Which Modern Classic Movies Should Hollywood Re-Release Theatrically Next?

When it comes to old ideas or phenomena coming back in 2025, it’s usually toxic concepts re-emerging in American society. A rare pleasant version of the old being new in 2025, though, is the sudden resurgence of theatrical re-releases. Home video seemed to kill these off at the end of the 90s, save for a brief early 2010s resurgence of select titles getting digital 3D reissues. However, in the last two years, movies ranging from Coraline to Interstellar to Stop Making Sense to Pride & Prejudice (among others) have all made serious cash coming back to theaters.

Now, Revenge of the Sith’s poised to make a tremendous amount of dough with its 20th anniversary reissue. It’s doubtful these re-releases will cease anytime soon. So what’s next? What other modern classics are likely coming back to a theater near you very soon?

The word “modern” is quite an interesting part of this phenomenon (and crucial to understanding what films could come next). Theatrical reissues in the 2010s were restricted to Fathom Events screenings that happened twice on Wednesdays and Sundays. Typically, these screenings consisted of classic 80s crowdpleasers sprinkled in with the most famous entries on AFI’s 100 Best Movies list (Gone with the Wind, namely). The recent surge in theatrical re-releases, though, focus on movies reflecting a new generation’s cinematic preferences rather than catering to the Goonies fanbase.

The Star Wars prequels used to be reviled. Now, even The Phantom Menace can drum up solid box office figures in a 2024 theatrical reissue tied to its 25th anniversary. Coraline is now the Nightmare Before Christmas or Yellow Submarine equivalent (in being iconic offbeat animated cinema) for Gen Z. Pride & Prejudice, meanwhile, was a perennial staple of the last 20 years of both English classrooms and sleepovers. Folks under 30 have their own definition of mainstream cinema classics beyond St. Elmo’s Fire or The Breakfast Club. Films from 1999 onward are the core foundation of this new surge in theatrical reissues.

Even award season dramas coming back to the big screen reflect this reality. Come this June, Brokeback Mountain is returning to multiplexes for its 20th anniversary. This important detail solidifies why these theatrical reissues are thriving. Many Pride & Prejudice or Revenge of the Sith fans grew up loving these films. However, they never got a chance to see them theatrically. These re-releases allow them to fix that. Given this reality, films from 1999-2010 seem prime for the current theatrical reissue trend. Finding titles with a round number anniversary (15th, 25th, 20th, etc) also adds another marketable element to these reissues.

An obvious next step for the theatrical re-release trend is Inception. Perhaps release it over Father’s Day weekend 2025 (which doesn’t currently have a new big PG-13 release).  Interstellar made a mint in its December 2024 reissue. People will clearly leave their houses for Nolan movies on the big screen. Inception also turns 15 years old this year, while the film has remained in the public consciousness thanks to countless memes and its artistic quality. Fellow 2010 title The Social Network also sounds like a no-brainer for a theatrical re-release.

In this case, this David Fincher title holds a special place in the hearts of the oldest Gen Z moviegoers. Original orchestral compositions like “Hand Covers Bruise” from the Network soundtrack or famous lines about “flip-flops” have became a part of everyday life for folks under 30. First released in October 2010, Network is a profoundly important movie for younger audiences, making it ideal for a grand return to theaters. Speaking of fall 2010 movies, Easy A would also be an ideal pick for this trend. Pride & Prejudice’s success proved that these older titles can thrive in a modern theatrical landscape where studios constantly insist certain genres like romantic dramas or comedies no longer work theatrically.

This mindset is clearly nonsense (people will show up for a good movie no matter the genre). Beloved teen cinema favorite Easy A scoring a triumphant return to theaters could solidify that. After all, it’s the Gen Z equivalent to The Breakfast Club and Fast Times at Ridgemont High, which always get Fathom Events reissues.

Shifting things in time, this feature’s 20th anniversary back in March already came and went. Therefore, maybe this 2005 film is no longer ideal for a theatrical reissue. However, one glance at the Robots Letterboxd page and the slew of memes it spawned (shout-out to Bigweld) makes cultural longevity apparent. Other 2005 animated kids’ movies like Chicken Little and Valiant would kill for this enduring popularity. Bringing it back to theaters wouldn’t be a terrible idea, especially if its current owner Disney launched it in a corridor of the year devoid of new family movies.

Speaking of nostalgic 2005 movies owned by the Mouse House, Sky High getting a 20th anniversary re-release could make a pretty penny. As for motion pictures turning 25 this year that could join in on this re-release phenomenon, Charlie’s Angels, Chicken Run, Miss Congeniality, and Remember the Titans could all be on the docket. I’ll also personally eat my hat if Universal Pictures doesn’t give Jim Carrey’s Grinch a splashy 25th anniversary re-release come November. All these possibilities suggest exciting new ways for movie theaters to keep the lights on. More importantly, though, these possible re-release titles and the most lucrative recent theatrical reissues suggest audiences want a more eclectic crop of big-screen offerings.

True, it’s one thing for people to show up to the theater for familiar David Byrne music documentaries and romantic dramas. It’s another to get them to multiplexes to see fresh original films like Marry Me or Better Man. Still, if you can get audiences in the door for any kind of non-tentpole action film on the big screen, that indicates you could do it again. People don’t go to their local theater eager for just one kind of film. They just want to be swept off their feet by something incredibly transportive and entertaining. Those qualities can materialize in any genre. Hollywood needs to fulfill that potential by making a wider range of motion pictures (read: more comedies, live-action family movies, rom-coms, etc.) for the big screen.

Ideally, these theatrical reissues could provide an exciting stepping stone to that reality. People are showing up for non-superhero stuff on the big screen again. To boot, its material they could stay at home to watch on Netflix! Against all odds, the theatrical re-release is back. That could open very interesting doors for Hollywood’s future beyond potentially allowing Rodney Copperbottom and his trans friend Fender to once again rock the big screen.