Yahoo Movies 15 most exciting original movies coming in first half of 2021
- 1/15
Sound of Metal (29 January)
As with so many festival favourites, this story of a drummer losing his hearing has been on a very long road. It first premiered at the Toronto Film Festival way back in September 2019 and then had its US release in November. Riz Ahmed is receiving awards buzz for his performance, so this is very much a must-see. (Credit: Vertigo Releasing) - 2/15
Synchronic (29 January)
Justin Benson and Aaron Moorhead specialise in thoughtful genre cinema, with their 2017 effort The Endless a mind-bending joy. In this new sci-fi horror, Jamie Dornan and Anthony Mackie star as paramedics who witness a series of deaths caused by a new recreational drug. The potential for chaos is very much present. (Credit: Signature) - 3/15
Another Round (5 February)
Mads Mikkelsen is set to be another contender in this year's Oscar race thanks to his terrific performance in this Danish comedy-drama. Mikkelsen plays a teacher experimenting with a psychiatrist's argument that human beings work better when they're a little drunk. Will he apply the same principle to his next role and become a slightly sozzled Grindelwald? (Credit: Studiocanal)Henrik Ohsten 
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- 4/15
Promising Young Woman (12 February)
Speaking of Oscar hopes, Carey Mulligan will certainly be on the socially distanced campaign trail for her performance as a sort of Me Too vigilante, skewering the "nice guys" who take advantage of her when she pretends to be drunk in nightclubs. Festival reviews have been very strong indeed. (Credit: Focus Features/Universal) - 5/15
The Little Things (12 February)
David Fincher's Se7en feels like the blueprint for this crime thriller, which director John Lee Hancock originally wrote for Steven Spielberg to helm in the 1990s. In the chair now himself, he has cast Denzel Washington and Rami Malek as the cops who clash while investigating a serial killer. (Credit: Nicola Goode/Warner Bros) - 6/15
Freaky (19 February)
Vince Vaughn and Kathryn Newton swap bodies in this high-concept slasher from Happy Death Day creator Christopher Landon. Vaughn's serial killer ends up in the body of Newton's high school student, which predictably creates plenty of chaos as a Homecoming dance approaches. (Credit: Universal)Photo Credit: Universal Pictures Yahoo News is better in the app
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- 7/15
Rare Beasts (19 February)
After a glittering career as an actor, Billie Piper shows off her chops behind the camera in her anti-romcom directorial debut, which attracted rave festival reviews. She also stars in the lead role as a thirty-something mother struggling with the expectations upon women her age. (Credit: Republic Film) - 8/15
Nobody (5 March)
Bob Odenkirk heads from Better Call Saul to his action movie debut in this thriller from Hardcore Henry director Ilya Naishuller. Odenkirk plays a mild-mannered family man who turns vigilante, with the script penned by John Wick creator Derek Kolstad. There will be blood, and hopefully plenty of fun along with it. (Credit: Universal)Photo Credit: Allen Fraser/Universal Pictures - 9/15
Raya and the Last Dragon (5 March)
Disney's latest original animation follows a fearless warrior voiced by Star Wars actor Kelly Marie Tran as she travels in search of the titular creature, whose vocal tones will be provided by the brilliant Awkwafina. (Credit: Disney)Disney Yahoo News is better in the app
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- 10/15
Supernova (5 March)
Colin Firth and Stanley Tucci star as a couple facing the imminent spectre of death in this heartfelt romantic drama. It won plaudits on the festival circuit and could be another awards contender. (Credit: Studiocanal) - 11/15
Locked Down (5 March)
Doug Liman will soon blast off into space with Tom Cruise for a history-making blockbuster. Before that, though, he used the empty streets of Lockdown London to make this thriller in which a warring couple, played by Anne Hathaway and Chiwetel Ejiofor, put aside their differences to attempt a jewellery heist under the cover of COVID-19. (Credit: Owen Hoffman/Netflix/Jonathan Brady/Gareth Cattermole/PA/Getty) - 12/15
Minari (19 March)
Korean-American filmmaker Lee Isaac Chung has mined his own upbringing for this tale of a Korean family settling on an Arkansas farm. Awards attention is everywhere, so this is a film we'll be hearing plenty about in the coming months. (Credit: Altitude) Yahoo News is better in the app
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- 13/15
Last Night in Soho (23 April)
Edgar Wright is back and, this time, he's embracing a full-blooded horror approach for Last Night in Soho. Anya Taylor-Joy and Matt Smith lead the cast for the "twisted" genre tale, which is said to borrow tonal ingredients from the likes of Repulsion. (Credit: Focus Features/Universal) - 14/15
Vivo (4 June)
Sony's first original animated musical features songs penned by Hamilton creator Lin-Manuel Miranda. It follows the adventures of a Kinkajou — also known as a "honey bear" — as he travels from Cuba to Miami. (Credit: Sony) - 15/15
Luca (18 June)
Call Me By Your Name appears to be the inspiration for Pixar's new original animation, which follows two boys sharing sun-baked adventures on the Italian Riviera. The twist? One of them is a sea monster. (Credit: Disney/Pixar)PIXAR
Tom Beasley
·Contributor
Given the fact 2020 ended up as something of a wasteland for big franchise releases, you’d be forgiven for thinking that everything coming out in 2021 will be a tentpole blockbuster. As much as Marvel and the other big franchises are exciting, it’s merciful to see that there’s still plenty of original storytelling on the way.
Read more: Films that defined 2020
The first six months of the new year will feature a selection of mouth-watering prospects, from likely awards season contenders to family films from the major studios with plenty of future franchise potential.
There’s also a new Edgar Wright movie coming, and there are few things more exciting than that.
