Now that 2021 is here, let’s take a look at some of the television shows and movies set to be released this year. Here are a few titles you can look forward to this year.
Dune
This reboot of Dune (the movie), directed by Denis Villeneuve, was originally set to be released in 2020, but due to COVID-19 the release of the movie was pushed back to 2021. The movie is currently set for release in theaters and HBO Max on October 1, 2021. Dune (the book) by Frank Herbert was originally released in 1965, and in my opinion, it is the quintessential science fiction novel. In 1984, director David Lynch took a crack at a Dune movie, and it was interesting to say the least. There were good moments in Lynch’s film, but at times he strayed too far from the source material. In 2000, the SciFi channel released a Dune miniseries, which was much more true to the source material but lacked the budget for full-blown, on-screen epic science fiction. SciFi followed up the first miniseries with another, Children of Dune in 2003, which covered the second and third books in the Dune series. The trailer for the Villeneuve Dune movie and the visuals we are getting look awesome. I just hope the movie stays true to the original book. Hopefully, the new movie is like the SciFi miniseries with a larger budget and more resources.
Stranger Things (Season 4)
So far there is no official release date for Netflix’s Stranger Things season 4. The season was supposed to finish filming by this last summer, but the pandemic pushed that back. This past October, Netflix hinted that filming for season 4 had resumed, so unless there are more unforeseen delays there should be no reason season 4 is not released this year. Perhaps around Halloween 2021 would be a fitting time to release this new season. We do not know much in terms of plot for season 4, but based on a teaser trailer released in early 2020, we know a certain someone is not so dead as we may have thought.
The Matrix 4
My adolescence in many ways was defined by the first Matrix movie. I watched the movie so many times on DVD I cannot even begin to guess the number. I distinctly remember skipping school to go see the sequel, The Matrix Reloaded, on opening day in theaters, and when the movie ended with a cliffhanger, I literally screamed in the theater out of pure frustration. While the third movie, The Matrix Revolutions, was to many a disappointment, it at least provided a satisfying ending to the trilogy. When production on The Matrix 4 was announced, I could not believe it. When it was announced that Keanu Reeves was returning as Neo and Carrie-Anne Moss was returning as Trinity, my reaction was, “wait, what!?” I have no idea what to expect with this new movie, but I am excited to return to this franchise. The movie is currently set for release on December 22, 2021.
The Lord of the Rings (Series)
Amazon Prime has been working on a The Lord of the Rings series set in the Second Age for a few years now. There is no firm release date, but reports seem to indicate 2021 is the target year. It is not clear exactly what events the show will cover, but there are plenty of events in the Second Age that could make for a good series–the fall of Númenor and the War of the Last Alliance are the first two that come to mind. There have also been rumors that we will see Galadriel and Elrond again. Further, it is unlikely we would get a show without Sauron as the main villain, so there should be plenty of familiarity for the casual fan.
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