20 of the Most Anticipated Movies of 2021

Yup, that's right, we are ready to talk about 2021 movies. For anyone who has yet to realize it, we are currently in the middle of October. Fall is well under way, and the new year is beckoning. (There are fewer than three months to go until 2021!) While there are many reasons the entire world is collectively looking forward to next year, movie lovers in particular have a lot to be excited about. In addition to a bunch of movies that were supposed to be released in 2020 but got pushed back set to premiere, there are dozens of movies that already had 2021 releases on tap for the coming year.

From animated and family films to much-awaited sequels and action-packed thrillers and superhero flicks, the queue of new movies coming out in 2021 is massive, and promises some seriously good entertainment for nearly any type of movie watcher. There's something new coming for the youngest of viewers to the oldest of film aficianados.

Movie review site Rotten Tomatoes has compiled an exhaustive list of the most-anticipated movies releasing next year, but because we know lots of us busy mamas are short on time, we've narrowed it down to the 20 most-anticipated movies of 2021. These 20 films are the ones we expect will be perfect for the rarest date night, a rare girls' night or a significantly less rare family outing. Keep reading to see our 2021 movie picks.

'Peter Rabbit 2: The Runaway'

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Sony Pictures Releasing

Tentative Release Date: January 15, 2021

The sequel to 2018's Peter Rabbit, Peter Rabbit 2: The Runaway — starring James Corden — is sure to delight children and parents. If it's anywhere near as good as the first film, it will offer visual delights, tons of giggles, a little bit of suspense, and some good, wholesome family fun.

'The 355'

Tentative Release Date: January 15, 2021

If there ever was a "girl power" flick, The 355 would be it. This spy thriller features an all-star cast of mostly women, including the likes of Jessica Chastain, Diane Kruger, Lupita Nyong'o, Penelope Cruz, and Binbing Fan. It's about an unpredictable CIA agent who teams up with international agents on a mission to retrieve a top-secret weapon stolen by a mercenary.

'Cinderella'

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Sony Pictures Entertainment

Tentative Release Date: February 5, 2021

Chart-topping singer Camila Cabello is getting ready to take her turn as a raven-haired Cinderella in the upcoming live-action iteration of the classic fairy tale. The film, which also stars Billy Porter, Minnie Driver and James Corden, resumed production in August and looks to be shaping up quite nicely.

'The King's Man'

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20th Century Fox/Walt Disney Studio Motion Pictures

Tentative Release Date: February 12, 2021

In this comedic action film, set in the early 20th century and starring Ralph Fiennes, Stanley Tucci, and Djimon Hounsou, the Kingsman agency is formed and tasked with stopping a group of tyrants and criminal masterminds as they plan a war that has the potential to end humanity. The film is actually a prequel to the Kingsman movies that were released in 2014 and 2017.

'Antlers'

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Searchlight Pictures/Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures

Tentative Release Date: February 19, 2021

One of the first horror films set to release in 2018, Antlers — starring Keri Russell and Jesse Plemons — looks utterly petrifying. It's about a teacher and her brother, who just so happens to be the sheriff, who become entwined with a mysterious student who is somehow linked to a dangerous ancestral creature.

'Ghostbusters: Afterlife'

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Columbia Pictures/Sony Pictures Releasing

Tentative Release Date: March 5, 2021

In this modern sequel to the original 1980s films, a single mom moves her kids — played by Finn Wolfhard and McKenna Grace — to a small town, and they eventually realize that they have connections to the original Ghostbusters crew. The film, which counts as the third installment in the original franchise, also stars Paul Rudd and features cameos by the likes of Sigourney Weaver, Dan Akroyd, and Bill Murray.

'Tom & Jerry'

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Warner Bros.

Tentative Release Date: March 5, 2021

Though not many details have been released yet, we do know the upcoming Tom & Jerry feature-length film — based of course on the classic cartoon series — will include voice work by Chloe Grace Moretz, Michael Pena, and Colin Jost. It's set to be a sort of origin story chronicling how the rival cat and mouse met.

'Morbius'

Tentative Release Date: March 19, 2021

Marvel fans have been waiting for the Morbius film, starring Jared Leto, for what seems like forever. Much different from what we've seen in theaters from the MCU over the past several years, Morbius is billed as a horror-fantasy film, and from the looks of it, it will appropriately dark. It's about a scientist with a rare blood disorder who, inadvertently, turns himself into a vampire.

'The Boss Baby: Family Business'

Release Date: March 26, 2021

The much-loved fast-talking "Boss Baby," voiced by Alec Baldwin, will be back for a second installment this coming March. The Boss Baby: Family Business will be the second film in the popular franchise which also includes a television series titled, The Boss Baby: Back in Business. It's set to premiere in 3-D.

'F9'

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Universal Pictures

Tentative Release Date: April 2, 2021

The release of the ninth film in the Fast & Furious franchise has been pushed backed multiple times, but is currently scheduled to come out in spring 2021. The latest installment will see the return of fan favorites Vin Diesel and Michelle Rodriguez, as well as Charlize Theron who joined the franchise in the eighth film, and John Cena who's appearing in the films for the first time.

'No Time to Die'

Daniel Craig in No Time to Die (2021)
United Artists/Universal Pictures

Tentative Release Date: April 2, 2021

The latest installment of Daniel Craig's James Bond movies was supposed to be released in November, but much to the ire of fans, it was delayed earlier in the fall. In the film, Bond is pulled out of retirement to help an old CIA friend capture a mysterious criminal who's gotten his hands on a dangerous new technology.

'A Quiet Place Part II'

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Paramount Pictures

Tentative Release Date: April 23, 2021

Although John Krasinski won't be reprising his role in this sequel to the 2018 horror flick A Quiet Place (he directed it), the rest of the cast will be back, and actors Cillian Murphy and Djimon Hounsou have signed on. It will follow the remaining members of the Abbott family as they venture out of their hideaway home and face threats beyond the horrifying creatures they've been sheltering from for years.

'Black Widow'

Tentative Release Date: May 7, 2021

Audiences will finally get to see Natasha Romanoff's story on the big screen — or maybe from home, but that's another story — in May 2021. Scarlett Johansson will of course star in the Black Widow film, which will follow everyone's favorite badass female Avenger on the missions she undertakes between the events of Civil War and Infinity War.

So yes, we're going back in time.

'In the Heights'

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Warner Bros.

Tentative Release Date: June 18, 2021

Broadway fans have been waiting for Lin-Manuel Miranda's latest for well over a year now. In the Heights was supposed to premiere in summer 2020, but got pushed back nearly a year. The film which — based on the play of the same name — is about a bodega owner who inherits his grandmother's fortune and struggles to decide whether he will close his store and move to the Dominican Republic, or stay in his beloved New York neighborhood.

'Top Gun: Maverick'

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Paramount Pictures

Tentative Release Date: July 2, 2021

The upcoming sequel to the 1986 film Top Gun has had fans waiting on edge for many months. Now, it will finally be coming to theaters in time for the long Independence Day weekend. Tom Cruise is reprising his role as Maverick and will surely bring the action — full of high-flying thrills — as the gutsy pilot trains a squad of rookies for a risky mission that could endanger them all.

'Suicide Squad' Sequel

Tentative Release Date: August 6, 2021

We realize there are a bunch of superhero movies on this list, and it might seem like overkill, but we would be remiss not to include The Suicide Squad sequel. By the time it's released in August 2021, it will have been five years since the first film came out. Fans are itching to find out what's next for their favorite super-villains, and as it turns out, they're about to be put to good use, saving the world from ending.

'Halloween Kills'

Tentative Release Date: October 15, 2021

Jamie Lee Curtis and Judy Greer will star in yet another installment of the Halloween movie franchise. This Michael Myers slasher flick is technically being considered the second film in a new trilogy that started with 2018's Halloween, and will conclude with Halloween Ends which is set to come out in 2022.

'Mission: Impossible 7'

Tentative Release Date: November 9, 2021

At this point, Tom Cruise's Mission Impossible franchise has a cult following. Many of us have literally been watching these films half of our lives and will always be loyal fans of the edge-of-our-seats spy flicks. Details on the seventh film's plot haven't been released yet, but we do know that Tom Cruise has already film some death-defying stunts for it.

'West Side Story'

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20th Century Fox/Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures

Tentative Release Date: December 10, 2021

The modern remake of West Side Story has been in the works for a long time, and now, it finally has a release date. The film tells the classic story of forbidden love and stars mostly unknown actors. It'll be interesting to see how the filmmakers handle the sensitive topics of racism, bigotry, and misogyny in 2021.

'Matrix 4'

Tentative Release Date: December 22, 2021

Set to come out just before Christmas 2021, Matrix 4 is currently filming. Though we don't know much about the film yet, we do know Keanu Reeves and Carrie-Anne Moss will both be reprising their roles, and stars — including Jada Pinkett Smith, Priyanka Chopra, and Neil Patrick Harris — will be making appearances in the long-awaited fourth Matrix movie.