Due to the COVID-19 outbreak last year, the movie industry had a major setback in both production and distribution. Filmmakers had to become very creative in releasing their films in a pandemic. However, in light of this new year, we have plenty of movies to look forward to watching. Here are some of the most anticipated movies that are coming out in 2021:

• Fast & Furious 9 (May 28)
  
  Originally scheduled to be released May of last year, we’ve had to wait a little longer for the ninth part in the Fast & Furious franchise. The movie is a continuation of The Fate of the Furious (2017). The movie is a continuation of The Fate of the Furious (2017).  Dominic Toretto and his crew join forces to battle the most skilled assassin and high-performance driver they’ve ever encountered — his forsaken brother. 

• The Suicide Squad (August 6)
  
  The movie will technically be a sequel to the 2016 Suicude Squad, and it shares some cast members. But it’s written and directed by James Gunn (who made Marvel’s Guardian of the Galaxy) and promises a more anarchic, comic tone, stuffed with new villains as part of a ragtag ensemble trying to save (or maybe end?) the world. 

• Black Widow (May 7)
  
  In this movie that I am especially excited for, Natasha Romanoff aka Black Widow confronts the darker parts of her ledger when a dangerous conspiracy with ties to her past arises. Pursued by a force that will stop at nothing to bring her down, Natasha must deal with her history as a spy and the broken relationships left her in her wake long before she became an avenger. 
• Cherry (February 26)
  Directed by the directors who directed the most financially successful movie in Hollywood history, Avengers: Endgame, the Russo brothers are following up with a smaller scale movie. Based on an autobiographical novel by Nico Walker, we see an army medic with PTSD (Tom Holland) who starts robbing banks to pay for his opioid addiction. Cherry will be coming out in theaters first, then will be available on Apple TV+ two weeks later.

• Coming 2 America (March 5)
  
  The well overdue sequel to Eddie Murphy’s 1988 comedy classic about Prince Akeem, the cheerful heir to a fictional African nation, was originally planned for a blockbuster release last summer; then it was moved to Christmas. Now it’ll debut on Amazon this March. 

• Raya and the Last Dragon (March 5)
  
  Disney’s first original animated film since Moana is a dramatic-looking adventure set in a fictional world populated by monsters and warriors. The protagonist is a young woman named Raya (voiced by Kelly Marie Tran); she goes in search of Sisu (Awkwafina), a water dragon who can help her defeat some horrifying villain. The film’s teaser trailer had an exciting visual tone and arcane ancient puzzles for its hero to solve, but the plot details remain light. And though the film will be available in theaters, it will also roll out on Disney+ for a premium fee, much like last year’s Mulan. 

• No Time To Die (April 2)
  
  For almost a year now, the release of the next James Bond film has been viewed as a bellwether for the cinema industry’s health. When No Time to Die was kicked down the schedule last spring, it was the first sign of the pandemic’s major effect on the movie world; when the film was delayed again in the fall, it indicated that Hollywood wasn’t rebounding as quickly as hoped. No Time to Die, Daniel Craig’s last outing as the British super-spy, is currently set for April, but be warned: It could easily be pushed back again as its studio, MGM, waits for the best time to guarantee a smooth worldwide opening. 
• Spiral (May 21)
  
  Delayed for a year by the pandemic, this relaunch of the Saw horror franchise is anticipated due to the involvement of Chris Rock, who personally pitched the studio Lionsgate on a new take for the series. The details on how the crafty Jigsaw killer will return are unclear, though he’ll likely be setting elaborate torture traps for his victims again in order to prove some moral point. Rock plays the detective on his case, backed up by Samuel L. Jackson and Max Minghella; Saw veteran Darren Lynn Bousman, who already directed three films in the series, is behind the camera. I am very excited for this movie because Saw is one of my favorite horror franchises.
• The Matrix 4 (December 22)Written and directed by Lana Wachowski (half of the sister duo who created the original Matrix trilogy), this entry is a mystery for now; all that’s known is that former stars Keanu Reeves, Carrie-Anne Moss, and Jada Pinkett Smith will be involved, along with Yahya Abdul-Mateen II and Neil Patrick Harris. This is the perfect time to rewatch the entire series and get ready for whatever spectacular strangeness Wachowski has planned this time.