As the seasons change, so do the movies becoming available in theaters or on streaming services.
Despite COVID-19 lingering and making the prospect of a night at the movies a bit more complicated, theaters themselves are persisting and adapting to this new normal in an effort to stay open. And if you would rather stay home for whatever reason, streaming services also have you covered with many of the latest big studio releases only a few clicks away.
Here's a taste of what cinematic efforts are coming your way through the rest of 2021:
Friday
"Malignant" (theaters, HBO Max): Horror maestro James Wan is back with this tale of a woman whose visions of violent murders turn out to be more real than she could have imagined. The film stars Annabelle Wallis, George Young, Maddie Hasson and Michole Briana White.
"Queenpins" (theaters): Two housewives concoct a $40 million coupon scam in this comedy from writer-director duo Aron Gaudet and Gita Pullapilly. Starring Kristen Bell, Kirby Howell-Baptiste, Vince Vaughn and Paul Walter Houser.
"The Card Counter" (theaters): Writer-director Paul Schrader's latest film is a revenge thriller about an ex-military interrogator who turns to gambling as his past continues to haunt him. Starring Oscar Isaac, Willem Dafoe, Tye Sheridan and Tiffany Haddish.
Sept. 17
"Cry Macho" (theaters, HBO Max): Clint Eastwood is back as the director and star of this Western about a former rodeo great hired to remove a man's young son from a dangerous situation. It also stars Dwight Yoakam, Eduardo Minett and Natalia Traven.
"Blue Bayou" (theaters): A Korean man living in Louisiana faces a threat of deportation as he fights to stay in the U.S. with his family. The film comes from writer-director Justin Chon, who also stars alongside Oscar-winner Alicia Vikander, Mark O'Brien and Linh Dan Pham.
"Copshop" (theaters): The best-laid plans of a con artist trying to hide out from an assassin in a small-town police station get thwarted and put a rookie police officer in danger. Directed by Joe Carnahan and starring Gerard Butler, Frank Grillo and Alexis Louder.
"Everybody's Talking about Jamie" (Amazon Prime Video): This film adaptation based on the 2017 musical of the same name follows a 16-year-old from Sheffield, England, who aspires to become a drag queen. Directed by Jonathan Butterell and starring Max Harwood, Sarah Lancashire, Sharon Horgan and Richard E. Grant.
"The Eyes of Tammy Faye" (theaters): Jessica Chastain portrays televangelist Tammy Faye Bakker in this biopic about her tumultuous and controversial life. Directed by Michael Showalter and also starring Andrew Garfield, Vincent D'Onofrio and Carnegie Mellon graduate Cherry Jones.
Sept. 24
"Dear Evan Hansen" (theaters): Pittsburgh native Stephen Chbosky directs this adaptation of the acclaimed musical about a high school student with severe anxiety who accidentally gets himself intertwined in another family's tragedy. Ben Platt reprises his Tony Award-winning role of Evan Hansen alongside a cast that includes Kaitlyn Dever, Julianne Moore and Amy Adams.
Oct. 1
"The Many Saints of Newark" (theaters, HBO Max): Michael Gandolfini, son of late "Sopranos" star James Gandolfini, steps into his late father's role in this prequel film to the hit HBO series that was written by original "Sopranos" creator David Chase. Directed by Alan Taylor and also starring Ray Liotta, Vera Farmiga and Carnegie Mellon graduate Leslie Odom Jr.
"Venom: Let There be Carnage" (theaters): Andy Serkis helms this comic-book sequel about two dueling alien symbiotes. Tom Hardy is back as the titular Venom with Woody Harrelson playing his foil as the host of another symbiote known as Carnage.
"The Addams Family 2" (theaters, at-home rental): This animated sequel finds everyone's favorite creepy and kooky family road-tripping across the country and getting in all sorts of shenanigans. The voice cast includes Oscar Isaac, Charlize Theron, Chloe Grace Moretz and Nick Kroll.
"My Name is Pauli Murray" (Amazon Prime Video): The documentary from directors Julie Cohen and Betsy West chronicles the life of lawyer and activist Pauli Murray, who worked to outlaw discrimination based on sex and was a big influence on late Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg.
Oct. 8
"No Time to Die" (theaters): At long last, the oft-delayed James Bond sequel will finally hit theaters. Daniel Craig assumes the role of 007 for the fifth time in this new adventure directed by Cary Joji Fukunaga and also starring Ana de Armas, Rami Malek and Lea Seydoux.
"Lamb" (theaters): In this supernatural drama from Iceland, Sweden, and Poland, a couple has to take care of a strange newborn that appears on their farm. Directed by Valdimar Johannsson and starring Noomi Rapace and Hilmir Snaer Gudnason.
"Justin Bieber: Our World" (Amazon Prime Video): This Michael D. Ratner-directed documentary captured the world-famous pop star as he prepared for his first concert in three years.
Oct. 15
"Halloween Kills" (theaters): Michael Myers is back once again for another killing spree in this sequel to 2018's "Halloween." Directed by David Gordon Green and starring Jamie Lee Curtis, Judy Greer, Andi Matichak and Will Patton.
"The Last Duel" (theaters): Ben Affleck and Matt Damon reunited to write the screenplay for and star in this historical drama about a duel between a knight and the man his wife accused of raping her. Directed by Ridley Scott and also starring Adam Driver and Jodie Comer.
Oct. 22
"Dune" (theaters, HBO Max): Denis Villeneuve directs a star-studded cast that includes Timothee Chalamet, Zendaya, Oscar Isaac, Jason Momoa, Rebecca Ferguson, Josh Brolin, Javier Bardem, Stellan Skarsgard, Dave Bautista and more in this adaptation of Frank Herbert's epic 1965 sci-fi novel.
"Ron's Gone Wrong" (theaters): Barney, an awkward middle-schooler, forms a connection with Ron, his new digitally connected B-bot. The voice cast for this animated adventure include Zach Galifianakis, Jack Dylan Grazer, Olivia Colman and Ed Helms.
"The French Dispatch" (theaters): Writer-director Wes Anderson is back with this dramedy that brings to life a collection of stories that appeared in the fictional publication "The French Dispatch." The cast includes Timothee Chalamet, Benicio Del Toro, Willem Dafoe, Lea Seydoux, Adrien Brody, Saoirse Ronan, Owen Wilson, Edward Norton and Frances McDormand.
Oct. 29
"Last Night in Soho" (theaters): Director Edgar Wright is back with a story he co-wrote about an aspiring fashion designer who is mysteriously transported back to the 1960s. This psychological thriller stars Thomasin McKenzie, Anya Taylor-Joy, Matt Smith and Diana Rigg.
"Antlers" (theaters): A teacher and her sheriff brother living in small-town Oregon come to believe that one of her students is secretly harboring a supernatural creature in his house. Directed by Scott Cooper and starring Keri Russell, Jesse Plemons and Jeremy T. Thomas.
Nov. 5
"Eternals" (theaters): Marvel is back for its third big-screen outing of 2021 with this story about an alien race of immortal beings defending Earth from evil forces. Directed by recent Academy Award winner Chloe Zhao and starring Angelina Jolie, Richard Madden, Kumail Nanjiani, Kit Harrington and Gemma Chan.
Nov. 12
"Belfast" (theaters): Kenneth Branagh wrote and directed this story about the trials and tribulations of a young boy and his working-class family in 1960s Belfast, Northern Island. The film stars Caitriona Balfe, Jamie Dornan, Judie Dench and Ciaran Hinds.
Nov. 19
"Ghostbusters: Afterlife" (theaters): The latest installment in the "Ghostbusters" franchise follows a single mom and her two children who move to a small town and learn about their family's connection with the original Ghostbusters. Directed by Jason Reitman and starring Carrie Coon, Finn Wolfhard, McKenna Grace and Paul Rudd.
"King Richard" (theaters, HBO Max): Will Smith stars as Richard Williams, father of tennis stars Venus and Serena Williams, in this film based on the true story about how he helped them become all-time greats at their craft. Directed by Reinaldo Marcus Green and also starring Jon Bernthal, Tony Goldwyn and Dylan McDermott.
Nov. 24
"House of Gucci" (theaters): Ridley Scott's other film debuting this fall is based on the 2001 Sara Gay Forden novel "The House of Gucci: A Sensational Story of Murder, Madness, Glamour, and Greed" and stars Adam Driver, Lady Gaga, Al Pacino, Salma Hayek, Jared Leto and Jeremy Irons.
"Encanto" (theaters): This animated musical features songs written by Lin-Manuel Miranda and a story about the only child in a magical Colombian family that doesn't have powers. The voice cast includes Stephanie Beatriz, Diane Guerrero and Wilmer Valderrama.
"National Champions" (theaters): A star college quarterback starts a players' strike at an inconvenient time in order to turn attention toward issues of equality and fair compensation for student athletes. Directed by Ric Roman Waugh and starring Stephan James, J.K. Simmons, Timothy Olyphant and Alexander Ludwig.
"Resident Evil: Welcome to Raccoon City" (theaters): This reboot of the "Resident Evil" film franchise explores the origins of Umbrella Corporation and Raccoon City. Directed by Johannes Roberts and stars Kaya Scodelario, Robbie Amell, Neal McDonough and Donal Logue.
Dec. 3
"Wolf" (theaters): A Polish drama from writer-director Nathalie Biancheri, "Wolf" follows a young man who believes he is a wolf and ends up in a clinic that hopes to cure his species dysphoria. It stars George MacKay and Lily-Rose Depp.
"Nightmare Alley" (theaters): Guillermo del Toro is back with this psychological thriller that he directed and co-wrote about the relationship between a manipulative carny and a dangerous psychiatrist. The sprawling cast includes Bradley Cooper, Cate Blanchett, Rooney Mara, Willem Dafoe, Ron Perlman, Toni Collette, Mary Steenburgen and Richard Jenkins.
Dec. 10
"West Side Story" (theaters): Steven Spielberg's adaptation of the 1957 musical still finds Tony and Maria trying to make their love work while their rival gangs, the Jets and Sharks, battle for supremacy. It stars Ansel Elgort, Rachel Zegler, Ariana DeBose and Rita Moreno.
"Violence of Action" (theaters): Gillian Jacobs stars alongside Chris Pine in this action-thriller about a man who after being involuntarily discharged from the Marines joins a paramilitary organization to continue supporting his family. Directed by Tarek Saleh and also starring Ben Foster and Eddie Marsan.
Dec. 17
"Spider-Man: No Way Home" (theaters): The third installment in Marvel's new "Spider-Man" franchise finds the titular web-slinger having to deal with a world where everyone knows his secret identity. Jon Watts is back in the director's chair working with a cast that includes Tom Holland, Zendaya, Marisa Tomei, Benedict Cumberbatch and Alfred Molina.
Dec. 22
"Sing 2" (theaters): This animated sequel finds Buster Moon and his anthropomorphic animal friends trying to convince a reclusive rock star to help them open a new show. The voice cast includes Matthew McConaughey, Reese Witherspoon, Scarlett Johansson, Taron Egerton, Nick Kroll, Bobby Cannavale, Halsey and Bono.
"The Matrix Resurrections" (theaters, HBO Max): Some of the main talent behind the original "Matrix" trilogy are back for this fourth installment, including director and co-writer Lana Wachowski and stars Keanu Reeves and Carrie-Anne Moss. The cast also features Christina Ricci, Jada Pinkett Smith, Priyanka Chopra Jonas, Jonathan Groff, Yahya Abdul-Mateen II and Neil Patrick Harris.
"The King's Man" (theaters): Serving as a prequel to the previous two "Kingsman" films, "The King's Man" will explore how and why the agency formed in the first place. Directed by Matthew Vaughn and starring Ralph Fiennes, Gemma Arterton, Djimon Hounsou and Matthew Goode.
"A Journal for Jordan" (theaters): Denzel Washington directs this drama about a soldier who writes a journal for his son so he'll have a guide to being a decent person if the worst happens to his father. It stars Michael B. Jordan and Chante Adams.
Dec. 24
Untitled Paul Thomas Anderson project (theaters): Anderson's feature follow-up to 2017's "Phantom Thread" is set in Los Angeles' San Fernando Valley during the 1970s and follows a high school student and child actor. It stars Bradley Cooper, Cooper Hoffman, Benny Safdie and Alana Haim.
Dec. 25
"American Underdog: The Kurt Warner Story" (theaters): Zachary Levi plays Kurt Warner in this biopic about the former NFL quarterback's journey from supermarket worker to Super Bowl MVP. Directed by brothers Andrew and Jon Erwin, and also starring Anna Paquin, Dennis Quaid and Adam Baldwin.
