Welcome to your first look preview of just some of the Netflix Original movies coming to Netflix globally in 2021. This is the list of currently announced 2021 movies scheduled to release throughout the year.
Netflix’s movie strategy has really hit its stride in the past couple of years as evidenced by its increasing award nominations. It’s also been stated that Netflix intends for a big movie release every two weeks in addition to at least 6 animated features planned for next year.
As with all our big 2021 previews, we must stress this isn’t everything planned for Netflix next year. In fact, we suspect this list doesn’t even do the full movie list justice. It’s also worth noting that with coronavirus still causing havoc with productions and due to the nature of release dates, some of these may not happen or be pushed into 2022. There’s also a huge amount of Netflix movies that don’t have 2021 release dates attached.
We’re also excluding non-English titles from this list in the interest of keeping this article readable. If you’re interested in movies coming that aren’t spoken in English, let us know in the comments.
America: The Motion Picture
Genre: Animation, Comedy
Director: Matt Thompson
This huge animated project was originally announced back in 2017 and sees a fictionalized George Washington fighting off revolutionaries to fight King James.
This could still slip in before 2020 ends but by most accounts, it’s more likely releasing in 2021.
Back in May 2020, we first reported on the expanded cast list for the movie including the likes of Simon Pegg, Channing Tatum and Judy Greer all voicing characters.
Apollo 10 1/2: A Space Age Adventure
Genre: Animation, Family
Director: Richard Linklater
This family coming-of-age drama will take you back to 1969 focusing on the moon landing from two perspectives, the astronauts and a kid watching from afar.
Zachary Levi and Jack Black headline the cast with Glen Powell, Josh Wiggins, and Samuel Davis also feature.
Army of the Dead
Genre: Horror
Director: Zack Snyder
In the mood for zombies? Zack Snyder who is currently in high demand completed filming for Army of the Dead in 2020 but with several changes to the cast to be done in post-production, it was pushed back.
The movie release is set to only be the beginning of Army of the Dead on Netflix with a prequel and anime series also planned.
Blonde
Director: Andrew Dominik
This biopic will be a must-watch for fans of Marilyn Monroe as it seeks to retell her life (albeit with artistic liberties) and is based on the 2000 novel.
Among the cast lined up for Blonde is Ana de Armas, Adrien Brody and Bobby Cannavale.
Born to Be Murdered
Director: Ferdinando Cito Filomarino
This is a thriller from the screenplay written by Ferdinando Cito Filomarino with Alicia Vikander, John David Washington and Boyd Holbrook set to star.
The premise of the movie is about a young couple who become ensnared in a deadly conspiracy during their vacation in Trikala, Greece.
Bruised
Director: Halle Berry
Debuting at the 2020 Toronto International Film Festival and being quickly picked up by Netflix is a new sport movie directed by and starring Halle Berry.
The movie follows a disgraced MMA fighter who tries turning her life around by hoping to defeat one of the rising stars in the sport. The movie reportedly cost Netflix close to $20 million.
Chicken Run 2
Director: Sam Fell
It’s been a minute for Chicken Run but a sequel is finally on the way. Netflix and Aardman Animation have now worked on a number of projects including Robin Robin and Shaun the Sheep but that will expand to the first full feature exclusive to Netflix globally in 2021.
The sequel will see the return of Babs, Ginger, Rocky, and Fletcher living on their new island after escaping Tweedy’s farm.
Concrete Cowboy
Director: Ricky Staub
Another pickup now from the Toronto Film Festival with Idris Elba and Caleb McLaughlin featuring this Western.
It covers urban cowboys living in Philadelphia and a 15-year-old boy sent to his estranged father who explores the community.
Diana: A New Musical
Hamilton lit up audiences on Disney+ and Netflix hopes Diana will be doing the same. Unlike Tick, Tick Boom later in this article, Diana will be the actual broadway play performed live.
The broadway special is set to appear on Netflix before May 25th, 2021 which is currently when the broadway play is set to get underway again.
Don’t Look Up
Genre: Comedy
Director: Adam McKay
This is one of the biggest movies Netflix has ever assembled. Its cast alone is absolutely huge with Leonardo DiCaprio, Jennifer Lawrence, Timothée Chalamet, Cate Blanchett, Meryl Streep, and Johah Hill all attached.
The movie follows two astronomers who come up against a brick wall when trying to warn us all of a giant meteorite hurtling towards Earth.
Fear Street Trilogy
Director: Leigh Janiak
The book series by R. L. Stine are absolute classics and Disney was originally scheduled to release these movies before Netflix snapped them up for next year.
All three of the movies have already been completed and all three are currently lined up for release in summer 2021.
Last Letter from Your Lover
Genre: Drama, Romance
Director: Augustine Frizzell
Another one of the book adaptations coming to Netflix in 2021 is Last Letter from Your Lover which is adapted from the romance novel by Jojo Moyes.
Set in the 1960s, we follow a journalist in London who encounters a series of love letters and quickly becomes obsessed with finding out who the recipient and original sender is.
Will star Felicity Jones, Shailene Woodley, Callum Turner, and Joe Alwyn.
My Father’s Dragon
Genre: Animated
Director: Nora Twomey
Cartoon Saloon from Ireland will be bringing their animated feature My Father’s Dragon to Netflix in 2021.
The movie was announced a big lineup of new animated projects back in 2018 with many coming to fruition next year. The movie is being written by Meg LeFauve who was previously at Pixar and wrote Inside Out and The Good Dinosaur.
Munich
Genre: Historical Drama
Director: Christian Schwochow
Jeremy Irons headlines the cast for this historical drama that adapts the 2017 novel Fatherland by Robert Harris.
The movie follows the leading weeks up to the second World War and Neville Chamberlain’s efforts to construct a peace deal.
Nickelodeon’s The Loud House & The Rise of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles
Genre: Animated, Kids
Two Nickelodeon animated movies will be coming to Netflix in 2021 based on existing franchises.
Pinocchio
Genre: Animation
Director: Guillermo del Toro
Guillermo del Toro is working on a number of big projects for Netflix as part of his output deal but perhaps the most exciting is this modern, darker retelling of Pinnochio.
Filmed entirely in stop-motion, we’ll see the classic children’s fairytale come to life with a huge cast. Voices set to feature include Ewan McGregor, Tilda Swinton, Christopher Waltz, and Ron Perlman.
Red Notice
Genre: Action Comedy
Director: Rawson Marshall Thurber
If big budgets and raw star power is your thing, then Red Notice is probably on your radar. Starring Dwayne Johnson, Ryan Reynolds, and Gal Gadot, this movie is about a group of agents tracking down a globally wanted art thief.
Sweet Girl
Genre: Action
Director: Brian Andrew Mendoza
Marisa Tomei and Jason Mamoa feature in this action drama about a husband looking to get justice for the death of his wife while protecting his daughter.
Philip Eisner, Gregg Hurwitz, and Will Staples are the writers for the title with the movie likely arriving in early 2021 given its been in post-production since March 2020.
The Dig
Genre: Biography, History
Director: Simon Stone
Netflix and BBC Films team up for The Dig starring Ralph Fiennes. The movie tells the story of an archeologist excavating Sutton Hoo in the early 20th century.
Alongside Fiennes will star Lily James, Johnny Flynn.
The Kissing Booth 3
Genre: Romance, Teen
Director: Vince Marcello
Netflix has been building up its teen romantic dramas for a while with The Kissing Booth now in line for a third (and maybe final movie?) outing.
Here’s what you can expect from the third entry:
“It’s the summer before Elle (Joey King) heads to college, and she has a secret: She got into both Harvard, where her dreamy boyfriend Noah (Jacob Elordi) goes, and Berkeley, where her BFF Lee (Joel Courtney) is going. Which path will Elle choose?”
The Power of the Dog
Genre: Drama
Director: Jane Campion
Another thrilling drama coming to Netflix next year with an absolutely stacked cast.
Based on the novel by Thomas Savage, Jane Campion adapts and directs. The Power of the Dog is about two brothers whose relationship comes to a head after one gets married.
Among the aforementioned cast includes Kirsten Dunst, Benedict Cumberbatch, Jesse Plemons (who reunites with Kirsten having starred in FX’s Fargo together), Kodi Smit-McPhee, and Thomasin McKenzie.
The White Tiger
Genre: Drama
Director: Ramin Bahrani
Netflix Release Date: January 22nd
Ramin Bahrani, an acclaimed writer and director from India will be coming to Netflix in January 2020 with his new movie for Netflix spoken entirely in English.
The movie follows a driver who attempts to rise to the top but risks it all to do so.
There’s Someone Inside Your House
Genre: Horror
Director: Patrick Brice
Coming to Netflix as part of the 21 Laps / Shawn Levy output deal is There’s Someone Insider Your House.
Based on the novel by Stephanie Perkins and adapted by Henry Gayden, the movie follows a class who have just graduated and begins being picked off one by one by a masked assailant intent on revealing their dirty secrets.
Tick, Tick… Boom!
Genre: Musical
Director: Lin-Manuel Miranda
Broadway musicals being translated into the big screen have been a mixed bag thus far. Hamilton on Disney+ had a huge impact whereas Netflix’s attempts thus far, notably The Boys in the Band have yet to make much noise.
Netflix is therefore picking up Lin-Manuel Miranda who was instrumental in Hamilton to direct this movie featuring Andrew Garfield set in New York. You see more about Netflix’s Tick, Tick… Boom! in our preview.
Trollhunters: Rise of the Titans
Genre: Animated, Kids
Director: Johane Matte, Francisco Ruiz-Velasco, Andrew L. Schmidt
Tales of Arcadia was the expansive universe that came to Netflix as part of the Dreamworks TV deal with executive producer Guillermo del Toro on board. As a surprise after Wizards, it was announced the trilogy would be getting an additional movie called Rise of the Titans.
It’ll reunite much of the big cast seen in previous entries for a final battle against the Arcane Order. Voices include Nick Frost, Nick Offerman, Diego Luna, Steven Yeun, Kelsey Grammer, and Charlie Saxton.
Wendell & Wild
Genre: Animation, Horror
Director: Henry Selick
Jordan Peele and Keegan-Michael Key are both behind the pen and set to voice in this brand new animated movie coming in 2021.
The director behind Nightmare Before Christmas and Caroline is lending his talents to this title. It’s dubbed as horror and is about two demon brothers escaping the underworld and must escape a teenager who is trying to vanquish them. Smart guesses say this is one of the Halloween 2021 releases.
Untitled Noah Baumbach Movie
Set to begin filming and possibly be ready by the end of 2021 is a new movie from famed writer and director Noah Baumbach. We also know that Adam Driver and Greta Gerwig are currently attached to play the two lead roles.
Untitled Sandra Bullock/Nora Fingscheidt Project
Genre: Drama
Director: Nora Fingscheidt
Sandra Bullock, Vincent D’Onofrio, W. Earl Brown, and Jon Bernthal feature in this untitled drama about a woman released from prison but is unable to move on from her past.
Even More Films in Production Likely to Release in 2021
In the interest of this article not taking over my life, here are even more movies expected to release next year.
- My Wife and I Bought A Ranch… – 21 Laps horror movie adapted from the Reddit short story.
- A Castle For Christmas – Holiday movie starring Brooke Shields and Cary Elwes. Directed by Mary Lambert.
- A Boy Called Christmas – Holiday family adaptation about the life of Nikolas and his journey to becoming Santa. The cast includes Michiel Huisman, Kristen Wiig, and Maggie Smith.
- A Week Away – Originally listed for 2020, this is a faith-based musical featuring Bailee Madison
- The Nailbomber – Feature-length British documentary about far-right extremists who planted nail bombs across London.
Have we missed any? Let us know in the comments down below.
