If you looked at the amount of film and TV coming up in the near future, you would never guess that any productivity has been halted due to the pandemic. The volume of film and TV premiering weekly seems to have greatly increased over the past few months.

Netflix alone has seemingly endless titles premiering every week. With their recent hugely successful hits such as Ratched, The Haunting of Bly Manor, and Emily In Paris, Netflix is going strong with their original series. Judging by the trailers of upcoming releases, they show no signs of slowing down. His House, a thriller starring Lovecraft Country star Wunmi Mosaku, Sope Dirisu, and Doctor Who’s Matt Smith looks extremely promising. The Queen’s Gambit, starring Anya Taylor Joy, notably starring in Split and it’s sequel Glass, also looks thrilling and seems to be new territory for the actress. 

Students at WY have also noticed. Nilah Marshall, ‘21 says about Netflix originals,  “I really enjoyed the Netflix original Deaf U. It gives a glimpse into deaf culture, and I am looking forward to more Netflix originals if they’re going to be anything like this.” Other streaming services are also releasing highly anticipated films later this year, notably Bad Hair, a horror film centered around a woman getting a cursed sew-in, from Hulu, and The Witches, a remake of the Roald Dahl classic, from HBOMax.

On the animated front, there are plenty of new and interesting movies and shows slated to premiere soon. The trailer for Raya and the Last Dragon dropped on October 21st, and it is already causing a buzz of anticipation. Soul, coming to Disney+ in December, focused on a Black musician, seems to tell quite a compelling and inspiring story. In 2021, there are many exciting animated sequels coming out. Croods 2, Boss Baby 2, and another Minions installment, just to name a few. Partly animated, a sequel to Space Jam is slated to debut in July 2021. Leisly Bahena ‘24 says, “Recently I’ve heard that Boss Baby 2 will be coming out and I’m not sure if I am excited or a bit scared… I heard that a Space Jam sequel will be coming out and I hope it lives up to its hype. The first one was pure comedy, brought a message to the heart, and was an all-around good movie. I expect the roles to be played well, better animation, and a different story plot. I will be eagerly awaiting the release of these two movies.” Other than sequels, reboots of animated series are also in the works. Hulu is rebooting 1993’s Animaniacs in November after 22 years, teasing it with an incredibly self-aware and entertaining trailer. Reboots such as these are bound to draw many viewers seeking the nostalgia that watching a childhood TV show provides.

Outside of streaming service originals and animation, there are many upcoming films whose trailers have sparked great interest. Dune, an upcoming epic science fiction film starring Timothée Chalamet, is set to be released in October 2021. A Candyman sequel of the same name, starring Watchmen’s Yahya Abdul, is also in the works for 2021. Perhaps one of the most largely anticipated sequels of all time, Avatar 2, is set to come out in 2021 as well. 12 years after the original, and with a budget of $250 million, this film has been long-awaited and is expected to be one of the largest releases in recent years. Among the numerous Marvel Cinematic Universe films coming out next year, Black Widow is one that fans are most eager to see. Khai Ceaser, ‘22, says, “I’m excited to learn more about Black Widow and her story away from the Avengers and the Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.” Black Widow is just one of 17 films and series included in Phase 4 of the Marvel Cinematic Universe set to come out between 2020-22.

This article only scratches the surface of all of the upcoming entertainment coming out later this year and in 2021. Even through a pandemic, it could be argued that the entertainment industry has never seen such productivity and constant successful releases. What upcoming movies and TV are you excited to see? Let us know in the comments!