As summer comes to an end, we look ahead to the dark and colder winter nights to come. Parks and beaches will soon be replaced by alternative forms of entertainment, and the continued re-opening of our cinemas, alongside the plethora of streaming content, will serve as a popular form of escapism in the weeks and months to come. Here we take a look at some of the biggest movies to hit our screens in the remainder of 2021.
CANDYMAN
CANDYMAN… CANDYMAN… CANDYMAN… CANDYMAN… Do you dare say it a fifth time!?
Candyman (2021) serves as the “spiritual sequel” to the 1992 horror classic, “Candyman”. Academy Award winner, Jordan Peele produces and also co-writes the script, with newcomer Nia DaCosta tasked with directing. The film returns to the now-gentrified Chicago neighborhood where the legend began. Tony Todd returns as the iconic hook-handed killer, with Yahya Abdul-Mateen II, and Fear The Walking Deads’ Colman Domingo also starring.
The synopsis reads as follows.
In present day, a decade after the last of the Cabrini towers were torn down, Anthony and his partner move into a loft in the now gentrified Cabrini. A chance encounter with an old-timer exposes Anthony to the true story behind Candyman. Anxious to use these macabre details in his studio as fresh grist for paintings, he unknowingly opens a door to a complex past that unravels his own sanity and unleashes a terrifying wave of violence.
Candyman hits cinemas this Friday the 27th of August.
MALIGNANT
Horror master James Wan (Saw, The Conjuring 1 & 2) returns to his horror routes as the director of this upcoming horror release. Malignant follows the story of a woman called, Madison (played by Annabelle Wallis), who is paralyzed by shocking visions of grizzly murders. Her torments only grow further when she discovers that these waking dreams are in fact terrifying realities.
To go back to what is my place of love was comforting. I felt like it might be cool to make something under the radar, that’s not based on any IP, an original story. Keep it as low-key as possible and make it really fun. The goal was to go back to my indie horror roots but at the same time, do something that I’ve never done before. It’s my take on that particular ’80s trope of storytelling where a victim starts seeing things through the vision of a killer.
– James Wan on what drew him to this project.
Malignant hits cinemas in the UK, September 8th, and on September 10th in the US, alongside a 31-day release on HBO Max.
NO TIME TO DIE
The long-awaited 25th installment to the Bond franchise finally hits screens in September – WE HOPE! No Time To Die will mark Daniel Craigs’ last appearance as the British secret agent. The film takes place years after the events of Spectre, where Bond has now left active service. His peace is short-lived when Felix Leiter, an old friend from the CIA, turns up asking for help, leading Bond onto the trail of a mysterious villain armed with dangerous new technology. Bohemian Rhapsody and Mr. Robot star Mali Ramek stars as Bond’s latest adversary.
Craigs’ famously said he would “rather slash his wrists” than play the role again, but was enticed to appear once more, as he looks to end his story in a more satisfactory way after the mixed reviews of Spectre.
No Time To Die hits cinemas in the UK, September 30th, with the US release one week later on October 8th.
HALLOWEEN KILLS
The popular Halloween franchise enjoyed a return to success with 2018’s “Halloween” receiving favourable reviews from both fans and critics alike. Halloween Kills is the second entry in a trilogy of films and follows the events of the 2018 release.
The synopsis reads as follows.
Minutes after Laurie Strode (Jamie Lee Curtis), her daughter Karen (Judy Greer), and granddaughter Allyson (Andi Matichak) left masked monster Michael Myers caged and burning in Laurie’s basement, Laurie is rushed to the hospital with life-threatening injuries, believing she finally killed her lifelong tormentor. But when Michael manages to free himself from Laurie’s trap, his ritual bloodbath resumes. As Laurie fights her pain and prepares to defend herself against him, she inspires all of Haddonfield to rise up against their unstoppable monster. The Strode women join a group of other survivors of Michael’s first rampage who decide to take matters into their own hands, forming a vigilante mob that sets out to hunt Michael down, once and for all.
Evil dies tonight.
Halloween Kills hits cinemas on October 15th.
DUNE
Dune is an upcoming Science-Fiction film directed by Denis Villeneauve. The film has an impressive cast list including Timothee Chalamet, Rebecca Ferguson, Zendaya, Jason Mamoa, Josh Brolin, Oscar Isaac, and Dave Bautista. It is a Feature adaptation of Frank Herbert’s science fiction novel of the same name, about the son of a noble family entrusted with the protection of the most valuable asset and most vital element in the galaxy.
Dune hits cinemas on October 22nd, alongside a 31-day release on HBO Max.
LAST NIGHT IN SOHO
Last Night in Soho is an upcoming British psychological horror directed by Edgar Wright (Baby Driver), and starring Anya Taylor-Joy (The Witch, The Queens Gambit). The film follows an aspiring fashion designer who is mysteriously able to enter the 1960s, where she encounters a dazzling wannabe singer. But the glamour is not all it appears to be and the dreams of the past start to crack and splinter into something darker.
Last Night in Soho hits cinemas on October 29th.
ANTLERS
Visionary mind Guillermo Del Toro produces this upcoming supernatural horror release. Antlers takes place in an isolated Oregon town, where a middle-school teacher and her sheriff brother become embroiled with her enigmatic student, whose dark secrets lead to terrifying encounters with a legendary ancestral creature who came before them.
Antlers hits cinemas on October 29th.
GHOSTBUSTERS: AFTERLIFE
The nostalgia vibes run high with this one! Ghostbusters: Afterlife is the sequel to Ghostbusters (1984) and Ghostbusters 2 (1989). The film is set thirty years after the events of the second film and follows a single mother and her two children who have moved to a small town in Oklahoma. It’s there where they discover their connection to the original Ghostbusters and their grandfather’s secret legacy.
Ghostbusters: Afterlife hits cinemas on November 11th.
ETERNALS
Eternals marks another entry into the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Following the events of Avengers: Endgame, an unexpected tragedy forces the Eternals, ancient aliens who have been living on Earth in secret for thousands of years, out of the shadows to reunite against mankind’s most ancient enemy, the Deviants. The film has a stellar cast that reunites House Starks’ very own Richard Madden and Kit Harrington alongside Salma Hayek, Angelina Jolie, and The Walking Deads, Lauren Ridloff.
Eternals hits cinemas on November 5th.
SPIDERMAN: NO WAY HOME
Spiderman: No Way Home, is the long-awaited third installment of Tom Hollands’ Spiderman adventures. A trailer has not yet dropped, but reports suggest one could be with us imminently! The film will follow the events of Spiderman: Far From Home, with Peter Parker now outed as the web-wielding superhero – but as the post-credit scene teased, Spiderman has been wrongly outed as the person behind the deadly attacks in London! Rumors have run rampant about the events of this film, with reports of Tobey Maguire, and Andrew Maguire reprising their roles in a highly hinted multiverse!
Tom Holland, Zendaya, and Marisa Tomei will be joined by “new” additions to this trilogy, with Jamie Foxx playing Max Dillon, J.K Simmons playing J.J Jameson, and Benedict Cumberbatch reprising his role as Doctor Strange.
Spiderman: No Way Home is expected to hit cinemas on December 17th.
WHAT FILMS ARE YOU EAGERLY AWAITING THIS YEAR? LET US KNOW IN THE COMMENTS SECTION AND ON OUR SOCIAL MEDIA PAGES.
