Blockbusters back at last
From 007’s return to Dwayne Johnson’s theme park ride-inspired action-comedy and a pair of musicals, James Croot has the latest dates to put in your diary.
This week’s arrival of big-budgeted martial arts movie Mortal Kombat marks yet another step in the return of blockbusters to a cinema near you. Moved around multiple times as a result of the ongoing global pandemic, this reboot heralds the start of the traditional northern summer season of Hollywood heavy-hitters.
Stuff has come up with this handy guide to some of the most hotly anticipated titles scheduled to hit our multiplexes before 2021 is done.
Spiral: From the Book of Saw (May 13)
An exciting, star-studded reboot for the dormant horror franchise which had been in decline for years, this one has essentially been on ice for 12 months. Samuel L Jackson and Chris Rock play father and son policemen who find themselves caught up in a grisly investigation into murders that are eerily reminiscent of the city’s gruesome past.
A Quiet Place Part II (May 27)
Rushed into production after the runaway, surprise success of the spooky
2018 original, fans have been kept in suspense for more than 14 months waiting to see how Emily Blunt and family try to continue to stay silent – and alive – in the face of such overwhelming odds. Peaky Blinders’ Cillian Murphy joins in the action this time around.
Cruella (May 27)
Delayed by six months, after filming was already suspended because star Emma Stone injured her shoulder, this 101 Dalmatians’ villain’s origin story is set to debut on Disney+ just a day after hitting cinemas. The impressive cast also includes Emma Thompson and Mark Strong.
F9 (June 17)
Supposed to rev into cinemas in May last year, while little is known about the plot of the latest instalment of this action franchise, this time it will be without the services of either Dwayne Johnson or Jason Statham. However, in their place comes John Cena, Cardi B and New Zealand’s own Vinnie Bennett.
In the Heights (June 24)
Lin-Manuel Miranda fans had to content themselves with a live-recording of Hamilton last year, after this musical adaptation was delayed for 12 months. It’s the story of a bodega owner who has mixed feelings about closing his store and retiring to the Dominican Republic after inheriting his grandmother’s fortune.
Black Widow (July 8)
First scheduled to screen on April 30 last year, rather than following on from Avengers: Endgame, events in Australian director Cate Shortland’s Marvel movie actually take place in the aftermath of 2016’s Captain America: Civil War. Scarlett Johansson’s Natasha Romanoff finds herself alone and forced to confront her past.
Space Jam: A New Legacy (July 15)
Although an original release date was never officially announced for this sequel to the much loved 1996 animated-live-action hybrid, this has been eagerly anticipated since star LeBron James first tweeted the logo and title last April. As well as featuring Zendaya, Don Cheadle and Star Trek: Discovery’s Sonequa Martin-Green, the trailer hints at Ready Play One-esque appearances by everyone from The Iron Giant to The Flintstones.
Jungle Cruise (July 29)
Steaming in a shade past a year to the day after its original release date of July 23 last year, Dwayne Johnson and Emma Blunt team up for this actionadventure inspired by the long-running Disneyland ‘‘ride’’. Johnson plays a riverboat captain named Frank, who somewhat reluctantly takes Blunt’s scientist and her brother on a mission to find the Tree of Life, which is believed to possess healing powers.
Free Guy (August 12)
Arriving just over 14 months after its first scheduled date of July last year, Ryan Reynolds, Jodie Comer, Channing Tatum and our own Taika Waititi team up for this action comedy about an open world video game non-playing character who becomes aware of his surroundings and decides to become the hero. Directed by Stranger Things’ Shawn Levy, it will apparently also feature a number of YouTube personalities.
Dune (September 16)
Thanks to the Warners/HBO Max deal, fans of this keenly anticipated title have only had to wait nine additional months. Blade Runner 2049 and Arrival director Denis Villeneuve is the latest to try to tackle Frank Herbert’s 1965 space opera. Planned as a two-movie enterprise, this adventure on the desert planet Arrakis will be populated by the likes of Timothee Chalamet, Rebecca Ferguson, Oscar Isaac, Josh Brolin, Jason Momoa and Zendaya.
No Time to Die (September 30)
Originally set to release on April 9 last year, Daniel Craig’s fifth – and apparently final – outing as 007 opens with Bond having left active service, but persuaded to help in the search for a missing scientist. Joining the regular cast are Knives Out’s Ana de Armas and Bohemian Rhapsody’s Rami Malek.
The Eternals (October 28)
Angelina Jolie, Richard Madden, Kumail Nanjani, Salma Hayek and Kit Harington join forces for what is now the 26th movie in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. It focuses on an immortal alien race who have been protecting humanity from their evil counterparts, the Deviants, for more than 7000 years. The darling of the current awards season, Nomadland’s Chinese-American director Chloe Zhao, calls the shots.
Top Gun: Maverick (November 18)
Some 35 years after he last essayed Navy aviator Pete ‘‘Maverick’’ Mitchell, Tom Cruise is back on the ‘‘highway to the danger zone’’. This time, he’s training the latest crop of recruits, which includes his old mate Goose’s son Rooster (Miles Teller), for a special mission. John Hamm, Jennifer Connelly and Val Kilmer are also lining up to help ‘‘take your breath away’’ in this sequel that will be almost 17 months overdue.
Ghostbusters (December 2)
A series of unexplained earthquakes led a single mother and her two kids to discover a link to the original paranormal investigators in this sequel, originally slated to debut on July 2 last year. The Leftovers’ Carrie Coon, Stranger Things’ Finn Wolfhard and Paul Rudd are joined by original cast members Dan Ackroyd, Bill Murray, Ernie Hudson, Annie Potts and Sigourney Weaver.
West Side Story (December 9)
Pushed back just under a year from its December 17 debut, Steven Spielberg and Angels in America scribe Tony Kushner team up for a new version of the beloved Romeo and Juliet-esque musical. Expected to stay closer to the original Broadway script than the Oscar-winning 1961 take, it sees Ansel Elgort and Rachel Zegler playing star-crossed lovers Tony and Maria.