The Most Anticipated New Movies of 2021

It may not mean much, but 2020 has officially been put to rest and the cinematic world is on its way to recovery. The coronavirus that completely altered the industry, exacerbated a change in viewing habits that was already happening for many of us, and—through a lack of governmental aid—influenced the (already shaky) balance between studios and theaters is finally seeing vaccines roll out. HBO Max may still be getting everything from Warner Bros. on the same day their films hit theaters, but aside from that, most of us are happily looking forward to a time—perhaps further in 2021’s future than we’d like to think—when we can safely return to movie theaters for the communal big-screen experience that made us love movies in the first place. What all that amounts to is that, yes, it’s easy to get excited when looking at the list of movies on their way in 2021.

It’s even easier when you realize that many of the movies that were supposed to wow us last year played release date hopscotch until landing in 2021. There’re lots to choose from, even if we won’t be touching on a few films, like Minari and Nomadland, that got minor virtual releases in 2020 (enough to qualify them for our Best of the Year list) and will be going wide in 2021. Suffice to say, you should go see those great films and read what we’ve already written about them—including an interview with Minari helmer Lee Isaac Chung. We also won’t be touching exclusively on film fest selections (note, for example, our most anticipated list of Sundance films for that kind of thing).

Take all the following release dates with a hefty helping of salt, considering that 2020’s film slate moved around more than a found footage camera, but this list should help you keep an eye on all the fun things on their way (eventually) to cinemas and home entertainment systems everywhere. Here are Paste’s Most Anticipated Movies of 2021, listed by release date.

The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent

Release Date: March 19
Director: Tom Gormican

As is common with many Nicolas Cage films, the premise alone is enough to warrant the price of entry. The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent sees Cage play a version of himself, hired to show up at a party for a mega-rich obsessive (Pedro Pascal). It’s a $1M paycheck and hey, Cage loves a paycheck. But then things take a turn in Tom Gormican and Kevin Etten’s bananas-sounding screenplay: The Cage stan is a drug kingpin and the actor will have to perform as characters from throughout his oeuvre in order to keep those he loves safe. Exactly the kind of One Thousand and One Nights riff one would expect from Cage and team. It’s a great premise but with talent that has a whole lot to prove behind it: Gormican, who will also direct, is mostly known for a pair of terrible movies (Movie 43 and That Awkward Moment) and a one-and-done wonder Fox show Ghosted. This could be nothing, but then again, it could be everything. This is the polarizing nature of a Nicolas Cage joint.

No Time to Die

Release Date: April 2
Director: Cary Joji Fukunaga

I think I speak for everyone (including the people behind the film itself) when I say boy, I sure hope we get to see No Time to Die this year. Daniel Craig’s last hurrah as James Bond was, unfortunately, the pioneer case for coronavirus delays and has since operated as a bit of a barometer for the film industry at large. Fukunaga’s helming of the film is still an exciting draw, even if we’ve been bombarded by the movie’s promotion cycle for what seems like 007 years. What Craig brings to his most grizzled portrayal of James Bond’s most grizzled iteration is another exciting point for the film, as is whatever the franchise plans to do with Lashana Lynch’s mysterious 00 operative. It’s both an oddity and an indicator of what’s in store for the future of this franchise.

Last Night in Soho

Release Date: April 23
Director: Edgar Wright

While writer/director Edgar Wright’s Baby Driver wasn’t quite up to his impressive standard, his string of parodies and Scott Pilgrim have earned him a free pass for a misstep or two. No need to worry: His latest looks just as excitingly stylish as his previous effort, with Anya Taylor-Joy (who’s just been piling success upon success) leading the way. Taylor-Joy’s ripe for a juicy leading role after dominating the small screen thanks to Queen’s Gambit, and Wright’s ripe to remind us why he’s such an exciting directorial draw in the first place. And did we mention there’s time travel back to ‘60s London? Drown us in stylish psychological horror, please.

Spiral

Release Date: May 21
Director: Darren Lynn Bousman

Put Chris Rock and Samuel L. Jackson in a Saw movie and yes, I’ll be intrigued. It’s impossible not to be. This oddball take on the torture-happy horror franchise sees Darren Lynn Bousman (Saws II-IV) returning to the helm and, apparently, some comedy come into the often unintentionally silly series. Rock is primed for a late-stage career shift, especially after leading the latest season of Fargo, and the world of Saw certainly needs a shot in the arm. As long as said arm doesn’t have to be, say, dissected to get to a key.