Even with the cinemas largely closed for much of 2020 and part of 2021, we were still able to take in, and enjoy a bunch of new and fantastic films: Tenet, Hillbilly Elegy, The Trial of the Chicago 7, Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom, David Byrne’s American Utopia, and so many others. These films were all available to see either in cinemas, or at home on VOD, or Netflix. Now it’s time to look ahead at some of the most anticipated films slated to drop at some point this year. This list of five films is in no particular order.
No Time To Die – October 8, 2021 (US)
Daniel Craig is back for the 25th installment in the James Bond franchise. It will likely be his final outing portraying the iconic character. Spectre was released back in 2015. That means we are in year six between films. The longest hiatus between Bond films since Pierce Brosnan took over the mantle from Timothy Dalton.
The latest chapter finds Bond retired and living in Jamaica when his old CIA buddy Felix Leiter pulls him back in for “one more mission.” No Time To Die sees Bond facing off with Oscar winner Rami Malek (Mr. Robot), as the mysterious masked villain “Safin” who holds the key to a deadly new and dangerous technology.
Regarding the departure of Daniel Craig after portraying Commander Bond in five films, and spanning 15 years, director Cari Joji Fukunaga stated:
“No one’s trying to say some sort of long sentimental goodbye. It’s just another Bond film. The credits still say: ‘Bond will return.’ I didn’t approach it as a last film. I approached it as: What am I inheriting? What can we do to make this a little bit fresh and exciting, and subvert some of the expectations?”
No Time To Die is being helmed by Emmy winner Cary Joji Fukunaga (True Detective) and stars Daniel Craig, Rami Malek, Lea Seydoux, Ben Whishaw, Naomie Harris, Christoph Waltz, and Ralph Fiennes. The film will be distributed by United Artists in the US and Universal Pictures internationally.
The French Dispatch – October 22, 2021 (US)
You either really like Wes Anderson films, and everyone that orbits his weird universe, or you simply could care less about him. Anderson’s polarizing films contain characters that are quirky, zany, and at times Dali levels of surreal. Yet they are also human, dramatic, sad, and loving. His production design is also second to none.
Wes Anderson attracts the talent when it comes to his movies and The French Dispatch is no different. Bill Murray, Owen Wilson, Jason Schwartzman, Willem Defoe, Adrien Brody, Angelica Huston, and Edward Norton, are all starring in the film, and Anderson regulars. It also stars Benicio Del Toro, Timothee Chalemet, Tilda Swinton, Christoph Waltz, Saoirse Ronan, Jeffrey Wright, Liev Schrieber, Frances McDormand, and many others.
Regarding the complex and somewhat fairly well-hidden plot of Anderson’s latest film, he was quoted in the French publication, Charente Libre:
“The story is not easy to explain…It’s about an American journalist based in France who creates his magazine. It is more a portrait of this man, of this journalist who fights to write what he wants to write. It’s not a movie about freedom of the press, but when you talk about reporters you also talk about what’s going on in the real world…”
Anderson’s 10th film is set at the office of an American magazine, located in a fictional French city. He has described his latest film as a “love letter to journalists” and it follows three different and distinct storylines. The French Dispatch is scheduled for domestic release on October 22, 2021, and is being distributed by Searchlight Pictures.
The Beatles: Get Back – November 25-27, 2021
There have been many documentaries made on the Fab Four. The Beatles: Get Back, directed by Middle-Earth legend Peter Jackson, has a chance to be the best of the lot. The upcoming three-part documentary series details the making of The Beatles’ seminal 1970 album Let It Be, which had a working title of Get Back.
Since it came out in 1969, The Beatles’ album Let It Be was made more visual and visceral by the accompanying documentary of the same name. This documentary, while tremendous, portrayed the Lads as a sad and dysfunctional group who looked like they would rather be at a funeral than in Abbey Road studios, making history.
Now, with over 56 hours of newly restored and never seen footage, Jackson returns us to those sessions and appears to be trying to change the narrative somewhat. Judging by the above trailer, it looks like it wasn’t all gloom and doom in the studio. The director went on to state:
“…It’s like a time machine transports us back to 1969 and we get to sit in the studio watching these four friends make great music together…”
Seeing John, Paul, George, and Ringo acting silly while recording one of the 50 greatest albums of all time is awe-inspiring. While this may have just been a careful editing job by Jackson. This is still new Beatles footage and a must-see. The Beatles: Get Back will premiere on Disney+ on November 25, 26, and 27, 2021.
The Many Saints Of Newark – October 1, 2021
I’m sure David Chase’s The Sopranos prequel The Many Saints of Newark isn’t on a lot of Top 10 lists, but it should be. The Sopranos just may be the greatest dramatic 1-hour show in television history. Some may disagree, but it’s still in the conversation. It helped that it was also one of the best acted and written shows ever.
This can be attributed to showrunner David Chase as The Sopranos was and is still is, his baby. Chase oversaw every detail, from the clothes and music to the types of food on the table. Nothing made it past him without approval. This shows in the finished product, as the show is a true product of New Jersey.
Cut to 14 years later and there’s there is now a prequel portraying all of our favorite characters in their youth. Written and created by David Chase. The premise of The Many Saints Of Newark revolves around the DiMeo and Soprano crime families in the 1960s. Tying into the race riots that took place in Newark in 1967.
This would essentially put Italians and African-Americans at war with each other in a city that was literally on fire. The prequel film features a fantastic cast. Including Jon Bernthal, Vera Farmiga, Corey Stoll, Ray Liotta, Billy Magnussen, and Leslie Odom, Jr. Alessandro Nivola is portraying Dickie Moltisanti, the father of Michael Imperioli’s “Christopher.” Michael Gandolfini, son of the late James Gandolfini, is portraying the younger version of his father’s character, Tony Soprano.
Much like the original series, David Chase has heavy creative control over the production of The Many Saints Of Newark and has personally hand-picked the entire cast himself. It’s scheduled to be released on October 1, 2021, in theaters nationwide, as well as a month-long run on HBO Max.
Dune – October 22, 2021
The transference of Dune from book to film has a long and complicated history, one that was filled with excess and failure. Alejandro Jodorowsky’s insane and ultimately unsuccessful attempt to bring Frank Herbert’s classic 1965 tome to life proved too much for the director and failed. David Lynch tried in 1984 to make it happen, and he had the misfortune of going up against the unstoppable Eddie Murphy and Beverly Hills Cop on opening weekend. Lynch reflected:
“With Dune, I sold out on that early on, because I didn’t have final cut, and it was a commercial failure, so I died two times with that.”
Now, 37 years later, Denis Villeneuve’s long-awaited remake of Dune will be dropping on both HBO Max and in theaters. The science-fiction epic stars Timothée Chalamet as the Christ-like Paul Atreides. Who leads the battle for control over the desert planet Arrakis. The cast is star-studded and includes Zendaya, Oscar Isaac, Rebecca Ferguson, Dave Bautista, Jason Momoa, and Javier Bardem.
This is a production that is loaded with talent behind and in front of the camera. If anyone can make this finally work, it’s Villeneuve. Although it would have been nice to see Ridley Scott’s version. Dune is planned to be a two-part theatrical event. However Legendary Pictures has not yet greenlit part two of Dune.
Dune is by far one of the most ambitious, expensive and most anticipated movies of the 2021 schedule. It’s scheduled to be released simultaneously in cinemas by Warner Brothers. As well as on HBO Max for 31 days, starting on October 22, 2021.
