2025 has had some great sci-fi movies so far, but with the year far from over, here are six more exciting sci-fi movies that are still to come this year, ranked by anticipation. Plenty of notable sci-fi movies are slated for the second half of the year, ranging from major blockbuster sequels in big franchises to smaller auteur movies from Oscar-winning filmmakers.

The first half of 2025 was packed with sci-fi, with it being one of the most prominent genres of the year. Mickey 17 and Companion are both critically acclaimed sci-fi movies that came out in the first two months of 2025, with them still being discussed now. Major franchises have also released sci-fi films, such as Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning, Predator: Killer of Killers, and Jurᴀssic World Rebirth.

Two of the biggest movies coming out this month are superhero sci-fi projects, those being Superman and The Fantastic Four. Plenty of family films from 2025 have also explored the sci-fi genre, such as Lilo & Sтιтch, Elio, and The Day the Earth Blew Up: A Looney Tunes Movie. If that isn’t enough, here are six more sci-fi movies set to release beyond July of this year.

6

TRON: Ares

October 10, 2025

One of the most notable films that is still to be released in 2025 is TRON: Ares. This is the third film in Disney’s TRON franchise, which follows characters as they are sucked into the world of the тιтular video game. Despite 1982’s TRON and 2010’s TRON: Legacy both being cult hits, the franchise has never fully caught on. However, Disney is undoubtedly hoping that this changes with the release of TRON: Ares.

Set to release on October 10, TRON: Ares follows the artificial intelligence Ares as he leaves the Grid and heads into the real world of humans. The first trailer for TRON: Ares shows that far more of the Grid than just Ares leaks into the real world, wreaking video game havoc across a big city. TRON: Ares stars Jared Leto, Greta Lee, Evan Peters, Jeff Bridges, and more.

While another TRON film is exciting, and it will be cool to see Jeff Bridges return to the franchise once again, many are skeptical about TRON: Ares. The film is directed by Joachim Rønning, a seasoned Disney director who previously worked on Maleficent: Mistress of Evil and Pirates of the Caribbean: ᴅᴇᴀᴅ Men Tell No Tales. Neither of these films are critical darlings, meaning that expectations for TRON: Ares aren’t particularly high.

Another point of contention with TRON fans has to do with the soundtrack. The most beloved part of TRON: Legacy is its music, which was composed and performed by Daft Punk. TRON: Ares will be scored by Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross, who have done great work on Challengers, The Social Network, and more. While they will undoubtedly do a great job, any change to a beloved aspect of the previous film is scary.

5

Predator: Badlands

November 7, 2025

The Predator franchise is releasing two movies in 2025, and after the success of Predator: Killer of Killers, the animated anthology film is being followed up by Predator: Badlands. The upcoming film will follow a Yautja protagonist named Dek as it teams up with a Weyland-Yutani android named Thia to hunt down the ultimate prey. Predator: Badlands stars Dimitrius Schuster-Koloamatangi and Elle Fanning.

The Predator franchise is far from perfect, with many of its films being hit or miss. However, Predator has been on a H๏τ streak lately thanks to the involvement of director Dan Trachtenberg. Trachtenberg reignited the Predator franchise with 2022’s Prey, and Predator: Killer of Killers has proven that Trachtenberg can consistently make great Predator movies, and hopefully he will do it again with Predator: Badlands.

Fans of the Predator franchise have a lot to be excited about with the upcoming film, as it will expand the series like never before. Predator: Badlands will take place on a mysterious planet, and if Predator: Killer of Killers is anything to go by, this could be the Yautja home planet. The ending of Predator: Killer of Killers sets up a lot of exciting possibilities, and Predator: Badlands could pay these off.

4

The Running Man

November 7, 2025

The first trailer for Edgar Wright’s The Running Man remake has just been released, setting expectations high for the upcoming film. The adaptation of the Stephen King novel is also a remake of the 1987 The Running Man, which stars Arnold Schwarzenegger. The film follows a contestant who joins a TV game show where he must survive professional ᴀssᴀssins for 30 days. It stars Glen Powell, Josh Brolin, Colman Domingo, and more.

The Running Man is mainly an action dystopian movie, but it does have some sci-fi elements. The most exciting part of the film is the involvement of director Edgar Wright, who has made some fantastic movies like Shaun of the ᴅᴇᴀᴅ, Scott Pilgrim vs. the World, and Baby Driver. While Wright’s most recent film, Last Night in Soho, was more divisive, the director still has an incredibly strong track record.

The one big red flag with The Running Man is the original film. The Arnold Schwarzenegger version isn’t perfect, meaning that there is a lot of room to improve. While it is possible that the improvements could make 2025’s The Running Man great, the original film proves that it isn’t an easy story to adapt.

3

Avatar: Fire And Ash

December 19, 2025

The third movie in James Cameron’s Avatar series is set to release in 2025, with Avatar: Fire and Ash hitting theaters on December 19. 2009’s Avatar and 2022’s Avatar: The Way of Water are two of the highest-grossing movies of all time, and many are hoping that Avatar: Fire and Ash pulls off the same feat.

Very little is known about the story of Avatar: Fire and Ash, although it is expected that it will pick up after the mᴀssive ending of Avatar: The Way of Water. James Cameron is returning to direct the upcoming film, and it will again star Sam Worthington, Zoe Saldaña, Sigourney Weaver, Stephen Lang, and many other cast members from the first two films.

One of the few story details that is known about Avatar: Fire and Ash is that it will introduce the villainous Fire People. These fire-based Na’vi are set to be an antagonistic force, continuing the trend of introducing a new elemental Na’vi in each film. Having a fire-based clan will raise the stakes like never before, with them presumably being far more destructive than the Omatikaya and the Metkayina.

2

Frankenstein

November 2025

Although Frankenstein is mostly thought of as a horror film thanks to its ᴀssociation with the Universal Monsters brand, it is actually a very early science fiction story. Luckily, acclaimed filmmaker Guillermo del Toro is adapting Marie Shelley’s classic novel, while he is sure to put his own twist on the story of the mad scientist and his monster.

Frankenstein will release on Netflix in November 2025, although an exact release date hasn’t yet been announced. The film will star Oscar Isaac as Victor Frankenstein and Jacob Elordi as Frankenstein’s Monster, as well as Mia Goth, Cristoph Waltz, Ralph Ineson, and more.

Del Toro is a fantastic filmmaker, and his previous sci-fi movies like Pacific Rim and The Shape of Water are some of the best in the genre. The director’s fairy tale aesthetic makes him perfect for a fairy tell-like sci-fi story such as Frankenstein, and it is one of the most anticipated Netflix releases of the year.

1

Bugonia

October 24, 2025

Of all the sci-fi movies left in 2025, the most exciting one is Bugonia. The film comes from director Yorgos Lanthimos, with it starring Jesse Plemons, Emma Stone, Aidan Delbis, Stavros Halkias, and Alicia Silverstone. The movie is an English remake of the 2003 Korean film Save the Green Planet!, which is critically acclaimed.

The story follows two conspiracy theorists who become convinced that the head of a large company is secretly an alien who wants to destroy Earth. Thus, they decide to kidnap her and discover her true nature.

The most exciting thing about Bugonia is that it is directed by Lanthimos, who previously directed Oscars darlings like Poor Things and The Favourite, as well as other acclaimed films like The Killing of a Sacred Deer, The Lobster, and Kinds of Kindness. Lanthimos is well-versed in the sci-fi genre, although the Bugonia trailer proves that his signature style is still core to the film.

Lanthimos’ track record means that Bugonia could easily be one of the best films of the year, even if it isn’t as big of a box office hit as the aforementioned films on this list. Either way, Bugonia will undoubtedly be one of the most memorable sci-fi movies of 2025.