Happy New Year!
As we move into 2021, there is a lot to look forward to! With the vaccine on the way, there are suddenly way more possibilities ahead of us. And as this is a pop-culture, movie blog, I am hoping that we will safely be able to return to some of our favorite hobbies such as going to the movies!
Movies have faced a somewhat uncertain future. As I look back on my 2020 Most Anticipated List, half of the films have been delayed and pushed back indefinitely with no release date in sight. However, there have been others that have been able to move to the top of the list due to crews following COVID safety protocols. So, while the future of 2021 is still in question, here is a look at some of my most anticipated movies and television series coming (hopefully) in 2021!
Movies
Judas & The Black Messiah
Starring Daniel Kaluuya and LaKeith Stanfield, “Judas and the Black Messiah” is a biographical adaptation about the rise and fall of Illinois Black Panther Party Chairman, Fred Hampton. The film starts around the rise of the Black Panther chairman (Kaluuya) and how one of his most trusted aids (Stanfield), betrays him, acting as an informant to the FBI resulting in Hampton’s untimely death. The trailer dropped in the Fall of 2020 and can be cited as one of the best trailer drops of the past few years.
The film is produced by Warner-Brothers and so will follow in their new distribution pattern, premiering on the HBO Max streaming site the same day that it is released in theaters. Many are citing the film as a pathway to Kaluuya’s second Oscar nomination with a high likelihood of winning. The film also stars Jesse Plemmons, Martin Sheen and Dominque Fishback. The film will be released on February 12, 2021.
"Judas and the Black Messiah" Trailer
Don’t Worry Darling
Harry Styles, Florence Pugh and Chris Pine. I don’t really need to go into any more details to get people hyped for this film, but I will anyway. The film, directed by Olivia Wilde, takes place in the 1950s and is described as a psychological domestic thriller. Styles and Pugh husband and wife, Jack and Alice, an unhappy couple living in 1950 suburbia. There hasn’t been a lot of other plot details released, but the set has been shut down multiple times due to fans interfering with filming. I mean, can you blame them? The film also stars Gemma Chan, Nick Kroll, and Timothy Simons.
The film made headlines earlier this year when Wilde originally cast Shia LaBeouf in the role as Jack. However, due to contract disagreements, scheduling and apparently bad behavior, LaBeouf dropped out and was replaced by Styles (which, I’m totally ok with). The film marks Wilde’s second directorial project following “Booksmart” (2019).
Release Date – TBD.
The Northman
The Robert Egger’s film is a Viking Historical Drama taking place in the 10th Century in Iceland. Little plot details have been released other than the main premise, but knowing Egger’s, the movie is most likely going to be pretty unconventional. While the premise sounds very similar to “Gladiator” or “Troy,” Eggers rarely does the expected. Egger’s is responsible for “The Lighthouse” one of the weirder, but wildly praised movies of 2019.
The film wrapped filming at the end of 2020 and is in Post-Production, most likely due out in the Fall/Winter of 2021. The movie’s cast includes Anya Taylor-Joy, Alexander Skarsgård, Bill Skarsgård, Nicole Kidman, Ethan Hawke, and William Dafoe.
Belfast
Kenneth Branagh returns to the director’s chair with the 2021 drama “Belfast.” The movie tells the story of one boy’s childhood during the turmoil of the late 1960s in Northern Ireland. The movie stars Jamie Dornan and Catriona Balfe is a glamorous, high-class couple and Judi Dench and Ciarán Hinds play the grandmother and grandfather.
The film has been described by Branagh as one of his most personal films as he describes the film as very much autobiographical, reflecting on his childhood growing up in the North. Branagh’s Agatha Christie novel adaptation “Death on the Nile” is also due out in 2021, previously pushed back from the slated 2020 premier date.
The Lost Daughter
News broke earlier this year on “The Lost Daughter” when up-and-coming Irish actor, Paul Mescal, was cast alongside some very famous British talent. The film marks Maggie Gyllenhaal’s directorial debut and has wrapped filming already, in the Post-Production stage.
The plot of the film is described as some sort of dramatic thriller about a woman’s beach vacation takes a sudden and dramatic turn when she is forced to confront the troubles of her past. The film stars Paul Mescal, Olivia Colman, Dakota Johnson, Ed Harris, Peter Sarsgaard and Jessie Buckley.
Don’t Look Up
Adam Mckay is back and putting together another star-studded cast for his upcoming political satire “Don’t Look Up.” Mckay films over the past few years have been known to scrutinize our society and political realms as we saw with “The Big Short” (2015) about the housing crisis and “Vice” (2018) a satirical portrayal of former Vice President Dick Cheney. “Don’t Look Up” seems to be viewed in the same way. The film stars (wait for the very, very long list of celebrities involved) Leonardo DiCaprio, Timothée Chalamet, Jennifer Lawrence, Chris Evans, Jonah Hill, Meryl Streep, Cat Blanchett, Matthew Perry, Ariana Grande, Tyler Perry, Kid Cudi, Ron Pearlman and Himesh Patel…just to name a few.
The movie centers mostly around DiCaprio and Lawrence, two astronomers who travel across the country from city to city to warn everyone that there is a giant meteorite coming for Earth that will destroy the planet in six months’ time. Most likely a play to climate change deniers (idiots), Mckay’s film is sure to exploit the politics surrounding climate change deniers.
Cherry
Perhaps one of my most anticipated movie of 2021 is “Cherry.” Yes, this movie made the 2020 Most Anticipated List as it was scheduled to be released in the Fall, but was moved back due to COVID restrictions. The movie is based off the novel by the same name and is being adapted by the Russo Brothers (responsible for “Avengers: Infinity War/End Game”) and is starring Tom Holland in the title role. The film is already sparking Oscar buzz for our favorite spider-hero who will most likely emerge from this film as a respected adult actor, eligible for Oscar nominations.
Holland plays a PTSD inflicted War Veteran who becomes addicted to opioids upon his return to the United States. Desperate to fuel his drug addiction, he turns towards robbing banks to pay his debts. The autobiographical book reveals an in-depth look at the Opioid Crisis that has plagued the United States since the mid-2000s. The film will release in theaters on February 26, 2021 and on Apple TV+ on March 12, 2021. It will be eligible for the 2021 Oscars.
Other Anticipated Movies: “The Green Knight,” “Supernova,” “The Father,” “Death on the Nile,” “In the Heights,” “West Side Story,”
In 2020, television series became a saving grace in the time of quarantine. What else would we have done except gone mad in attempts to keep ourselves entertained for months and months at a time. While 2020 had tons of releases, 2021 is still a bit up in the air due to filming protocols and safety measures taken on set to avoid the spread of COVID. Most films are able to make it work since they are not shooting as long, series are a little more difficult. Nevertheless, here is a look at some of my most anticipated television series coming in 2021!
Television Series
Shadow and Bone – Netflix
The series will premiere on the Netflix streaming site in April 2021. Adapted from the popular and best-selling YA Novel by the same name, “Shadow and Bone” is a dystopian thriller taking place in a separate universe where magic exists. The summary is a little convoluted, but sounds like it will appeal to fans of series like “The Vampire Diaries.” Summary: The Shadow Fold is a piece of impenetrable darkness caused by
the evil forces that took over the country of Ravka. Alina and Mal are orphans, summoned towards the Fold to defeat its dark contents. However, when Alina discovers that she possesses the power to defeat the impenetrable darkness, she is thrust into the lavish world of the kingdom’s elite and encounters The Darkling, a mysterious figure intent to use her power despite her wishes.
“Shadow and Bone” is just the first book of the series and includes other spin-off novels as well that are most likely going to be intertwined into the television show. Relatively unknown actors have been cast in the adaptation, but it is definitely enough to pique my interest. “Shadow and Bone” will release on Netflix on April 2021.
"Shadow and Bone" Trailer:
One of Us is Lying - Peacock
Another novel adaptation is coming to streaming, this time on Peacock. The series is based off the YA book of the same name. The novel is essentially “Pretty Little Liars” meets the “Breakfast Club.” Five classmates, Bronwyn, Addy, Nate, Cooper and Simon are all forced to detention. However, when the bell rings, Simon is dead and the other four are the prime suspects. Each of the characters have separate secrets of their own that they would do anything to protect, but are they capable of murder and how far are they willing to go to protect themselves?
The series was optioned by NBC’s streaming Service, Peacock, and is slated to hit the streamer sometime in the Spring of 2021. The cast is comprised of relatively unknown talent but is suspected to be a binge-worthy breakout show.
Firefly Lane - Netflix
Based on the book of the same name, are you sensing a pattern here, “Firefly Lane” covers the decades-long friendship between Tully (Katherine Heigl) and Kate (Sarah Chalke). From meeting as teens in high school in 1974, through their mid-twenties and into adulthood, “Firefly Lane” covers their friendship and how it has changed and evolved over the years.
The series stars Katherine Heigl and Sarah Chalke and seems like a much more dialed down version of female friendship than what we see in Netflix’s Series “Dead to Me.” The show is slated to premier in the Spring of 2021 on Netflix.
Gossip Girl Reboot – HBO Max
XOXO, Gossip Girl. When the original series closed in 2021, we though we said goodbye to our favorite Upper East Side Stalker. Think again. The “Gossip Girl” Reboot idea has been floating around for a while and with good reason. When the original series premiered in 2007 on The CW, we barely had social media, smart phones were yet to be introduced into our culture and cyber stalking was just way harder. There is literally a scene in the origibnal series where Serena (Blake Lively) wants to get away from the gossip so she *literally* throws her phone away her flip phone in a trashcan. Unimaginable. Now, it seems only natural to have our favorite cyber stalker back in our lives especially when everything we do is so public.
Kristen Bell is the only (at least confirmed) cast member to be returning to the series, starring as the ominous and omniscient narrator patrolling the lives of Manhattan’s elite. The series will focus on the new generation of New York private school teens using social media to spread gossip about their former classmates. The first season will feature 10 episodes and the new cast has already been seen filming around New York and of course, posing on our favorite steps at The Met. Stay tuned for more of your favorite NY Gossip. XOXO.
Nine Perfect Strangers - Hulu
Based on the novel by Lianne Moriarty, “Nine Perfect Strangers” is the most recent published work by the “Big Little Lie’s” author. Released in 2018, the rights were once again snatched up by David E. Kelley and Nicole Kidman for the mini-series coming to Hulu. Set in a remote health and wellness retreat, nine strangers come together to seek treatment and transformation. During their time together, they become entranced by the mysterious health guru and leader.
The Series is produced by David E. Kelley who has become synonymous with novel adaptations and is assisted by Nicole Kidman who is also starring in the series. The cast of the limited show stars Nicole Kidman, Melissa McCarthy, Luke Evans, Regina Hall, Bobby Cannavale, Michael Shannon and Manny Jacinto to name a few. The series will premier sometime on in 2021 on Hulu.
Other Anticipated TV Series: “The Player’s Table,” “Daisy Jones & The Six,” “The Falcon and the Winter Solider," "Conversations with Friends."
So as we start off the New Year, entering 2021, may we hope that we will not be as confined to our couches, but let us also hope that we have plenty of content to enjoy if we do.
Which projects are you most excited for? Drop them below!
And that's the sitch.
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