The Toronto International Film Festival is back this week, marking its 50th anniversary with a dazzling lineup of Hollywood stars, powerhouse directors, and world premieres that will light up the city from September 4 to 14. Whether you’re a die-hard cinephile or just hoping to spot celebrities on King Street, this year’s program promises plenty of buzz.
Leading the charge is Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery, featuring Daniel Craig alongside Josh O’Connor, Glenn Close, Josh Brolin, Mila Kunis, Jeremy Renner, Kerry Washington and more. The whodunit premieres September 6 at the Princess of Wales Theatre, with multiple screenings throughout the week.
Comedy fans can look forward to Good Fortune, starring Seth Rogen, Aziz Ansari, Keke Palmer, Sandra Oh, and none other than Keanu Reeves, also premiering September 6 at Roy Thomson Hall. Action meets drama in The Smashing Machine, with Dwayne Johnson and Emily Blunt, bowing on September 8. That same night, Guillermo del Toro unveils his long-awaited Frankenstein, starring Oscar Isaac, Jacob Elordi and Mia Goth.
The festival opens with quirkier fare too: If I Had Legs I’d Kick You, a star-packed comedy with Rose Byrne, Conan O’Brien, Christian Slater, Danielle Macdonald and A$AP Rocky, premieres on September 4, alongside Sentimental Value with Stellan Skarsgard, Elle Fanning and Cory Michael Smith.
Other films stirring excitement include Christy (Sydney Sweeney, Ben Foster), Hamnet (Paul Mescal, Jessie Buckley), Mile End Kicks (Barbie Ferreira, Jay Baruchel), and Poetic License (Leslie Mann, Nico Parker, Maisy Stella, Jake Bongiovi).
Tickets for premieres and screenings are available at TIFF.net, though some showtimes haven’t opened yet. Expect the hottest tickets to sell quickly, especially for celebrity-heavy red carpets.
With marquee titles, big debuts, and a city buzzing with star sightings, TIFF 2025 is shaping up to be one for the history books.