A Look at the 8 New Movies Coming Out This Week: ‘The Minecraft Movie,’ ‘Hell of a Summer,’ and More!

Ready for your weekend watch list? We’ve got you covered, movie fans! This week delivers a double dose of must-see new movies coming out that’ll have you racing to the theaters faster than you can say “popcorn, please!”

First up, the gaming phenomenon that’s captured over 140 million monthly players worldwide finally breaks into the big screen. The Minecraft Movie transforms those beloved blocks into blockbuster magic as four unlikely heroes navigate a cubic wonderland where imagination reigns supreme. With Jack Black and Jason Momoa leading an all-star cast, this is a video game adaptation that will delight fans of the game!

Meanwhile, Stranger Things star Finn Wolfhard steps behind the camera for his directorial debut with Hell of a Summer—a wickedly fresh take on classic slasher films. When camp counselors start dropping like flies at Camp Pineway, what begins as summer fun quickly becomes a fight for survival. 

But that’s just scratching the surface! From Naomi Watts bonding with a Great Dane in The Friend, to the true story of the greatest game show hack in history in The Luckiest Man in America, our complete roundup below has something for every movie fan.

Check out our full breakdown of all the new movies coming out this week in theaters and on streaming services—complete with trailers, cast highlights, and insider details that’ll help you plan your perfect movie night!

New Movies Coming Out This Week: March 31, 2025 – April 6, 2025

A Minecraft Movie  (2025)

Rating:  PG

Release Date:  In theaters nationwide on Friday, April 4, 2025. 

Summary: In The Minecraft Movie, four misfits suddenly find themselves pulled through a mysterious portal, landing in a strange, cubic world that thrives on creativity and imagination. To get back home, they will need help from a peculiar resident to master this bizarre world.

What to Watch For: The cast includes Jack Black, Jason Momoa, Jennifer Coolidge, Kate McKinnon, Jemaine Clement, Emma Myers, Danielle Brooks, and Sebastian Hansen.

Word on the Street: The director of the film, Jared Hess, is known for his films Napoleon Dynamite (2004), Nacho Libre (2006), and his Oscar-nominated animated short film Ninety-Five Senses (2022).

My Take: Emma Myers, who plays Natalie in the film, is best known for her roles as Enid Sinclair in the TV series Wednesday and Pip in A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder.

Hell of a Summer  (2024) 

Rating:  R

Release Date:  In theaters on Friday, April 4, 2025. 

Summary: Hell of a Summer follows 24-year-old camp counselor Jason (Fred Hechinger) getting ready for his summer at Camp Pineway; he thinks his biggest challenge will be connecting with his teenage co-workers. Little does Jason know that will be the least of his worries as there is a masked killer on the campgrounds, and counselors are dying off one by one.

What to Watch For: Finn Wolfhard (Mike Wheeler in Stranger Things) co-wrote and co-directed the film with Billy Bryk.

Word on the Street: Finn started shopping the script around when he was 19.

My Take: The film premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival as part of the Midnight Madness screenings.

The Friend  (2024)

Rating: R 

Summary: In The Friend, Iris (Naomi Watts) is a writer whose life is falling apart. She isn’t happy with her students, her latest writing project isn’t going anywhere, and her best friend and mentor, a fellow writer, Walter (Bill Murray), has just committed suicide. Then, Iris finds out that Walter has left his dog, a Great Dane named Apollo, to Iris. Apollo is going to change Iris’s life, even if she doesn’t want it changed. 

What to Watch For: The film is based on a novel by Sigrid Nunez.

Word on the Street: The film had its world premiere at the Telluride Film Festival.

My Take: Bing, the Great Dane who plays Apollo, has already become a big hit on the talk show circuit, having a duet with Naomi Watts on The Tonight Show.

Freaky Tales  (2024)

Rating:  R 

Release Date:  In theaters on Friday, April 4, 2025.

Summary: Freaky Tales takes place in 1987 Oakland and is made up of four interconnected stories. You will meet punk rockers, Nazi skinheads, female rappers, shakedown artists, and even Gold State Warrior legend Sleepy Floyd as he battles a crime lord.

What to Watch For: Anna Boden and Ryan Fleck wrote and directed the film. The film is based on Ryan Fleck’s memories of growing up in Oakland in the 1980s.

Word on the Street:  The film stars Pedro Pascal, Ben Mendelsohn, Jay Ellis, Dominique Thorne, Jack Champion, Ji-young Yoo, Angus Cloud, and singer Normani in her film debut.

My Take:  I love the tagline for the film:  In 1987, Oakland was hella freaky.

The Luckiest Man in America  (2024)

Rating:  R

Release Date: In theaters on Friday, April 4, 2025.

Summary: The Luckiest Man in America is about Michael Larson (Paul Walter Hauser), an unemployed ice cream truck driver who, in 1984, went on the game show Press Your Luck and won a ton of money. However, Michael had a secret: he knew there was a flaw in the game show and how to exploit it to his advantage.

What to Watch For: The film is based on a true story that happened on the CBS game show in 1984.

Word on the Street: Paul Walter Hauser’s breakout role was as the title character in Clint Eastwood’s 2019 film Richard Jewell.

My Take: The film premiered at the 2024 Toronto International Film Festival.

Wake Up  (2023)

Rating:  N/A

Release Date:  In select theaters on Friday, April 4, 2025.

Summary: In Wake Up, a group of young activists want to make a statement about the environment by vandalizing a home superstore as it closes. Despite their efforts, their plan goes awry and they end up trapped inside. To make matters worse, they are being hunted by a security guard with a passion for hunting, and they have become his prey.

What to Watch For: The film was nominated for the Jury Prize at the 2024 Fantasy Filmfest.

Word on the Street: The directors of this film, François Simard, Anouk Whissell, and Yoann-Karl Whissell, are known for their 2023 award-winning comedy/horror film We Are Zombies.

My Take: I think it’s funny that the directing trio go by the name RKSS, which is short for Roadkill Superstar. 

A Nice Indian Boy  (2024)

Rating:  N/A

Release Date:  In theaters on Friday, April 4, 2025.

Summary: A Nice Indian Boy is about Naveen (Karan Soni), a doctor who dreams of having a big wedding like his sister (Sunita Mani), but he can’t meet the right guy. It’s love at first sight when a photographer named Jay (Jonathan Groff) enters Naveen’s life. Now, if Naveen can get his traditional Indian family to accept this white boyfriend, maybe, just maybe, he can get the wedding he has always wanted.

What to Watch For:  The film was a hit on the film festival circuit, winning The Sherzum Award at the 2024 Hamptons International Film Festival. 

Word on the Street: The film is at 100 percent on Rotten Tomatoes with over 14 film critic reviews.

My Take: While Karan Soni is best known for his role as Dopinder in the Deadpool movies, I became a fan of his with his appearance in the 2012 film Safety Not Guaranteed.

William Tell  (2024)

Rating:  R

Release Date:  In select theaters on Friday, April 4, 2025.

Summary: William Tell takes place in 14th Century Switzerland, where a once peaceful hunter named William Tell (Claes Bang) leads his people to take back their country from a tyrannical Austrian King.

What to Watch For: The cast includes Rafe Spall, Emily Beecham, Jonathan Pryce, Ben Kingsley, Jonah Hauer-King, and Connor Swindells.

Word on the Street: The film is based on the Swiss national hero, William Tell.

My Take: This is the 8th film about William Tell. The first was a silent film in 1898.

Eric LaRue  (2023)

Rating:  N/A

Release Date:  In theaters on Friday, April 4, 2025.

Summary: Eric LaRue tells the story of Janice (Judy Greer), who is the mother of a teenager who shot and killed three of his classmates, as she tries to carry on and find meaning in her life. 

What to Watch For:  This is the directorial debut by Michael Shannon. 

Word on the Street: Michael Shannon won the Breakthrough Director Award at the 2023 Denver Film Festival.

My Take: The outstanding cast includes Paul Sparks, Alexander Skarsgard, and Alison Pill. 

Which New Movies Coming Out This Week Are You Excited to Watch?

Below, let us know what new movies you plan to see this week!