The sci-fi movies coming to theaters in Fall 2021 are headlined by Denis Villeneuve's massive Dune adaptation, but include other notable releases, too. Thankfully, fall 2021 looks to see movie releases as a whole back at full strength, thanks to the coronavirus vaccine allowing theaters to go back to full capacity seating in most areas. Whether that will remain stable is anyone's guess, but hopefully, another closure of theaters isn't on the way, as there are lots of great movies for audiences to look forward to.
2021 has been a bit of an uneven year for the sci-fi genre so far. Godzilla vs. Kong, currently with a 91% rating on Rotten Tomatoes, was an absolute success, scoring $466 million at the box office even with debuting simultaneously on HBO Max, where it drew the largest audience for the streaming service to date. Lionsgate's long-delayed Chaos Walking, starring Tom Holland and Daisy Ridley, very much did flop, earning negative reviews and sinking like a stone at the box office. Thankfully, the sci-fi horror sequel A Quiet Place Part 2 was a shining light, even if, while still successful financially, it didn't come close to the original's pre-pandemic era numbers.
One great thing about the movie industry is that it never stops working, and there's still a steady stream of sci-fi and sci-fi adjacent fare on tap for the fall calendar. While Dune looms over all, there are a number of great sci-fi flicks coming in the next few months. Here's the full rundown.
Venom: Let There Be Carnage (September 24, 2021)
Many wondered if a Venom solo movie that entirely disconnected the character's origin from Spider-Man could really work, but to say it did would be an understatement. Despite underwhelming critics, audiences flocked to Venom in 2018, leading to a gargantuan $856 million box office haul. A sequel was naturally greenlit, and after an extra year's delay due to coronavirus, Venom: Let There Be Carnage finally arrives on October 24, with new director Andy Serkis at the helm. As the subtitle implies, the villain this time out is Cletus Kasady, aka Carnage, played by Woody Harrelson–and, thankfully, Venom 2 will find Harrelson without the awful wig he sported in Venom's mid-credits scene. As seen in the trailers, Tom Hardy's Eddie Brock is still attempting to adjust to his uneasy co-existence with the always hungry Venom symbiote.
Dune (October 22, 2021)
Frank Herbert's 1965 novel Dune is one of the most famous tomes in the history of the sci-fi genre, and director Denis Villeneuve's big-budget adaptation of the book comes with a lot of fan anticipation. While the bizarre 1984 movie adaptation by David Lynch has become a cult classic, and the 2000 Syfy miniseries has its fans, many hope that Villeneuve's version will prove to finally be the definitive Dune adaptation. Dune 2021 boasts one of the most star-studded casts ever, with Timothée Chalamet, Josh Brolin, Dave Bautista, Zendaya, Rebecca Ferguson, and Jason Momoa being just some of the big names included. Dune is releasing on October 22 in both theaters and on HBO Max (though not if Legendary wins its lawsuit against Warner Bros). Dune is also planned to be the first part of a two-part adaptation.
Ron's Gone Wrong (October 22, 2021)
Also opening on October 22 is Ron's Gone Wrong, an animated sci-fi comedy from new studio Locksmith Animation and being distributed by 20th Century Studios. IT and Shazam! star Jack Dylan Grazer voices Barney, a socially awkward tween, who ends up with the titular Ron, voiced by Zach Galifianakis. Ron is a B-bot, an independent, robot-like, digitally connected device that acts as a friend to Barney but seems incapable of doing things correctly. In a fun bit of casting, Ed Helms, who worked alongside Galifianakis in the Hangover trilogy, voices Barney's father. Targeted squarely at kids and families, there won't be much audience overlap with Dune, hence Disney positioning it as alternative programming that same weekend.
Eternals (November 5, 2021)
Eternals is the third of four new MCU movies arriving in 2021, which, along with the myriad of Disney+ MCU series debuting this year, makes 2021 the busiest year ever for audiences of Marvel Studios' output. The MCU has embraced and built its franchise on sci-fi concepts from the beginning but is still not necessarily associated with the sci-fi genre specifically. However, several people involved with the MCU's Eternals have talked up its sci-fi aspects, especially star Kumail Nanjiani. Eternals sees the titular race of ancient aliens emerge from their secret existence among Earthlings in order to protect the planet from their own evil counterparts, the Deviants. While many wonder why such powerful beings chose to stay out of the cataclysmic events of Avengers: Infinity War and Avengers: Endgame, the trailer suggests the Eternals have until now chosen not to interfere with such affairs for a reason.
Ghostbusters: Afterlife (November 11, 2021)
Following the financial flop that was the 2016 reboot directed by Paul Feig, Jason Reitman, the son of original Ghostbusters director Ivan Reitman, is taking over the reins of the franchise with Ghostbusters: Afterlife, another movie fans had to wait an extra year for thanks to the coronavirus scourge. While primarily focusing on new cast members Finn Wolfhard, Mckenna Grace, Paul Rudd, and Carrie Coon, Ghostbusters: Afterlife will also feature the return of the surviving original cast in their classic roles, including Bill Murray, Dan Aykroyd, Ernie Hudson, Sigourney Weaver, and Annie Potts. Sadly, Rick Moranis isn't coming back, and Harold Ramis passed away back in 2014. But the new movie finds a way to incorporate his memory, with Ghostbusters: Afterlife following the deceased Egon's estranged family. The kids discover his forgotten heroic legacy, leading to a renewed supernatural threat emerging.
Resident Evil: Welcome to Raccoon City (November 24, 2021)
While Resident Evil is primarily considered a horror franchise, it also contains lots of sci-fi elements, from mad scientists, to genetic experiments, to advanced technology way beyond what humanity is currently capable of in real life. After a financially successful Resident Evil movie series that bore little resemblance to the video games it was based on, many have renewed hope for Welcome to Raccoon City, which is taking a more straightforward approach in being more of a direct adaptation of the games. The film incorporates characters and plot elements from both Resident Evil and Resident Evil 2. It also features fan-favorite Resident Evil characters like Leon S. Kennedy, Claire and Chris Redfield, Jill Valentine, arch-villain Albert Wesker, and the mysterious Ada Wong. It's also, as the subtitle implies, set during the Raccoon City T-Virus outbreak that propels the plot of the first three Resident Evil games. As one can see, there are plenty of sci-fi movies to get excited about right alongside the anticipation for Dune.
