Will Wicked (2025) defy box office gravity? (Image: PA Images / Alamy)
Movie fans have plenty to look forward to in 2025. We were treated to the first installment of "Wicked" in 2024, but the second part will hit the big screen in November, which will be an exciting month for cinemagoers.
"Zootopia" fans have been waiting for 2025 for the past nine years. The first movie in the series, featuring the voices of Ginnifer Goodwin, Jason Bateman, and Idris Elba, was released in 2016, and the long-awaited sequel will drop in November.
What's more, 2025 could be the year Tom Cruise finally hangs up his spy gear following the upcoming release of "Mission: Impossible: The Final Reckoning," which will arrive in cinemas this May.
Anyone not on a beach this summer can head to the movies to see the live-action release of "How To Train Your Dragon," Marvel's "The Fantastic Four: First Steps," and David Corenswet's debut as the Man of Steel in DC's "Superman."
Odds On The Highest Grossing Movie Of 2025 | |
---|---|
Avatar: Fire And Ash | 1/2 |
Zootopia 2 | 6/4 |
Jurassic World Rebirth | 2/1 |
Superman | 5/2 |
Wicked: For Good | 3/1 |
Mission: Impossible: The Final Reckoning | 4/1 |
Michael | 9/2 |
Lilo & Stitch | 5/1 |
The Fantastic Four: First Steps | 6/1 |
Captain America: Brave New World | 8/1 |
How To Train Your Dragon | 10/1 |
A Minecraft Movie | 12/1 |
If that wasn't enough, another "Avatar" film is on the way, and that usually means there is lots of money to be made at the worldwide box office.
Avatar fans have plenty of time to save up for a cinema ticket though, because the third film in the franchise, "Avatar: Fire and Ash," is scheduled to be released on December 19th.
While the hotly anticipated motion picture will only have 12 days to make some serious dollars at the box office—that is all a movie of this magnitude should need.
Avatar: Fire and Ash is the favorite to dominate 2025’s box office, but will it surpass $3 billion? (Image: Pictorial Press Ltd / Alamy)
"Avatar: Fire and Ash" is just 1/2 to be the highest grossing film of 2025, and if previous "Avatar" films are anything to go by, it shouldn't have much of an issue reaching that milestone.
James Cameron's "Avatar" blew all the competition out of the water in 2009 when it took more than $2.9 billion at the worldwide box office to become the highest grossing film of all time—a title it still holds, just ahead of "Avengers: Endgame."
Avatar fans had to wait an agonizingly long 13 years before "Avatar: The Way of Water" was released in December 2022.
While that didn't quite reach the dizzy heights of the first movie, it still made more than $2.3 billion and remains the third highest grossing movie ever, just behind another of Cameron's huge hits, "Titanic," which grossed more than $2.2 billion.
"Avatar: Fire and Ash" is still expected to do well at the box office later this year, but can it match or better its predecessors?
Some critics believe the franchise's downward trend could mean it will struggle to hit the $2 billion mark.
Odds On What Avatar: Fire and Ash Will Gross Worldwide? | |
---|---|
$1.5 billion - $1.99 billion | 11/8 |
$2 billion - $2.49 billion | 15/8 |
$2.5 billion - $2.99 billion | 3/1 |
Less Than $1.5 billion | 5/1 |
$3 billion or More | 8/1 |
What's more, there is just three years between the second and third movies, compared to the mammoth 13-year wait fans had between films one and two.
In that time the franchise managed to lose $400 million from the box office, and if that trend continues, then the third film in the series might bank less than $2 billion.
When the 2009 movie was released, it featured some breakthrough CGI and 3D technology, but it's hard to envisage dramatically improved visual effects in "Avatar: The Way of Water" follow-up "Fire and Ash" because the two films were shot alongside one another.
It's 11/8 for "Avatar: Fire and Ash" to fall just short of the $2 billion mark and take between $1.5 billion and £1.99 billion. However, if any director can do it, then Cameron can.
He has the CV to prove he can make movies to impress, be that "Titanic"'s huge box office success or "Terminator 2: Judgment Day"'s Oscar-winning visual effects, which are widely considered to have stood the test of time.
"Avatar: Fire and Ash" is 15/8 to take between $2 billion and $2.49 billion, and it's 3/1 that Cameron pulls it out of the bag and the movie overcomes "The Way of Water," and potentially the original "Avatar," by taking between $2.5 billion and $2.99 billion.
However, at 8/1, it would be a real shock if the film hit the $3 billion or more mark to become the highest grossing movie of all time. It would also be a surprise if the movie took less than $1.5 billion (5/1) at the worldwide box office.
However, if Fire and Ash does crash and burn spectacularly, for "Avatar" standards, then several other movies will be waiting in the wings to take the highest grossing movie of 2025 title.
Zootopia (2016) brought a world of talking animals to life. (Image: Entertainment Pictures / Alamy)
"Zootopia 2" is the 6/4 second favourite to be 2025's box office winner. The first movie grossed just over $1 billion, and the sequel could follow suit and do even better after a nine-year wait.
What's more, Disney animated movies are in top form going into 2025, following their 2024 successes. Inside Out 2 was the highest grossing film of 2024, taking just under $1.7 billion worldwide, and fellow Disney animation sequel "Moana 2" was third with just over $1 billion.
This year, "Jurassic World Rebirth" (2/1), "Superman" (5/2) and "Wicked: For Good" (3/1) will all be hoping to achieve big box office triumphs.
The first "Wicked" movie was one of the most talked-about films of 2024, but it didn't hit the $1 billion mark at the box office, raking in just over $717 million.
As a result, "Wicked: For Good" might need more than Glinda the Good Witch's magical powers to become the highest grossing film this year.
James Leyfield is a highly experienced betting entertainment writer. Having worked alongside several premium national media outlets, and has a wealth of experience in all aspects of gambling writing in the entertainment sector, alongside sports.
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