Sci-fi/Fantasy Movies in 2025; Writer’s New Year Resolutions

Credit: Pixabay

I know, I’m posting this first weekly post of the year very late and I apologise. I did post earlier in the month, but that was for the monthly Insecure Writer's Support Group blog hop. If you haven't had a chance to look at it, please do so. I talk a little about working on my writing over the holidays and how you can be a beta reader for “Bad Apps”, my upcoming book of short fiction! [link]  After that posting, I had a sinus infection that was keeping me awake too many nights and so was not up to writing as frequently as I normally do. My doctor subscribed me some meds, and so I’m doing much better. 

For today’s post, I have my new year’s writing resolutions and a list of 13 science fiction and fantasy movie adaptations of books releasing in theatres in 2025!

2 New Year’s Writer’s Resolutions of 2025

In this new year of 2025, one resolution I’m trying to make is coming up with a clear schedule of all my writing projects, and that includes “Bad Apps”. I’ve been writing blindly, if you will, for too long and so without a clear time frame of when to complete certain projects or even just parts of them. 

Another new year’s writing resolution I’m trying to make is actually related to the above one. That resolution is to more sufficiently break down my stories and set a deadline for each part or for so many pages. This will be at most of, if not all, the stages of the writing process: rough draft (depending on how long the story is intended to be), plot revision, character development, etc. I may even have to break down each of these into sessions to set deadlines for. 

I need a better road map toward completing my stories, and so I’m going to try to make that by breaking down each one with the assistance of an outline and scheduling completion deadlines for each part of the story. Doing this may help “Bad Apps” release sooner than April of this year. 

13 Sci-fi/Fantasy Book-based Movies Coming to Theatres in 2025

Credit: Pixabay

I've conjured up a list of 13 science fiction/fantasy book-to-movie adaptations releasing in theaters this year of 2025!  Some of the movies listed below are sci fi, some fantasy, some supernatural horror and some that are mixed sci fi and horror. Some show promise, while others seem to be not much more than Hollywood exploitation. However, we really won't know the quality of the film unless we watch it. Yet, we all have our preferences of what we'd like to spend our time (and money) on. So, take a look and decide for yourselves which movies you'd like to give a shot in 2025! 

1) Peter Pan's Neverland Nightmare, Jan. 13:

The adult and horror version of J.M. Barrie’s children’s novel, “Peter Pan and Wendy”. This was on a limited run, so it may no longer be in theatres. It will probably be coming to streaming video soon, though (not that I really give a damn). In this version, Peter Pan is a villain, rather than a hero, who capture’s Michael Darling whose sister, Wendy, tries to rescue. This seems to be not much more than the ongoing exploitation of the theory that fairy tales were originally scary tales that had been watered down by Disney interpretations. 

2) Sherlock Holmes Mare of the Night, January 24:

Author Sir Arthur Conon Doyle’s famous detective deals with nightmares stemming from a case that he was never able to solve. 

3) The Monkey, February 21:

When twin brothers Bill and Hal find an old toy monkey in the attic, a series of horrible deaths occur. I’ve read Stephen King’s short story of the same name (from his collection, “Skeleton Crew”) the movie’s based on and liked it. Judging by the trailer that I saw, however, the movie seems to be doing not much more than impress audiences with excessive gore and exploiting today’s obsession with the F word in even the most unexpected of scenarios. It should have just went straight to Netflix. But you decide for yourself.  

4) In the Lost Lands, Mar. 7:

This fantasy based on a George R.R. Martin short story is about a queen who sends a powerful and feared sorceress to a ghostly land to search for a magical power. During the journey, the sorceress and her guide must defeat an enemy that’s both human and demonic. 

5) Mickey17, Mar. 7: 

Based on Edward Ashton’s novel “Mickey7”, a crew member of a space mission can have his body renewed when it dies and his memories retained. However, one renewal goes wrong. 

6) Disney's Snow White, Mar. 21:

A live-action adaptation of the classic 1937 animated feature which was itself an adaptation of the Brothers Grimm’s book. A princess is taken in by friendly dwarves who protect her from her murderously jealous stepmother. 

7) How to Train Your Dragon, June 13:

Another live-action adaptation of an animated movie which was also based on a children’s book, in this case one by contemporary British author Crissida Cowell. The story is that an ancient force threatens an island inhabited by both Vikings and Dragons who have been longtime enemies. A boy and the dragon he befriends attempt to bring peace between the two races and stop the threat. 

8) Freakier Friday, August 8:

The sequel to 2003’s “Freaky Friday”, which was based on a novel by Mary Rodgers who wrote the screenplay to the 1976 original, about a mother and daughter who switch bodies.  The same idea goes on in this movie only with, according to Deadline, “a multigenerational twist.” 

9) Clown in a Cornfield, May 9:

A father and daughter move to a rural town where, after a corn syrup factory burns down, a sinister clown shows up from the corn fields and terrorizes people. This movie is based on the Adam Cesare’s YA horror novel of the same name but, make no mistake about it, has carries an R-rating. 

10) Jurassic World Rebirth, July 2:

Another sequel to the movie adaptation of Michael Crichton’s novel, “Jurassic Park”. Set five years after the events of “Jurassic World Dominion”, this movie centres on an operations specialist (Scarlett Johansson) who leads an expedition into the remote tropics to extract DNA from three of the world’s largest dinosaurs for the production of a life-saving medication. However, she and the team will soon come across a threatening discovery. 

11) Wicked: For Good, Nov. 21:

Sequel to 2024’s “Wicked” which is based on the live musical, itself based on L. Frank Baum’s Oz series of children’s books. Elphaba, the Wicked Witch of the West, is rivaled by Glinda, the Good Witch of the North, whom the Wizard Oz has granted the public status of defender against. 

12) The Running Man, Nov. 7:

This movie is based on Stephen King’s 1982 novel of the same name (who wrote under the pen name, Richard Bachman). I’m hoping it will do way better than the 1987 original which I hated so much that I vowed never to watch it again. Set in a dystopian society that’s media is controlled by the government, Ben Richards contests in a deadly game show in order to win a monetary prize to save his family from a bad living situation. 

13) The Bride, Sept. 26: 

A remake of 1935’s “Bride of Frankenstein” which itself was based on a segment of Mary Shelley’s novel, “Frankenstein”.  The remake is set in Chicago of the 1930s, where, according to IMDB, “a lonely Frankenstein [seeks] the aide [sic] of a Dr. Euphronius in creating a companion for himself.” This synopsis is a bit ambiguous since we’re not sure if “Frankenstein” is the monster or the scientist, whose surname is Frankenstein, who created him. In Shelley’s novel and even in Universal’s “Frankenstein” the monster was never even named.  IMDB also indicates this movie will be a musical. Come on! Haven’t we’ve had enough horror musicals already?

I almost had a 14th one on the above list, but found out last minute that it was an animated feature. I normally don't review or preview new animated films because I don't watch enough of them to say enough about them. However, the one that I was originally going to put on the list seemed really impressive since it's based on a George Orwell fantasy novel and so decided to mention it as a side: "Animal Farm". It’s a fable-like story that’s a response to Stalin’s rise to power in Russia of the novel’s time. Farm animals rebel against their keeper to gain their freedom. The movie is due to release July 11.

Be here next week when I talk more about progress on "Bad Apps". What are your new year’s resolutions (for writing, reading, etc.)? Which movie adaptations of books on the above list appeal to you? Are there any that I missed? If so, please mention them in the box below!

Until next time and Happy New Fear!