The Biggest Movies To Watch In 2021

Twelve months ago, no one could've expected to see movies such as Black Widow, No Time To Die, F9: The Fast Saga, and Dune on a list of 2021's most anticipated films. But that was before the COVID-19 pandemic shut down theaters across the world, leading studios to delay the release of their scheduled films. While a few titles were immediately pushed into 2021, most simply moved into the later part of the year. But as the months wore on, it became clear that normal theatrical releases in 2020 weren't going to happen, and gradually the vast majority of the year's movies were given new release dates in 2021.

Of course, things remain very uncertain right now, and there's no guarantee that every movie on this list will arrive on its current scheduled date. But there's no question that there's an absolute wealth of high-profile cinema waiting in the wings when life does regain some normality, and 2021 has the possibility of being an incredible year for movie fans.

After an entire year without a single release in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, there are three set to arrive in 2021--Black Widow, The Eternals, and a new Spider-Man movie. The Bond film No Time To Die will finally be with us, as will the ninth Fast and Furious and seventh Mission Impossible, plus new movies in such popular series as Ghostbusters, The Kingsmen, and the Matrix.

Outside of these big franchises, there are adaptations of video games Mortal Kombat and Uncharted, more films in Sony's universe of Spider-man spin-offs, and belated sequels to much-loved '80s movies Top Gun and Coming To America. Horror is well represented with new Halloween, Purge, Conjuring, Candyman, and Saw movies, plus intriguing new scary films from Edgar Wright and Guillermo Del Toro. And of course, there's loads of animated family releases on the way too, with another original movie from Pixar as well as Minions, Hotel Transylvania, and Addams Family sequels.

With any luck, very few of the movies on the following list will also appear on GameSpot's rundown of biggest movies to watch in 2022 a year from now. So let's stay optimistic, and look forward to an amazing year of cinema in 2021!

Release date: January 29

British director Alice Glass's acclaimed debut film was originally set to be released back in July, but was pulled from release at short notice. It's finally got a new date and will hit selected theaters in January, with a digital release following two weeks later. It's an intense movie about a nurse with a mysterious past who becomes obsessed with one of her patients. The movie skilfully blends psychological drama with elements of possession movies and body horror and features an incredible lead performance from Morfydd Clark, who will next be seen as Galadriel in Amazon's highly anticipated Lord of the Rings TV show.

Release date: March 5

While sequels to Eddie Murphy's '80s 48 Hours and Beverly Hills Cop were made a long time ago, it's taken over 30 years to get a follow up to his 1988 favorite Coming To America. But with any luck, Coming 2 America will be worth the wait. Murphy returns as Akeem Joffer, the prince of Zamunda, who is about to be crowned king of his nation. But when he discovers that he has an American son that he was unaware of, he heads back to the US to meet his now-adult offspring. The movie also reunites Arsenio Hall as Akeem's best friend Semmi and James Earl Jones as his father, with comedian Jermaine Fowler playing Akeem's son Lavelle. It's helmed by Craig Brewer, who also directed Murphy in last year's acclaimed Netflix movie Dolemite is the Name. It'll hit Amazon Prime Video in March.

Release date: March 5

This sci-fi thriller has had something of a troubled history--it started shooting back in 2017 ahead of a 2019 release, but extensive delays and reshoots has meant that it's taken nearly four years to reach the screen. It features Spider-Man star Tom Holland as a survivor in a dangerous futuristic world where people can hear each other's thoughts, and the cast also features Daisy Ridley, Mads Mikkelsen, and Demián Bichir. While the credited director is Doug Liman (The Bourne Identity, Edge of Tomorrow), Don't Breathe director Fede Álvarez helmed the reshoots. Let's face it, delayed movies with multiple directors don't always turn out that well, but Patrick Ness's original novel was highly acclaimed, so let's hope it was worth the wait.

Release date: March 5

Smoking Aces and A-Team director Joe Carnahan puts an action movie spin on the familiar Groundhog Day plot of a man who lives the same day again and again. In this case, former special services agent (Frank Grillo) relives the day he is killed by mysterious assassins, who are seemingly under the control of an evil colonel played by Mel Gibson. The recent trailer suggests it's going to be ridiculous and very violent fun, and it debuts on Hulu in March.

Release date: March 12

This lavish animated Disney fantasy was originally set for a theatrical release, but will now hit Disney+ premium access alongside a selected theatrical rollout. The movie stars Kelly Marie Tran as Raya, a girl living in a mystical land where dragons were worshipped by the people, but now only one remains. Raya sets out to find it in order to bring peace to the land. The voice cast also includes Awkwafina, and it's directed by Moana's Don Hall and Carlos López Estrada, who previously helmed the acclaimed indie drama Blindspotting.

Release date: March 26

2018's Godzilla: King of the Monsters might not have been as big a hit as 2014's Godzilla, but a third appearance from the iconic movie monster is due next year. As the title suggests, this one will see Big G face off against the legendary giant ape King Kong for what promises to be an earth-shaking slugfest. Godzilla vs. Kong is directed by Adam Wingard (The Guest, Death Note) and stars Alexander Skarsgård, Millie Bobby Brown, Rebecca Hall, and Brian Tyree Henry.

Release date: April 16

The long-running video game series Mortal Kombat is getting a new movie reboot. The film will feature a number of characters familiar to fans of the game, including Liu Kang, Mileena, Jax, Sub-Zero, and Raiden, and will reportedly deliver R-rated fighting, as opposed to the PG-13 violence of the two previous '90s movies. Hopefully, it retains some of the silliness of those films, though. It's produced by Aquaman director James Wan and directed by Australian commercials director Simon McQuaid.

Release date: April 17

Guillermo Del Toro's next directorial effort, Nightmare Alley, isn't expected until 2021. As a producer, though, his name continues to be attached to a variety of films. Hot on the heels of Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark, we have Antlers. It's a spooky tale of a young boy and something scary that lives in the woods that's been picking off the locals. Antlers stars Keri Russell (Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker) and Jesse Plemons (El Camino: A Breaking Bad Story), and is directed by Scott Cooper.

Release date: April 23

With A Quiet Place, The Office and Jack Ryan star John Krasinski proved that he wasn't just a talented actor--he also had serious chops as a filmmaker too. The movie was a tense, terrifying, and moving experience that transcended its gimmicky setup (make a sound and a monster will get you), and grossed more than $340 million worldwide. Krasinski also directs the sequel, which stars Emily Blunt once more, alongside Cillian Murphy and Djimon Hounsou. Krasinski previously hinted that the sequel will expand the setting of the movie, stating, "[It] isn't just a character to remake or a group of characters or a story. It's actually a world, which is a whole different, very unique experience."

Release date: May 7

She might have reached an unpleasant end in Avengers: Endgame, but Scarlett Johansson's Natasha Romanoff is back to headline her own movie. Black Widow is set after the events of Captain America: Civil War and sees Natasha return to Russia to sort out "unfinished business" involving the Red Room, the training program that produced Black Widow agents. Florence Pugh (Midsommar) plays Yelena Belova, another Black Widow, David Harbour is retired Soviet superhero Red Guardian, and Rachel Weisz plays Melina Vostokoff, a former agent also known as Iron Maiden in Marvel's comic books. The first trailer doesn't give too much away plot-wise, but it looks like an exciting mix of Bourne-style action and more traditional MCU thrills.

Release date: May 21

The Saw series is one of the most successful horror franchises of all time, and the ninth movie is on the way. The awkwardly-titled Spiral: From the Book of Saw stars Chris Rock as a cop who gets pulled into a strange murder case, which seems to have links to the activities of the notorious (and very dead) trap-setting maniac Jigsaw. The movie also stars Samuel L. Jackson, and it's directed by Darren Lynn Bousman, who previously helmed Saw 2, 3, and 4. Despite the title and weird, arty poster, the recent first trailer suggests that it'll be gory business as usual.

Release date: May 21

Shawn Levy is a producer and writer on Stranger Things, as well as the director of the successful Night at the Museum movies. His latest film is Free Guy, a sci-fi comedy set within a fictional open world game titled Free City, which is based on Grand Theft Auto and Fortnite. Ryan Reynolds plays a non-player character who becomes aware of his reality and sets about trying to become a hero character before the game is shut down. The cast also includes Killing Eve star Jodie Comer and the ubiquitous Taika Waititi, and there will be cameos from YouTube personalities such as Seán William McLoughlin, Tyler Blevins, and Imane Anys.

Release date: May 28

2019's Fast & Furious spin-off Hobbs & Shaw gave Dwayne Johnson and Jason Statham their own movie, but next April, we return to the main series. All the old gang are back (minus Dwayne and Jason), so that's Vin Diesel, Michelle Rodriguez, Jordana Brewster, Tyrese Gibson, and Ludacris. Helen Mirren and Charlize Theron will also reprise their roles from The Fate of the Furious (as Deckard Shaw's mom Magdalene and evil cyberterrorist Cipher respectively), and John Cena is among the new additions to the cast. This will be Justin Lin's fifth time helming an entry in the series, and by now, fans will know exactly what to expect. So buckle up for more insane, impossible car action and multiple uses of the word "family."

Release date: May 28

Mark Wahlberg is set to star in two big movies next summer--Infinite and Uncharted, which arrives in August. Infinite is sci-fi thriller directed by Antoine Fuqua (The Equalizer, Training Day), which stars Mark Wahlberg as a schizophrenic man who joins a secret organization who possess the ability to access memories of their past lives. The cast also includes Chiwetel Ejiofor (Doctor Strange), Dylan O'Brien (Maze Runner: The Death Cure), and Sophie Cookson (Kingsman: The Secret Service).

Release date: June 4

The Conjuring universe is now the most successful horror movie franchise ever made, and the third film in the main series arrives this year. Patrick Wilson and Vera Farmiga return as paranormal experts Ed and Lorraine Warren, who, as the movie's title suggests, take on an unusual case of demonic possession. Wilson has stated that the film will have "a much different feel" to previous movies. It's produced by series creator James Wan once more, and directed by Michael Chaves, who previously helmed 2019's The Curse of La Llorona.

Release date: June 18

The release of Pixar's next movie, the musical fantasy Soul, might have been delayed to December this year, but that hasn't stopped the studio from announcing its subsequent film. Luca arrives in June 2021, and will be set on the Italian Riviera. We don't have many details about it so far, but Pixar has released the first image, while director Enrico Casarosa (Incredibles 2, Up) has described it as "deeply personal films [and] a celebration of friendship."

Release date: June 25

The follow-up to 2018's Spider-Man spin-off Venom sees Tom Hardy reprise his role as reporter Eddie Brock, who is host to the titular alien symbiote, while Woody Harrelson will play convicted serial killer Cletus Kasady, who has been possessed by the equally dangerous Carnage. The first movie wasn't exactly a critical hit, but it made a lot of money at the box office, so don't expect this one to change up the ridiculous formula. Andy Sirkis directs, taking over Ruben Fleischer.

Release date: July 2

Top Gun was the most successful movie of 1986 and now stands as one of the decade's most-loved films. So it's surprising it's taken over 30 years for the sequel to arrive, but with Tom Cruise as big of a star now as he's ever been, there's no reason to think Top Gun: Maverick won't match the original's success. Cruise is back as hotshot fighter pilot Pete "Maverick" Mitchell, and the cast also includes Westworld's Ed Harris as a tough admiral, Miles Teller (Whiplash) as the son of the Maverick's late pal Goose, and Val Kilmer, who will reprise his role as Tom "Iceman" Kazansky. Time to get back into the Danger Zone.

Release date: July 2

The 2015 Despicable Me spin-off Minions proved to be even more successful than any of the main films, so inevitably a sequel is on the way. Minions: The Rise of Gru is set in the '70s and focuses on Steve Carell's Gru, who is a young boy dreaming of becoming a feared supervillain. In order to prove his villainy, he steals a valuable stone from the evil group Vicious 6 and finds himself on the run. Luckily, those iconic yellow Minions are on hand to help him out. The voice cast is almost certainly the most eclectic of the year--it includes Taraji P. Henson, Julie Andrews, Danny Trejo, and Jean-Claude Van Damme--and the popularity of the Minions should make this another smash.

Release date: July 9

In just seven years, the Purge series has produced four movies and two seasons of a spin-off TV show, and a fifth film is on the way. Creator James DeMonaco previously stated that this would be the last one, but given 2018's prequel The First Purge was the most successful one so far, it's hard to believe producers Blumhouse will stop here. But either way, The Forever Purge will pick up where 2016's Election Year left off, with director Everardo Gout (Luke Cage, Banshee) making his feature debut.

Release date: July 30

While many big movies have been turned into theme park rides over the years, the opposite is sometimes true as well. Disneyland's Pirates of the Caribbean ride became a hugely popular five-film franchise, and the studio will be hoping for the same for Jungle Cruise. The river boat attraction has been turned into a big-budget adventure comedy starring Dwayne Johnson as a riverboat captain who specialises in cruises down a dangerous jungle river in the 1930s. Emily Blunt plays an adventurer in search of a mystical tree with healing properties and hires the reluctant Johnson to take her on the dangerous mission downriver to find it. Expect lots of laughs and Indiana Jones-influenced action.

Release date: August 6

Guardian of the Galaxy director James Gunn will make his DC debut with The Suicide Squad. While the movie does include several cast members from the 2016 Suicide Squad movie, such as Margot Robbie as Harley Quinn and Viola Davis as Amanda Waller, it's not a direct sequel. The film will feature a host of new stars, including Idris Elba, John Cena, Michael Rooker, Nathan Fillion, Pete Davidson, and Peter Capaldi, and it's been described both as "a gritty 1970s war movie" and "a comedy" by producer Peter Safran and star Joel Kinnaman respectively. We'll find out exactly what Gunn has in store when the movie arrives in August.

Release date: August 6

The Hotel Transylvania franchise is not even a decade old, but it has already produced three hugely successful animated movies, a TV spin-off, and a series of video games. The fourth movie arrives in August, and will once again star Adam Sandler as Dracula, plus Andy Samberg and Selena Gomez. No plot details have been revealed yet, but expect more spooky fun set in the monster resort of the title.

Release date: August 13

Fede Alvarez's highly suspenseful Don't Breathe was one of 2016's big surprise hits, making $157 million at the worldwide box office from a modest production budget of $10 million. The movie didn't necessarily leave the door open for a second entry, but that has rarely (ok, never) stopped Hollywood, and the sequel is on the way. Alvarez and Rodo Sayagues have written the screenplay once more, with Sayagues taking over directorial duties. Stephen Lang will be back as the sinister Blind Man, and he confirmed in October that production has now wrapped on the movie ahead of its release next summer.

Release date: August 20

The King's Man might be the third movie in the Kingsman series, but it's actually a prequel set decades before the first two films. It explores the origins of the franchise's secretive spy organization and stars Harris Dickinson as a young agent who is recruited to take part in a series of dangerous adventures. The film has an impressive cast list that also includes Ralph Fiennes, Liam Neeson, Daniel Brühl, Gemma Arterton, Rhys Ifans, and Aaron Taylor-Johnson, and like the previous films, it's directed by Matthew Vaughn, so expect a similar mix of intrigue, comedy, and outlandish action.

Release date: August 27

As well as directing the hit movies Get Out and Us, Jordan Peele has kept busy by writing and producing a slate of other genre TV shows and movies. He's co-written this new version of the terrifying '90s horror classic Candyman, which is based on the story by Clive Barker. It's described as a "spiritual sequel," and while there has been a bit of confusion about who will play the vengeful ghostly former slave of the title, it has been reported that it will in fact be original star Tony Todd. The cast also includes Aquaman's Yahya Abdul Mateen II, and it's directed by rising director Nia DaCosta (Little Woods, Top Boy).

Release date: September 17

Kenneth Branagh was last seen as the main villain in Christoper Nolan's Tenet, and next he will return to a more heroic role--Agatha Christie's iconic detective Hercule Poirot. Death on the Nile follows 2018's Murder on the Orient Express, and is directed by Branagh once more. Like its predecessor, this one has a star-studded cast that includes Gal Gadot, Armie Hammer, Annette Bening, Russell Brand, and Sophie Okonedo. The first movie made more than $350 million at the worldwide box office, and this could become a similar success.

Release date: September 24

It's been 13 years since the final episode of the groundbreaking gangster drama The Sopranos, but this highly-anticipated prequel movie is on the way. The Many Saints of Newark is co-written by creator David Chase and directed by series veteran Alan Taylor. It's set in the 1960s during the Newark race riots and focuses on Giovanni "Johnny Boy" Soprano, played by Jon Bernthal. The cast also includes Alessandro Nivola, Vera Farmiga, and Ray Liotta, plus Michael Gandolfini, who will play the young version of Tony Soprano, the role made famous by his late father James.

Release date: October 1

Frank Herbert's classic sci-fi novel is getting an epic new movie adaptation from Arrival and Blade Runner 2049 director Denis Villeneuve. Dune was previously adapted by David Lynch in the '80s and as a TV mini-series in the early 2000s, but both versions were very flawed, and Villeneuve's undeniable vision as a sci-fi filmmaker--plus the amazing cast he's assembled--promises great things from this saga of warring galactic families and giant spice-worms. Timothy Chalamet stars as Paul Atreides, with Oscar Isaac as Duke Leto, Rebecca Ferguson as Lady Jessica, Stellan Skarsgård as Baron Harkonen, Jason Momoa as Duncan Idaho, Javier Bardem as Stilgar, and Dave Bautista as "Beast" Rabban.

Release date: October 8

No Time To Die is the 25th movie in the long-running James Bond series. Daniel Craig returns as the iconic British super spy for the fifth (and probably final) time, and now he's facing off against a mysterious villain named Safin, played by Oscar-winning Bohemian Rhapsody star Rami Malek. There are a few characters returning from previous films, including Madeleine Swann (Léa Seydoux) and iconic criminal mastermind Blofeld (Christoph Waltz) from 2015's Spectre, and director Cary Joji Fukunaga has proved himself to be a stylish and exciting filmmaker with shows and movies such as Maniac, True Detective Season 1, and Beasts of No Nation. The Bond series might be nearly 60 years old, but it seems it's not ready to die quite yet.

Release date: October 8

Everyone's favorite spooky family returned to screens in 2019 in an animated movie that ended up grossing $204 million worldwide. A sequel is on the way, which will be directed by Greg Tiernan once more. Most of the high-profile cast are returning too, with Oscar Isaac as Gomez, Charlize Theron as Morticia, Chloë Grace Moretz as Wednesday, Nick Kroll as Uncle Fester, Snoop Dogg as Cousin Itt, and Bette Midler as Grandmama Addams. Javon Walton takes over from Finn Wolfhard as Pugsley, while Bill Hader will voice a new character named Cyrus.

Release date: October 15

The huge success of 2018's Halloween reboot/sequel proved there's still life in the long-running slasher series. Director David Gordon Green has shot the next two movies back-to-back, and the first will be with us in October. Original star Jamie Lee Curtis is back to fight her masked nemesis Michael Myers on the streets of Haddonfield once more, and series co-creator John Carpenter will provide another iconic score. The third movie, the almost-certainly inaccurately titled Halloween Ends, is due in 2022.

Release date: October 22

The decades-old GI Joe toy line produced two moderately successful live-action movies in 2009 and 2013, and the franchise is set to reboot this year. Snake Eyes will focus on the popular character of the title, the enigmatic, highly-skilled commando who will be played by Henry Golding (Crazy Rich Asians, The Gentlemen). The cast also includes Samara Weaving as Scarlett and Idonisiean martial arts star Iko Uwais as Hard Master, and it's directed by Robert Schwentke, who previously helmed both movies in the Divergent series. Expect lots of action.

Release date: October 22

The zombie comedy classic Shaun of the Dead proved that director Edgar Wright is a huge horror fan, and with Last Night in Soho, he'll get the chance to show if he can make scary as well as funny. It's a '60s-set London-based psychological horror that reportedly takes influence from British classics such as Don't Look Now and Peeping Tom.The movie stars Thomasin McKenzie (Jojo Rabbit), Anya Taylor-Joy (The WItch), and Matt Smith (Doctor Who) alongside veteran British stars Diana Rigg and Terence Stamp.

Release date: November 5

While Black Widow kicks off Marvel Phase 4, that's still a film about a familiar and popular character. The Eternals presents an all-new cast and a team who are not nearly as well known as The Avengers. But that was equally true for Guardians of the Galaxy, and it didn't long for Star-Lord and his crew to become household names and expect this film to deliver the usual Marvel magic on a spectcaular cosmic scale. The Eternals stars Angelina Jolie, Richard Madden, Kumail Nanjiani, Brian Tyree Henry, and Salma Hayek as part of an immortal alien race who must protect mankind from the evil Deviants.

Release date: November 11

With 2016's Ghostbusters reboot disappointing at the box office, the latest movie in the supernatural comedy series is returning to the franchise formula with a sequel to the original '80s movies. The film takes the action from New York to rural Oklahoma, where the grandkids of one of the original team members encounter something weird happening in their town and discover their link to those first ghostbusting legends. The new cast includes Paul Rudd (Ant-Man) and Finn Wolfhard (Stranger Things), and there will be appearances from many of the original cast, including Bill Murray, Dan Akyroyd, Ernie Hudson, and Sigourney Weaver. The first trailer gives off a strong Stranger Things vibe, and director Jason Reitman will hopefully deliver some of the magic that his dad Ivan brought to the classic first movie.

Release date: November 19

Tom Cruise might be nearly 60, but he shows no sign of slowing down. The seventh movie in the globe-trotting action series is shooting in Italy, Norway, and the UK and it sees Ethan Hunt and team facing a new villain played by Ozark's Esai Morale. Agent Carter star Hayley Atwell joins the cast this time round, playing a character she describes as "destructive force of nature," while long-time fans will be excited to see the return of Henry Czerny as Eugene Kittridge, the former CIA director last seen in the first Mission: Impossible.

Release date: December 10

West Side Story is one of most famous and best-loved musicals of all-time, so it takes a director of Steven Spielberg's stature to tackle a new version. Reportedly, this new movie is closer to the 1957 Broadway original than the first movie version, which was made in 1961. It's a reworking of Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet and focuses on the romance between Tony and Maria, two teenagers in '50s New York who are affiliated with rival street gangs. Baby Driver's Ansel Elgort and newcomer Rachel Zegler take on the lead roles, while Rita Moreno, who won an Oscar for her role of Anita in the first screen version, will also appear. Amazingly, this is Spielberg's first musical, but it's a good bet that he knows what he's doing.

Release date: December 17

For a while it looked like we might not get any more Spider-Man movies in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, but thankfully Disney and Sony worked out a deal and Spidey will return for at least one more MCU film. Job Webb directs Tom Holland as Peter Parker for the third time, and he'll be joined by Benedict Cumberbatch as Doctor Strange, and--very surprisingly--Jamie Foxx as Electro. Given Foxx previously played the role in the non-MCU Amazing Spider-Man 2, could Stephen Strange create some kind of live-action Spidey multiverse in this next movie?

Release date: December 22

While 1999's The Matrix is a modern sci-fi action classic, for many fans the two sequels, Matrix Reloaded and Matrix Revolutions, were a big disappointment. But nearly 20 years later, we're getting a fourth movie, which will hopefully prove to be fitting follow-up to the groundbreaking original. Series co-creator Lana Wachowski directs once more, and Keanu Reeves and Carrie-Anne Moss are back as Neo and Trinity. New cast members include Yahya Abdul-Mateen II (Aquaman), Jessica Henwick (Iron Fist), and Neil Patrick Harris (Gone Girl). Plot details are currently underwraps, but Reeves has stated that it was Wachowski's "beautiful script and a wonderful story" that persuaded him to return.

Release date: January 21, 2022

Spider-Man might be staying with the MCU for the time being, but that doesn't mean that Sony's universe of characters from Spidey comics is waiting for him to join them. Morbius follows the hugely successful Venom and focuses on the "living vampire" of the title. Jared Leto takes on the lead role as scientist Michael Morbius, who is given vampiric superpowers after an experiment to cure a blood disease goes wrong. The original Morbius comics had a dark horror edge, and while there's no word yet if Morbius will have a PG-13 or an R rating, director Daniel Espinosa previously showed his genre skills with the sci-fi horror Life.

Release date: February 11, 2022

It might almost be hard to believe if you've followed the many attempts to get an Uncharted movie made over the past decade, but production on the film has wrapped and the film arrives next February. The video game adaptation stars Tom Holland as adventurer Nathan Drake, with Mark Wahlberg as Drake's companion Victor "Sully" Sullivan, plus Antonio Banderas (The Expendables 3), Sophia Ali (Grey's Anatomy), and Tati Gabrielle (The Owl House). Director Ruben Fleisher has confirmed that the movie will be a prequel to the game series, although Holland has also said it will take inspiration from the fourth game, Uncharted 4: A Thief's End.

Release date: TBD

Despite the persistence of many fans, it looked unlikely that we'd ever see Zack Snyder's original vision for the troubled DC movie Justice League. Snyder was famously replaced during the making of the film by Joss Whedon following a family tragedy, and the end result was not exactly warmly received by fans or critics. But in 2021, the Snyder cut of Justice League will premiere on HBO Max. Admittedly, this won't be what we would've seen in 2017 had Snyder stayed on board--it was revealed at last month's DC FanDome that the new version will be four hours long and divided into four parts. But for those who felt that the legendary superhero team were ill-served by what was originally released, anticipation is sky-high.

Release date: TBD

This delayed adaptation of Daniel Mallory's best-selling novel has had a few behind-the-scenes problems, including reshoots after reported negative test screenings and controversy about Mallory himself, and it's now set to hit Netflix at some point. It's got an A-list cast (Amy Adams, Gary Oldman, Anthony Mackie, Julianne Moore), a high-profile director (Atonement's Joe Wright), and the book was the first debut novel in more than a decade to enter the New York Times' Best Seller List at No.1. It's a Hitchcockian thriller about an agoraphobic woman who starts to investigate the disappearance of a friend.

Release date: TBD

Wes Anderson's idiosyncratic and stylish comedies have won him a dedicated fanbase, and his latest movie looks every bit as stylish and funny as the likes of The Royal Tenenbaums and The Grand Budapest Hotel. The title of the film refers to an American magazine operating out of a French city during the mid-20th century. Bill Murray plays the owner, and the cast also includes Tilda Swinton, Frances McDormand, Jeffrey Wright, Adrien Brody, Benicio del Toro, Owen Wilson, Léa Seydoux, and many, many more.

Release date: TBD

The overwhelmingly stylish trailer for The Green Knight, starring Dev Patel, first garnered a lot of attention for its edgy, artistic take on the medieval folktale of the same name. Written and directed by David Lowery (A Ghost Story, Pete's Dragon), The Green Knight was initially supposed to hit theaters in May of 2020 at the annual SXSW festival, but was delayed indefinitely when the COVID-19 pandemic canceled the festival entirely. We're awaiting its arrival in 2021 with bated breath, if only to see Dev Patel's take on Sir Gawain face-off against hallucinogenic monsters and struggle to prove himself worthy as a knight.