It’s shaping up to be a “Fantastic” weekend at the movies…

On the heels of restarting our Monday Morning Hangover Report, we’ve repurposed our pre-pandemic “Weekend Outlook” and called it The Weekend POURcast… Yes, yes, thank you, thank you. We know. Now, on to the weekend outlook…

What’s Opening This Weekend: July 25, 2025

The Fantastic Four: First Steps

• It’s got a LOT of Buzz
  The long-awaited MCU reboot hits theaters this Friday. Set in a retro ’60s-inspired parallel universe (Earth‑828), it follows Reed Richards, Sue Storm, Johnny Storm, and Ben Grimm battling Galactus and his Herald, The Silver Surfer. Pedro Pascal leads the cast, joined by Vanessa Kirby, Joseph Quinn, and Ebon Moss‑Bachrach.

• Early Reactions & Forecast
  Critics and fans are praising the vintage aesthetic and character focus, calling it “the best Marvel release in years”. BoxOfficePro projects a $100M–$125M domestic opening weekend. Given this strong hype, and no reel new competition, this will most assuredly top the weekend box office.

The Home, Monster Island, Osiris, Happy Gilmore 2, House on Eden, Folktales

Also opening July 25 are several other releases for everyone:

• The Home (psychological thriller starring Pete Davidson)

• Monster Island (horror sci-fi creature feature)

• Osiris (action–sci-fi)

• Happy Gilmore 2 (comedic sequel starring Adam Sandler, Netflix release)

• House on Eden (paranormal horror)

• Folktales (Arctic-set documentary)
  These cater more to niche audiences and are unlikely to compete with blockbuster MCU crowds but offer variety for discerning viewers.

Summer Blockbuster Landscape & Trends

This Summer the “Spectacle” Returns

The 2025 summer season is seeing a bit of a movie theater revival. Box Office Pro and AP News highlight strong basket performance – led by titles like Superman, Jurassic World Rebirth, and the upcoming Fantastic Four. With domestic box office up 15.9% over 2024 and projections pointing to a possible $4 billion summer, cinemas are back in business.

The Summer Blockbuster Roll Call

• Superman (July 11) continues its dominance, earning $57.3M second weekend and surpassing $400M global.

• Jurassic World Rebirth remains strong, around $23M third weekend and nearing $650M worldwide.

• F1: The Movie and M3GAN 2.0 have performed solidly throughout the season.

• Lilo & Stich rounds out the movies making over $250 million this summer so far.

Reboots & Remakes Continue a Dismal Trend

• I Know What You Did Last Summer pulled a $13M opening from previews and early weekend projections.

• Smurfs reboot received poor reviews despite Rihanna’s involvement.

(Note: as a writer, I want to reiterate that I have 5 great, inexpensive ideas for all the producers reading this. Two are finished, two are in early drafts, and one is just simply amazing that I have yet to write…)

Indie & Director-Driven Fare

• The Phoenician Scheme from Wes Anderson premiered on streaming (Peacock) on July 25.

• Ari Aster’s Eddington and lesser-known works like Materialists offer depth beyond blockbusters

🥂 POURcast Highlights & Recommendations

1. MCU & Box Office Beats
Fantastic Four is poised to dominate with $100M+ opening – solidifying Marvel’s momentum and adding fresh energy to the MCU.

2. Wide-Ranging Choices
From thrillers to comedies, horrors to docs, the lineup on July 25 caters to all tastes. Try pairing your genre pick with a themed cocktail – it’s an immersive dual experience.

3. Summer Cinematic Comeback
With major blockbusters making a strong return, 2025 is shaping up as the most successful summer at the box office since before the pandemic.

4. Directors and Experimenters
Wes Anderson’s Phoenician Scheme (streaming Friday) and Ari Aster’s Eddington show that auteur cinema is still part of the summer conversation.

5. Streaming vs Theatrical
While theatrical giants dominate, select titles like Happy Gilmore 2 and Phoenician Scheme go straight to streaming -giving viewers both in‑cinema and at‑home options.