Warner Bros. made history on Thursday with a massive announcement about its upcoming slate of movies. In 2021, the studio plans to release all of its titles as two-tiered releases: in theaters (safety restrictions permitting) and streaming on HBO Max. It’s not entirely unexpected to release one movie this way – that’s the plan for the studio’s Wonder Woman 1984, out Dec. 25 – but it’s totally unprecedented for a major studio to make a move like this for an entire year of movies.
Here’s how it will work: Movies will still be scattered throughout the year on different release dates, some of which haven’t been officially announced yet. For the first month of release, each movie will be available both in theaters and on HBO Max, with no additional charge for subscribers to view them while they’re streaming. They’ll leave HBO Max after the one-month window but will continue playing in theaters and, presumably, may return to streaming at some point in the future.
It’s a big move, and it will be affecting several of 2021’s most anticipated titles. Keep reading for a full rundown of every Warner Bros. movie scheduled to try this new distribution model, plus when you can expect to see each one debut.
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The Little Things
Denzel Washington‘s crime thriller costars Rami Malek and Jared Leto. Washington plays a hard-boiled, burned-out California deputy who gets paired with Malek’s bright young detective to investigate a serial killer.
Release date: Jan. 29
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The Many Saints of Newark
Set in New Jersey in the 1960s and 1970s, this crime drama is set against the tensions between Black and Italian communities in Newark, where riots break out and a mob family rises in power. Oh, and it’s also a prequel to the iconic HBO drama The Sopranos. Alessandro Nivola, Jon Bernthal, and Vera Farmiga play the older generation of the mafia, while Leslie Odom Jr. and Corey Stoll play their rivals in their New Jersey community. Michael Gandolfini is set to play a young version of Tony Soprano, originally played by his late father, James Gandolfini.
Release date: March 12
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Reminiscence
The sci-fi memory flick reunites The Greatest Showman costars Hugh Jackman and Rebecca Ferguson. Jackman plays Nick, a loner and veteran who, in a global-warming-altered near future, offers clients the chance to revisit any memory they want, using special technology. After meeting Mae (Ferguson), he starts to come out of his shell, until another client’s memories seem to suggest her involvement in several violent crimes. Thandie Newton, Daniel Wu, and Cliff Curtis also star.
Release date: April 16
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Godzilla vs. Kong
The third entry in the current iteration of the Godzilla franchise stars Alexander Skarsgard, Millie Bobby Brown, and Rebecca Hall, among a large ensemble. As the title suggests, the movie pits two of cinema’s most famous monsters against each other, while humans attempt to discover the true origins of the monsters and others conspire to wipe out all of these creatures, no matter whose side they’re on.
Release date: May 21
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The Conjuring: The Devil Made Me Do It
The third installment in the Conjuring horror series will again star Patrick Wilson and Vera Farmiga as real-life paranormal investigators Ed and Lorraine Warren. It’s based on the real trial of Arne Cheyenne Johnson, the first defendant in US history to claim demonic possession as a defense, insisting a demon possessed a young boy and forced him to commit murder.
Release date: June 4
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Space Jam: A New Legacy
The sequel to the iconic Space Jam will again pair up basketball stars with Hollywood actors and all your favorite Looney Tunes cartoon characters. This time, LeBron James gets to star, enlisting the help of his cartoon pals to rescue his kidnapped son by popping into classic Warner Bros. movies and winning a basketball game against a team of villains. Don Cheadle and Sonequa Martin-Green play the other main human characters, while a slew of NBA and WNBA stars are set to make guest appearances.
Release date: July 16
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King Richard
The biographical drama follows the true story of Richard Williams, the tennis coach and father to Venus and Serena Williams, as he worked to help his daughters become two of the best tennis players in the world. Will Smith plays Richard, while Aunjanue Ellis plays his wife, Brandy, and Saniyya Sidney and Demi Singleton play Venus and Serena, respectively.
Release date: Nov. 19
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The Matrix 4
Not a lot is known about the fourth entry in the Matrix franchise and the first one since 2003. What we do know: previous stars Keanu Reeves, Carrie-Anne Moss, Jada Pinkett Smith, Lambert Wilson, and Daniel Bernhardt will all reprise their roles. New cast members will include Yahya Abdul-Mateen II, Neil Patrick Harris, Jessica Henwick, Jonathan Groff, and Priyanka Chopra, among others.
Release date: Dec. 22
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Cry Macho
Based on a 1975 novel by N. Richard Nash, Cry Macho is a chance for director and star Clint Eastwood to return to the Western genre. The story focus on Mike Milo, played by Eastwood, a former rodeo star who takes a job from his ex-boss to kidnap the boss’s young son and bring him back to Texas from where he currently is with his alcoholic mother in Mexico.
Release date: Unknown 2021
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Malignant
Malignant is one of the big question marks of 2021 movies. Not much is known about the horror flick, directed by James Wan, who also cowrote the script. The cast includes Annabelle Wallis, Jake Abel, George Young, and Mckenna Grace.
Release date: Unknown 2021
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Mortal Kombat
More than 20 years after the first Mortal Kombat movie franchise flopped, Warner Bros. is rebooting the series, based on the popular video games. The filmmakers haven’t released much information about the exact plot of the movie, but the ensemble cast will include Ludi Lin, Mehcad Brooks, Joe Taslim, Jessica McNamee, Tadanobu Asano, Josh Lawson, Chin Han, and Hiroyuki Sanada.
Release date: Unknown 2021
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Those Who Wish Me Dead
Based on a novel by Michael Koryta, Those Who Wish Me Dead is a modern-day Western crime thriller, centered on a teenage boy who witnesses a brutal murder in the Montana wilderness. He’s placed in witness protection and enrolled in a wilderness skills survival program, where he tries to hide from the killers pursuing him. Making matters even worse? A wildfire begins to rage out of control, threatening everything and everyone in its path. The movie has a cast full of big names, including Angelina Jolie, Nicholas Hoult, Game of Thrones‘s Aidan Gillen, and The Walking Dead‘s Jon Bernthal.
Release date: Unknown 2021
