With 2020 more or less a wash at the box office, studios and theatrical exhibitors are pinning a lot of hopes on 2021. Part of that involves putting out a huge volume of content, blending the remaining 2020 releases that were delayed due to the covid-19 pandemic with the originally-planned 2021 releases that they manage to complete between now and the end of the year. Disney alone has more than 20 theatrical releases planned for 2020, including three Marvel films and at least one (possibly two) of their live-action fairy tale adaptations.
The calendar is jammed, and will likely change a handful more times as other big releases get pushed back or forward from other studios (after all, there’s a good chance Wonder Woman 1984 will end up in 2021, and nobody will want to compete with that on opening weekend). The coming year, though, will likely have a lot of opportunities.
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Untitled 20th Century Studios film in September, and another one in November. There is also a planed Disney live-action movie, with no specific release date, which seems likely to be The Little Mermaid. Although given the number of titles coming in 2021 not just from Disney but from every major studio, anything that’s as sketchy as that feels like it might end up getting pushed.
You can see the rundown of all the movies we know are coming below, along with stills, trailers, and official synopses wherever available.
What 2021 release are you most excited about? Let us know in the comments, or hit up @russburlingame on Twitter to talk about it.
The King’s Man
As a collection of history’s worst tyrants and criminal masterminds gather to plot a war to wipe out millions, one man must race against time to stop them. Discover the origins of the very first independent intelligence agency in The King’s Man.
Director: Matthew Vaughn
Based on the Comic Book “The Secret Service” by Mark Millar and Dave Gibbons
Produced by: Matthew Vaughn, David Reid, Adam Bohling
Cast: Ralph Fiennes, Gemma Arterton, Rhys Ifans, Matthew Goode, Tom Hollander, Harris Dickinson, Daniel Brühl, with Djimon Hounsou, and Charles Dance
Everybody’s Talking About Jamie
Inspired by true events, New Regency’s and Film4’s Everybody’s Talking About Jamie is the film adaptation of the hit musical. Jamie New is 16 and doesn’t quite fit in—instead of pursuing a “real” career he dreams of becoming a drag queen. Uncertain about his future, Jamie knows one thing for sure: he is going to be a sensation. Supported by his loving mom and his amazing friends, Jamie overcomes prejudice, beats the bullies and steps out of the darkness, into the spotlight.
Everybody’s Talking About Jamie stars newcomer Max Harwood, Sarah Lancashire, Lauren Patel, Shobna Gulati, Ralph Ineson, Adeel Akhtar, Samuel Bottomley, with Sharon Horgan and Richard E. Grant. The stage production’s director, Jonathan Butterell, makes his feature-film debut as director, with screenplay and lyrics by Tom MacRae, songs by Dan Gillespie Sells and a score composed by Sells and Anne Dudley. Mark Herbert, p.g.a, Peter Carlton, p.g.a, and Arnon Milchan are producing with Yariv Milchan, Michael Schaefer, Natalie Lehmann, Daniel Battsek, Ollie Madden, Peter Balm, Niall Shamma, and Jes Wilkins serving as executive producers.
Antlers
In Antlers, a small-town Oregon teacher (Keri Russell) and her brother (Jesse Plemons), the local sheriff, discover that a young student (Jeremy T. Thomas) is harboring a dangerous secret with frightening consequences.
Directed by: Scott Cooper
Screenplay by: C. Henry Chaisson & Nick Antosca and Scott Cooper, based upon the short storyThe Quiet Boy by Nick Antosca
Produced by: Guillermo del Toro, p.g.a., David Goyer, p.g.a., J. Miles Dale,p.g.a.
Cast: Keri Russell, Jesse Plemons, Jeremy T. Thomas, Graham Greene, Scott Haze, Rory Cochrane, Amy Madigan
Raya and the Last Dragon
Restore peace. Find the last dragon. Watch the new trailer for Raya and the Last Dragon, in theaters March 2021.
Long ago, in the fantasy world of Kumandra, humans and dragons lived together in harmony. But when an evil force threatened the land, the dragons sacrificed themselves to save humanity. Now, 500 years later, that same evil has returned and it’s up to a lone warrior, Raya, to track down the legendary last dragon to restore the fractured land and its divided people.
However, along her journey, she’ll learn that it’ll take more than a dragon to save the world—it’s going to take trust and teamwork as well. From directors Don Hall and Carlos López Estrada, co-directors Paul Briggs and John Ripa, producers Osnat Shurer and Peter Del Vecho, and featuring the voices of Kelly Marie Tran as Raya and Awkwafina as the last dragon Sisu, Walt Disney Animation Studios’ Raya and the Last Dragon opens in U.S. theaters in March 2021.
Bob’s Burgers
The Belcher family have been aiming for a big-screen release for quite a while, but as luck would have it, as soon as the Bobs Burgers movie finally got a release date, things were shaken up by the pandemic and the movie got shifted to 2021.
Of course, that doesn’t mean fans won’t have new episodes on Fox’s Animation Domination block in the coming weeks and months. Just to tide them over.
Bob’s Burgers: The Movie is coming on April 9, 2021
Ron’s Gone Wrong
Set in a world where walking, talking, digitally connected bots have become children’s best friends, Ron’s Gone Wrong tells the story of an 11-year-old boy who finds that his robot buddy doesn’t quite work.
The film is expected in theaters on April 23, 2021.
Black Widow
Black Widow (Scarlett Johansson) finally gets her own solo movie, filling in some of the backstory and shedding some light on the “red in her ledger” that made her one of the most complicated and tragic heroes in the MCU.
The movie has been scheduled and rescheduled a few times, but currently sits at an expected May 7 date.
Cruella
Bringing in a younger actress and a punk-rock aesthetic, Cruella will seek to give 101 Dalmatians baddie Cruella de Vil the Maleficent treatment. Emma Stone plays the title character, and the movie is set for a release on May 28.
Luca
Directed by Enrico Casarosa & produced by Andrea Warren, the film will introduce a boy named Luca as he experiences an unforgettable summer in a seaside town on the Italian Riviera. Luca opens in theaters on June 18, 2021.
Shang-Chi and the Legend of the 10 Rings
Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings was originally set to land in theaters in February of 2021, but the coronavirus pandemic saw production on the picture delayed. As compared to other MCU projects, Shang-Chi was only delayed by a few months, as filming has reportedly resumed and now has a May 7, 2021 release date.
Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings is currently set to hit theaters on July 9, 2021.
Jungle Cruise
Another delayed 2020 release, Jungle Cruise brings Dwayne Johnson and Emily Blunt face to face in a movie that plays with the story of one of the Walt Disney Parks’s long-running rides.
The trailer was launched via a fun-filled Instagram Live featuring Dwayne Johnson, interacting with a boat full of skippers from the Jungle Cruise attraction at The Disneyland Resort.
Inspired by the famous Disneyland theme park ride, Disney’s Jungle Cruise is an adventure-filled, Amazon-jungle expedition starring Dwayne Johnson as the charismatic riverboat captain and Emily Blunt as a determined explorer on a research mission. Also starring in the film are Edgar Ramirez, Jack Whitehall, with Jesse Plemons, and Paul Giamatti.
Jaume Collet-Serra is the director and John Davis, John Fox, Dwayne Johnson, Hiram Garcia, Dany Garcia and Beau Flynn are the producers, with Doug Merrifield serving as executive producer.
Deep Water
A well-to-do husband who allows his wife to have affairs in order to avoid a divorce becomes a prime suspect in the disappearance of her lovers.
The Beatles: Get Back
Filmmaker Peter Jackson presents restored, never-before-seen footage of the Beatles during their recording sessions of the album “Let It Be.”
Due in theaters on August 27, 2021.
The Last Duel
A woman claims she’s been raped by her husband’s best friend, Jean de Carrouges. But when no one believes her accusation, her husband challenges his friend to a duel, the last legally sanctioned duel in the country’s history.
Due in theaters on October 15, 2021.
Eternals
Eternals features a massive ensemble cast that includes Richard Madden, Angelina Jolie, Kumail Nanjiani, Salma Hayek, Barry Keoghan, Gemma Chan, Lauren Ridloff, Brian Tyree Henry, Lia McHugh, Don Lee, and Kit Harington. The synopsis for the massive cosmic flick can be seen below.
“Marvel Studios’ The Eternals features an exciting new team of Super Heroes in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, ancient aliens who have been living on Earth in secret for thousands of years. Following the events of Avengers: Endgame, an unexpected tragedy forces them out of the shadows to reunite against mankind’s most ancient enemy, The Deviants,” the synopsis explains.
“The outstanding ensemble cast include Richard Madden as the all-powerful Ikaris, Gemma Chan as humankind-loving Sersi, Kumail Nanjiani as the cosmic-powered Kingo, Lauren Ridloff as the super-fast Makkari, Brian Tyree Henry as the intelligent inventor Phastos, Salma Hayak as the wise and spiritual leader Ajak, Lia McHugh as the eternally young, old-coul Sprite, Don Lee as the powerful Gilgamesh, Barry Keoghan as the aloof longer Druig, and Angelina Jolie as the fierce warrior Thena. Kit Harrington was cast as Dane Whitman.”
Eternals is currently set for release on November 5, 2021.
The French Dispatch
In Wes Anderson’s newest film, the staff of a European publication decides to publish a memorial edition highlighting the three best stories from the last decade: an artist sentenced to life imprisonment, student riots, and a kidnapping resolved by a chef.
The movie will be in theaters on November 12, 2021.
West Side Story
Steven Spielberg’s adaptation of the hit musical West Side Story hung in there on the 2020 release schedule for a while before eventually being pushed almost a full year, to December 10, 2021.
In the film, two teenagers from different ethnic backgrounds fall in love in 1950s New York City.
The Eyes of Tammy Faye
Based on a true story and the documentary of the same name, The Eyes of Tammy Faye folows the life of Jim and Tammy Faye Baker through the rise, fall, and resurrection of their multimillion dollar televangelism empire.
The film is set for a release in late 2021, although there is no specific date on the calendar yet.
