Summer Movies 2021: Everything Coming To Theaters (When They’re Open)

The pandemic looks to finally be winding down soon, so if and when it’s safe, there will be some choice summer 2021 movies available to see in theaters. 2020 was arguably the strangest year ever for Hollywood, certainly in at least a century, thanks to the Covid pandemic rampaging across the world in a way few contagions ever have. Millions of people died of the disease, and multiple countries went into lockdown, shutting down industries everywhere. Movie theaters across the globe closed down for many months, and some are still closed as of this writing.

Thankfully, at least in the U.S., Hollywood’s home market, the widespread distribution of vaccines for the coronavirus has led to a sizable swath of people already getting inoculated, with more doing so every day. Thankfully, this story is repeating itself all over the world. Thus, movie theaters in those areas are starting to reopen on a mass scale, and while there’s still a long way to go, there looks to be a light at the end of the tunnel for both deprived moviegoers and the world in general.

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While summer 2021 doesn’t have the massive blockbuster slate most summers do, for obvious reasons, there is still a good crop of interesting major wide releases arriving in theaters over the next few months. Some of these titles will also arrive simultaneously on HBO Max or Disney+ for anyone who’d rather stay home, but all will also be hitting theaters.

Spiral: From The Book of Saw (May 14)

Darren Lynn Bousman (Saw2, 3, and 4) returns to direct Spiral: From the Book of Saw, a soft reboot of the long-running horror franchise. Superstar comedian Chris Rock stars as Zeke, the lead detective investigating a new killer who looks to have taken up Jigsaw’s mantle. Samuel L. Jackson also stars as Zeke’s father.

A Quiet Place Part 2 (May 28)

After multiple COVID-related delays, A Quiet Place Part 2, the sequel to writer/director John Krasinski’s surprise sci-fi/horror hit from 2018, is headed to theaters. With Krasinski’s character dead, Emily Blunt’s Evelyn has taken the lead of the Abbott family, forced to venture out into a dangerous world after the destruction of their home.

Cruella (May 28, Also On Disney+)

The next in Disney’s line of live-action reimaginings of classic animated characters, Cruella serves as an origin story for the 101 Dalmatians villain, with Emma Stone in the lead role. It remains to be seen how a character best known for skinning puppies will be made into a sympathetic protagonist, but the Cruella marketing has been compared to Joker.

The Conjuring: The Devil Made Me Do It (June 4, Also On HBO Max)

Patrick Wilson and Vera Farmiga reprise their roles of paranormal investigators Ed and Lorraine Warren in The Conjuring: The Devil Made Me Do It, the first in the series not to be directed by creator James Wan. The story is based on a real-life murder case in which the killer’s defense was that he had been possessed by a demon.

In the Heights (June 11, Also On HBO Max)

Directed by Jon M. Chu (Crazy Rich Asians), In the Heights adapts the 2005 stage musical by Quiara Alegría Hudes and Lin-Manuel Miranda. Anthony Ramos plays the lead, a bodega owner named Usnavi de la Vega who dreams of a better life. Ramos played the role previously, during a performance of the musical at the Kennedy Center in 2018.

Hitman’s Wife’s Bodyguard (June 16)

The sequel to 2017’s surprise action/comedy hit, Hitman’s Wife’s Bodyguard brings back leads Samuel L. Jackson as the titular hitman Darius Kincaid, Ryan Reynolds as his put-upon bodyguard Michael Bryce, and Salma Hayek as the hitman’s wife Sonia. Antonio Banderas joins the cast as the sequel’s villain, who menaces the trio.

Peter Rabbit 2: The Runaway (June 18)

Peter Rabbit 2: The Runaway, inspired by the classic stories by Beatrix Potter, is the sequel to 2018’s Peter Rabbit, which came out of nowhere to become a massive hit. A mix of live-action and animation, Peter Rabbit 2 sees writer/director Will Gluck back in charge, along with late-night host James Corden back voicing Peter.

F9 (June 25)

Another victim of multiple Coronavirus delays, F9 reunites Vin Diesel’s Dom Toretto and his Fast and Furious family for another installment in the multi-billion-dollar franchise. As confirmed by the trailers, fans can expect more insane action scenes and wild stunts, while John Cena joins the fray as Dom’s villainous older brother, Jakob.

The Forever Purge (July 2)

The final planned installment of creator James DeMonaco’s Purge horror franchise, The Forever Purge takes place after Election Year, a world in which the purge has been abolished. That won’t help a couple hiding from drug cartels in Mexico though, as they run afoul of a group of people dead set on staging their own personal Purge Night.

Black Widow (July 9, Also On Disney+)

Thanks to the coronavirus, it’s now been nearly two years since fans got to sit down and take in a new MCU movie. Black Widow hopes to finally end that drought, with Scarlett Johansson back as the titular Avenger in a story set between Captain America: Civil War and Avengers: Infinity War. It’s finally time to learn what happened between Black Widow and Hawkeye in Budapest.

Space Jam: A New Legacy (July 16, Also On HBO Max)

1996’s Space Jam, starring NBA legend Michael Jordan, is a treasured favorite of many, and now current basketball great LeBron James is set to star in sequel Space Jam: A New Legacy. Don Cheadle plays the sequel’s villain, with the Looney Tunes of course back in the mix, along with many other Warner Bros. characters and franchises.

Hotel Transylvania: Transformania (July 23)

The fourth entry in the highly successful Hotel Transylvania animated franchise is on the way, with Hotel Transylvania: Transformania set to be the final film. Surprisingly, star Adam Sandler didn’t return as the voice of Dracula, although the rest of the main voice cast is back at least, including Andy Samberg and Selena Gomez.

Snake Eyes: G.I. Joe Origins (July 23)

As one might imagine, Snake Eyes: G.I. Joe Origins is a solo spinoff movie centered on telling the backstory of fan favorite character Snake Eyes. Henry Golding (Crazy Rich Asians) is taking over the lead role from Ray Park, but beyond that, very little is known about the film, which finished filming in early 2020.

Old (July 23)

The latest horror-thriller from writer/director/producer M. Night Shyamalan, Old stars Gael García Bernal (Mozart in the Jungle), as the head of a family on vacation at a secluded tropical beach. That sounds great, until one realizes that being there is causing them all to age at a rate so rapidly that their entire lives look to pass by before sunset.

Jungle Cruise (July 30)

Disney’s latest movie based on one of its classic theme park rides, Jungle Cruise is a comedic action-adventure set in the early 20th century. Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson stars as a riverboat captain hired to transport a scientist (Emily Blunt) and her brother (Jack Whitehall) deep into the jungle on a hunt for the mystical Tree of Life.

The Suicide Squad (August 6, Also On HBO Max)

The Suicide Squad is writer/director James Gunn’s first comic book film since Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2, and serves as both a sequel to and soft reboot of David Ayer’s troubled 2016 Suicide Squad movie. Harley Quinn is among the returning players, with newcomers like Idria Elba’s Bloodsport and John Cena’s Peacemaker in tow.

Free Guy (August 13)

This action-comedy stars Ryan Reynolds as Guy, an NPC living in an open world video game with a job as a bank teller. After a change to the game’s programming, Guy becomes self-aware and sets out to make himself an autonomous hero, hence the Free Guy title. It also stars Taika Waititi, Jodie Comer (Killing Eve), Joe Keery (Stranger Things), Lil Rel Howery (Bad Trip), and Utkarsh Ambudkar (Blindspotting).

Respect (August 13)

Respect stars Jennifer Hudson as legendary singer Aretha Franklin in a biopic of the “Queen of Soul.” Other recognizable names in the cast include Forest Whitaker as Aretha’s father C.L. Franklin, Marlon Wayans as her manager and first husband Ted White, and Audra McDonald as Barbara Siggers Franklin, Aretha’s mother.

Don’t Breathe 2 (August 13)

Don’t Breathe 2 is the long-awaited sequel to 2016’s horror hit Don’t Breathe, and features the return of Stephen Lang as The Blind Man. In an intriguing twist, The Blind Man is the hero this time as he’s forced out of his isolated home in order to save a young girl to whom he offered a safe place to stay after a house fire left her orphaned.

Candyman (August 27)

Finally, the summer 2021 movies season closes out with Candyman, director Nia DaCosta’s reboot and spiritual sequel to the original 1992 horror classic. Jordan Peele served as producer and co-writer on Candyman, and the film looks to be another chilling look at the Black experience in America through a horror genre lens.

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