It's a familiar summer ritual: studios roll out their biggest franchises, hoping to dominate the box office with superheroes, sequels, and spectacle. But this year, something unusual is happening. The season's most talked-about titles aren't the ones that had $200 million marketing campaigns. Instead, a wave of unexpected hits—from an original dinosaur movie to a low-budget horror film about conversion therapy—are capturing audiences' attention and redefining what a summer blockbuster can be.
Across film, television, and streaming, the common thread is surprise. Whether it's a surprise cameo, a surprise box office run, or a surprise critical darling, these stories are dominating conversations and forcing the industry to rethink its assumptions. As The Verge's Installer newsletter put it, this is "the surprise must-see movie of the summer"—and it's not the one anyone predicted.
The Box Office Underdogs
The most striking trend is the performance of movies that were initially written off. F1: The Movie, starring Brad Pitt as a veteran driver returning to Formula 1, has zoomed past $560 million globally, according to Deadline, making it "summer's biggest surprise hit." The film's realistic racing sequences and Pitt's star power have turned it into a word-of-mouth phenomenon.
Similarly, Backrooms, a horror film based on the viral internet creepypasta, is projected to open with $20M+ at the domestic box office, per Deadline. Analysts had expected the film to be a niche streaming title, but its found-footage style and Gen Z appeal have made it a theatrical event.
Perhaps the most surprising success story is The End of Oak Street, David Robert Mitchell's dinosaur movie starring Anne Hathaway. IndieWire called it "the best dinosaur movie since 1993," and People reports that first reviews are praising it as "the surprise of the summer." The film, which blends coming-of-age drama with prehistoric thrills, was a passion project that few expected to resonate so widely.
"It's not about the size of the release; it's about the size of the idea." — A studio analyst quoted in USA Today's summer movie preview
Horror's Unlikely Love Stories and Twists
Horror has been the genre most associated with surprise this summer. Leviticus, a film about conversion therapy, has been hailed by Variety as "summer's most surprising love story." The film uses horror tropes to explore real-world trauma, and its emotional core has turned it into a crossover hit.
Weapons, another original horror film, is being called "the original summer surprise we've been waiting for" by IndieWire. Meanwhile, Obsession is described by Elle as "chillingly good" and is becoming a surprise hit, proving that audiences are hungry for fresh scares rather than recycled franchises.
Even established franchises are leaning into surprise. The new I Know What You Did Last Summer features a jaw-dropping cameo from Sarah Michelle Gellar, who told Variety the experience "was so surreal." The film's director, in an interview with IndieWire, explained the shocking twist ending—and teased even more surprises to come. The end-credits scene, per JustJared, includes "an incredible surprise cameo you can't miss."
Television and Streaming: The Small Screen's Big Moments
Streaming has also delivered its share of surprises. The Summer I Turned Pretty, adapted from Jenny Han's novels, has become 2025's surprise TV hit. The Guardian explains why the show resonates: "It makes you feel like a teenager again!" The series star Gavin Casalegno even admitted to People that he "tried to bribe" Han for information about the upcoming movie adaptation.
On Netflix, the Fear Street trilogy has emerged as "the surprise event of the summer," according to SyFy. And a romantic drama currently trending on the platform is being called a "surprise hit show" by Yahoo.
Reality TV has its own twist: Summer House is airing a bonus episode filmed after the reunion, with Bravo's boss teasing that "things have evolved." Meanwhile, Severance stars Britt Lower and Tramell Tillman surprised Adam Scott at Canneseries with a heartfelt tribute, joking that working with him feels like "summer camp—where we have no access to sunlight."
The Surprising Cultural Phenomena
Surprises aren't limited to the screen. KPop Demon Hunters, a genre-bending series, has become "the surprise hit of the summer," per The Press Democrat. Sound of Freedom continues to be analyzed as a box office phenomenon, with TheWrap examining how it resonated with audiences. And Hollywood's summer of toys has its own winners: THR reports that Barbie, Transformers, and Ninja Turtles are leading merchandising.
Even the Dubai Summer Surprises festival is drawing attention, with shopping deals and entertainment events making headlines. And Vogue recommends "10 unexpected places to travel this summer," proving that the surprise trend extends beyond entertainment.
What This Means for Hollywood
Industry insiders are taking note. The success of these underdog stories suggests that audiences are fatigued by predictable formulas. As USA Today notes, "Franchises aren't over. But they may not win this summer." The Barbie vs. Oppenheimer phenomenon of 2023 showed that counter-programming can work; this summer, it's becoming the norm.
From a business perspective, the surprises are reshaping marketing strategies. Studios are increasingly relying on word-of-mouth and social media buzz rather than massive opening weekends. The success of Backrooms, which originated as an internet meme, underscores the power of digital audiences. Speed from 1994 is being looked back on as a template for how an unexpected action film can become a summer staple, as Esquire explores.
For viewers, this summer's surprises are a gift. They're discovering new stories, new stars, and new genres. Whether it's a dinosaur movie, a horror love story, or a teen drama, the message is clear: the best surprises are the ones you never see coming.
