FilmSpeak's Top 10 Most Anticipated Movies of 2021
2020 PROVED TO BE A ROUGH YEAR FOR MOVIES: DESPITE STILL BEING TREATED TO THE ODD GEM, THE POSTPONEMENTS AND THEATER CLOSURES CAUSED BY COVID-19 RESULTED IN MANY HAVING A LUKEWARM REACTION TO 2020.
The worst year in the history of the film industry is finally over. With ground being gained in the fight against COVID-19, and movie studios adapting to modern audiences with streaming, 2021 looks to be promising and exciting for film lovers.
We’ve taken a look at some of the hottest upcoming releases, as well as the buzz surrounding them on social media. Here are the ten films we feel are the most anticipated of 2021:
10. Godzilla vs. Kong - May 21
Dir. Adam Wingard
Starring: Alexander Skarsgard, Millie Bobby Brown, Rebecca Hall, Brian Tyree Henry, Jessica Henwick, Julian Dennison, Kyle Chandler
Fans of Warner Bros’ Monsterverse likely held “Godzilla vs. Kong” as one of their most anticipated movies of 2020. Unfortunately, it got delayed into 2021 and now competes with a slew of other highly-anticipated blockbusters. Calling this film “just” a blockbuster, however, would be underselling it, as this film promises nothing but big CGI monster fights between two icons of cinema: Godzilla and King Kong on screen together for the first time since 1962.
A blockbuster such as this is just what the world needs to enjoy going back to the cinemas or streaming from home. “Godzilla vs. Kong” probably won’t be up for acting-related accolades at the Academy Awards, and its screenplay probably won’t have the dramatic heft of Shakespeare: but fans worldwide will just be able to have fun and take their minds off of the world as they watch these two titans collide.
9. Black Widow - May 7
Dir. Cate Shortland
Starring: Scarlett Johansson, Florence Pugh, David Harbour, Rachel Weisz
2020 was the first year since 2009 without the release of a single movie in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, and while many complained about superhero fatigue leading up to and after “Avengers: Endgame” in 2019, going an entire year without a Marvel release made the already empty and hollow movie season really register. In the wake of the pandemic confining people to quarantine inside their homes, a new Marvel movie could be just what we need to bring back the feel and hype of big blockbusters that we have become accustomed to every summer movie season.
“Black Widow” finally gives the fan-favorite female Avenger her own well-deserved spinoff solo film. While postponed a full year due to the pandemic, the movie is set to release in May to kick off the film side of the MCU’s Phase 4. Some may consider a Black Widow film releasing in 2021 to be too-little-too-late, but with the promise of more MCU espionage action and explorations of her cryptic origins, as well as a proper send-off for the character, “Black Widow” is sure to bring back the thrilling and entertaining superhero cinema Marvel always gives us.
8. Top Gun: Maverick - July 2
Dir. Joseph Kosinski
Starring: Tom Cruise, Miles Teller, Jennifer Connelly, Jon Hamm, Ed Harris, Val Kilmer
The long-anticipated sequel to the hit 1986 action classic “Top Gun” finally flies into theaters this July after several delays during the COVID-19 pandemic.
The first film followed Lt. Pete “Maverick” Mitchell (Tom Cruise) feeling the need for speed and enrolling in the US Navy’s elite fighter pilot school to become the best of the best. Now the sequel will follow a veteran Maverick with more than thirty years of flying experience under his belt struggling with the limits of his age and a newer, younger generation of fighter pilots competing for his spot as top aviator, all the while combating more recent developments in pilotless drone technologies.
“Top Gun: Maverick” will also bring back fan-favorite character and notorious Maverick rival Tom “Iceman” Kazansky (Val Kilmer), now a four-star admiral and Chief of Naval Operations. With breathtaking visuals, practical camera and stunt work, and a star-studded cast, “Top Gun: Maverick” is a must-see film for 2021.
7. Mission: Impossible 7 - November 19
Dir. Christopher McQuarrie
Starring: Tom Cruise, Hayley Atwell, Ving Rhames, Simon Pegg, Rebecca Ferguson, Vanessa Kirby, Angela Bassett, Esai Morales, Henry Czerny, Shea Whigham
The seventh installment in the “Mission: Impossible” franchise hits theaters in November. This franchise is one of the highest-grossing, and most entertaining and engaging action espionage franchises in film history. What make fans most excited is that Christopher McQuarrie is returning to write and direct this film and its direct sequel coming in November 2022, following “Mission: Impossible—Fallout” in 2018, which was the highest rated and grossing film in the franchise and high up there for the year as a whole.
While plot details are currently unknown, our favorite characters in Ethan Hunt’s team will return to save the world with the IMF once more in this film, as well as the new IMF Secretary David Rumsfeld (Shea Whigham) and the new (yet unnamed) villain played by Esai Morales. Cinephiles are all eager to see just which incredible practical stunts Tom Cruise will manage to pull off for the big screen coming this fall.
6. Judas and the Black Messiah - February 12
Dir. Shaka King
Starring: Daniel Kaluuya, Lakeith Stanfield, Jesse Plemons, Dominique Fishback
This historical drama film follows petty thief William O’Neal (Lakeith Stanfield) in 1960s Chicago, who strikes a deal with the FBI to work as an infiltrator and informant to take down the chairman of the Black Panther Party, Fred Hampton (Daniel Kaluuya), in exchange for a clear record.
Just seeing Kaluuya and Stanfield act opposite one another should be reason enough to get excited, as both actors are currently enjoying A-list stardom from recent hit roles (“Get Out” and “Widows” for the former, “Uncut Gems” and “Knives Out” for the latter). The film promises to provide emotional depth and stunning solemnity as it explores an incredibly dark chapter in 20th century America.
The film is being distributed by Warner Bros., and as a result will release simultaneously in theaters on February 12th and on the HBO Max streaming service for one month.
5. Candyman - August 27
Dir. Nia DaCosta
Starring: Yahya Abdul-Mateen II, Teyonah Parris, Nathan Stewart-Jarrett, Colman Domingo, Vanessa Estelle Williams, Tony Todd
Working as both a soft reboot and sequel to the 1992 supernatural horror classic of the same name, Nia DaCosta’s “Candyman” was one of the most disappointing delays due to the pandemic. With a script penned by Jordan Peele and the haunting story-crafting of Clive Barker’s original short story behind it, horror fans all over are eager to see this movie in theaters and get the full horror experience.
The film follows photographer Anthony McCoy (Yahya Abdul-Mateen II), son of Anne-Marie McCoy from the first film (Vanessa Estelle Williams), and his girlfriend Brianna Cartwright (Teyonah Parris) returning to the projects in Chicago in which he grew up. There, he learns that the urban legend of the Candyman that haunted him and his community almost thirty years before, may have been real all along and is back with a vengeance.
Most of all, fans are ecstatic to see the return of the horror icon Tony Todd reprising his infamous role as Daniel Robitaille, aka the titular Candyman. Todd’s legendary horror career has spread fear and terror to millions, and he now has the opportunity once more come August.
4. The King’s Man - March 12
Dir. Matthew Vaughn
Starring: Ralph Fiennes, Harris Dickinson, Gemma Arterton, Rhys Ifans, Djimon Hounsou, Matthew Goode, Daniel Bruhl, Charles Dance, Tom Hollander
Matthew Vaughn once again returns to the universe of Mark Millar’s graphic novels to explore the origins of the enigmatic British Kingsman intelligence agency from 2014’s “Kingsman: The Secret Service” and 2017’s “Kingsman: The Golden Circle.” After multiple delays in 2020, ‘Kingsman’ fans will finally get to see this period espionage action comedy come to the big screen this March.
Set during World War I, “The King’s Man” follows the Duke of Oxford (Ralph Fiennes) take on a protégé in the form of Conrad (Harris Dickinson) into his newly-formed independent global intelligence agency called the “Kingsman” to end the collection of history’s most corrupt tyrants from across the globe that have orchestrated the global war for their own greedy interests, at the expense of millions of casualties.
Incorporating real historical figures into the Kingsman mythology, from Rasputin (Rhys Ifans) to King George V (Tom Hollander), the trailers for this film have shown that fans can expect nothing but the stylized action, high-energy dialogue, and star-studded cast characteristic of the previous two films.
3. Untitled Spider-Man Sequel - December 17
Dir. Jon Watts
Starring: Tom Holland, Zendaya, Jacob Batalon, Jamie Foxx, Alfred Molina, Benedict Cumberbatch
No film set to release in 2021 seems more puzzling and intriguing than the third outing of Tom Holland’s Peter Parker/Spider-Man in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Picking up in a world that knows Peter’s secret identity and believes him to be a mass murderer in the wake of “Spider-Man: Far From Home,” fans were uncertain of where the character’s future lay. This was especially prevalent in fall 2019 when it seemed Sony and Marvel Studios would permanently split over their Spidey deal and leave the MCU without a proper conclusion to their Spider-Man trilogy.
Now, with more than just a confirmation of a third film, this film has been laden with intense speculation, including rumors of Andrew Garfield and Tobey Maguire returning as their respective live-action Spider-Men. On top of this is the rumored appearances of villains from previous continuities, including Jamie Foxx as Electro, Alfred Molina as Doctor Octopus, and even rumors of Willem Dafoe as Green Goblin.
All of this points to the obvious implication of the creation of a live-action film exploring the Marvel Multiverse, which leaves even the most casual of superhero movie fans massively excited for the possibilities for this franchise moving forward.
2. Cherry - February 26
Dir. Anthony & Joe Russo
Starring: Tom Holland, Ciara Bravo, Jack Reynor, Michael Gandolfini
While on the topic of Tom Holland, anyone who has followed the youthful superstar knows of his involvement in this upcoming American crime drama film from the Joe and Anthony Russo. The famed directors of some of the MCU’s greatest hits, including “Avengers: Infinity War” and “Avengers: Endgame,” bring this close and personal tale about the opioid epidemic in rural America to film, adapted from the original Nico Walker novel of the same name.
Holland plays the titular main character of “Cherry”, in a role described as the most serious of his career to date and Oscar-worthy per the Russo Brothers themselves. Cherry, a former Army medic who served overseas in the Iraq War, returns home with severe PTSD and becomes an opioid addict and ultimately a serial bank robber in order to financially accommodate his new addiction.
Anyone who was a fan of Netflix’s “The Devil All the Time” back in September 2020 knows that Holland can break out of his typecast as a goofy, innocent teen and actually portray brokenness and complex depth. This makes his performance in “Cherry” all the more intriguing as we watch Holland grow into more mature and intricate roles.
“Cherry” will stream exclusively on Apple TV+ starting on February 26th.
1 . Zack Snyder’s Justice League - March
Dir. Zack Snyder
Starring: Ben Affleck, Henry Cavill, Gal Gadot, Amy Adams, Ezra Miller, Ray Fisher, Jason Momoa
Whether you love or hate Zack Snyder and his DCEU filmography, no one can deny that the Snyder Cut of “Justice League” has been one of the most talked-about films in 2020, and even as far back as when the theatrical cut of “Justice League” was released in November 2017. Almost immediately after the movie’s release, fans could easily see through the uneven tones, strange edits, and utter inconsistencies within the movie itself and knew things were not right.
Murmurs from behind-the-scenes told a tale of extensive reshoots and rewrites of Snyder’s original cut of the film after he had to drop out due to the tragic death of his daughter. Warner Bros stepped in and brought “The Avengers” director Joss Whedon to finish the job, but what he created was a disjointed, unbalanced nightmare. This prompted #ReleaseTheSnyderCut to be a top-trending hashtag on Twitter.
What started out as a rumor and was frequently dismissed as a myth, eventually became reality in May 2020 when Snyder himself announced that not only was his original film real (albeit graphically unfinished), but it would be fully funded by Warner Bros to finish and do reshoots if necessary for a release on their HBO Max streaming service in 2021. Instantly, film Twitter was abuzz with speculation and intrigue, as Warner Bros set an incredible precedent by listening to the fans’ demands, owning up to their mistakes, and seeking to correct them and give Zack Snyder his due piece.
Only four minutes worth of reshoots later, Snyder’s original cut of “Justice League” promises to release on HBO Max in March, releasing in 4 one-hour-long episodes consisting almost entirely of his original raw film with finished special effects. The Snyder Cut represents more than just a single director’s vision but opens an entire series of doors, with the potential to right studio wrongs and release director’s cuts to movies whose theatrical versions felt noticeably ripped apart and stitched back together. Whether you are a DC fan or not, with all the hype and buzz and intrigue about peering into a newly-released, radically-changed version of a film we all saw and hated, “Zack Snyder’s Justice League” is surely the most anticipated movie of 2021.