The latest: The Lion King is back in theaters until the 18th. Iconic Events Releasing announced during Anime Expo that Ninja Scroll and Metropolis are hitting theaters this year. For 2025, expect Paprika and the return of Cowboy Bebop: The Movie.

If you love catching re-releases of classic films in theaters on the big screen (whether you’re watching for the first time or the 50th), 2024 has been a boon year unlike any before it. Due to a strike-disrupted release schedule and lack of tentpole action, studios and theaters have been banking on nostalgia and novelty re-releasing beloved movies nationwide, to tempt audiences back to the multiplex.

The wave began in January with Francis Ford Coppola’s restoration of 1981’s cult classic One from the Heart. The romance and musical motif continued into February with Amelie and My Fair Lady. In March, Pixar concluded its run of debuting COVID-affected productions Soul, Turning Red, and Luca in theaters. That same month, IMAX kicked off its collaboration with A24 for monthly screenings, starting with Ex Machina.

Distributor Fathom Events puts on many of these classic screenings, along with their Ghibli Fest, an annual rotating celebration of all of the studio’s feature films. Anime in general is ripe for these kinds of releases (like Cowboy Bebop: The Movie or Final Fantasy VII: Advent Children so far this year) as the medium’s popularity continues expanding in America.

May was a major month with most of the Spider-Man movies released, along with a weeks-long campaign for Star Wars: The Phantom Menace‘s 25th. Uncut Gems got an IMAX print, and The Crow turned 30. In June, the Spider-Man movies concluded with No Way Home. Run Lola Run got a 4K restoration. And the extended editions of The Lord of the Rings trilogy all play one day after the other.

For July, we have a Steven Spielberg sci-fi classic (Close Encounters), the apex predator of the Disney Renaissance (Lion King), a Miyazaki masterpiece (Princess Mononoke), the next in A24 x IMAX (Oasis: Supersonic), and the 40th anniversary of fantasy adventure The NeverEnding Story.

Continue on for the full calendar of upcoming movie re-releases for the rest of 2024.