Let’s point out the elephant in the room first: the 2020 film year was kind of disastrous. The COVID-19 pandemic shut down movie theaters all across the country, and movies were then distributed via the many streaming services. Because of this, who actually knows when any of these movies will really be released. As of right now, these films are set to premiere this year, and some of them very soon! Here are my most anticipated movie releases of 2021:
Nomadland Two-time Academy Award winner Frances McDormand stars in this drama directed by Chloé Zhao in which a woman, who loses everything due to the Great Recession, travels the American West. McDormand’s performance has garnered critical acclaim, as well as a Golden Globe nomination. Zhao has also received a Golden Globe nomination for Best Director for a Motion Picture. Nomadland came out on Jan. 29th in a limited release, but will be available on Hulu on Feb. 19th, according to Variety. I have been waiting for this movie to come out for quite a while. As I haven’t seen any of her previous films, I’m so excited to see what Zhao can do! Watch the official trailer here.
Eternals Speaking of Zhao, she is directing the much-anticipated Marvel blockbuster Eternals. With a star-studded cast–Angeline Jolie, Richard Madden, and Gemma Chan to name a few–this film will be the 26th film a part of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Set to release on Nov. 5th in theaters, I wouldn’t be surprised if this got pushed back into 2022 due to the pandemic and movie theater closures. Most of all, I’m curious to see how Zhao transitions from an indie genre to that of a huge blockbuster.
In The Heights Another blockbuster set to debut this year is Jon M. Chu’s (of Crazy Rich Asians fame) In The Heights. Based off of Lin Manuel Miranda’s 2007 Broadway musical, this movie tells the story of a tight-knit community in Washington Heights, New York City following Usnavi (played by Hamilton and A Star Is Born’s Anthony Ramos), a bodega owner who acquires a large sum of money from his grandmother and must decide what to do with it. In The Heights was initially set to debut this past summer of 2020, but was rescheduled for a wide theatrical release on June 18th. I am mainly excited for this because I have been a huge fan of the musical for years, and I can’t wait to see more of Chu’s work. Watch the official trailer here.
Dune This was originally one of the most anticipated films of 2020, but here we are. Set for a wide theatrical release on October 1st and a month-long premiere on HBO Max, Dune, based on the book of the same name, is a science fiction story starring Timothee Chalamet, Zendaya, Oscar Isaac, and many more A-listers. The film is directed by Denis Villeneuve–one of my personal favorite directors–who received critical acclaim and an Oscar nomination for his film Arrival (2016), an all-time favorite film of mine. He’s also directed other notable films such as Sicario (2015) and Blade Runner 2049 (2017). Watch the official trailer here.
Minari Last but certainly not least, my most (seriously, most) anticipated release of this year is A24’s Minari. Directed by Lee Isaac Chung, this film tells the story of the challenges a Korean family faces as they move to Arkansas. Starring The Walking Dead’s Steven Yeun—who was just snubbed of a Golden Globe Nomination—the film currently has a score of 99% on Rotten Tomatoes. The film was also nominated for Best Foreign Film at the Golden Globes. I am expecting to laugh, cry, and everything in between while watching this. Minari is set for a theatrical release on Feb. 12th, and on demand on Feb. 26th. Watch the official trailer here.
There are a lot more 2021 releases I am looking forward to, including Malcom & Marie, the Untitled Spider-man Sequel, and A Quiet Place Part II, and hopefully we get to finally see all of these and many more this year, whether it be in the theaters (manifesting this) or on a streaming service.