Movies and art are still the pillars for our survival during the COVID-19 pandemic. As one awards season is currently underway, we look ahead to films that shifted from their original dates, features coming soon to theaters and streaming, and films that don’t have a date but have compelling directors attached.
Variety assembled a robust list of the biggest movies coming in 2021. But which filmmakers are bringing their signature styles or offering new perspectives this year? There’s plenty of material to choose from, whether it be the juicy source material of a beloved composer like Leonard Bernstein, the science fiction story of a futuristic hero or an upcoming superhero film that in a typical year would likely see a woman helm the highest-grossing motion picture of the year for the first time (on top of possibly being in the Oscars race).
The year looks to be very promising for inclusive voices, both on the mainstream and in the independent realm, which always breathes new life and energy into the art of filmmaking.
Other notable filmmakers with anticipated films set for 2021: Hollywood heavyweights Paul Thomas Anderson, George Miller, Steven Soderbergh, Baz Luhrmann, Terrence Malick and David O. Russell, and newcomers Kay Cannon, Rebecca Hall and Nia DeCosta are among the directors also releasing buzzy films this year.
NOTE: There are many projects still in development, others we’re unsure about in terms of timing and, even some that are on this list may not see the light of day this calendar year.
Here are the directors we’re looking forward to hearing from in 2021.