Most Popular Movies 2021
This chart shows the 2021 movie releases that have attracted the most interest on The Numbers web site over the past 24 hours. A share of 100 corresponds to 1 percent of the total views for all 2021 releases.
See also: Domestic Release Schedule for 2021 - Top 2021 Worldwide
| ← 2020 | Most Popular Overall | 2022 → |
| Reminiscence |
| Director: Lisa Joy |
| Lead Roles: Hugh Jackman as Nick Bannister, Rebecca Ferguson as Mae, Daniel Wu as Saint Joe, Thandiwe Newton as Emily “Watts” Sanders, Cliff Curtis as Cyrus Boothe |
| Initial Theatrical Release: August 18, 2021 (Wide) by Warner Bros. (United Kingdom) |
| Keywords: Crime Thriller, Near Future, Set in Miami, Romance, Exploring a Character's Mind, Film Noir, Narcotics, Organized Crime, Missing Person, Surprise Twist, Kidnap, Suicide, Dysfunctional Family, Inheritance |
| Classification: Original Screenplay, Thriller/Suspense, Live Action, Science Fiction |
|
Domestic BO: $3,900,193 |
|
International BO: $11,549,129 |
Synopsis
Nick Bannister, a private investigator of the mind, navigates the darkly alluring world of the past by helping his clients access lost memories. Living on the fringes of the sunken Miami coast, his life is forever changed when he takes on a new client, Mae. A simple matter of lost and found becomes a dangerous obsession. As Bannister fights to find the truth about Mae's disappearance, he uncovers a violent conspiracy, and must ultimately answer the question: how far would you go to hold on to the ones you love?
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| Dune |
| Director: Denis Villeneuve |
| Lead Roles: Timothée Chalamet as Paul Atreides, Rebecca Ferguson as Lady Jessica, Oscar Isaac as Duke Leto Atreides, Josh Brolin as Gurney Halleck, Stellan Skarsgård as Baron Harkonnen, Dave Bautista as Glossu Rabban, Stephen McKinley Henderson as Thufir Hawat, Zendaya as Chani, Chen Chang as Dr. Wellington Yueh, David Dastmalchian as Piter De Vries, Sharon Duncan-Brewster as Dr. Liet-Kynes, Charlotte Rampling as Reverend Mother Mohiam, Jason Momoa as Duncan Idaho, Javier Bardem as Stilgar |
| Initial Theatrical Release: September 15, 2021 (Wide) (France) |
| Keywords: 3-D, 3-D - Post-production Conversion, IMAX: DMR, Space Opera, Heroic Adventure, Disrupted by 2020 COVID-19 pandemic, 2022 Oscars Best Picture Nominee |
| Classification: Based on Fiction Book/Short Story, Action, Live Action, Science Fiction |
|
Domestic BO: $109,987,830 |
|
International BO: $321,143,679 |
Synopsis
Paul Atreides is a brilliant and gifted young man born into a great destiny beyond his understanding, who must travel to the most dangerous planet in the universe to ensure the future of his family and his people. As malevolent forces explode into conflict over the planet’s exclusive supply of the most precious resource in existence—a commodity capable of unlocking humanity’s greatest potential—only those who can conquer their fear will survive.
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| Spider-Man: No Way Home |
| Director: Jon Watts |
| Lead Roles: Tom Holland as Peter Parker/Spider-Man |
| Initial Theatrical Release: December 14, 2021 (Wide), released as 스파이더맨: 노 웨이 홈 (South Korea) |
| Keywords: Action Adventure, Alternative Dimensions / Parallel universe, Ensemble, Secret Identity |
| Classification: Based on Comic/Graphic Novel, Action, Animation/Live Action, Super Hero |
|
Domestic BO: $814,115,070 |
|
International BO: $1,093,721,184 |
Synopsis
For the first time in the cinematic history of Spider-Man, our friendly neighborhood hero is unmasked and no longer able to separate his normal life from the high-stakes of being a Super Hero. When he asks for help from Doctor Strange the stakes become even more dangerous, forcing him to discover what it truly means to be Spider-Man.
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| Godzilla vs. Kong |
| Director: Adam Wingard |
| Lead Roles: Alexander Skarsgård as Nathan Lind |
| Initial Theatrical Release: March 25, 2021 (Wide) by Warner Bros (Australia) |
| Keywords: 3-D, 3-D - Post-production Conversion, IMAX: DMR, Disrupted by 2020 COVID-19 pandemic, Kaiju, Creature Feature, Secret Societies, Deaf, Mute, Sign Language, Enemies Forced to Work Together, Robot |
| Classification: Original Screenplay, Action, Live Action, Science Fiction |
|
Domestic BO: $100,916,094 |
|
International BO: $348,822,970 |
Synopsis
Kong and his protectors undertake a perilous journey to find his true home, and with them is Jia, a young orphaned girl with whom he has formed a unique and powerful bond. But they unexpectedly find themselves in the path of an enraged Godzilla, cutting a swath of destruction across the globe. The epic clash between the two titans—instigated by unseen forces—is only the beginning of the mystery that lies deep within the core of the Earth.
| Ghostbusters: Afterlife |
| Director: Jason Reitman |
| Lead Roles: Carrie Coon as Callie, Finn Wolfhard as Trevor, Mckenna Grace as Phoebe, Paul Rudd as Mr. Grooberson, Celeste O’ Conner as Trevor’s Classmate, Logan Kim as Phoebe’s Classmate |
| Initial Theatrical Release: November 18, 2021 (Wide) by Sony Pictures, released as Ghostbusters: Legacy (Germany) |
| Keywords: Supernatural, Delayed Sequel, Horror Comedy |
| Classification: Original Screenplay, Comedy, Live Action, Science Fiction |
|
Domestic BO: $129,360,575 |
|
International BO: $74,179,602 |
Synopsis
When a single mom and her two kids arrive in a small town, they begin to discover their connection to the original ghostbusters and the secret legacy their grandfather left behind.
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| The Matrix Resurrections |
| Director: Lana Wachowski |
| Lead Roles: Keanu Reeves as Neo/Thomas Anderson |
| Initial Theatrical Release: December 16, 2021 (Wide), released as Матрица: Воскрешение (Russia (CIS)) |
| Keywords: Delayed Sequel |
| Classification: Original Screenplay, Action, Live Action, Science Fiction |
|
Domestic BO: $40,463,197 |
|
International BO: $118,734,558 |
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| The Suicide Squad |
| Director: James Gunn |
| Lead Roles: Margot Robbie as Harley Quinn, Viola Davis as Amanda Waller, Joel Kinnaman as Rick Flag, Jai Courtney as Boomerang, Idris Elba as Robert DuBois/Bloodsport, Sylvester Stallone as King Shark, Peter Capaldi as Thinker |
| Initial Theatrical Release: July 28, 2021 (Wide) (France) |
| Keywords: Action Comedy, Reboot, Special Ops, Ensemble, Sequels Without Their Original Stars, Sequel With Lead Character Recast |
| Classification: Based on Comic/Graphic Novel, Action, Live Action, Super Hero |
|
Domestic BO: $55,817,425 |
|
International BO: $111,280,312 |
Synopsis
Welcome to hell—a.k.a. Belle Reve, the prison with the highest mortality rate in the US of A. Where the worst Super-Villains are kept and where they will do anything to get out—even join the super-secret, super-shady Task Force X. Today’s do-or-die assignment? Assemble a collection of cons, including Bloodsport, Peacemaker, Captain Boomerang, Ratcatcher 2, Savant, King Shark, Blackguard, Javelin and everyone’s favorite psycho, Harley Quinn. Then arm them heavily and drop them (literally) on the remote, enemy-infused island of Corto Maltese. Trekking through a jungle teeming with militant adversaries and guerrilla forces at every turn, the Squad is on a search-and-destroy mission, with only Colonel Rick Flag on the ground to make them behave…and Amanda Waller’s government techies in their ears, tracking their every movement. And as always, one wrong move and they’re dead (whether at the hands of their opponents, a teammate, or Waller herself). If anyone’s laying down bets, the smart money is against them—all of them.
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| Luca |
| Director: Enrico Casarosa |
| Initial Theatrical Release: June 17, 2021 (Wide) (South Korea) |
| Keywords: Family Adventure, Underwater, Set in Italy, Coming of Age, Disrupted by 2020 COVID-19 pandemic |
| Classification: Original Screenplay, Adventure, Digital Animation, Kids Fiction |
|
Domestic BO: $1,324,302 |
|
International BO: $49,788,012 |
Synopsis
Set in a beautiful seaside town on the Italian Riviera, Disney, “Luca” is a coming-of-age story about one young boy experiencing an unforgettable summer filled with gelato, pasta and endless scooter rides. Luca shares these adventures with his newfound best friend, but all the fun is threatened by a deeply-held secret: they are sea monsters from another world just below the water’s surface.
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| Red Notice |
| Director: Rawson Marshall Thurber |
| Lead Roles: Dwayne Johnson as Agent John Hartley, Ryan Reynolds as Nolan Booth, Gal Gadot as Sarah Black/The Bishop |
| Initial Theatrical Release: November 4, 2021 (Wide), released as Aviso Vermelho (Portugal) |
| Keywords: Action Comedy, Heist, Enemies Forced to Work Together |
| Classification: Original Screenplay, Action, Live Action, Contemporary Fiction |
|
International BO: $173,638 |
Synopsis
An FBI profiler pursuing the world’s most wanted art thief becomes his reluctant partner in crime to catch an elusive crook who’s always one step ahead.
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| The Guilty |
| Director: Antoine Fuqua |
| Lead Roles: Jake Gyllenhaal as Joe Baylor |
| Initial Theatrical Release: September 24, 2021 (Limited) by Netflix |
| Keywords: Crime Thriller, Foreign-Language Remake, Kidnap, Demoted, Police Detective |
| Classification: Remake, Thriller/Suspense, Live Action, Contemporary Fiction |
Synopsis
A troubled police detective demoted to 911 operator duty scrambles to save a distressed caller during a harrowing day of revelations — and reckonings.
| Chang jin hu |
| Director: Kaige Chen, Dante Lam, Tsui Hark |
| Initial Theatrical Release: September 25, 2021 (Wide), released as The Battle at Lake Changjin (China) |
| Keywords: 1950s |
| Classification: Based on Real Life Events, Action, Live Action, Dramatization |
|
Domestic BO: $333,214 |
|
International BO: $909,263,022 |
Synopsis
The story takes place in winter, 1950. In the freezing cold Changjin Lake region, a bloody battle between the United States and China begins. Faced with the harshest conditions of extreme cold, lack of rations and vast difference in weaponry, the Chinese troops forge ahead, fearless and determined. They successfully blow up the Shuimen Bridge, making the most critical victory in the War to Resist U.S. Aggression and Aid Korea.
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| No Time to Die |
| Director: Cary Joji Fukunaga |
| Lead Roles: Daniel Craig as James Bond, Lea Seydoux as Dr. Madeleine Swann, Naomie Harris as Eve Moneypenny, Ana de Armas as Paloma, Ben Whishaw as Q, Rami Malek as Safin |
| Initial Theatrical Release: September 29, 2021 (Wide), released as 007 No Time To Die (South Korea) |
| Keywords: IMAX: DMR, Secret Agent, Action Thriller |
| Classification: Based on Fiction Book/Short Story, Action, Live Action, Contemporary Fiction |
|
Domestic BO: $160,891,007 |
|
International BO: $598,038,764 |
Synopsis
Bond has left active service and is enjoying a tranquil life in Jamaica. His peace is short-lived when his old friend Felix Leiter from the CIA turns up asking for help. The mission to rescue a kidnapped scientist turns out to be far more treacherous than expected, leading Bond onto the trail of a mysterious villain armed with dangerous new technology.
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| Eternals |
| Director: Chloé Zhao |
| Lead Roles: Kumail Nanjiani as Kingo, Angelina Jolie as Thena, Richard Madden as Ikaris, Salma Hayek as Ajak, Brian Tyree Henry as Phastos, Lauren Ridloff as Makkari, Barry Keoghan as Druig, Gemma Chan as Sersi, Lia McHugh as Sprite, Don Lee as Gilgamesh |
| Initial Theatrical Release: November 3, 2021 (Wide), released as 이터널스 (South Korea) |
| Keywords: IMAX: DMR, Disrupted by 2020 COVID-19 pandemic, Action Adventure, Friendly Alien on Earth |
| Classification: Based on Comic/Graphic Novel, Action, Live Action, Super Hero |
|
Domestic BO: $164,870,264 |
|
International BO: $236,861,495 |
Synopsis
Ancient aliens who have been living on Earth in secret for thousands of years. Following the events of Avengers: Endgame, an unexpected tragedy forces them out of the shadows to reunite against mankind’s most ancient enemy, the Deviants.
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| The Protégé |
| Director: Martin Campbell |
| Lead Roles: Michael Keaton as Rembrandt, Maggie Q as Anna, Samuel L. Jackson as Moody Dutton |
| Initial Theatrical Release: August 19, 2021 (Wide), released as Кодекс киллера (Russia (CIS)) |
| Keywords: Revenge, Set in Vietnam, Action Thriller, Hitmen, Orphan, Death of a Mentor |
| Classification: Original Screenplay, Action, Live Action, Contemporary Fiction |
|
Domestic BO: $7,446,823 |
|
International BO: $809,206 |
Synopsis
Rescued as a child by the legendary assassin Moody and trained in the family business, Anna is the world’s most skilled contract killer. But when Moody — the man who was like a father to her and taught her everything she needs to know about trust and survival — is brutally killed, Anna vows revenge. As she becomes entangled with an enigmatic killer whose attraction to her goes way beyond cat and mouse, their confrontation turns deadly and the loose ends of a life spent killing will weave themselves ever tighter.
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| Sing 2 |
| Director: Garth Jennings |
| Lead Roles: Matthew McConaughey as Buster Moon, Reese Witherspoon as Rosita, Scarlett Johansson as Ash, Taron Egerton as Johnny, Tori Kelly as Meena, Nick Kroll as Gunter, Pharrell Williams as Alfonso, Halsey as Porsha, Letitia Wright as Nooshy, Eric Andre as Darius, Bono as Clay Calloway |
| Initial Theatrical Release: December 1, 2021 (Wide), released as Cantar! 2 (Portugal) |
| Keywords: Backstage, Performing Arts, Singers, Musicians, Recluse, Family Musical |
| Classification: Original Screenplay, Musical, Digital Animation, Kids Fiction |
|
Domestic BO: $162,790,990 |
|
International BO: $241,743,598 |
Synopsis
Buster has turned the New Moon Theater into a local hit, but Buster has his eyes on a bigger prize: Debuting a new show at the Crystal Tower Theater in glamorous Redshore City. But with no connections, Buster and his cast — including harried mother pig Rosita, rocker porcupine Ash, earnest gorilla Johnny, shy elephant Meena and, of course, porcine provocateur Gunter — have to sneak their way into the world-famous Crystal Entertainment offices, run by ruthless mogul wolf Jimmy Crystal.
| Love |
| Director: Igor Tverdokhebov |
| Initial Theatrical Release: February 11, 2021 (Wide) (Russia (CIS)) |
| Classification: Original Screenplay, Comedy, Live Action, Contemporary Fiction |
|
International BO: $991,474 |
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| Wrath of Man |
| Director: Guy Ritchie |
| Lead Roles: Jason Statham as H |
| Initial Theatrical Release: April 22, 2021 (Wide), released as Гнев человеческий (Russia (CIS)) |
| Keywords: Action Thriller |
| Classification: Based on Movie, Action, Live Action, Contemporary Fiction |
|
Domestic BO: $27,466,489 |
|
International BO: $76,446,916 |
Synopsis
H, a cold and mysterious character, works at a cash truck company responsible for moving hundreds of millions of dollars around Los Angeles each week. He surprises his coworkers during a heist in which he unexpectedly unleashes precision skills. The crew is left wondering who he is and where he came from. Soon, the marksman’s ultimate motive becomes clear as he takes dramatic and irrevocable steps to settle a score.
| Spiral |
| Director: Darren Lynn Bousman |
| Lead Roles: Chris Rock as Ezekiel “Zeke” Banks |
| Initial Theatrical Release: May 12, 2021 (Wide), released as Spiral: From the Book of Saw (South Korea) |
| Keywords: Slasher Horror, Delayed Sequel, Reboot, Serial Killer, Corrupt Cops, Father’s Footsteps, Internal Affairs, Surprise Twist |
| Classification: Original Screenplay, Horror, Live Action, Contemporary Fiction |
|
Domestic BO: $23,216,862 |
|
International BO: $16,302,726 |
Synopsis
Working in the shadow of an esteemed police veteran, brash Detective Ezekiel “Zeke” Banks and his partner take charge of a grisly investigation into murders that are eerily reminiscent of the city’s gruesome past. Unwittingly entrapped in a deepening mystery, Zeke finds himself at the center of the killer’s morbid game.
| The Hating Game |
| Director: Peter Hutchings |
| Initial Theatrical Release: December 3, 2021 (Wide), released as Nekenčiu tavęs! (Lithuania) |
| Keywords: Romantic Comedy, Relationships Gone Wrong, Professional Rivalry, Romance |
| Classification: Based on Fiction Book/Short Story, Romantic Comedy, Live Action, Contemporary Fiction |
|
International BO: $441,879 |
Synopsis
The story of ambitious good girl Lucy Hutton and her cold, efficient work nemesis, Joshua Templeton. Committed to achieving professional success without compromising her ethics, Lucy ultimately embarks on a ruthless game of one-upmanship against Josh, a rivalry that is increasingly complicated by her mounting attraction to him.
| Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings |
| Director: Destin Daniel Cretton |
| Lead Roles: Simu Liu as Shang-Chi |
| Initial Theatrical Release: September 1, 2021 (Wide) (South Korea) |
| Keywords: Action Adventure, Dysfunctional Family, Organized Crime, Martial Arts, Origin Story, Asian-Americans, The Past Catching up with You |
| Classification: Based on Comic/Graphic Novel, Action, Live Action, Super Hero |
|
Domestic BO: $224,543,292 |
|
International BO: $207,681,342 |
Synopsis
Shang-Chi must confront the past he thought he left behind when he is drawn into the web of the mysterious Ten Rings organization.
| Nowhere Special |
| Director: Uberto Pasolini |
| Lead Roles: James Norton as John |
| Initial Theatrical Release: July 16, 2021 (Limited) by Curzon Artificial Eye (United Kingdom) |
| Classification: Original Screenplay, Drama, Live Action, Contemporary Fiction |
|
International BO: $682,208 |
Synopsis
A 35-year-old window cleaner who has dedicated his life to raising his young son on his own searches for the perfect replacement family when he learns he only has months left to live.
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| The Boss Baby: Family Business |
| Director: Tom McGrath |
| Lead Roles: Alec Baldwin as Ted Templeton |
| Initial Theatrical Release: July 1, 2021 (Wide) (Ukraine) |
| Keywords: Undercover, Talking Babies, Dysfunctional Family, Family Adventure, Disrupted by 2020 COVID-19 pandemic |
| Classification: Based on Fiction Book/Short Story, Adventure, Digital Animation, Kids Fiction |
|
Domestic BO: $57,300,280 |
|
International BO: $88,981,452 |
Synopsis
When baby Tina reveals that she’s—ta-da!—a top secret agent for BabyCorp on a mission to uncover the dark secrets behind Tabitha’s school and its mysterious founder, Dr. Erwin Armstrong, it will reunite the Templeton brothers in unexpected ways, lead them to re-evaluate the meaning of family and discover what truly matters.
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| Free Guy |
| Director: Shawn Levy |
| Lead Roles: Ryan Reynolds as Guy |
| Initial Theatrical Release: August 11, 2021 (Wide), released as Free Guy — Eroe per gioco (Italy) |
| Keywords: Action Comedy, Video Game, Video Game Industry, Artificial Intelligence, Disrupted by 2020 COVID-19 pandemic, Prologue, Voiceover/Narration, Love at First Sight, Romance, Interspecies Romance |
| Classification: Original Screenplay, Action, Live Action, Science Fiction |
|
Domestic BO: $121,626,598 |
|
International BO: $201,847,194 |
Synopsis
A bank teller who discovers he is actually a background player in an open-world video game, decides to become the hero of his own story…one he rewrites himself. Now in a world where there are no limits, he is determined to be the guy who saves his world his way… before it is too late.
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| CODA |
| Director: Sian Heder |
| Lead Roles: Emilia Jones as Ruby |
| Initial Theatrical Release: August 13, 2021 (Limited) by Apple Original Films |
| Keywords: Deaf, Coming-of-Age Drama, Coming of Age, Singers, Fishing, Father’s Footsteps, Massachusetts, Foreign-Language Remake, Remake, Sundance Film Festival 2021, 2022 Oscars Best Picture Nominee, Oscars Best Picture Winner |
| Classification: Remake, Drama, Live Action, Contemporary Fiction |
|
International BO: $2,237,618 |
Synopsis
Seventeen-year-old Ruby is the sole hearing member of a deaf family—a CODA, child of deaf adults. Her life revolves around acting as interpreter for her parents and working on the family’s struggling fishing boat with her father and older brother every day before school. But when Ruby joins her high school’s choir, she discovers a gift for singing and soon finds herself drawn to her duet partner Miles. Encouraged by her enthusiastic, tough-love choirmaster to apply to a prestigious music school, Ruby finds herself torn between the obligations she feels to her family and the pursuit of her own dreams.
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| Wrong Turn |
| Director: Mike P. Nelson |
| Lead Roles: Charlotte Vega as Jen Shaw, Matthew Modine as Scott |
| Initial Theatrical Release: January 26, 2021 (Limited) by Saban Films |
| Keywords: Set in West Virgina, Hiking, Slasher Horror, Reboot |
| Classification: Remake, Horror, Live Action, Contemporary Fiction |
|
Domestic BO: $1,251,184 |
|
International BO: $2,392,577 |
Synopsis
Backwoods terror and never-jangling suspense meet when Jen and a group of friends set out to hike the Appalachian Trail. Despite warnings to stick to the trail, the hikers stray off course—and cross into land inhabited by The Foundation, a hidden community of mountain dwellers who use deadly means to protect their way of life. Suddenly under siege, Jen and her friends seem headed to the point of no return— unless Jen’s father can reach them in time.