Warner Bros. sent a shockwave through the industry recently when they announced that all of their 2021 movies would be released in theaters and on their streaming service HBO Max at the same time. Indeed, films big and small will be following an earth-shattering day-and-date release strategy throughout the entirety of 2021, giving audiences the option of staying home and watching something like Dune on their couch, or going to a movie theater to see it on the big screen.
The decision has rankled many within the industry, including some of WB’s most prized filmmakers, but the studio appears to be forging ahead with the plan. So if you’re wondering just exactly what Warner Bros. movies will be on HBO Max in 2021, we’ve assembled a complete list of the films planned for this unique release strategy.
Something to keep in mind is that these films will only be on HBO Max for a limited time. The day they hit theaters they’ll be available to stream on HBO Max, but after 30 days they will leave the streaming service and will then follow a traditional rollout – meaning a Digital HD, Blu-ray, and DVD release before likely returning to HBO Max well down the road.
Films and dates are subject to change, but as of right now here are the 2021 Warner Bros. movies that will be released on HBO Max and in theaters on the same day.
The Little Things
Release Date: January 29, 2021
Genre: Crime Thriller
Director/Writer: John Lee Hancock
Cast: Denzel Washington, Rami Malek, Jared Leto, Natalie Morales, Terry Kinney, Chris Bauer, Joris Jarsky, Isabel Arraiza, and Michael Hyatt
What’s It About?: In The Little Things, Denzel Washington plays a Deputy Sheriff who’s sent to Los Angeles on an evidence-gathering assignment, only to become embroiled in the search for a serial killer who’s terrorizing the city.
Judas and the Black Messiah
Release Date: February 12, 2021
Genre: True-Story Drama
Director: Shaka King
Writers: Shaka King and Will Berson
Cast: Daniel Kaluuya, LaKeith Stanfield, Jesse Plemons, Dominique Fishback, Ashton Sanders, and Martin Sheen
What’s It About?: Judas and the Black Messiah chronicles the tragic true story of Black Panther Party leader Fred Hampton, who was assassinated by the FBI at the age of 21.
Tom & Jerry
Release Date: February 26, 2021
Genre: Animation/Live-Action Family Film
Director: Tim Story
Writer: Kevin Costello
Cast: Chloe Grace Moretz, Michael Peña, Rob Delaney, Pallavi Sharda, Jordan Bolger, atsy Ferran, Nicky Jam, Bobby Cannavale, Lil Rel Howery, and Ken Jeong
What’s It About?: In Tom & Jerry, the classic cartoon characters come to life in a story that finds Jerry moving to New York City’s finest hotel on the eve of the “wedding of the century.” The event planner then hires Tom to get rid of him.
Godzilla vs. Kong
Release Date: March 31, 2021
Genre: Monster Action Movie
Director: Adam Wingard
Writer: Terry Rossio
Cast: Alexander Skarsgard, Millie Bobby Brown, Rebecca Hall, Brian Tyree Henry, Eiza González, Jessica Henwick, Kyle Chandler, and Demián Bichir.
What’s It About?: This sequel, aptly named Godzilla vs. Kong, finds humanity’s fight for its future setting Godzilla and Kong on a collision course, as Monarch embarks on a mission to unearth clues to the Titans’ origins.
Mortal Kombat
Release Date: April 16, 2021
Genre: Action/Martial Arts
Director: Simon McQuoid
Writers: Greg Russo and Dave Callaham
Cast: Jessica McNamee, Hiroyuki Sanada, Tadanobu Asano, Ludi Lin, Joe Taslim, Josh Lawson, Chin Han, Lewis Tan, and Mehcad Brooks
What’s It About?: This new adaptation of the popular video game franchise Mortal Kombat is intended to kick off a new franchise.
The Conjuring: The Devil Made Me Do It
Release Date: June 4, 2021
Genre: Horror
Director: Michael Chaves
Writer: David Leslie Johnson-McGoldrick
Cast: Vera Farmiga, Patrick Wilson, Ruairi O’Connor, Sarah Catherine Cook, and Julian Hilliard.
What’s It About?: The third film in the main Conjuring franchise, The Conjuring: The Devil Made Me Do It, is a story about demonic possession wrapped up in a courtroom drama as a murder suspect claims possession as his defense.
In the Heights
Release Date: June 18, 2021
Genre: Musical
Director: Jon M. Chu
Writer: Quiara Alegría Hudes
Cast: Anthon Ramos, Corey Hawkins, Leslie Grace, Melissa Barrera, Olga Merediz, Daphne Rubin-Vega, Gregory Diaz IV, Stephanie Beatriz, Dascha Polanco, and Jimmy Smits
What’s It About?: Based on the smash-hit Broadway musical by Lin-Manuel Miranda, In the Heights tells the story of a bodega owner in Washington Heights who dreams of a better life.
Space Jam: A New Legacy
Release Date: July 16, 2021
Genre: Family Sports Film
Director: Malcolm D. Lee
Writers: Sev Ohanian and Ryan Coogler
Cast: LeBron James, Sonequa Martin-Green, and Don Cheadle
What’s It About?: The long-awaited sequel Space Jam: A New Legacy finds LeBron James teaming up with Bugs Bunny and the Looney Tunes.
The Suicide Squad
Release Date: August 6, 2021
Genre: Superhero Action/Adventure
Director/Writer: James Gunn
Cast: Margot Robbie, Idris Elba, John Cena, Joel Kinnaman, Peter Capaldi, Viola Davis, Jai Courtney, Alice Braga, Pete Davidson, Taika Waititi, Nathan Fillion, Storm Reid, Steve Agee, and Sean Gunn
What’s It About?: In The Suicide Squad, filmmaker James Gunn’s DC Comics adaptation finds the titular squad sent on a new, dangerous mission to South America.
Reminiscence
Release Date: September 3, 2021
Genre: Thriller
Director: Lisa Joy
Writer: Lisa Joy
Cast: Hugh Jackman and Rebecca Ferguson
What’s It About?: Nick Bannister (Hugh Jackman), a private investigator of the mind, navigates the darkly alluring world of the past by helping his clients access lost memories. Living on the fringes of the sunken Miami coast, his life is forever changed when he takes on a new client, Mae (Rebecca Ferguson). A simple matter of lost and found becomes a dangerous obsession. As Bannister fights to find the truth about Mae's disappearance, he uncovers a violent conspiracy, and must ultimately answer the question: how far would you go to hold on to the ones you love?
Malignant
Release Date: September 10, 2021
Genre: Horror
Director: James Wan
Writer: Akela Cooper
Cast: Annabelle Wallis
What’s It About?: The mysterious original horror film Malignant, from the mind of Conjuring and Saw creator James Wan, is keeping its story under wraps.
The Many Saints of Newark
Release Date: September 24, 2021
Genre: Crime Drama
Director: Alan Taylor
Writers: David Chase and Lawrence Konner
Cast: Alessandro Nivola, Leslie Odom Jr., Jon Bernthal, Corey Stoll, Michael Gandolfini, Billy Magnussen, Michela De Rossi, John Magaro, Ray Liotta, and Vera Farmiga
What’s It About?: The Many Saints of Newark takes place in the 1960s against the backdrop of the Newark riots, when the African-American and Italian communities were often at each other’s throats. The film is a prequel to HBO’s The Sopranos and features younger versions of characters from that film.
Dune
Release Date: October 1, 2021
Genre: Sci-Fi Epic
Director: Denis Villenueve
Writers: Denis Villenueve, Jon Spaihts, and Eric Roth
Cast: Timothee Chalamet, Rebecca Ferguson, Oscar Isaac, Stellan Skarsgard, Josh Brolin, Dave Bautista, Stephen McKinley Henderson, Zendaya, Chang Chen, Jason Momoa, and Javier Bardem
What’s It About?: Based on the novel of the same name by Frank Herbert, Dune tells the story of a brilliant and gifted young man born into a dynasty who must travel to the most dangerous planet in the universe to secure his family’s future.
King Richard
Release Date: November 19, 2021
Genre: True-Story Drama
Director: Reinaldo Marcus Green
Writer: Zach Baylin
Cast: Will Smith, Jon Bernthal, Dylan McDermott, Tony Goldwyn, Saniyya Sidney, and Demi Singleton
What’s It About?: The drama King Richard tells the story of Richard Williams, the father of tennis legends Venus and Serena Williams.
The Matrix 4
Release Date: December 22, 2021
Genre: Sci-Fi Epic
Director: Lana Wachowski
Writers: Lana Wachowski, Aleksandar Hemon, and David Mitchell
Cast: Keanu Reeves, Carrie-Anne Moss, Yahya Abdul-Mateen II, Jessica Henwick, Priyanka Chopra, Neil Patrick Harris, and Jonathan Groff
What's It About?: The plot for The Matrix 4 is under lock and key, but the sequel features new and returning faces.
Reminiscence
Release Date: TBA 2021
Genre: Sci-Fi Romantic Thriller
Director/Writer: Lisa Joy
Cast: Hugh Jackman, Rebecca Ferguson, and Thandie Newton
What’s It About?: Westworld co-showrunner Lisa Joy makes her feature film debut with Reminiscence, a sci-fi story about a scientist who discovers a way to relive your past, which he then uses to search for his lost love.
Those Who Wish Me Dead
Release Date: TBA 2021
Genre: Thriller
Director: Taylor Sheridan
Writers: Taylor Sheridan and Michael Koryta
Cast: Angelina Jolie, Jon Bernthal,, Nicholas Hoult, Tyler Perry, Aidan Gillan, and Jake Weber
What’s It About?: In the dramatic thriller Those Who Wish Me Dead, a teenage murder witness is pursued by twin assassins in the Montana wilderness while being protected by a survival expert.