After a challenging 17 months for the film industry, many films – including high profile titles such as James Bond’s latest outing No Time to Die – have suffered filming issues and release date postponements.
Here’s a look at some of the high profile and lesser-known new films coming to cinemas during the next few months.
1. Gunpowder Milkshake (17 September)
Action thriller Gunpowder Milkshake stars Karen Gillan (Guardians of the Galaxy) and Lena Headey (Game of Thrones) as mother and daughter assassins.
The pair must team up with Headey’s former colleagues to protect a young girl from rival assassins and a powerful organised crime boss.
The film also stars Michelle Yeoh and Paul Giamatti and is directed by the Israeli film director and screenwriter, Navot Papushado.
2. No Time to Die (30 September)
Bond 25 marks Daniel Craig’s last film as Ian Fleming’s suave secret agent. The film has had a tortuous journey to release and was originally due to hit cinema screens back in November 2019.
Directed by Cary Joji Fukunaga, Craig-era regulars Ben Whishaw, Naomie Harris, and Ralph Fiennes are joined by Rami Malek and Ana de Armas.
Set five years after its predecessor (Spectre), Bond is recruited by CIA operative and friend Felix Leiter to help in the search for a missing scientist. Christopher Waltz also returns as Bond’s ever-present nemesis, Ernst Blofeld.
3. Dune (22 October)
Previously filmed by David Lynch back in 1984, French-Canadian director Denis Villeneuve takes the helm this time around.
Villeneuve’s adaptation of Frank Herbert’s epoch-spanning saga will be released in two parts and is expected to cover the plot of the original Dune only. The book went on to spawn five sequels.
Set tens of thousands of years into our future, it follows the fate of Paul Atreides (Timothée Chalamet). He becomes embroiled in dangerous political intrigue on the planet Arrakis, the sole habitat of the coveted spice “melange”.
4. The French Dispatch (22 October)
Dune’s Timothée Chalamet also stars in the latest film from cinematic auteur, Wes Anderson (The Grand Budapest Hotel).
Chalamet is joined in the star-studded cast by Frances McDormand, Tilda Swinton, Saoirse Ronan, Bill Murray, and Owen Wilson.
The story is described as a “love letter to journalists” and tells the stories that reach the French news desk of a fictional newspaper based in Kansas.
5. The Card Counter (5 November)
American screenwriter and director Paul Shrader (Taxi Driver, American Gigolo) follows up the success of his Oscar-nominated First Reformed with The Card Counter.
The thriller, starring Oscar Isaac and Willem Dafoe, follows the story of an ex-military interrogator-turned-gambler who reverts to his old ways when he meets Cirk, a young man seeking revenge on a military colonel.
6. Top Gun: Maverick (November 19)
A mere 31 years after its original cinematic release, Top Gun gets a sequel when Top Gun: Maverick hits cinemas in November.
Little is known about the plot of the film. Alongside Tom Cruise, Val Kilmer will be returning to the role of Iceman. Miles Teller co-stars as the son of Goose, originally portrayed by Anthony Edwards (ER).
Expect jet planes, motorcycles, and machismo.
7. Matrix 4 (22 December)
Another highly anticipated film about which very little is known is the fourth instalment in The Matrix series.
The original film was released in 1999 and, along with its two sequels (The Matrix Reloaded and The Matrix Revolutions), grossed over $1.6 billion.
It is not yet known whether the film will operate as a direct follow-on to the original trilogy, a prequel, or tell a new story within the same universe. But both Keanu Reeves and Carrie-Anne Moss are reprising their roles (as Neo and Trinity) from the original films.
Yahya Abdul-Mateen II (Aquaman) has also joined the cast and is rumoured to be playing a young Morpheus, the role made famous by Laurence Fishburne.
8. Nightmare Alley (3 December)
Osar-winning director Guillermo de Toro (The Shape of Water) returns in December with Nightmare Alley.
Reuniting with Ron Perlman (Hellboy) – who is joined here by Bradley Cooper and Cate Blanchett – the plot centres on a carnival hustler who meets his match in the form of psychiatrist Dr Lilith Ritter.
The film is an adaptation of the 1946 book of the same name by William Lindsay Gresham. The book was previously filmed in 1947 and starred Tyrone Power in the lead role, under the direction of Edmund Goulding.
9. West Side Story (10 December)
Hollywood legend Steven Spielberg’s directorial career has spanned five decades. In that time, he has captivated audiences with a great white shark (Jaws), the horrors of the second world war (Saving Private Ryan, Schindler’s List) and a certain big friendly giant (The BFG).
West Side Story marks the directors first foray into musicals.
Starring Rachel Zegler, Ansel Elgort, and David Alvarez, the film is expected to follow the 1957 Broadway musical rather than the 1961 film, although Rita Moreno (star of the 1961 version) will appear in a supporting role.
10. Downton Abbey 2 (18 March, 2022)
Originally due for release in December of this year, you’ll now have to wait until next year to catch the sequel to the 2019 Downton Abbey movie.
Hugh Bonneville, Elizabeth McGovern, and Maggie Smith will reprise their roles, along with the rest of the cast from the beloved TV series.
Hugh Dancy, Laura Haddock, and Dominic West are also said to be joining the cast in undisclosed roles.