Original Release Date: December 25, 2020
Official Release Date: December 22, 2021
The first two Robert Downey Jr. renditions of Sherlock Holmes, the legendary fictional detective, received modest ratings from critics and audiences alike. Guy Richie’s directorial style can lend itself to the inner-workings of the detective’s brilliant mind, but opinions are split on how successful he was.
Unfortunately, the Sherlock Holmes sequel struggled to capture the same thrill as the antics of the first, leaving some bored with overblown sequences and cheesy dialogue. If Downey and Jude Law weren’t the leading men of the franchise, we would have even worse hopes for number 3!
Hopefully it won't let us down too badly...
Original Release Date: December 22, 2020
Official Release Date: December 22, 2021
The original installment of Sing reached over 70% ratings from both critics and viewers, but let’s be honest. Have you heard anyone talk about this film since 2016? We didn’t think so. You've probably recalled vague memories of a singing elephant and not much else.
That’s not very promising for the sequel, and there’s still the rest of the year to wait...if there aren't any more delays, which can strike at any moment.
This film will follow male koala Buster Moon and the rest of his animal friends from Sing as they try to get a rock star to perform for their new show.
Original Release Date: July 10, 2020
Official Release Date: November 11, 2021
How many Ghostbusters remakes need to flop before Hollywood realizes that everyone prefers the original? At the very least, this sequel harkens back to the original ghost-hunting group, which is the only thing that could help this film scrape some revenue after a tense release.
The film has already been delayed three times and one look at development shows how long the development process had taken. A third Ghostbusters has been in development since the sequel was released in 1989, but Bill Murray refused to commit to a third film for years up until around 2016 after the Sony reboot flopped.
Things aren't looking very promising..
Original Release Date: March 26, 2021
Official Release Date: September 17, 2021
The Boss Baby, while a cute premise for kids and sporting a star-studded cast, couldn’t separate itself from bathroom humor long enough for viewers to appreciate the glimmer of wit. Now the sequel Family Business revisits the impossibility of a full-time working infant with a sci-fi twist.
From secret formulas to age reversal, we think this baby needs some time away from the office. Like Tom and Jerry or Peter Rabbit, kids will probably be pleased with anything they're offered.
But we shouldn't underestimate the intelligence of kids too much or we'll have a tantrum on our hands.
Original Release Date: October 11, 2019
Official Release Date: July 30, 2021
This isn’t a diss on The Rock or Emily Blunt. Love ‘em or hate ‘em, they’re great actors. And who doesn’t love Disneyland's famous Jungle Cruise ride? The trailer isn't giving much away for the plot, but apparently it’s a love story as well as an adventure film.
We doubt it’ll translate seamlessly from theme park to big screen without looking like a tired Jumangi rip-off. Take a look at the trailer, look us in the eye, and try to convince us that it looks like an original concept.
Hopefully, we'll be proved wrong and have another cult classic on our hands (doubtful).
Original Release Date: August 28, 2020
Official Release Date: August 20, 2021
The 2017 comedy-action flick The Hitman’s Bodyguard failed to impress critics, but left audience’s pleased enough to garner a sequel, it seems! We thought they exhausted their reserve of clichés for one film, but we doubt throwing a female lead into the dumpster fire is enough to satisfy audiences for a second time...
If the lead actors weren't Salma Hayek, Samuel L. Jackson, or Ryan Reynolds, we're sure that this film wouldn't be on anyone's radar in the first place. Good thing action-film fans are typically easy to please.
Add in some explosion effects, a bloody nose, and a hot actress, and they're pleased. Critics can't say the same.
Original Release Date: July 3, 2020
Official Release Date: August 13, 2021
Ryan Reynold’s Free Guy has been in film purgatory since 2020, but it looks like 2021 is his year! Inspired by NPC (non-playable characters) in video games, Reynold’s character called Guy realizes he is a background character in an open-world video game called Free City that will soon go offline.
Wouldn’t it be more fun to actually play a video game like this instead of watching it? There are plenty of open-world video games you can play and actually control the story! One of the biggest frustrations for moviegoers is the decisions of the writers, but in real video games, you usually get to make the decisions!
Original Release Date: October 1, 2020
Official Release Date: October 1, 2021
Tom Hardy as Venom continues to raise questions about the casting team, but the 2018 original lacked one thing that could make or break its 2021 sequel: Carnage. We’re not talking about the synonym for massacre, but an appropriately named Spiderman supervillain. You can guess why.
Unfortunately, the modest hype for Let There Be Carnage could cause the film to flop if the adaptation doesn’t meet the high expectations of comics fans.
And we all know that comics fans are never satisfied. It's just like book-to-movie adaptations that are never as good as the original novel, but comics have an added visual element that gives critics all the more ammunition to fire at the film director.
Original Release Date: March 1, 2021
Official Release Date: TBD
If the 1987 film adaptation got a measly 17% rating from critics and 40% from general audiences on Rotten Tomatoes, we doubt the casting of Netflix rom-com heartthrob Noah Centineo is likely to turn heads of OG fans. Seriously though, who thought this was a good idea?
The very premise of our beloved '80s show He-Man and the Masters of the Universe getting a reboot no one asked for is lowkey heartbreaking. The casting choice is just kicking fans while they're down, honestly.
Underestimating the passion of your audience for the source material is sure to get you some great box-office ratings! Ha, psych. Good luck breaking even.
Original Release Date: November 2020
Official Release Date: March 31, 2021
Definitely a controversial choice, but are we not over the “giant monsters knocking each other out” trope by now? Sure, the films preceding this one weren’t terrible, but this matchup just seems unfair. A giant, atomic-breathed dinosaur versus… an abnormally large gorilla?
What’s the point of spending money on this duel if Kong can’t manage to get in one punch? Of course, the writers of this installment fudged King Kong's height to a soaring 400 feet in order to compete with Godzilla's size.
We anticipate hours of cheap shots before an anticlimactic ending that perfectly sets up the next film. Sound familiar?
Original Release Date: July 3, 2020
Official Release Date: July 1, 2022
If the movie poster isn’t headache-inducing enough, Minions: The Rise of Gru promises to hypnotize the kids while leaving adults pulling out their hair. Despicable Me was amazing—no one’s denying that—but the hype for minions has turned sour in the decade since its release.
We’ll be surprised if this film takes off past opening weekend aside from the kids who will no doubt love it. We're not knocking kids for liking what they like, but couldn't Hollywood produce some films for kids that challenge them to think critically?
Unfortunately, all they get is slapstick humor from yellow Tic-Tacs.
Original Release Date: January 15, 2021
Official Release Date: April 16, 2021
Based on the cult-classic fighting game of the same name, Mortal Kombat features Earth native Shaolin Monk Liu Kang’s invitation to compete in an intergalactic tournament of martial arts. It’s one thing to play as the characters in a video game and watching them punch each other on-screen. It doesn’t really feel the same.
Like we said for Free Guy, the actual Mortal Kombat game is iconic. Why? Because you get to control how the characters interact! It's all about gruesome fighting and player skill.
Who knows what the writers will cook up that'll surely ruin the charm (is charm the right word?) of the source material. There are plenty of released games to play instead of throwing your money at Hollywood!
Original Release Date: July 10, 2020
Official Release Date: July 9, 2021
Like Despicable Me, The Forever Purge is an unnecessary sequel to a film franchise that shouldn’t have gotten past the second film. Because this is the hundreth installment in the horror franchise, it has a low bar to reach after the abysmal ratings of Election Year.
Perhaps we've all had enough dystopian-like experiences in the past year. Fortunately, it's advertised as the fifth and FINAL installment of The Purge franchise. Even the producers of the film realize that the ratings dropped off three films ago and they'll never be able to reach the same notoriety as the first film.
Original Release Date: December 2020
Official Release Date: August 6, 2021
Not to be a downer, but the first time DC’s iconic Suicide Squad was adapted with Jared Leto taking the lead, it wasn’t pretty. Half the ads had the Joker in it, yet only 11 minutes of actual screen time.
Fortunately, the 2021 update keeps Margot Robbie as Harley Quinn. Quinn ended up as the star character of the first installment when Leto's Joker flopped, so it's smart that producers leaned on her for the sequel.
She’ll need to carry this one as well if John Cena's truly in the cast as Peacemaker. Are they trying to make this franchise a joke? Because it's working!
Original Release Date: July 16, 2021
Official Release Date: July 16, 2021
Space Jam is iconic. No ifs, ands, or buts. It’s one of the few sports-related films that jocks and hipsters alike rally around for a good time. That’s why we’re so nervous for the long-awaited sequel A New Legacy. There's so much potential for disappointment!
With movie theaters shut down across the nation, and rampant purist mantras of OG fans, this ballin’ sequel will probably deflate after opening weekend.
It's a sad fact, yet unfortunately true. And if this film is delayed any more than it already was, there's no way it'll survive in the box office.
Original Release Date: Summer 2021
Release Date: August 6, 2021
2012’s Hotel Transylvania might not have dazzled stonehearted critics, but it left audiences enamored with its balance of silly humor, themes of family, and lovable monsters.
Yet with each new release, the audience ratings fall lower while the critics’ climb higher, pointing to a decline in interest from the people that matter.
It seems the charm of Adam Sandler’s Dracula or Selena Gomez's vampiric teenager doesn’t give the franchise a free pass to overstay its welcome. You're better off rewatching the first couple installments for a healthy dose of Transylvania fun, but we advise Googling a summary of this film to see what happens to the characters.
Original Release Date: February 2020
Official Release Date: June 11, 2021
2018’s Peter Rabbit, based on the furry Beatrix Potter character, was 50/50 for audiences, who scored it 10% lower than their critic counterparts on Rotten Tomatoes.
The adaptation brought on the wrath of formalists who found the snarky bunny distasteful, so Peter Rabbit 2: The Runaway where Peter abandons home surely isn’t going to strike a chord among the hoard of protective parents.
While the film certainly won't be the absolute worst of the year because it's aimed toward easy-to-please kids, the poor parents who hope to share a fond childhood memory with their kids will instead be met with the mischievous, downright offensive antics of the roguish hare. Say goodbye to the lovable and soft rabbit you once knew.
Original Release Date: March 1, 2019
Official Release Date: March 5, 2021
Chaos Walking, a new Tom Holland-featured adaptation of sci-fi book The Knife of Never Letting Go, already had executives barring it from release a decade ago. Apparently, the first cut of the film "turned out so poorly it was deemed unreleasable by executives,” according to The Wall Street Journal.
The film is finally set for release in 2021, but viewers have no idea what to expect thanks to the multiple trainwrecks it took to get there!
And like any disaster, it's tough to look away no matter how gruesome the image. But sometimes it's better to stay far away...
Original Release Date: December 23, 2020
Official Release Date: February 26, 2021
The feisty cat Tom and his clever rodent nemesis Jerry take on New York City and threaten to ruin careers, weddings, and private property in this 2021 adaptation of the series. Much like the TV version, the film promises to feature plenty of cat-and-mouse rivalry.
Even though this is of the world’s favorite rivalries come to life, we’re skeptical that the new film's mix of live-action and animation will have the same amount of charm as the TV series without being too cheesy.
After viewing the trailer, the cheese factor is obviously a prominent feature...
Original Release Date: March 12, 2021
Official Release Date: March 12, 2021
This disaster of a movie is a flop in the making if only because interstellar conflict is a too much for us to handle while on a planet that's already in shambles. Bruce Willis is cool and all, and most audiences can enjoy a trashy action film now and again.
But Cosmic Sin is dipping its toes into sci-fi, fantasy, action, plus too many other genres to count, and it’ll pay dearly for its dysfunction as the potential for overflowing profits plummet.
If you hunger for an interstellar war, look to Star Wars; we guarantee Cosmic Sin can't even compete
Original Release Date: March 1, 2020
Official Release Date: February 19, 2021
Early reviews for the comedic fantasy Blithe Spirit are underwhelming. A star-studded cast featuring Judi Dench, Dan Stevens, and Isla Fisher should give the film a head start in the box office, but we all know that forcing out lazy remakes of tried-and-true originals is a risky business.
Dan Stevens' character stars as a writer who accidentally summons the spirit of his dead wife. Supposedly, the antics of a spiritualist medium leads to a weird love triangle we'd rather not be a part of.
Because the film is an adaptation of the 1941 play of the same name, it's held to a higher standard than other films. According to New York Times film critic Jeanette Catsoulis, "Surplus buffoonery and a new ending add nothing to the original, leaving us with a movie that obsesses over death while showing all too few signs of life." What more can we say?
