Many of us have, over the past 12 months, got ourselves in trouble for suggesting that something or other looks as if it is “returning to normal”. It hardly needs to be clarified what skewered so many of those projections. We can, however, venture that, at least at the time of writing, the release schedule for the rest of the year is as tasty as any in recent memory. No surprise there. A large portion of the late-2020 slate, comprising both awards-season films and Christmas blockbusters, has shifted to mingle with titles that were always set for unveiling this year. You will get James Bond, The Matrix and Spider-Man. You will get Jane Campion, David Lowery and the most recent Palme d’Or winner. We are also waiting for news on the probable arrival of Rebecca Hall’s Passing, starring Tessa Thompson and Ruth Negga, and Pablo Larrain’s Spencer, featuring Kristen Stewart as Princess Diana, before the end of the year.
Here are 20 reasons why you should return to the cinema.
The Many Saints of Newark
The prequel to The Sopranos stars Michael Gandolfini, son of James, as a younger version of the legendary Tony Soprano. David Chase, creator of the show, is back on screenwriting duties. Wednesday, September 22nd
The Green Knight
David Lowery, director of A Ghost Story and The Old Man & the Gun, attacks the 14th-century Arthurian poem The Green Knight. Dev Patel and Barry Keoghan appear in a film that has delighted and confused in equal measure. Friday, September 24th
No Time to Die
The canary that warned of danger in the coalmine – this James Bond film was the first blockbuster to move last year – finally, finally lands in cinemas. At 163 minutes, it will be the longest in the series. Thursday, September 30th
Halloween Kills
You just kill Michael Myers. The 12th instalment of the slasher cycle offers Jamie Lee Curtis yet another chance to avoid an uncomfortable carve up. The versatile David Gordon Green directs. Friday, October 15th
The Last Duel
Yes, this is the Ridley Scott film that trapped Matt Damon in Dalkey. He stars alongside Adam Driver and Jody Comer in a revenge epic set among the billowing banners of 14th-century France. Friday, October 15th
Venom: Let There Be Carnage
The first Spider-Man spinoff emerged to indifferent reviews, but, charged up with an exhausting performance from Tom Hardy, it became a massive hit. Andy Serkis directs the sequel. Friday, October 15th
Dune
Denis Villeneuve's adaptation of Frank Herbert's space epic takes a notably sober approach to the tale of colonial conflict on a sandy planet. Timothée Chalamet stars as heroic Paul Atreides. Worth seeing on the biggest screen. Friday, October 22nd
The French Dispatch
Wes Anderson's latest sends an enormous cast, including Tilda Swinton, Adrien Brody and Saoirse Ronan, careering through an unnamed French city in the mid-20th century. Sure to be pretty. Friday, October 22nd
Last Night in Soho
Edgar Wright's metahorror transports Thomasin McKenzie's fashion student back to a dangerous version of Soho in the 1960s. Less jokey and visually frantic than the director's earlier work. Friday, October 29th
The Power of the Dog
Benedict Cumberbatch excels as a tyrannical rancher in early-20th-century Montana. Jane Campion's best film in decades. Brilliant performances. Great soundtrack from Jonny Greenwood. Will get a theatrical run before going quickly to Netflix. Expected in November
Eternals
The latest entry to the Marvel Cinematic Universe hangs around less well-known characters. But Chloé Zhao, recent Oscar winner for Nomadland, directs, and Angelina Jolie, Salma Hayek and Barry Keoghan star. So bring it on. Friday, November 5th
The Card Counter
Fresh from an acclaimed premiere at Venice, Paul Schrader's latest casts Oscar Isaac as a former US army interrogator who, after imprisonment for torture, takes to life as a wandering gambler. Bleak and powerful. Friday, November 5th
King Richard
Will Smith, current very, very (very) early favourite for the best-actor Oscar, stars in a biopic of Richard Williams, the eccentric Los Angelino who helped his daughters, Serena and Venus, to tennis stardom. Friday, November 12th
Belfast
Reviews at Telluride and Toronto have been largely positive for Kenneth Branagh's monochrome study of life in his home city during the early days of the Troubles. The top-flight cast includes Caitríona Balfe, Judi Dench, Jamie Dornan and Ciarán Hinds. Friday, November 12th
Ghostbusters: Afterlife
The direct sequel to the first two films has Jason Reitman, son of the original director, Ivan, behind the camera. Finn Wolfhard is among the kids connecting with spooky events from decades before their birth. Thursday, November 18th
House of Gucci
Ridley Scott's second film of the season casts Adam Driver, Lady Gaga and Jeremy Irons in a study of the eponymous fashion house. The world is already excited by its imminent fabulousness. Friday, November 26th
West Side Story
Let's try this again. A year after it was scheduled to arrive, Steven Spielberg's take on a Broadway classic takes a run at the Christmas season. Why not? The show is forever revived on stage. Let it have a second cinema outing. Friday, December 10th
Spider-Man: No Way Home
The Spider-Man films have so far been the liveliest and most spirited of the Marvel Cinematic Universe entertainments. The latest promises a multitude of villains and some self-conscious trickery. Friday, December 17th
The Matrix Resurrections
It has been nearly two decades since the two underwhelming sequels to The Matrix emerged, but hopes are high that Lana Wachowski, back in the director's chair, will recapture the form of the defining 1999 original. Wednesday, December 22nd
Titane
Winner of the Palme d'Or, Julia Ducournau's body horror concerns a young woman who becomes inappropriately drawn to motor vehicles. The most off-the-wall film to triumph at Cannes in a generation. Will be much talked about. Friday, December 31st
These release dates are accurate at the time of writing, but bear in mind that they may change
