TAGGED AS: Action, Film, films, marvel cinematic universe, Marvel Studios, movie, movies, Musical, Musicals, Sci-Fi, science fiction, spider-man, Superheroes
We’ve reached the end of another calendar year, and while things do feel a bit more normal than they did last December, there’s another COVID-19 variant spreading, so there’s really no way to tell how everything is going to shake out. That said, we have some exciting titles on the way for the holiday season, ranging from superhero action to sci-fi satire and even a musical to tie everything together. Read on to find out what moviegoers are most looking forward to seeing in December.
Spider-Man: No Way Home (2021)
#1 on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter
In theaters on December 17
Tom Holland suits up for his third solo joint as Peter Parker, which purportedly serves as the end of a trilogy even as it opens up the Marvel Cinematic Universe to infinite possibilities (on the big screen, at least; the Disney+ series Loki and What If…? kinda already went there). Picking up where the last film left off, Peter seeks help from Doctor Strange (Benedict Cumberbatch) to somehow make his not-so-secret identity a secret again, and when the latter’s attempt to do so goes awry, Spidey finds himself squaring off against villains from other universes (namely the ones that Sony created before). The fact that this is an MCU game-changer and that its meta narrative hearkens back to the Spider-Man films starring Tobey Maguire and Andrew Garfield makes this an easy choice for the most anticipated film of the month, at least according to pretty much everyone following us on social media.
The Matrix Resurrections (2021)
#2 on Facebooik, Instagram, and Twitter
In theaters on December 22
Coming in at number two on all of our social media polls is another sequel, but one that comes more than 18 years after its previous installment. And whether or not you liked the first two Matrix sequels, it’s hard to deny the impact of the original film (and, quite frankly, the franchise as a whole), and Neo is one of Keanu Reeves’ most career-defining roles. So, again, it isn’t much of a surprise that this nearly-two-decades-in-the-making follow-up was the definitive runner-up behind No Way Home. People are just eager to see Neo and his pals reunite (however that’s even possible) and beat up on evil computer-generated men in black.
Don't Look Up (2021)
#3 on Twitter, #4 on Facebook, #5 on Instagram
In theaters on December 10, streaming on Netflix on December 24
Back in 2015, writer-director Adam McKay decided he wanted to take a little bit of a turn away from comedies like Anchorman, Step Brothers, and The Other Guys, pivoting instead to pitch black satire in The Big Short and Vice. He continues that trajectory with Don’t Look Up, which stars Leonardo DiCaprio and Jennifer Lawrence as a pair of astronomers who discover a comet headed straight for Earth and attempt to warn the world, only to be met with varying degrees of incompetence or indifference. This one only narrowly edged out the two films below it in our polls, but with names like Meryl Streep, Jonah Hill, Timothée Chalamet, and Cate Blanchett on the marquee, it deserves to be on this list due to its cast alone.
The King's Man (2021)
#3 on Instagram, #5 on Facebook and Twitter
In theaters on December 22
Matthew Vaughn’s Kingsman: The Secret Service is an all-around crowd-pleaser, but his Kingsman: The Golden Circle is… less so. With that in mind, Vaughn and co. have taken the franchise back to its beginnings here, as Ralph Fiennes’ early 20th century spy and his man in training (Harris Dickinson) attempt to prevent a cabal of evildoers from killing millions of people. It’s a little tough to say whether The King’s Man will be more Secret Service than Golden Circle, but fans remain hopeful for another winner, so it makes it onto our list at number four.
West Side Story (2021)
#4 on Instagram and Twitter
In theaters on December 10
The final entry on our list gives us the opportunity to pay our respects to theater legend Stephen Sondheim, who sadly passed away at the age of 91 on November 26. West Side Story was the first Broadway musical Sondheim wrote, so it’s fitting that it now also becomes the first musical film of Steven Spielberg’s career. So far, the film has gotten rave reviews from critics, and it will no doubt serve as a worthy tribute to Sondheim’s indelible work.
Thumbnail by Sony Pictures Entertainmen
