It has been a middling year so far forFantasycinema, but that is certainly going to change in the last two months of 2025. Due to characteristically large budgets, fantasy in particular has struggled to produce original hits in today’s entertainment economy, and many of the movies responsible for this lackluster year are just doing their best to capitalize on existing IP.
2025 has seen the live-action remake ofLilo & Stitchbecome a massive box office success, despite controversy surrounding the changed ending. Thelive-actionSnow Whitewas an unmitigated disaster, whileHow to Train Your Dragon’s remake, likeLilo & Stitch, earned generally good reviews and a widespread turnout.Yet they all lack a certain spark of originality.
Sinnersis the best we’ve seen in a long time, though it is not a strict fantasy,blending this with the horror and historical genres as well. This year has also included the release ofA Minecraft Movie, another goofier hit marked with the asterisk of being dependent upon theMinecraftIP.
Otherwise,Wolf ManandIn theLost Landsboth came out relatively recently, movies which might have hoped to be new fantasy classics, based on more obscure film or untapped literary sources. Yet both were critically panned and have since disappeared from public consciousness; most of the discussion of the fantasy genre still surrounds the remakes.
And moviegoers who aren’t huge fans of these projects are always hoping for something more. Whilewe could always see another surprise hit likeSinners, perhaps this time more definitively rooted in the fantasy genre,we at least know that there will be two huge fantasy blockbusters at the end of the year.
Wicked 2 & Avatar 3 Will Give The Fantasy Genre A Huge End To 2025
The Return Of Two Award-Winning, Box Office-Smashing Fantasy Franchises
Moviegoers can expect the box office turnout at the end of 2025 to be huge whenWicked: For Goodarrives in theaters on Nov. 21, andAvatar: Fire and Ashis set for Dec. 19. Though very different in tone and storytelling technique, the two are both major fantasy properties, withAvatarbeing more of a sci-fi-fantasy.
But first,Wicked 2is practically guaranteed to be a smash hit.Elphaba and Glindawere already beloved characters before the 2024 adaptation, but their becoming more accessible via the big screen took them to another level. Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande delivered perfect performances in a movie that captures the magical and musical nature of the Broadway show.
Wickedmade an astounding amount of money and even secured a Best Picture nomination,now cemented as one of the modern masterpieces that managed to appeal to widespread audiencesandbreak through into the highest circle of critical acclaim. TheAvatarseries has been doing something similar since the beginning, and we can expectFire and Ashto carry on this tradition.
I am personally not the biggestAvatarfan, and others certainly have their complaints about it, butthe franchise is two for two with Best Picture nominations and box office success stories.2009’sAvatarand 2022’sAvatar: The Way of Waterare currently the first and thirdhighest-grossing movies of all time.
WithWicked: For GoodandAvatar: Fire and Ashboth likely to continue their respective franchises' streaks of massive box office numbers and a few Oscar nominations, the last months of 2025 will be all about these hitfantasymovies. And when they offer very different takes on fantasy, there is reason for people to even go see both of them.
Wicked: For Good
Cast
Wicked: For Good concludes the two-part film adaptation of the acclaimed Broadway musical.
Avatar: Fire and Ash
Avatar: Fire and Ash is a 2025 science fiction film continuing the saga of Pandora. Jake Sully and Neytiri confront a formidable new enemy, the Ash People, led by Varang. Struggling with personal loss and external threats, they strive to protect their family and Pandora’s future.
