Squid Game season 3 will be released on June 27th, for example, but that is coming very soon after season 2's December 26th release date.

Likewise, there's plenty of excitement about shows like With Love, Meghan and A Man on the Inside season 2. However, they also haven't required much of a wait, nor have they garnered the same level of attention. These 10 movies and shows, all coming to Netflix in 2025, have been anticipated for quite some time, though—and several will be series finales.

10 Happy Gilmore 2

Release Date: 2025

In a shocking update, Adam Sandler's 1996 comedy Happy Gilmore is finally getting a sequel, nearly 30 years later. The original movie starred Sandler as the titular lead, who discovers he has a knack for golf, despite spending his life trying to be an ice hockey player. Happy Gilmore 2 will also star Sandler, along with additional Happy Gilmore returning cast Julie Bowen and Christopher McDonald.

Happy Gilmore 2's story details are sparse at best, but it seems likely the story will reveal what the leading character's life looks like decades after the conclusion of Happy Gilmore. The exact release date for Happy Gilmore 2 hasn't been confirmed yet, although Netflix has shared that the movie will hit the streaming service sometime this year. Presumably, that means the movie may come a bit later in 2025. If that's the case, surely audiences can wait a bit longer, given they've already waited nearly three decades for this sequel.

9 The Thursday Murder Club

Release Date: 2025

A brand-new movie, The Thursday Murder Club, is also coming to Netflix in 2025. The movie is based on a novel of the same name, written by Richard Osman, and will center on a group of friends who live in a retirement community and solve murders with one another—initially for fun, but, eventually, for real. The cast is star-studded, to say the least, with Helen Mirren, Pierce Brosnan, David Tennant, and many others all currently in the lineup.

The cast is star-studded, to say the least, with Helen Mirren, Pierce Brosnan, David Tennant, and many others all currently in the lineup.

Like several other inclusions on this list, The Thursday Murder Club doesn't have a specific release date yet, although it is confirmed to be coming in 2025. It's also worth noting, the novel has since had three sequels: The Man Who Died Twice, The Bullet That Missed, and The Last Devil to Die. While Netflix hasn't announced any plans for sequels yet, if The Thursday Murder Club performs well, the franchise has the potential to go on.

8 Frankenstein

Release Date: November 2025

Mary Shelley's iconic novel Frankenstein has had countless adaptations in movies, shows, and other stories, and this story is getting two brand-new adaptations in 2025. One of them, The Bride!, is coming to theaters in September and will star Maggie Gyllenhaal and Christian Bale. The other, Frankenstein, is being created by the legendary Guillermo del Toro and will hit Netflix in November 2025 (the exact date is currently unknown).

Del Toro's Frankenstein will star Jacob Elordi, Oscar Isaac, and Mia Goth. Although audience anticipation may not date back quite this far, Del Toro has also shared that he has been working on the movie for more than a decade. Although there are many variations of this story, this is sure to be a truly special adaptation of Shelley's story, and it will go along perfectly with The Bride!

7 RIP

Release Date: Fall 2025

Ben Affleck and Matt Damon have worked together on numerous projects over the years, and the dynamic duo are now coming back together once again in RIP. RIP tells the story of a group of police officers who find millions of dollars in cash in an abandoned house. Evidently—and understandably—that begins to cause fissures within the group because of how massive this discovery is.

The title of the movie is in direct reference to this, as "Ripping it" is terminology used by Miami police to describe the seizure of various items, including cash or weapons. Steven Yeun, Teyana Taylor​​​​​​​, Catalina Sandino Moreno​​​​​​​, Sasha Calle, and others will Affleck​​​​​​​ and Damon in the cast of RIP. The precise release date of this new crime thriller isn't currently known, although Netflix has specified that the movie will be released in Fall of 2025.

6 The Old Guard 2

Release Date: July 2nd, 2025

The sequel to Charlize Theron's 2020 movie The Old Guard, The Old Guard 2, is coming to Netflix on July 2nd, 2025. As one of few inclusions on this list that has a precise release date, The Old Guard 2 has a bit more in the way of story details than some other Netflix shows and movies. Theron will return as Andy, the leader of this team of immortal mercenaries, in The Old Guard 2.

Additional cast include KiKi Layne​​​​​​​, Marwan Kenzari​​​​​​​, Luca Marinelli​​​​​​​, Matthias Schoenaerts, and others. The story of The Old Guard 2 is expected to build directly on The Old Guard 2 could set up a trilogy. Finally, five years after the first movie was released, fans of The Old Guard will get some answers.

5 Alice in Borderland

Release Date: 2025

Alice in Borderland is returning to Netflix for season 3 in 2025. This Japanese sci-fi thriller has had two solid seasons, beginning with its debut in 2020. In fact, the show currently has an impressive 90% audience score on Rotten Tomatoes, suggesting Alice in Borderland has been quite popular so far. The show's story, which has many dystopian elements, is based on a manga series of the same name, created by Haro Aso.

Audiences have expressed surprise that Alice in Borderland has been renewed following Alice in Borderland season 3 is confirmed to be coming to Netflix at some point in 2025. Because of that, the story for Alice in Borderland season 3 is currently unknown and open-ended.

4 Black Mirror

Release Date: 2025

Season 7 of the smash-hit show Black Mirror is coming to Netflix in 2025 as well. The Black Mirror season 7 episodes' story details are being kept largely under wraps, as has been true of the show throughout its (going on) 14 years. However, 19 cast for Black Mirror season 7 have been confirmed, among them Awkwafina​​​​​​​, Emma Corrin, Paul Giamatti​​​​​​​, Rashida Jones, and Tracee Ellis Ross.

19 cast for Black Mirror season 7 have been confirmed, among them Awkwafina​​​​​​​, Emma Corrin, Paul Giamatti​​​​​​​, Rashida Jones, and Tracee Ellis Ross.

It has also curiously been confirmed that one Black Mirror season 7 episode will be a sequel to season 4, episode 1, "USS Callister." This isn't a common practice for Black Mirror, so that spin-off episode will no doubt be of particular interest. At present, the exact release date of Black Mirror season 7, but the new season will be coming to Netflix at some point this year.

3 Wednesday

Release Date: 2025

Season 1 of Wednesday was released in November 2022, and season 2 of the show is finally coming in 2025. Wednesday season 2 doesn't have a precise release date yet, although audiences are no doubt anxiously awaiting brand-new episodes of the popular show. Naturally, Jenna Ortega will be returning as the titular Wednesday Addams in season 2, and several other major actors from season 1 are presumed to be coming back as well.

New cast for Wednesday season 2 include Steve Buscemi, Thandiwe Newton, Christopher Lloyd, and even Lady Gaga. The story details for season 2 aren't entirely clear at this time. However, Wednesday season 1 left the door open for countless thrilling plot lines, from the outcasts of Nevermore Academy continuing to be targeted to Wednesday herself being pursued by a new threat.

2 Stranger Things

Release Date: 2025

Stranger Things is officially coming to an end with season 5, which will release on Netflix in 2025. Stranger Things, which began in 2016, has proven incredibly popular over the years, and the show's ending has been long-awaited, to say the least. Season 4 of Stranger Things was released in 2022, meaning that, depending on when precisely season 5 debuts, a full three years may have gone by between the two seasons. That would be an awfully long time for audiences to wait between seasons in any scenario, but this has been an especially painful wait for Stranger Things fans.

A number of major cliffhangers remain in the balance, the most pressing being Max's fate at the end of Stranger Things season 4. Although Max seemed to be clinging to life at the end of the last season, whether she will survive remains to be seen. There are also countless other major storylines to be clarified as well, given this will be the series finale. Currently, the exact release date for Stranger Things season 5 is unknown, but the new season will debut on Netflix in 2025.

1 You

Release Date: April 24th, 2025

Finally, the single most long-awaited release coming to Netflix in 2025 is You season 5. Like Stranger Things season 5, You season 5 will be the final season of the fan-favorite show starring Penn Badgley as Joe Goldberg, a serial killer who manages to charm the people around him before ultimately leaving a pile of bodies in his wake. The show has had some incredible twists and turns over the years, so it will be fascinating to see how the series is ultimately concluded.

You is one of very few inclusions on this list that has an actual release date, as You is confirmed to be releasing on Netflix on April 24th, 2025. This will be a full two years after You season 4 was released, meaning that audiences have waited for quite some time to see how Joe's story will end. Netflix has many long-awaited shows and movies dropping on the platform in 2025, with Wednesday season 2, Stranger Things season 5, and You season 5 chief among them.