West Side Story (2021) will hit cinemas (US at least) on December 10 and be exclusive for (at least) 45 days

Following a lot of scrutiny (and more [!] eg Black Widow] over decisions to premiere movies both in cinema and through streaming (at extra cost), Disney will release the rest of its 2021 slate in cinemas first. While clearly good news for cinema goers and owners (and the supply chain) we shouldn’t expect this to be the only route in future. At this point, let’s just look forward to the rest of 2021. All the details are in the Disney press release, but we’ve rearranged by film title. All dates are US, though we see no reason for them not to be global.

Encanto arrives November 24

It’s an animated musical exclusive to cinemas for 30 days, so it can be streamed from December 24, just in time for Christmas! The rest of the slate will be exclusive for 45 days. These windows are provisional (ie could be longer). Here’s the summary:

Mirabel—the only ordinary member of her extraordinary family—discovers that the magic surrounding their home is in danger, and she might be her family’s last hope…

The Last Duel arrives October 15, 2021

Here’s the synopsis:

From 20th Century Studios and visionary filmmaker Ridley Scott comes The Last Duel, a gripping tale of betrayal and vengeance set against the brutality of 14th century France…

It stars Matt Damon and Jodie Comer. so expect a lot of publicity.

• Ron’s Gone Wrong arrives October 22, 2021

• Another animated title:

…the story of Barney, a socially awkward middle-schooler and Ron, his new walking, talking, digitally-connected device, which is supposed to be his “Best Friend out of the Box”…

Eternals arrives November 5, 2021

We been reporting on Eternals recently, and this is on our list for a cinema trip. In case you don’t know:

…follows a group of heroes from beyond the stars who had protected the Earth since the dawn of man. When monstrous creatures called the Deviants, long thought lost to history, mysteriously return, the Eternals are forced to reunite in order to defend humanity once again…

West Side Story arrives December 10, 2021

Another film we’re keen to see, if only to compare to the original movie. In case you don’t know, it’s a musical version of Romeo & Juliet set in New York:

Directed by Steven Spielberg, from a screenplay by Tony Kushner, West Side Story tells the classic tale of fierce rivalries and young love in 1957 New York City…

The King’s Man arrives December 22, 2021

Another title we recently covered:

As a collection of history’s worst tyrants and criminal masterminds gather to plot a war to wipe out millions, one man must race against time to stop them…

We still wonder how the landscape for 2022 will pan out, and we’ll keep you posted.