Are the movies back? Frankly, they never left, but movies haven’t felt special in over a year due to the challenges of the pandemic. Studios continue to push the dates back on films, which is the equivalent of punching me square in the face. I’m looking at you, Top Gun: Maverick and Mission Impossible 7.
However, the fall slate of upcoming movies looks very promising. It’s a great mix of tentpole blockbusters and Oscar contenders. In other words, movies made for me are coming out this Fall and for that, I salute you, Hollywood.
Below are my 10 most anticipated movies for Fall 2021. Studios, don’t you dare push these films back to 2022. We, the people, need these films!
No Time to Die
It’s the Bond swan song for Mr. Daniel Craig as he drinks his last martini in No Time to Die. The world has waited 6 years for 007 to return to the big screen, which is the longest wait between Bond films since the 6-year wait between 1989’s License to Kill and 1995’s Goldeneye. Craig’s films have been both critically acclaimed and box office hits, and this franchise will miss his presence. Before we start photoshopping Idris Elba into a tuxedo, let’s enjoy one last go-round with the baby blue spy.
No Time to Die will be released in theaters on October 8.
The Rescue
Ladies and gentlemen, the Oscar for Best Documentary Feature goes to The Rescue. Mark it down now because there’s no way this film loses in March. Elizabeth Chai Vasarhelyi and Jimmy Chin, the filmmaking duo behind the Oscar-winning Free Solo, return to direct The Rescue, the story of the Tham Luang cave rescue. For those who don’t remember, a soccer team of teenage boys and their coach were trapped in a cave back in 2018, and a rescue team of divers had to work to extract them before they ran out of food and air. Watching the trailer, my jaw hit the floor multiple times. How did they film this? I can’t wait to find out.
The Rescue will be released in select theaters on October 8.
The Last Duel
If there’s a list of things I like, The Last Duel checks off a lot of boxes.
- Matt Damon: check.
- Ben Affleck: check.
- Damon and Affleck writing a film together: check.
- Jodie Comer: check.
- Adam Driver: check.
- Ridley Scott: check.
- Ridley Scott directing an action movie: check.
I’m sure there are going to be A LOT of think pieces surrounding this film because of its brutal subject matter. However, I’m still in for all the reasons above.
The Last Duel will be released in theaters on October 15.
Dune
You had me at “directed by Denis Villeneuve.” Find a better thriller and sci-fi director of the last 10 years than Villeneuve. Prisoners, Sicario, Arrival, and Blade Runner 2049 are some of the best films of the 2010s. Throw in an all-star cast that would make the 2017 Warriors look like a CYO team and we’re cooking with gas. Dune is an incredibly hard book to adapt, and this film will be “Dune: Part I.” Why the film isn’t being publicly marketed like that makes me scratch my head. Regardless, early reviews of Dune have praised the cinematography but criticized the plot. I’m going to trust Villeneuve, who hasn’t let me down yet, to give me a satisfying film.
Dune will be released in theaters and HBO Max on October 22.
Eternals
The Marvel film I don’t know anything about is Eternals. The trailer looks like something Marvel has never done due to the little presence of CGI and a green screen. Imagine being Chloé Zhao right now. You won Best Picture and Best Director for Nomadland, and now you get to release a blockbuster in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Right on, Chloé. If Eternals is a success, then it could lead to more indie and visual filmmakers entering the MCU, which will only benefit Marvel in the long run.
Eternals will be released in theaters on November 5.
House of Gucci
Father, son, and House of Gucci. Ridley Scott goes from an action thriller in The Last Duel to a crime film about the Gucci family, where Maurizio (Adam Driver) was murdered at the hands of his ex-wife, Patrizia Reggiani (Lady Gaga). The trailer toes the line between serious biographical film and parody because of the over-the-top accents. I’m intrigued, and if any filmmaker could make two successful films in one year, it’s Ridley Scott.
House of Gucci will be released in theaters on November 24.
West Side Story
I’m probably in the minority, but I’m all the way in on West Side Story. The saga between the Sharks and the Jets is one of my favorite musicals of all time. Many were skeptical as to why anyone would reimagine West Side Story after the 1961 film adaptation was downright perfect. Once a little-known filmmaker named Steven Spielberg (ever heard of him?) signed on to direct, West Side Story had my attention. The visuals and wide shots in the trailer look spectacular. In a world where CGI dominates the movies of today, West Side Story is a much-needed change-up from the norm. I can’t wait to sing my heart out during “Jet Song.”
West Side Story will be released in theaters on December 10.
Nightmare Alley
Guillermo del Toro, welcome back. In his first film since The Shape of Water, del Toro crafts up a good ol’ fashioned psychological thriller with Nightmare Alley. Bradley Cooper stars as Stan Carlisle, a manipulative carny that teams up with a dangerous psychologist named Dr. Lilith Ritter, played by Cate Blanchett. If you’re confused, then that makes two of us. However, Cooper is one of “my guys” so I’m obligated to see everything he’s in. Luckily for me, Nightmare Alley looks right up my… don’t do it… don’t do it… alley.
Nightmare Alley will be released in theaters on December 17.
Spider-Man: No Way Home
You may not like Marvel, but its ability to dominate pop culture is unprecedented. Case in point, the trailer Spider-Man: No Way Home racked up 355.5 MILLION views over 24 hours across all online platforms, which set a world record previously held by Avengers: Endgame with 289 million views. The MCU is shifting, and No Way Home will play a huge part in explaining the multiverse. In my best Dave Bautista voice, “GIVE ME WHAT I WANT!”
Spider-Man: No Way Home will be released in theaters on December 17.
Don’t Look Up
- Leonardo DiCaprio
- Jennifer Lawrence
- Rob Morgan
- Jonah Hill
- Mark Rylance
- Tyler Perry
- Ron Perlman
- Timothée Chalamet
- Ariana Grande
- Scott Mescudi
- Cate Blanchett
- Meryl Streep
- Chris Evans
The last time Adam McKay had a cast this stacked, he won an Academy Award for The Big Short. Giddy up.
Don’t Look Up hits Netflix on December 24.
What is your most anticipated movie of the fall? Leave your thoughts in the comments below or tweet me, @danny_giro.