Here’s Every Big Movie Now Releasing in 2021

2020 was going to be a fun year for movies, but a lot of fans were really looking forward to the 2021 year in movies. 2021 was slated to bring everything to dual Keanu Reeves action epics (Matrix 4, John Wick 4), to some of Marvel’s most anticipated Phase 4 releases (Doctor Strange: In the Multiverse of Madness, Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings, Thor: Love & Thunder), not to mention the long-awaited return of The Batman and The Suicide Squad in theaters. If that wasn’t enough, we had the original Jurassic Park stars also coming back for a new age in Jurassic World: Dominion, plus James Cameron finally returning with Avatar 2.

However, thanks to the Coroanvirus Pandemic, the entire slate of 2021 movies has now been thrown out of whack. That’s because a lot of 2020 headliners are now coming in 2021, and a lot of films currently shooting for release next year may not make the deadline.

As of April 2020, here are the all the big movies currently releasing in 2021

[*Now UPDATED with Disney’s New Release Slate!]

Mortal Kombat – Jan. 15th

The reboot of the Mortal Kombat movie franchise is still slated to be released on January 15th.  Simon McQuoid is taking on his directorial debut with the film, which has nice mix of American and Asian stars filling out the iconic video game characters. Hopefully the action and edge are sharper than the 1995 film. 

Peter Rabbit 2: The Runaway – Jan. 15th

 The Peter Rabbit sequel was set to hit in April 2020, then August, but has now been rescheduled for January 15th in the US. 

Eternals – Feb. 12th

After the Disney release shakeups, Marvel’s Eternals will now be the lead film to kick off 2021. While fans may lament that Eternals isn’t getting that holiday season blockbuster release, let’s all just take a minute to remember just how well Black Panther did in that February slot.

Ghostbusters: Afterlife – March 5th

The Ghostbusters reboot was supposed to hit on July 10, 2020, but has been pushed to next year to give the franchise a true chance at a fresh start. The first trailer got a lot of fans excited, so Sony can take its time marketing it over the next year. 

Morbius, Tomb Raider 2, Paranormal Activity 7 – March 19th

Now things begin to really interesting. March 19, 2021 was already crowded with Tomb Raider and Paranormal Activity facing off. Now Sony has bumped Morbius to that date – a vampire anti-hero film that clearly competes with Tomb Raider AND Paranormal Activity. 

F9 – April 2nd

Fast and Furious 9 just did it’s whole big trailer release party event in Miami over Super Bowl weekend, and then the Coronavirus Pandemic swept through and shut down what should’ve been Fast 9‘s big May 2020 race against Marvel. 

Bob’s Burgers – April 9th

The Bob’s Burgers Movie has been relocated to April 9th. 

Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings – May 7th

Marvel’s first big martial arts superhero action flick is hopefully still going to arrive on its intended release date. It has the makings to be a major game-changer for the franchise, in a lot of ways. 

The Matrix 4 & John Wick 4 – May 21st

May 21st was slated to be “Keanu Day,” as action star Keanu Reeves was dropping two massive franchise fourth chapters: John Wick: Chapter 4 and The Matrix 4. Needless to say, fans were prepared for THE double feature of action double features, and hopefully they still get their wish. 

Disney’s Cruella – May 28th

Emma Stone looked like she was ready to crush this origin story of the 101 Dalmatians villain, with Emma Thompson, Mark Strong and other talents along for the twisted ride. It’s one of the Disney live-action films we’re probably most excited for. 

Jurassic World: Dominion – June 11th

The third film in the Jurassic World franchise is bringing back original Jurassic Park stars Sam Neill, Laura Dern and Jeff Goldblum. Meanwhile, the dinosaurs  are now roaming free in the wild of America (and beyond) and human cloning is a thing, after the twist ending of the last film. With Jurassic World 3 having been in production as the Coronavirus Pandemic hit, here’s hoping things get completed in time. 

Marvel’s Spider-Man 3& Space Jam 2 – July 16th

Marvel’s Spider-Man Threequel is due in July 2021, and it has what star Tom Holland is calling a “crazy” script. Homecoming and Far From Home director Jon Watts is returning. 

LeBron James is meanwhile reviving the Space Jam franchise on that same date. 

Mission: Impossible 7 – July 23rd

Tom Cruise and director Chris McQuarrie are set to begin the two-film final run of Cruise’s elite agent, Ethan Hunt. The series has really turned on new waves of fans since Ghost Protocol, with McQuarrie being the only repeat director, now on his third installment. 

Indiana Jones 5 – July 29th

One more Harrison Ford adventure for the whole family. The Wolverine, Logan, and Ford vs. Ferrari director James Mangold is now taking the helm, and thankfully, George Lucas is leaving the script to some other professionals (no aliens!). 

Jungle Cruise – July 30th

Disney is now setting sail with Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson and Emily Blunt’s Jungle Cruise adaptation on July 30th. 

The Suicide Squad – Aug. 6th

DC Fans are set to get a big win (and redemption) from Guardians of the Galaxy director James Gunn hopping onboard this new take on the Suicide Squad franchise. The cast is crazy stacked: 

 Idris Elba, Margot Robbie, Viola Davis, Michael Rooker, John Cena, Jai Courtney, Joel Kinnaman, David Dastmalchian, Daniela Melchior, Steve Agee, Storm Reid, Alice Braga, Sean Gunn, Taika Waititi, Peter Capaldi, Nathan Fillion. Need we say more? 

 

The Batman – Oct. 1st

The Batman reboot was finally out of limbo and in production – but now COVID-19 has brought that shoot to a halt. Will The Batman make it in time for the summer slot, or get knocked back to later in 2021? It remains to be seen. UPDATE: The Batman has been officially rescheduled for release on October 1st, due to productiondelays from the Coronavirus Pandemic.

Elvis – Oct. 1st

Tom Hanks, Austin Butler and Maggie Gyllenhaal were set to star in this biopic, but production was halted when Hanks tested positive for COVID-19. 

Uncharted – Oct. 8th

Uncharted was just getting underway, but it’s now been put on standby, thanks to the pandemic. Tom Holland and Mark Wahlberg are a pairing a lot of fans want to see, sooner before later. 

Halloween Ends & Hamilton – Oct. 15th

Well, it doesn’t much different than that, now does it? You can either go listen to a cast of rapping historical figures from America’s past, or hear the screams of Michael Myers’ next round of victims. Up to you. 

Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness – Nov. 5th

Doctor Strange 2 was supposed to be opening the summer season in 2021 – a nice upgrade for the franchise. It remains to be seen (but is nonetheless expected) if Marvel Studios keeps with this timeline. 

Fantastic Beasts 3 – Nov. 12th

The next installment of the Harry Potter prequel will at least be getting deeper into the Dumbledore family history and ties, over the the final act reveal of the previous film. Hopefully it’s also a better film, in general, than the last installment. 

Avatar 2 – Dec. 17th

Can James Cameron pull off another billion (or two billion?) dollar miracle at the box office? Can the film even be completed in time with the Coronavirus Pandemic delays? Heck, what would be another little wait for the most late-arriving sequel ever? 

Black Adam, Sherlock Holmes 3, Wicked – Dec. 22nd

Yep, Christmas time 2021 will have a little something for everyone. If all three of these films manage to get done in time. The Rock’s Black Adam could be a hard race to win, as the actor is currently delayed on the film he was making before Black Adam.

Meanwhile, Robert Downey Jr. is finally back as Sherlock Holmes! 

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What 2021 movie are you looking forward to the most? Do you think the list will change with more Coronavirus Pandemic delays? Let us know in the comments!