With all the delays of 2020, many of the releases we were anticipating this year didn’t come to fruition. The movie release schedule of the next two years has been entirely shaken up, but we still have plenty of releases in the new future to look forward to. Here’s our list of the films we are most looking forward to in each month of 2021 when hopefully, the moviegoing experience will look a little differently than it did this year.
January: Supernova
With both Colin Firth and Stanley Tucci, Supenova looks to be an emotional powerhouse of a film. The leading duo star as a longtime couple Sam and Tusker going on one final road trip across England before Tusker’s (Tucci) dementia changes him entirely. So far critics have raved about the film’s performances and storyline, so we look forward to this film’s release on January 29.
February: Judas and the Black Messiah
Produced by Ryan Coogler and directed by Shaka King, Judas and the Black Messiah is a historical drama about the assassination of Black Panther Party chairman Fred Hampton. The film stars Daniel Kaluuya and LaKeith Stanfield, and the trailer gives us a hint at the powerful performances we have to look forward to from both of them. The film will release on HBO Max and in theaters on February 12.
March: Raya and the Last Dragon
In this upcoming Disney animated film, Kelly Marie Tran voices Raya, who is tasked with finding the last living dragon in the hopes of uniting her divided people. The setting is the unique fantasy world of Kumandra, making this a new, original, and visually stunning film to look forward to from Disney. The film will release on March 5 in theaters and on Disney + Premium Access.
April: No Time to Die
The next installment of the Bond franchise and the last led by Daniel Craig, No Time to Die has been rescheduled plenty of times and will hopefully keep its place on the calendar this year. The film appears to be packed with classic Bond action and includes Rami Malek as the villain, making this an exciting watch we are looking forward to seeing in theaters this April.
May: Black Widow
This film has been a long time coming, and yes, we are still excited about it. After numerous delays, Black Widow is now on track to release in theaters on May 1. Hopefully that can still become a reality, because we are looking forward to learning more about Natasha’s backstory and finally seeing the first film of Marvel’s Phase 4.
June: In the Heights
Lin Manuel Miranda brings his next musical to the big screen with Crazy Rich Asians director Jon Chu. Hamilton’s Anthony Ramos leads the film as Usnavi, who is saving money while working at his corner bodega to make a better life for himself and partner Vanessa. The trailer shows hints of elaborate musical numbers and quick witted lyrics accompanying upbeat tunes, so we look forward to seeing In the Heights on June 18.
July: Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings
Another major upcoming release from Marvel, Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings will introduce new hero Shang-Chi played by Simu Liu. We haven’t seen any trailer or sneak peeks or photos of any kind yet from this project, so we look forward to learning more about the direction the story will take. The cast of the film also includes Awkwafina, Tony Leung, and Benedict Wong and is scheduled to release in theaters on July 9.
August: The Suicide Squad
James Gunn has partnered with WB to give The Suicide Squad another chance, and from this sneak peek that debuted at DC Fandome, it looks to be a fun, action-packed project to look forward to for fans of DC. Some fan favorites including Harley Quinn will be returning, along with plenty of new faces to mark this installment as unique from the 2016 Suicide Squad film. It is scheduled to be released on August 6 in theaters and on HBO Max.
September: Death on the Nile
A followup to Murder on the Orient Express, Kenneth Branagh returns as detective Hercule Poirot in this next star-studded whodunnit. The cast includes Gal Gadot, Armie Hammer, Leticia Wright, Russell Brand, Annette Bening, and more. Death on the Nile is scheduled for release in theaters on September 17.
October: Dune
Another major release pushed back from 2020, Dune has many of us eagerly anticipating this new stylish take on the Frank Herbert sci-fi novel from director Denis Villeneuve. The cast is also star-studded with Timothee Chalamet, Jason Momoa, Oscar Isaac, Rebecca Ferguson, Josh Brolin, Dave Bautista, and many more. Dune will be available in theaters and on HBO Max on October 1, 2021.
November: Eternals
Marvel has another new film out in 2021 that will be introducing a whole new set of characters, and this one we are particularly excited about. Eternals will introduce a group of immortal heroes who have been living in hiding on earth for centuries and are finally brought back into the light when a new enemy makes itself known after the events of Avengers: Infinity War. The film stars Angelina Jolie, Salma Hayek, Kit Harrington, Richard Madden, Kumail Nanjani, and many more and is scheduled for November.
December: West Side Story
Steven Spielberg is bringing classic musical West Side Story back to the big screen this year with Ansel Elgort, Rachel Zegler, Ariana DeBose, and Rita Moreno. Only a few behind the scenes shots have been revealed so far, and we’re looking forward to seeing what Spielberg can bring to this story to make it pop in 2021.