Things are looking bright for movie lovers in 2021. The film industry has been on the rise over the past decade, and it doesn’t show any signs of slowing down any time soon. As you’re planning your future movie nights, use this guide to learn what we know about the best movies in 2021, including the genres and themes they may be based on as well as what stars might star in them and who might direct them. This list will be updated regularly as new information comes out, so make sure to check back regularly!
The Revenant
Even if it isn’t quite on a par with what we’ve seen from director Alejandro González Iñárritu, it should be as entertaining and thrilling as The Revenant. Iñárritu has a real talent for creating realistic, relatable characters and then putting them through difficult situations. In a film like The Revenant that would be akin to watching someone crawl across a glacier while arrows whiz past their head—except that they keep having to do it every 10 minutes. A brutal story of survival should make for some exciting movie-watching.
Avatar
Quality storytelling is nothing new to James Cameron—and based on his track record, we’re very interested to see what he’ll come up with next. 20th Century Fox is giving Cameron unprecedented freedom with his upcoming Avatar sequel, as he will be allowed to release four sequels over a six-year period. It’s safe to say that whatever films Cameron churns out will likely be entertaining and visually stunning—we just hope there are good stories too.
Death Note
Quality and entertaining, but for kids? Death Note’s second big move is that it’s being cast as a lighthearted, live-action adventure. In other words, it wants to be seen as a family-friendly blockbuster instead of yet another comic book adaptation. Still not convinced it will work? Think about Pixar or DreamWorks—movies with complicated premises and adult themes that audiences of all ages can enjoy (and thus gross billions worldwide).
Mad Max Fury Road
The Godfather of action movies, Mad Max Fury Road is an amazing film that features a lot of mayhem, quality stunts and elaborate chase scenes that are super entertaining to watch. The story is also quite interesting with a twist at every corner, although some people may argue that it’s a bit too predictable. The villains are evil, but so are they; they want you to support them and look forward to their rise to power which makes it hard not to root for them. Overall one of my favorite movies ever.
Star Wars 8
One major movie every year for a decade? That’s what Disney promised with its $4 billion acquisition of Lucasfilm. This means it’s going to be a very big couple of years, since Star Wars: Episode VIII hits theaters in 2017, followed by Solo: A Star Wars Story (which won’t have Harrison Ford) and Episode IX. But that 2020 slot is still open.
Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them
How do we know what’s coming out next year? This year, of course. Studios love announcing movies years ahead of their release date because it gives them a great deal of marketing time to garner attention for these projects. In Hollywood, success is as much about marketing as it is about making quality product.
