**This post has been updated as of January 15, 2021.
2020 has been fraught with peril. The least of which is the complete shakeup of the motion picture industry. That said, this is a movie blog and we will therefore talk about how the current pandemic has impacted the movies.
One of the biggest setbacks the industry is experiencing is the inability to release films theatrically. Whether that’s because physical movie theaters have been ordered shut or because the studio invested too much money into an individual film that releasing said project digital only would be financial suicide. Either way, most of the higher-profile motion pictures that were originally slated to hit screens in 2020 have been pushed back to 2021 at the earliest. This has made for a giant headache for anybody silly enough to attempt to keep track of what movie is releasing when.
That’s why I’ve compiled an updated list of many of the bigger profile films on the horizon and their release dates. As new developments arise, I will update this list to include any and all changes as often as possible. I’ll also be adding newer films and their release dates as we move deeper into the calendar. I hope you find this useful!
January 2021
Some Kind of Heaven (Jan. 15) (Magnolia Pictures)
Synopsis: Filmmaker Lance Oppenheim examines life at The Villages, a Florida retirement community where seniors enjoy their golden years.
MLK/FBI (Jan. 15) (IFC Films)
Synopsis: Based on newly declassified files, Sam Pollard’s resonant film explores the US government’s surveillance and harassment of Martin Luther King, Jr.
Chaos Walking (Jan. 22) (Lionsgate)
Synopsis: A dystopian world where there are no women and all living creatures can hear each others’ thoughts in a stream of images, words, and sounds called Noise.
The Little Things (Jan. 29) (Warner Bros.)
Synopsis: A burnt-out Kern County, CA deputy sheriff who teams with Baxter, a crack LASD detective, to nab a serial killer.
Saint Maud (Jan. 29) (A24)
Synopsis: Follows a pious nurse who becomes dangerously obsessed with saving the soul of her dying patient.
February
Cinderella (Feb. 5) (Columbia Pictures)
Synopsis: A modern musical version of the classic fairy tale.
Little Fish (Feb. 5) (IFC Films)
Synopsis: A couple fight to hold their relationship together as a memory loss virus spreads and threatens to erase the history of their love and courtship.
Sator (Feb. 9) (Yellow Veil Pictures)
Synopsis: Secluded in a desolate forest, a broken family is observed by Sator, a supernatural entity who is attempting to claim them.
Judas and the Black Messiah (Feb. 12) (Warner Bros.)
Synopsis: Offered a plea deal by the FBI, William O’Neal infiltrates the Illinois chapter of the Black Panther Party to gather intelligence on Chairman Fred Hampton.
Nomadland (Feb. 19) (Searchlight Pictures)
Synopsis: After losing everything in the Great Recession, an old woman embarks on a journey through the American West, living as a van-dwelling modern-day nomad.
Nobody (Feb. 26) (Universal Pictures)
Synopsis: A bystander who intervenes to help a woman being harassed by a group of men becomes the target of a vengeful drug lord.
Everybody’s Talking About Jamie (Feb. 26) (20th Century Studios)
Synopsis: Feature film adaptation of the musical about a teenager from Sheffield, England who wants to be a drag queen.
The Father (Feb. 26) (Sony Pictures Classics)
Synopsis: A man refuses all assistance from his daughter as he ages. As he tries to make sense of his changing circumstances, he begins to doubt his loved ones, his own mind and even the fabric of his reality.
Cherry (Feb. 26) (Apple Original Films)
Synopsis: An Army medic suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder becomes a serial bank robber after an addiction to drugs puts him in debt.
Tom and Jerry (Feb. 26) (Warner Bros.)
Synopsis: Adaption of the classic Hanna-Barbera property, which reveals how Tom and Jerry first meet and form their rivalry.
**February 28th is the eligibility deadline for the 93rd Academy Awards.
March
Coming 2 America (Mar. 5) (Amazon Studios)
Synopsis: Akeem learns he has a long-lost son in the United States and must return to America to meet the unlikely heir to the throne of Zamunda. A sequel to the 1988 comedy ‘Coming to America’.
Raya and the Last Dragon (Mar. 5) (Walt Disney Pictures)
Synospsis: In a realm known as Lumandra, a re-imagined Earth inhabited by an ancient civilization, a warrior named Raya is determined to find the last dragon.
The King’s Man (Mar. 12) (20th Century Studios)
Synopsis: In the early years of the 20th century, the Kingsman agency is formed to stand against a cabal plotting a war to wipe out millions.
The Truffle Hunters (Mar. 12) (Sony Pictures Classics)
Synopsis: Deep in the forests of Piedmont, Italy, a handful of men, seventy or eighty years young, hunt for the rare and expensive white Alba truffle-which to date has resisted all of modern science’s efforts at cultivation.
The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent (Mar. 19) (Lionsgate)
Synopsis: A cash-strapped Nicolas Cage agrees to make a paid appearance at a billionaire super fan’s birthday party, but is really an informant for the CIA since the billionaire fan is a drug kingpin and gets cast in a Tarantino movie.
The Boss Baby: Family Business (Mar. 26) (Universal Pictures)
Synopsis: The Templeton brothers have become adults and drifted away from each other, but a new boss baby with a cutting-edge approach is about to bring them together again – and inspire a new family business.
April
No Time to Die (Apr. 2) (United Artists)
Synopsis: Bond has left active service and is enjoying a tranquil life in Jamaica. His peace is short-lived when his old friend Felix Leiter from the CIA turns up asking for help. The mission to rescue a kidnapped scientist turns out to be far more treacherous than expected, leading Bond onto the trail of a mysterious villain armed with dangerous new technology.
Peter Rabbit 2: The Runaway (Apr. 2) (Sony Pictures)
Synopsis: Bea, Thomas, and the rabbits have created a makeshift family, but despite his best efforts, Peter can’t seem to shake his mischievous reputation. Adventuring out of the garden, Peter finds himself in a world where his mischief is appreciated, but when his family risks everything to come looking for him, Peter must figure out what kind of bunny he wants to be.
Bob’s Burgers (Apr. 9) (20th Century Studios)
Synopsis: A feature film adaptation of the beloved FOX animated television series.
Mortal Kombat (Apr. 16) (Warner Bros.)
Synopsis: A feature film adaptation of the classic fighting video game.
BIOS (Apr. 16) (Universal Pictures)
Synopsis: Finch, an ailing inventor facing his own mortality, builds a robot to keep his beloved dog safe. As the trio embarks upon a cross-country journey, the scientist must teach his creation to become “human” enough to take care of its charge… and the beloved pet to accept and trust his new master.
A Quiet Place Part II (Apr. 23) (Paramount Pictures)
Synopsis: Following the deadly events at home, the Abbott family must now face the terrors of the outside world as they continue their fight for survival in silence. Forced to venture into the unknown, they quickly realize that the creatures that hunt by sound are not the only threats that lurk beyond the sand path.
Last Night in Soho (Apr. 23) (Focus Features)
Synopsis: A young girl, passionate about fashion design, is mysteriously able to enter the 1960s where she encounters her idol, a dazzling wannabe singer. But 1960s London is not what it seems, and time seems to fall apart with shady consequences.
That is the most updated release schedule up through January 2021. Obviously, with the pandemic, dates are always getting moved around. I will update this list as often as possible as well as extend it the further into the calendar we get. As of right now, are there any films you are just dying to lay your eyes on? Sound off in the comments below and let me and the rest of the movie loving world know your thoughts!
