HBO Max Warner Brothers 2021 Release Schedule: ‘Matrix 4,’ ‘Tom and Jerry,’ ‘Space Jam 2,’ ‘Dune’ Release Dates

The already considerable stakes of the Streaming Wars were heftily raised today with the seismic announcement that Warner Bros. will be premiering their full slate of 2021 films on HBO Max simultaneously with their theatrical releases. Jason Kilar, the gung-ho CEO of WarnerMedia, sent shockwaves throughout the entertainment industry last month with his decision to debut Wonder Woman 1984, a $200MM movie that likely would have grossed north of $1 billion worldwide theatrically, on HBO Max on Christmas Day, 2020. That risky move, though, looks like a drop in the pond when compared to today’s decision, which will see 17 big budget, high octane films going straight into the living rooms of HBO Max subscribers in the United States throughout the entirety of 2021.

With movie theaters struggling at home and abroad in the face of the coronavirus pandemic, Kilar’s gamble instantly transforms HBO Max from a second tier “nice to have” subscription streaming service into a first tier, “must subscribe” option for movie lovers. Regardless of how this move shakes out for WarnerMedia (as a business) and Hollywood (as a whole), the good news for you, dear reader, is that 2021 is setting up to be a phenomenal year for all of us home entertainment enthusiasts.

With all that said, let’s cut to the chase. Here are the release dates, as they currently stand, for Warner Brothers’ slate of 2021 movie releases, including The Matrix 4, Space Jam 2, Dune, The Suicide Squad, and more.

HBO MAX WARNER BROTHERS 2021 RELEASE SCHEDULE

The Little Things

RELEASE DATE: January 29, 2021
STARS: Denzel Washington, Rami Malek, Jared Leto
DIRECTOR: John Lee Hancock
The Little Things follows sheriff deputy Deke (Washington) as he teams up with detective Baxter (Malek) to catch a serial killer (Leto) in California. While Deke is talented at seeking out the details in any case, he strays from the rules and has his own unconventional methods, landing Baxter in a dilemma.

Judas and the Black Messiah

RELEASE DATE: February 12, 2021
STARS: Daniel Kaluuya, Lakeith Stanfield
DIRECTOR: Shaka King
Based on the true story of Fred Hampton, the leader of the revolutionary Black Panther Party, this film marks the reunion of the stars of Get Out in a film produced by mega-talent Ryan Coogler (Creed, Marvel’s Black Panther).

Tom and Jerry

TOM AND JERRY THE MOVIE
Photo: Everett Collection

RELEASE DATE: February 26, 2021 (moved up from 3/5/21)
STARS:  Chloë Grace Moretz, Michael Peña, Rob Delaney, Colin Jost
DIRECTOR: Tim Story
The Tom and Jerry film takes the beloved Hanna-Barbera cartoon and gives it an origin story, going back in time to tell the story of how Tom and Jerry met and how their famous rivalry began.

Mortal Kombat

RELEASE DATE: April 16, 2021 (pushed back from its original 1/15/21 release)
STARS: Jessica McNamee, Tadanobu Asano, Hiroyuki Sanada
DIRECTOR: Simon McQuoid
Mortal Kombat, which is based on the video game of the same name, marks the third installment in the successful film franchise. The latest Mortal Kombat movie follows Shaolin Monk Liu Kang (Ludi Lin), who is invited to compete in the intergalactic martial arts tournament.

Godzilla Vs. Kong

RELEASE DATE: May 21, 2021
STARS: Millie Bobby Brown, Julian Dennison, Alexander Skarsgård
DIRECTOR: Adam Wingard
Godzilla vs. Kong, the sequel to Godzilla: King of the Monsters and Kong: Skull Island, marks the fourth film in the MonsterVerse. The fearsome titular monsters face off, but with humans caught in the middle, a conspiracy has people planning to wipe the creatures from the planet for good.

The Conjuring: The Devil Made Me Do It

RELEASE DATE: June 4, 2021
STARS: Vera Farmiga, Patrick Wilson, Ruairi O’Connor
DIRECTOR: Michael Chaves
Also known as The Conjuring 3, the third film in the horror franchise follows paranormal investigators Ed (Wilson) and Lorraine Warren (Farmiga) as they look into a murder case in which the suspect claims he was possessed by a demon.

In The Heights

In the Heights
Photo: Everett Collection

RELEASE DATE: June 18, 2021
STARS: Anthony Ramos, Corey Hawkins, Leslie Grace, Melissa Barrera
DIRECTOR: Jon M. Chu
Lin-Manuel Miranda’s In the Heights musical gets the movie treatment with an onscreen adaptation about New York City’s Washington Heights neighborhood. At the center of it all is bodega owner Usnavi de la Vega (Ramos), who is saving up money and dreaming of starting his own business back home in the Dominican Republic.

Space Jam: A New Legacy

RELEASE DATE: July 16, 2021
STARS:  LeBron James, Don Cheadle, Sonequa Martin-Green, Ceyair J. Wright
DIRECTOR: Malcolm D. Lee
A sequel to the original 1996 Space Jam, next year’s Space Jam: A New Legacy tells the story of LeBron James’ mission to rescue his missing son, Bronny, as he finds his way through different Warner Bros. movies and faces off against villain Al-G (Cheadle). And like the first film, Space Jam 2 of course features Bugs Bunny and more Looney Toons.

The Suicide Squad

RELEASE DATE: August 6, 2021
STARS: Margot Robbie, John Cena, Idris Elba, Joel Kinnaman
DIRECTOR: James Gunn
Gunn’s Suicide Squad, introduced as a “soft reboot” or “standalone sequel” to 2016’s Suicide Squad, brings back the DC antiheroes — including Harley Quinn, Rick Flag, Bloodsport, Peacemaker, and more — for another round of adventures.

The Many Saints of Newark

RELEASE DATE: September 24, 2021 (Originally: March 12, 2021)
STARS: Michael Gandolfini, Ray Liotta, Vera Farmiga, Jon Bernthal
DIRECTOR: Alan Taylor
The Many Saints of Newark explores the history of one of TV’s most famous gangsters, Tony Soprano. The late James Gandolfini’s son, Michael, takes on his father’s iconic role to play a younger version of Soprano, who came of age in 1960s Newark, New Jersey.

Dune

Paul and Lady Jessica in 2020's Dune
Dune Photo: Everett Collection

RELEASE DATE: October 1, 2021
STARS: Timothée Chalamet, Zendaya, Rebecca Ferguson, Oscar Isaac
DIRECTOR: Denis Villeneuve
Dune is set in the far future, where a duke is given ownership over a desert that’s home to the powerful and valuable substance “the spice,” a drug that has the ability to help humans live longer, increase their intelligence, and travel at the speed of light. The Duke brings his family and advisers with him, but the mining operation in the desert presents unexpected challenges. Dune, which marks the first part of an adaptation of Frank Herbert’s 1965 novel, comes after the first Dune movie, which was released in 1984.

Elvis

RELEASE DATE: November 5, 2021
STARS: Austin Butler, Tom Hanks, Olivia DeJonge, Yola
DIRECTOR: Baz Luhrmann
Elvis, a biopic about The King, tells the story of Elvis Presley (Butler). Hanks costars as Presley’s manager, Col. Tom Parker, in the film, which marks Luhrmann’s first film since 2013’s The Great Gatsby starring Leonardo DiCaprio.

King Richard

RELEASE DATE: November 19, 2021
STARS: Will Smith, Aunjanue Ellis, Saniyya Sidney, Demi Singleton
DIRECTOR: Reinaldo Marcus Green
King Richard tells the story of tennis superstars Venus and Serena Williams and their coach and father, Richard Williams (Smith). The sports drama explores how the talented sisters were influenced by their dad and how he made them who they are today.

Matrix 4

RELEASE DATE: December 22, 2021
STARS: Keanu Reeves, Carrie-Anne Moss, Jada Pinkett Smith
DIRECTOR: Lana Wachowski
As the fourth film in the popular sci-fi franchise, The Matrix 4 continues the story of Neo (Reeves), and his costars Trinity (Moss), Niobe (Smith) and more. The latest Matrix film also brings on some new characters played by Priyanka Chopra, Neil Patrick Harris, and Yahya Abdul-Mateen II.

Malignant

RELEASE DATE: TBA
STARS: Annabelle Wallis, Jake Abel
DIRECTOR: James Wan
Very little is known about Malignant, but James Wan is a well-proven commodity. He directed the first Saw movie, the first Insidious movie, the first Conjuring movie, and even Fast 7. Whatever he’s got for us to watch, we’ll gladly devour.

Those Who Wish Me Dead

RELEASE DATE: TBA
STARS: Angelina Jolie, Nicholas Hoult, Tyler Perry, Jon Bernthal
DIRECTOR: Taylor Sheridan
Sheridan is one of the most exciting American directors working these days, with films like Hell or High Water and Wind River under his belt; he’s also a prolific writer, penning projects like Sicario and TV’s Yellowstone. It’s been a hot minute since Angelina Jolie has filmed an adult drama, but this pairing —in a “neo-Western,” no less — has us geeked!

Reminiscence

RELEASE DATE: TBA (formerly April 16, 2021)
STARS: Hugh Jackman, Rebecca Ferguson, Thandie Newton, Daniel Wu
DIRECTOR: Lisa Joy
Sci-fi drama Reminiscence follows Nick Bannister, a man living in Miami in the future, when rising seas have transformed the city. Nick has the unique ability to let his clients revisit any memory in their past, and when he meets Mae (Ferguson), he immediately falls for her — but another client’s memories make him question what he thought he knew about her.