The year 2020 was a weird time for movies, to say the least. Due to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, many of the year's big movies either premiered on streaming sites or were pushed back to 2021 entirely, in hopes that traditional movie theater releases would be possible by that point. Thankfully, the upcoming year is shaping up to (hopefully) be a much better one for moviegoing, so mark your calendar for these 10 movies premiering in 2021.
Thanks to recently approved coronavirus vaccines, watching new blockbusters in a theater will hopefully be possible in the second half of 2021. That means movie buffs may be able to look forward to catching up on major releases that were supposed to debut in 2020, from Timothée Chalamet's epic sci-fi adventure Dune to an adaptation of Lin-Manuel Miranda's other beloved musical, In the Heights.
But no matter what happens, at least there will definitely be plenty of new movies to enjoy from the comfort and safety of your couch. Among many other buzzy releases, hit teen franchises like The Kissing Booth and To All the Boys are each wrapping up on Netflix this year.
So, get excited for all these big new blockbuster movies premiering in theaters and on streaming services throughout 2021:
01'Raya and the Last Dragon' (March 12)
Raya and the Last Dragon takes place in a magical world where humans and dragons once lived side by side, before monsters killed off almost all dragons. It's up to young warrior Raya (voiced by Star Wars' Kelly Marie Tran) to team up with the world's last dragon Sisu (played by Awkwafina) and save the world.
02'No Time to Die' (April 2)
The latest Bond installment was one of the first big 2020 releases to get pushed back as the coronavirus pandemic grew more serious, so hopefully its 2021 release will give star Daniel Craig a proper send-off as 007. While the movie's plot is still largely a secret, it features Bond rushing to save a scientist who's been abducted by Rami Malek's villainous character Safin.
03'In the Heights' (June 18)
Before Lin-Manuel Miranda changed Broadway forever with Hamilton, he created another hit show called In the Heights. The musical recounts the lives and dreams of a Latinx community in NYC's Washington Heights neighborhood, and the movie adaptation will star Anthony Ramos in the lead role of bodega owner Usnavi. It's a truly full-circle moment, given that Ramos played Miranda's son in the original Hamilton run.
04'Space Jam: A New Legacy' (July 16)
Welcome to the jam (again). The Looney Tunes gang will finally return to the big screen in this follow-up to the 1996 sports comedy Space Jam. This time, though, they're helping basketball star LeBron James instead of Michael Jordan.
05'The Suicide Squad' (Aug. 6)
It's no secret the 2016 movie Suicide Squad didn't get the best reviews, but DC is hoping to change things with the 2021 release of James Gunn's similarly titled The Suicide Squad. Original characters like Margot Robbie's Harley Quinn and Viola Davis' Amanda Waller will return in this part-sequel, part-reboot. Once again, the action centers on Gotham villains who are forced to team up for a dangerous mission.
06'Candyman' (Aug. 27)
Loosely adapted from the 1992 horror classic of the same name, Nia DaCosta's Candyman takes place in a now-gentrified Chicago neighborhood, where a hook-handed figure murders those who dare to say his name five times in the mirror. This "spiritual sequel" to the original film stars Watchmen's Yahya Abdul Mateen II as an artist who dives deeper into the urban legend — to terrifying results.
07'Dune' (Oct. 1)
Timothée Chalamet and Zendaya in space! If that's not enough to sell you on Dune, maybe the fact that it's adapted from an iconic sci-fi classic and features other Hollywood stars like Oscar Isaac and Jason Momoa will change your mind. The movie follows the royal family of House Atreides as they become stewards of a dangerous desert planet while an intergalactic war brews.
08'West Side Story' (Dec. 10)
West Side Story is the latest beloved movie to get the remake treatment, this time courtesy of Steven Spielberg. Putting a more modern twist on the tale of Romeo and Juliet, it stars Ansel Elgort and Rachel Zegler as lovestruck teenagers Tony and Maria, whose budding romance threatens the rivalry between street gangs in 1950s NYC.
09'The Kissing Booth 3' (TBD)
Sorry, The Kissing Booth fans — the trilogy is set to wrap up this summer. In the series' final chapter, Joey King's Elle will be forced to choose between joining her boyfriend Noah at Harvard or following her best friend Lee to Berkeley like they'd always planned.
10'To All the Boys: Always and Forever, Lara Jean' (TBD)
After five letters, three movies, and plenty of teen rom-com drama, Lara Jean Covey's story is finally coming to an end with To All the Boys: Always and Forever, Lara Jean. Based on the final book in Jenny Han's original trilogy, the final installment will follow Lara Jean as she navigates her senior year of high school and ponders her future with Peter Kavinsky (Noah Centineo). Since filming wrapped in February 2020, fans can expect the movie to hit Netflix sometime in 2021.
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