Upcoming sci-fi movies for 2024 and 2025
As we head deeper into 2024, here are the upcoming sci-fi movies to look forward to this year and next.
2024 has already been a year filled with interstellar adventures, mind-bending escapades, and long-yearned-for adaptations. But the year is far from over. With each month comes a new release date to mark on your calendar with movies including galactic animation, superhero franchises, and a utopia built from ruin all just a hint of what's to come.
As the movie world finally springs forward from the delays of the historic SAG-AFTRA strikes, there are new horizons to enjoy, littered with actual real-life release dates to eagerly await. Given time, some of these movies may well make it onto our best sci-fi movies of all time. And, while you wait, it's worth browsing that very list to see what high-concept and highly impressive titles the sci-fi genre has to offer.
So, be sure to note down the dates below, find the titles you're most excited about, load up your favorite streaming platforms, or get your tickets for the theater near you as there's plenty left in 2024. There's also a peek behind the curtain of 2025, as it has its own delights to share.
If you want an in-depth look at what's already out there, be sure to check out our guides to the best sci-fi movies and TV shows on Disney Plus, Netflix, Amazon Prime and Paramount Plus.
A Quiet Place: Day One (June 28, 2024)
- Release date: June 28, 2024
- Cast: Joseph Quinn, Djimon Hounsou, Lupita Nyong'o
John Krasinki's directorial, co-written, and co-starring roles in A Quiet Place and A Quiet Place Part II earned these films over 90% on Rotten Tomatoes. No surprise then that there's more to come from the franchise, although this time the reins have been handed over to Michael Sarnoski (Pig).
A Quiet Place: Day One is a spin-off prequel following this time around a woman named Sam (Lupit Noyong’o) as she struggles with the fast-changing landscape of New York City when the aliens, with impeccably dangerous hearing, first land. Unfortunately, that’s about all we know for now. First scheduled for March 2023, then September 2023, then March 2024, A Quiet Place: Day One has been a long time coming, but it’s finally on the way.
Deadpool 3 (July 26, 2024)
- Release date: July 26, 2024
- Cast: Ryan Reynolds, Hugh Jackman, Morena Baccarin, Emma Corrin
It's been six years since Wade Wilson graced our screens as loudmouth antihero, Deadpool. And whilst it was previously hinted that Wolverine would be making an appearance, it turns out now it's a team-up between the pair that paves the way for the entire movie's premise. Previously Deadpool 3, it's now Deadpool and Wolverine embarking on a whole new mission… even if it's reluctantly accepted by both sides. It’s an X-Men collaboration that has sparked the interest of sci-fi fans everywhere.
You may have thought Wolverine was over, given how, spoiler alert, 2017's Logan ended, but he's back and it's the iconic Hugh Jackman also reprising the role. Fans of both franchises wait with bated breath to see how the "merc with a mouth" teams up with Wolverine, but what they lack in shared opinions and life choices, they certainly make up for in their want to defeat a common enemy.
Borderlands (Aug. 9, 2024)
- Release date: August 9, 2024
- Cast: Cate Blanchett, Kevin Hart, Ariana Greenblatt, Bobby Lee
The sci-fi movie genre has become a great launchpad for video game franchises looking to hit the big screen. Take Uncharted or Warcraft, for example, both huge series with epic tales easily translated to the box office. What better addition to this slate then than the wacky, vibrant, and action-packed world of Borderlands?
With a cosmic cast behind it including Kevin Hart, Bobby Lee, and Jamie Lee Curtis, it’s set to take Gearbox's world of wonder to a whole new level. Cate Blanchett takes up the role of Lilith, an infamous outlaw returning to her home planet of Pandora in search of a missing girl. Teaming up with a group of unlikely heroes, they must fight off a flurry of elaborate enemies in order to protect this girl's unimaginable power. And a sneak peek into this epic live-action project is not one to miss.
Alien: Romulus (Aug. 14, 2024)
- Release date: August 14, 2024
- Cast: Isabela Merced, Cailee Spaeny, Archie Renaux
Another step forward for the incredibly popular Alien franchise that spans decades of terrifying xenomorphic horror. Alien: Romulus marks the 7th in the series and sets itself firmly in a time between 1979's Alien and 1986's Aliens. Romulus takes viewers to a distant world where it's a younger generation tackling the terrifying xenomorphs.
With Fede Álvarez (Evil Dead, Don't Breathe) sitting firmly in the director's chair, it appears to be a return to the dark, suspense-filled, and utterly breathtaking horror of the beginnings of the franchise. In the official trailer, there's just a glimpse into what's to come for fans of the franchise or even new joiners. Although, once you're on this ride, you may well want to get off. Considering the incredible streaming success of 2022's Prey, Alien: Romulus has been pushed for a full theatrical release.
Slingshot (Aug. 23, 2024)
- Release date: August 23, 2024
- Cast: Casey Affleck, Laurence Fishburne, Tomer Capone, David Morrissey
John (Casey Affleck) is an astronaut on a mission to Saturn's moon, Titan. Only, when he's on what turns out to be a possibly fatal and compromised journey, he can't keep a grip on what's real. Considering Slingshot is out in August, little is known about the plot aside from that viewers will witness John's descent into the darkness of a mind surrounded by the abyss of space.
But with Swedish director, Mikael Håfström (Evil, The Rite, and 1408), at the helm of this thriller, it could get very dark indeed. Backed up with some great casting including Laurence Fishburne (The Matrix), David Morrissey (The Walking Dead), and Tomer Capone (The Boys), this sci-fi thriller has a lot to offer.
Transformers One (Sept. 13, 2024)
- Release date: September 13, 2024
- Cast: Chris Hemsworth, Scarlett Johansson, Jon Hamm
When a franchise like Transformers boasts such success, it’s no surprise that at some point they'd decide to delve into the world of the origin story. For 2024's Transformers One, it's time to look into the relationship between Optimus Prime and Megatron and how it truly began on Cybertron, the home of both the Autobots and the Decepticons. And the first trailer shows off a bit of that rich history.
Like the five live-action movies that came before it, Transformers One will also enjoy an impressive cast list. This time though, it's an animated prequel meaning Chris Hemsworth, Scarlett Johansson, Jon Hamm, Keegan-Michael Key, Laurence Fishburne, and Brian Tyree Henry will all be lending their voices to bring something new to the iconic saga.
Megalopolis (Sept. 27, 2024)
- Release Date: September 27, 2024
- Cast: Adam Driver, Giancarlo Esposito, Nathalie Emmanuel, Aubrey Plaza
If we're talking incredible cast lists though, epic sci-fi drama Megalopolis stands out from the pack. Directed by movie icon, Francis Ford Coppola, and starring an array of names we couldn't fit in the above cast section alone - Jon Voight, Laurence Fishburne, Talia Shire, Jason Schwartzmann - to name but a few additions.
In Megalopolis, New York City is not the place it once was. A supercity controlled by Mayor Franklin Cicero (Giancarlo Esposito) finds itself under his reign as a regressive, strict, and dominating leader. But it's artist, Cesar, whose dreams of rebuilding the Big Apple and restoring it to a utopia that grows to be his greatest opposition. It's a Roman fable twisted into a reimagined America, plus the tale of love between Cesar and Cicero's daughter Julia that runs through the veins of the plot that builds this sci-fi drama that Vulture calls "a work of absolute madness".
The Wild Robot (Oct. 18, 2024)
- Release Date: October 18, 2024
- Cast: Lupita Nyong'o, Pedro Pascal, Bill Nighy, Catherine O'Hara
A robot, called Roz, finds herself lost during a typhoon and washed up on an island, alone and confused. She must quickly adapt to the wilderness in which she finds herself and with her Baymax-style programming, she can't help but strive to aid the wild animals she comes across and endeavor to solve their problems.
From this, an unlikely pairing develops with a gosling that imprints on Roz as its mother and they find, through an adventure full of hope and challenges, that they're both living a life as outcasts. It's beautifully animated and chooses to teach the message; "To survive, we must become more than we were programmed to be."
Venom: The Last Dance (Oct. 25, 2024)
- Release Date: October 25, 2024
- Cast: Tom Hardy, Juno Temple, Rhys Ifans, Chiwetel Ejiofor
It's been three years since we experienced Tom Hardy's Eddie Brock/Venom, a human adopted as host to a dark alien symbiote that brings with it its lethal powers. In The Last Dance both parts of his dual life are on the run. Hunted by both their worlds, they must fight to survive, and it's the first full trailer released in June that gives us a real look at what's to come.
It continues to be, in true MCU fashion, a mix of multiverses with Rhys Ifans' The Amazing Spider-Man Lizard and Fernandez's No Way Home bartender joining the cast. With the strapline, 'til death do they part', it's coined as the final film in the trilogy, which we expect will end with a bang.
Kraven the Hunter (Dec. 13, 2024)
- Release Date: December 13, 2024
- Cast: Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Russell Crowe, Ariana DeBose
Next up, we're introduced to a new character from the MCU and another for Sony's Spider-Man Universe, Kraven the Hunter. Over the years, Kraven has almost appeared in other movies in the MCU, and yet here we find him with his own standalone title.
It's not an ordinary superhero tale though, but a supervillain as Russian immigrant Sergei Kravinoff (Aaron Taylor-Johnson) wants to unleash his hunting skills on the world. This world, set before Spider-Man, follows how and why Sergei became Kraven the Hunter, and how he developed his iconic vendetta against our friendly neighborhood Spider-Man.
Mickey 17 (Jan. 31 2025)
- Release date: Jan. 31, 2025
- Cast: Robert Pattinson, Toni Collette, Steven Yeun, Mark Ruffalo
From Parasite director Bong Joon-ho comes a loose adaptation of the popular Mickey7 novel by Edward Ashton. Robert Pattinson takes up the lead role of an employee set on an expedition to colonize the ice planet of Niflheim. With the power to regenerate no matter how many times he dies, this dangerous mission suits Mickey7 well. Although, for reasons yet to be known, the title has been changed to 17. Perhaps to reflect how many clones he ends up making? With the plot firmly under wraps, for now, we can purely speculate.
While it has faced release delays, it's now slated for January 2025. And it's not only Robert Pattinson we're waiting to unthaw, but a spectacular cast including Steven Yeun, Naomi Ackie, Toni Collette, and Mark Ruffalo. It's not too long now. We can wait.
Thunderbolts (May 2, 2025)
- Release Date: May 2, 2025
- Cast: Florence Pugh, Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Sebastian Stan, Rachel Weisz
And why take just one villain from the MCU, when you can also have a group of supervillains working on behalf of the government? Thunderbolts are an antihero team, reformed (apparently) and working for the government. In the comics, they're brought in to protect the world, although in true Marvel fashion, it's twisty and complicated in its telling. Of course, like our two previous movies, they have also encountered their own showdown with Spider-Man in the comics. Although where this movie will place itself in the timeline, remains under wraps.
It's a stellar cast filled with big names in addition to the ones mentioned above. We're talking Harrison Ford, David Harbour, Olga Kurylenko, Wyatt Russell, and Hannah John-Kamen, who have all had their hand in sci-fi/superhero titles before, on the big and small screen.
Elio (June 13, 2025)
- Release Date: June 13, 2025
- Cast: Yonas Kibreab, America Ferrera, Jameela Jamil, Brad Garrett
Pixar is no stranger to sci-fi. With iconic movies like WALL-E, Onward, Robots, Elemental, and Lightyear under their belt, the upcoming title, Elio, is much-anticipated. 11-year-old Elio Solis accidentally finds himself beamed up to the Communiverse, an interplanetary organization, to speak with intergalactic beings. And it's this string of errors that leads to him finding himself mistaken for the Ambassador of planet Earth and, as only a kid, he must adapt, form alien bonds, and prove his right to represent human life to the rest of the universe.
While Elio struggles to fit in on Earth, perhaps he can find his place in the universe in this intergalactic misadventure. Despite working across Turning Red, Lightyear, Coco, and The Good Dinosaur, it's director Adrian Molina's first foray into writing and directing his very own Pixar movie.
Jurassic World 4 (July 2, 2025)
- Release Date: July 2, 2025
- Cast: Jonathan Bailey, Scarlett Johansson, Rupert Friend
While it's currently unofficially known as Jurassic World 4, the most important thing to know about this new installment to the Jurassic Park franchise is that it does, in fact, stand apart from the sequel trilogy that concluded with Jurassic World: Dominion. Yes, there have been six movies in total so far, but they're not done yet. This one is set to spark a "new Jurassic era".
With Bridgerton's Jonathan Bailey and Black Widow's Scarlett Johansson signed up for the titular roles, recent reports also suggest Mahershala Ali is in talks to join, although it's yet to be confirmed. With a whole new cast and little known about the plot, with a complete reboot in the making, anything could happen. The return of one of 1993's Jurassic Park writers, David Koepp, could well also imply a return to the theme of the original movies.
The Electric State (TBA 2024)
- Release date: TBA 2024
- Cast: Millie Bobby Brown, Chris Pratt, Michelle Yeoh, Stanley Tucci
Netflix steps once again into the sci-fi sphere with The Electric State, a film adaptation of Simon Stålenhag's graphic novel of the same name. An adventure unfolds as an orphaned teen befriends a mysterious robot and a drifter searching for her younger brother.
Spearheaded by the Russo brothers, known for four MCU movies, is jam-packed with big names from Millie Bobby Brown, Chris Pratt, Michelle Yeoh, Stanley Tucci, Brian Cox and Ke Huy Quan all confirmed. Although many of these will be voicing characters in the film rather than appearing themselves. Filming wrapped in February 2023, but headed back into reshoots in early 2024. Despite that, rumor has it it’s still set to be released later this year.
Distant (TBA 2024/5)
- Release date: TBA 2024/5
- Cast: Anthony Ramos, Zachary Quinto, Naomi Scott
Perhaps one of our shakiest release date entries of sci-fi movies for 2024, Distant was shot in 2020 and initially coined for a 2022 release. This places it quite firmly in release date limbo with the last news from the movie being that it has been removed from the schedule altogether and placed under "in post-production" on Amblin's site.
When (or if) it does finally arrive, fans can expect a sci-fi thriller that follows a journey of survival for an asteroid miner who finds himself crash landed on an alien planet. Making his way across the strange and unforgiving terrain, hoping to find and rescue the only other survivor of his crew.
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Grace is a freelancer who started writing for Space.com since 2021. She's a huge fan of movies, TV, and gaming, and if she's not clutching her Xbox controller or scanning the streaming platforms for the next must-watch shows, you'll find her spending copious amounts of time writing about them on her laptop. Specialties include RPG, FPS, and action-adventure games as well as 80s sci-fi movies and book adaptations.