With remakes of old travel and sci-fi adventure movies and TV shows hitting our consciousness, from theatre productions of Stranger Things and Back to the Future, sometimes it seems proponents of the genre are lacking new ideas. But a wave of new titles out in 2025 proves that escapist viewing is still as popular as ever. Here’s a roundup.
Fountain of Youth
The film director who once married the ever-youthful Madonna, is bringing Fountain of Youth to audiences in May 2025. Starring Nathalie Portman and John Krasinksi and filmed in Hong Kong, Vienna, and Liverpool, the story is that of an Indiana Jones-type heist attempt by two estranged siblings who must follow historical clues around the world to find the source of immortality. Coming to Apple TV+ on 23 May.
The Running Man
According to Paramount Pictures, this is NOT a remake of the Arnold Schwarzenegger 1987 version, but instead a brand new and “faithful” adaptation of the 1982 Stephen King novel. Telling the tale of a dystopian society where people are chased across country by bounty hunters in a cash-prize TV show, the 2025 edition will feature Josh Brolin as the executive producer of the grizzly show, a character he describes as “wonderfully maniacal.” Due for release in November.
The Gorge
Already out since February, The Gorge deserves a mention here for its inclusion of stellar Sigourney Weaver, a veteran of futuristic movies like Alien that rely on isolation in desolate circumstances. Here, two lonely, elite snipers guarding opposite sides of a remote gorge learn to love as they face the mysterious”Hollow Men” within the landscape.
Mickey 17
Starring Twilight’s Robert Pattinson as an “Expendable” clone sent on deadly missions in space, Mickey 17 is available on a range of streaming services, including YouTube, Apple TV and Amazon Prime, after flopping at the box office in March 2025. Critics loved its black comedy though, so it’s worth checking out, especially having been directed by South Korea’s Bang Joon Ho – the man behind the Oscar-winning masterpiece that was Parasite.
Legend of Ochi
In a secluded village in Carpathia lives Yuri, a simple farm girl who has been told never to outside after dark for fear of the island creatures known as the Ochi. But when she discovers a lost baby Ochi, she begins journey to return it to its family. Starring Stranger Things star Finn Wolfhard, alongside Willem Dafoe and Emily Watson, this is a quest that will enchant the whole family. It was released in April.
Jurassic World: Rebirth
To be released in July, this is the seventh installment of the Jurassic franchise, and as such fans can expect it to follow the formula, though this time Scarlett Johanssen is in the mix and the dinosaurs are endangered on Earth and must be saved for their DNA – an ingredient that provides the key to a miracle lifesaving drug.
However the humans sent on this extraction mission soon discover the creatures have mutated, bringing danger to all.
