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A Release Date Guide for Every 2021 Film

by Andrew J. Salazar
A black-and-white collage of many blockbuster and indie films with 2021 release dates.

2020 will go down in history for a multitude of reasons, especially for many fields such as the film industry. The start of the COVID-19 pandemic forced major Hollywood players to shift their release slates month after month, hoping to see some light at the end of the tunnel. Warner Bros. closed the year with a bang by announcing that each of their major 2021 releases would also concurrently premiere on HBO Max the day of. Disney releasing their content on Disney+ at a paid “premiere access” proved to be only the beginning. Fast forward to now and 2021 release dates have already begun to change as well, and even though the pandemic is at a much better place with many across the globe receiving vaccinations – there is still much work to be done before public safety can be completely assured. This, of course, still leaves the film industry in some sort of awkward limbo.

But as previously mentioned, more updates come every day! Whether it be shifting release dates or new steps Hollywood is taking to deliver moviegoers with new films in these trying times (and ultimately stay afloat financially). Many of these new steps involve major streaming services gaining exclusivity to certain films, or in cases like HBO Max, sharing the premieres with theaters that are safely open. Additionally, the pandemic has given these same streamers a new avenue to strive with original content. All the big names have upped their output of original films, many of which are leading the race for the 2021 Academy Awards. Netflix has already touted that 2021 will see 71 original films featuring today’s top talent, leading to new originals being released every single week. These advancements on top of everything else covered make a 2021 release date guide the most helpful… and DiscussingFilm has got your back.

Our 2021 release date guide below tracks films planned for theaters and all kinds of streaming. Since streamers like Netflix, HBO Max, and Prime Video are dominating the market, their original releases are included too. Each title below is organized under their U.S theatrical release and those that are skipping theaters feature the proper indications where necessary. For example, if you see the indication of “(+ HBO Max)” then read it as debuting in theaters while also on the streamer. If you only see “(HBO Max)” then read it as ONLY debuting on the streamer. The plus sign “+” makes the difference when reading the guide. If films have two separate release dates (many are now reaching deals where they debut in theaters a few weeks in advance from streaming) then they will be listed TWICE under the proper dates with clear indications. The list below will be UPDATED as frequently as possible.

The following films have been pushed to 2022 from their original 2021 dates

Ambulance – February 18, 2022
Avatar 2 – December 16, 2022
Black Adam – July 29, 2022
Death on the Nile – February 11, 2022
Deep Water – January 14, 2022
Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness – May 6, 2022
Dog – February 18, 2022
Dungeons & Dragons – May 27, 2022
Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore – April 15, 2022
Halloween Ends – October 14, 2022
Hotel Transylvania: Transformania – January 14, 2022
Indiana Jones 5 – June 30, 2023
Jackass Forever – February 4, 2022
Jurassic World: Dominion –  June 10, 2022
John Wick 4 – May 27, 2022
Legally Blonde 3 – May 20, 2022
Marry Me – February 18, 2022
Minions: The Rise of Gru – July 1, 2022
Mission: Impossible 7 – September 30, 2022
Morbius – January 28, 2022
Puss in Boots: The Last Wish – September 23, 2022
Rumble – February 18, 2022
The 355 – January 7, 2022
The Batman – March 4, 2022
The Bob’s Burgers Movie – May 27, 2022
The Flash –  November 4, 2022
The Man from Toronto – January 14, 2022
The Nightingale – December 23, 2022
The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent – April 22, 2022
Thor: Love and Thunder – July 8, 2022
Top Gun: Maverick – May 27, 2022
Uncharted – February 11, 2022
Untitled Elvis Presley Biopic – June 3, 2022


January

Friday January 1

Shadow in the Cloud (VOD)

Thursday January 7

Pieces of a Woman (Netflix)

Friday January 8

Herself (Prime Video)
The Reason I Jump

Thursday January 14

Locked Down (HBO Max)

Friday January 15

Acasa, My Home
American Skin (VOD)
MLK/FBI (+ VOD)
News of the World (VOD)
One Night in Miami (Prime Video)
Outside the Wire (Netflix)
Promising Young Woman (VOD)
Some Kind of Heaven (+ VOD)
The Dig (Netflix)
The Marksman

Friday January 22

Derek DelGaudio’s In & Of Itself (Hulu)
No Man’s Land (+ VOD)
Notturno
The White Tiger (Netflix)

Wednesday January 27

Penguin Bloom (Netflix)

Friday January 29

Notturno (Hulu)
Palmer (Apple TV+)
Supernova (+ VOD)
The Dig (Netflix)
The Little Things (+ HBO Max)
The Night (+ VOD)

February

A still of John David Washington and Zendaya wearing fancy clothes in a simple kitchen as seen in Malcolm & Marie, a film scheduled with a 2021 release date from Netflix.
Malcolm & Marie’ courtesy of Netflix

Friday February 5

A Glitch in the Matrix (+ VOD)
Bliss (Prime Video)
Earwig and the Witch (HBO Max)
Falling (+ VOD)
Little Fish (+ VOD)
Malcolm & Marie (Netflix)
Minamata (+ VOD)
Rams (+ VOD)
Space Sweepers (Netflix)
The Human Factor (+ VOD)
The Mimic (+ VOD)
The Wanting Mare (+ VOD)

Friday February 12

Barb and Star Go to Vista Del Mar (VOD)
Dead Pigs (Mubi)
French Exit
Judas and the Black Messiah (+ HBO Max)
Land
Minari
Saint Maud (Epix)
To All The Boys Always & Forever (Netflix)
What About Love
Willy’s Wonderland (VOD)

Friday February 19

Blithe Spirit (+ VOD)
Flora & Ulysses (Disney+)
I Care a Lot (Netflix)
Jumbo
Nomadland (+ Hulu)
The Courier
The Mauritanian
Truth To Power

Friday February 26

Cherry
Billie Eilish: The World’s a Little Blurry (+ AppleTV+)
Minari (VOD)
My Zoe (+ VOD)
Night of the Kings
The Father
The United States vs. Billie Holiday (Hulu)
The Vigil (+ VOD)
Tom & Jerry (+ HBO Max)

March

‘Raya and the Last Dragon’ courtesy of Disney

Tuesday March 2

The Mauritanian (VOD)

Wednesday March 3

Moxie (Netflix)

Thursday March 4

The Spongebob Movie: Sponge on the Run (Paramount+)

Friday March 5

Boogie
Chaos Walking
Coming 2 America (Prime Video)
My Salinger Year
Pixie
Raya and the Last Dragon (+ Disney+ Premiere Access)
The Truffle Hunters

Friday March 12

Cherry (Apple TV+)
Come True (+ VOD)
Finding You

Thursday March 18

Zack Snyder’s Justice League (HBO Max)

Friday March 19

City of Lies
Happily
Last Call (+ VOD)

Friday March 26

Bad Trip (Netflix)
Nobody
Shoplifters of the World (+ VOD)
Six Minutes to Midnight (+ VOD)

Wednesday March 31

Godzilla vs. Kong (+ HBO Max)

April

Sub-Zero making an ice blade as seen in Mortal Kombat, a film with a 2021 release date from Warner Bros. and HBO Max.
‘Mortal Kombat’ courtesy of Warner Bros.

Friday April 2

Concrete Cowboy (Netflix)
Shiva Baby
The Unholy

Friday April 9

Thunder Force (Netflix)
Voyagers

Thursday April 15

Ride of Die (Netflix)

Friday April 16

Monday (+ VOD)
Fatherhood
In the Earth
Gunda

Thursday April 22

Stowaway (Netflix)

Friday April 23

Mortal Kombat (+ HBO Max)

Friday April 30

Here Are The Young Men (VOD)
Limbo
The Mitchells vs. the Machines (Netflix)
Things Heard and Seen (Netflix)
Without Remorse (Prime Video)

May

Dave Bautista shooting zombies as seen in Army of the Dead coming May 2021 to Netflix.
‘Army of the Dead’ courtesy of Netflix

Friday May 7

Here Today
Mainstream (+ VOD)
Monster (Netflix)
Wrath of Man

Wednesday May 12

Oxygen (Netflix)

Friday May 14

Georgetown
Spiral: From The Book of Saw
The Djinn (+ VOD)
Those Who Wish Me Dead (+ HBO Max)
The Killing of Two Lovers
The Perfect Candidate
The Woman in the Window (Netflix)

Friday May 21

Army of the Dead (Netflix)
Blast Beat (+ VOD)
New Order
Riders of Justice (+ VOD)
Starbright
Sound of Violence (+ VOD)
The Dry (+ VOD)

Friday May 28

A Quiet Place Part II
Cruella (+ Disney+ Premiere Access)
Plan B (Hulu)

June

Promotional art of Pixar's Luca, a film scheduled with a 2021 release date from Disney and Pixar.
‘Luca’ courtesy of Pixar

Friday June 4

Spirit Untamed
The Conjuring: The Devil Made Me Do It (+ HBO Max)
Undine

Wednesday June 9

Awake (Netflix)

Thursday June 10

Infinite (Paramount+)

Friday June 11

Censor
In the Heights (+ HBO Max)
Peter Rabbit 2: The Runaway
Rogue Hostage (+ VOD)
The Misfits
Wish Dragon (Netflix)

Wednesday June 16

The Hitman’s Wife’s Bodyguard

Friday June 18

Luca (Disney+)
The Sparks Brothers

Friday June 25

Fast & Furious 9
I Carry You With Me
Werewolves Within

Wednesday June 30

Zola

July

Dev Patel wearing golden robes while sitting on a throne as seen in The Green Knight, a film with a 2021 release date from A24.
‘The Green Knight’ courtesy of A24

Thursday July 1

No Sudden Move (HBO Max)

Friday July 2

Summer of Soul (+ Hulu)
The Boss Baby: Family Business (+ Peacock)
The Forever Purge
The Tomorrow War (Prime Video)
Till Death (+ VOD)

Friday July 9

Black Widow (+ Disney+ Premiere Access)
Summertime

Wednesday July 14

Gunpowder Milkshake (Netflix)

Friday July 16

Escape Room: Tournament of Champions
Pig
Space Jam 2: A New Legacy (+ HBO Max)

Tuesday July 20

How It Ends (+ VOD)

Wednesday July 21

Trollhunters: Rise of the Titans (Netflix)

Friday July 23

G.I. Joe: Snake Eyes
Jolt (Prime Video)
Settlers (+ VOD)
Old
The Last letter From Your Lover (Netflix)

Friday July 30

Jungle Cruise (+ Disney+ Premiere Access)
Stillwater
The Green Knight

August

Candyman’ courtesy of Universal

Friday August 6

John and the Hole (+ VOD)
Naked Singularity
Nine Days
The Suicide Squad (+ HBO Max)
Val (Prime Video)
Vivo (Netflix)

Wednesday August 11

Kissing Booth 3 (Netflix)

Friday August 13

CODA (+ AppleTV+)
Don’t Breathe 2
Ema
Free Guy
Respect
Swan Song (+ VOD)
The Meaning of Hitler

Friday August 20

Annette (Prime Video)
Cryptozoo
Demonic
Paw Patrol: The Movie
Reminiscence (+ HBO Max)
Sweet Girl (Netflix)
The Night House
The Protégé

Friday August 27

Candyman
Vacation Friends (Hulu)
He’s All That (Netflix)
No Man of God
The Beatles: Get Back
Together

September

Simu Liu harnessing the golden energy of the ten rings in a fight against the mandarin as seen in the new marvel film SHANG-CHI AND THE LEGEND OF THE TEN RINGS.
‘Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings’ courtesy of Marvel Studios

Friday September 3

Cinderella (Prime Video)
Mogul Mowgli
Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings
We Need To Do Something (+ VOD)
Wild Indian (+ VOD)
Worth (Netflix)

Friday September 10

Dating & New York
Kate (Netflix)
Language Lessons
Malignant (+ HBO Max)
The Alpinist
The Card Counter
The Voyeurs (Prime Video)
Queenpins

Friday September 17

Best Sellers
Blue Bayou
Cry Macho (+ HBO Max)
Copshop
Everybody’s Talking About Jamie (Prime Video)
I’m Your Man
Prisoners of the Ghostland (+ VOD)
The Eyes of Tammy Faye
The Nowhere Inn

Friday September 24

Dear Evan Hansen
My Little Pony: A New Generation (Netflix)
The Starling (Netflix)

Thursday September 30

After We Fell

October

A still of Michael Myers in Halloween Kills, the horror sequel scheduled with a 2021 release date from Universal and Blumhouse.
Halloween Kills’ courtesy of Universal

Friday October 1

Coming Home in the Dark
Mayday (+ VOD)
Old Henry
Titane
The Addams Family 2 (+ VOD)
The Guilty (Netflix)
The Many Saints of Newark (+ HBO Max)
Venom: Let There Be Carnage

Friday October 8

Knocking
Lamb
Mass
No Time To Die

Friday October 15

Bergman Island
Halloween Kills (+ Peacock)
The Blazing World (+ VOD)
The Last Duel

Friday October 22

Broadcast Signal Intrusion (+ VOD)
Dune (+ HBO Max)
Ron’s Gone Wrong
The French Dispatch

Friday October 29

A Mouthful of Air
Antlers
Army of Thieves (Netflix)
Heart of Champions
Last Night in Soho
Paranormal Activity: Next of Kin (Paramount+)
The Souvenir Part II
The Spine of Night (+ VOD)
Violet

November

first look at Eternals by Chloe Zhao, making our early predictions for the 2022 Oscars.
‘Eternals’ courtesy of Marvel

Wednesday November 3

The Harder They Fall (Netflix)

Friday November 5

Eternals
Finch (Apple TV+)
Spencer
The Beta Test
The Electrical Life of Louis Wain (Prime Video)

Wednesday November 10

Clifford the Big Red Dog (+ Paramount+)
Passing (Netflix)

Friday November 12

Belfast
Night Raiders (+ VOD)
Red Notice (Netflix)

Friday November 19

C’mon C’mon
Ghostbusters: Afterlife
King Richard (+ HBO Max)
The Feast (+ VOD)
Tick, Tick… Boom! (Netflix)
Zeros and Ones (+ VOD)

Wednesday November 24 (Thanksgiving)

Bruised (Netflix)
Encanto
Drive My Car
House of Gucci
Resident Evil: Welcome to Raccoon City

Friday November 26

Licorice Pizza (Limited release)

December

A still of Rachel Zegler as Maria in a room of dancing teenagers as seen in Steven Spielberg's West Side Story, a new adaptation scheduled with a 2021 release date from 20th Century Studios.
‘West Side Story’ courtesy of 20th Century Studios

Wednesday December 1

The Power of the Dog (Netflix)

Friday December 3

Benedetta (+ VOD)
Flee
Red Rocket
Shaun the Sheep: The Flight Before Christmas (Netflix)
Wolf

Friday December 10

A Journal For Jordan
Being the Ricardos (Limited release)
The Unforgivable (Netflix)
West Side Story

Wednesday December 15

The Hand of God (Netflix)

Friday December 17

Nightmare Alley
The Tender Bar (Limited release)
Spider-Man: No Way Home

Tuesday December 21

Being the Ricardos (Prime Video)

Wednesday December 22

Sing 2
The Matrix Resurrections (+ HBO Max)
The King’s Man

Friday December 24

Don’t Look Up (Netflix)
Licorice Pizza (Wide Release)
Madres paralelas (Parallel Mothers)
The Tragedy of Macbeth

Friday December 31

The Lost Daughter (Netflix)

Follow our social media accounts (@DiscussingFilm) on Twitter and Instagram for all release date updates in real time!

Follow managing editor Andrew J. Salazar on Twitter: @AndrewJ626

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