exposed.
It sounds like your typical run-of-the-mill action comedy, but fans will no doubt tune in to watch Diaz’s return to cinema. Back in Action also stars Jamie Foxx alongside Cameron Diaz.
9
‘The Electric State’
March 14, 2025
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Cast
Millie Bobby Brown
, Chris Pratt
, Woody Harrelson
, Ke Huy Quan
, Giancarlo Esposito
, Stanley Tucci
, Anthony Mackie
, Brian Cox
, Jenny Slate
, Woody Norman
, Alan Tudyk
, Katelin Chesna
, Adam Croasdell
, Joe Avena
, Sebastian Soler
, Billy Bob Thornton
, Jason Alexander
, Terry Notary
, Cuyle Carvin
, Helen Hunt
Release Date
March 14, 2025
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Ever since she appeared in Stranger Things, Millie Bobby Brown has become the golden star of Netflix. In addition to Stranger Things, she’s also the star of the Enola Holmes film series, where she plays the little sister of famed detective Sherlock Holmes. Brown’s next project with Netflix is the upcoming film, The Electric State.
Loosely based on the eponymous 2018 graphic novel, The Electric State is set in an alternate 1994. Here, an orphaned teenager searches for her missing brother with a mysterious robot and an eccentric drifter. The film also features an A-list cast that includes Chris Pratt, Ke Huy Quan, Jason Alexander, Woody Harrelson, Anthony Mackie, Brian Cox, Giancarlo Esposito, and Stanley Tucci. Between The Electric State’s release and the highly anticipated return of Stranger Things, 2025 is shaping up to be a huge year for both Millie Bobby Brown and Netflix.
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8
‘RIP’
TBD
Everyone knows that Ben Affleck and Matt Damon are longtime best friends. Their partnership turned Good Will Hunting into a movie, launching both of their Hollywood careers. They’ve worked on a total of 9 films together, including Dogma, Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back, The Last Duel, and Air. And now 2025’s RIP will be added to that list, reuniting Damon and Affleck once again.
Very little is known about this movie, aside from the fact that it should be released on Netflix in 2025. RIP is reportedly a crime thriller about a group of cops who must deal with the aftermath of uncovering a large amount of cash. Regardless of the plot, viewers will likely tune in to see more of the Damon and Affleck bromance in action.
7
‘Ballad of a Small Player’
TBD
Colin Farrell is hot right now after his recent win at the 82nd Golden Globe Awards, claiming Best Actor in a Miniseries or Television Film for his transformative performance as the Penguin. And Ballad of a Small Player is one of his next projects.
Part ghost story, part psychological thriller, it follows a con man and gambler, who flees to the casinos of Macau. Ballad of a Small Player is based on Lawrence Osborne’s 2014 novel of the same name, which was selected for numerous 2014 best novel lists like The New York Times. Tilda Swinton will also star in the movie. Ballad of a Small Player doesn’t have a release date yet, but it’s expected to hit Netflix sometime in 2025.
6
‘The Twits’
TBD
Roald Dahl is one of the greatest authors in children’s literature. His quirky imagination birthed some of the most iconic and beloved stories, like Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, Matilda, and James and the Giant Peach. It was no surprise when Netflix acquired the Roald Dahl Story Company in 2021, giving them the rights to the author’s most famous stories and characters.
Netflix’s upcoming animated film, The Twits, is the first project to come out of this partnership. It’s based on one of the less popular, but no less incredible, stories by Roald Dahl. It follows the Twits, a devious couple who continuously play awful practical jokes on each other. Natalie Portman and Emilia Clarke will lend their voices to the Netflix adaptation, which will hopefully be as humorously dark as the book.
5
‘The Thursday Murder Club’
TBD
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The Thursday Murder Club
The Thursday Murder Club by Richard Osman was a huge bestseller in the UK. Netflix, a proven fan of international stories, will be adapting the novel for a 2025 release. It will follow a group of elderly amateur sleuths, as they attempt to solve a murder.
The Thursday Murder Club will feature a seasoned ensemble cast that includes Helen Mirren, Pierce Brosnan, and Ben Kingsley. It will also be directed by Christ Columbus, the legendary director of the first two Home Alone and Harry Potter movies. Between its talented cast and director, this is one film that’s sure to pique the interest of older audiences and perhaps even younger ones, too.
4
‘Happy Gilmore 2’
TBD
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Release Date
February 16, 1996
Runtime
92 minutes
Back in 2014, Adam Sandler struck a lucrative movie deal with Netflix. This deal meant that Sandler and his studio, Happy Madison Productions, would make films exclusively for Netflix. Sandler has churned out numerous projects for Netflix over the years, including The Ridiculous 6, The Do-Over, Hustle, You Are So Not Invited to My Bat Mitzvah, and a few others. So what’s next for Netflix and the legendary comic?
Sometime in 2025, Happy Madison Productions will release Happy Gilmore 2, the sequel to one of Sandler’s most beloved comedies, Happy Gilmore. Numerous actors will reprise their iconic roles from the original film, such as Christopher McDonald as the villainous Shooter McGavin, Julie Bowen as Happy’s love interest Virginia Venit, Ben Stiller as the psycho nursing home orderly, and, of course, Sandler himself as Happy Gilmore.
Unfortunately, comedy sequels don’t have the best track record critically. Just look at Anchorman 2, Dumb and Dumber To, Zoolander 2, or many others. Here’s to hoping that Sandler and the gang will score another hole-in-one with Happy Gilmore 2.
3
‘Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery’
TBD
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Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery
Netflix’s murder mystery, Knives Out, became hugely popular when it hit our screens in 2019. Its tremendous success led Netflix to acquire the exclusive rights and develop this film into a franchise. The streaming giant greenlighted two sequels which, like the original film, are written, directed, and co-produced by Rian Johnson. Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery is the third installment in this series and serves as a standalone sequel to the second film, Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery.
Like its predecessors, this film will follow an investigation spearheaded by master detective Benoit Blanc, played by Daniel Craig. Wake Up Dead Man will also feature an ensemble cast that includes big names like Glenn Close, Josh Brolin, Mila Kunis, Jeremy Renner, and Kerry Washington. There’s no release date just yet, and not much is known about the plot at this time. But given the last two movies, fans of Knives Out can expect another film with twists and turns, murder and mystery.
2
‘Peaky Blinders: The Immortal Man’
TBD
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Cast
Annabelle Wallis
, Ian Peck
, Helen McCrory
, Paul Anderson
, Cillian Murphy
, Ned Dennehy
, Aimee-Ffion Edwards
, Sam Neill
, Sophie Rundle
, Tony Pitts
, Joe Cole
Release Date
September 12, 2013
Seasons
6
Peaky Blinders, a British Prohibition-era crime drama starring Cillian Murphy, was one of Netflix’s most popular, well-received shows. The series wrapped up after its sixth and final season in 2022. But as it turns out, we haven’t seen the last of Cillian’s Tommy Shelby, his dysfunctional family, or his criminal organization. Netflix announced that they would be expanding the series into a feature-length film, The Immortal Man, which will release some time this year.
Several actors have agreed to reprise their roles for the film, including Stephen Graham and Sophie Rundle. Other notable actors have signed on to appear in the film, such as Tim Roth and Barry Keoghan as a new Shelby relative, Pinto. Will this film add to the legacy of Peaky Blinders, or will it turn out to be an unneeded, mediocre addition like The Sopranos film, The Many Saints of Newark? We’ll find out later this year.
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1
‘Frankenstein’
TBD
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Frankenstein
Mary Shelley’s 1818 novel, Frankenstein, is considered the first true science-fiction story. It’s had an immeasurable impact on the horror and sci-fi genres, an influence that continues to resonate today. Over the years, there have been many adaptations of Shelley’s legendary tale. Too many, some might say. And in 2025, a new entry will be added to this list.
Despite the abundance of Frankenstein movies, there are many reasons to get excited about this particular adaptation. For one thing, it’s being made by Guillermo del Toro, an acclaimed filmmaker who’s known for blending fantasy, horror, and gothicism into his stories, often combining visual or poetic beauty with the grotesque. That alone makes him perfect for adapting Shelley’s novel about a monstrous creation that’s shunned by his own creator.
Secondly, Frankenstein has been a passion project of del Toro’s for about 20 years. He once claimed that he would “would kill to make” this movie. Well, Netflix is giving del Toro the chance to finally bring his unique vision to life in 2025 — and fortunately, he didn’t have to kill anyone to make it happen. Promising to focus more on the story’s tragedy, del Toro’s passion project will feature an ensemble cast that includes Oscar Isaac as Victor Frankenstein and Jacob Elordi as Frankenstein’s monster, as well as Mia Goth and Christoph Waltz.
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