Top films to watch in the new year

As we have bid farewell to 2020, a horrible and restrictive year in which our way of life was hampered, we can hopefully look forward to the future.

That might mean fewer restrictions on travel or a return to the regular leisure pursuits which have been limited this year. Who would have thought back in February, the event An Evening at the Cinema, hosted at Little Lee Theater, would be one of the last times we could attend the venue without restrictions and fear?

Indeed, all cinemas have been severely affected during the recent situation around the world, causing a delay in blockbuster movie releases which will hopefully ease as we enter 2021. That means a succession of big hits coming to a movie theater near you, but which ones should you be the most excited about? We have picked four movies that should be thrilling Graham County audiences before too long.

The French Dispatch

An all-star ensemble cast has come together for The French Dispatch, which was expected to be a strong contender for the Oscars, had it hit its original release date. Benicio del Toro, Adrien Brody, Bill Murray and Owen Wilson, amongst many others, tell the story of a French publication in a fictional city which decides to publish a special edition featuring the three best stories from the previous decade. It was set to debut at Cannes in May 2020, with a theatrical release to follow on July 24, but will now land late in January 2021.

No Time to Die

Daniel Craig features in his fifth and final installment of the classic British spy thriller, James Bond, which has been delayed for well over a year now. The terminology ‘eagerly-anticipated’ can be thrown about with ease, but it has never been more relevant when discussing the Bond franchise, which has been delighting audiences for more than half a century. Craig’s Bond is more troubled and aware than the previous incarnations which have made his sequence of films particularly endearing for newer audiences, who will likely pour into theaters from late April.

Wonder Woman 1984

The world of cinema would be a much duller place without the characters of DC and Marvel, and 2021 is the year of the female protagonist. Wonder Woman 1984 has already been released, but with a patchy record at the box office due to various restrictions, it is likely to be an early hit when doors finally open properly. Gal Gadot’s character, Wonder Woman, is a positive female role model for the modern age, picking up where Lara Croft left off. Wonder Woman has begun to permeate into the world of gaming as well, appearing as a playable character in Injustice: Gods Among Us and Lego Dimensions. She also has her imagery in other genres of the game: Foxy Games has a title dedicated to the character, titled Wonder Woman, which is likely to be the start of her as a central protagonist in video gaming, fueled by the hopeful success of the latest film.

Black Widow

Gadot’s Wonder Woman is not the only positive female protagonist likely to be delighting audiences in the New Year, as Scarlett Johansson reprises her role as Black Widow, Natasha Romanoff. This film takes place before the events of Avengers: End Game, and sees Romanoff return home to Russia to face the family fallout she left behind. Like Wonder Woman, Black Widow has also entered the world of video games, strengthening her position as a positive female role model, recently appearing in the PlayStation 4 release Marvel’s Avengers, scheduled for a next-generation upgrade in the New Year. With two films featuring high-profile female protagonists likely to be the next big hits, 2021 really is the year of the female superhero on the big screen.

For all the latest news on the situation around the world, restrictions easing and venues opening, make sure you pay regular visits to the Gila Herald.