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 → |
| 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: $814,811,535 |
|
International BO: $1,106,395,051 |
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.
| Black Widow |
| Director: Cate Shortland |
| Lead Roles: Scarlett Johansson as Natasha Romanoff/Black Widow, Florence Pugh as Yelena Belova, Rachel Weisz as Melina, David Harbour as Alexei/Red Guardian , Ray Winstone as Dreykov, O.T. Fagbenle as Mason |
| Initial Theatrical Release: July 7, 2021 (Wide) by Walt Disney (United Kingdom) |
| Keywords: Action Thriller, Secret Agent, Dysfunctional Family, You Can't Go Home Again, Marvel Comics, Prequel, 2010s, Cold War, Disrupted by 2020 COVID-19 pandemic |
| Classification: Based on Comic/Graphic Novel, Action, Live Action, Super Hero |
|
Domestic BO: $183,651,655 |
|
International BO: $196,099,476 |
Synopsis
Natasha Romanoff aka Black Widow confronts the darker parts of her ledger when a dangerous conspiracy with ties to her past arises. Pursued by a force that will stop at nothing to bring her down, Natasha must deal with her history as a spy and the broken relationships left in her wake long before she became an Avenger.
| 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: $201,452,243 |
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.
| 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.
| A Quiet Place: Part II |
| Director: John Krasinski |
| Lead Roles: Emily Blunt as Evelyn Abbott |
| Initial Theatrical Release: May 26, 2021 (Wide) (Indonesia) |
| Keywords: Disrupted by 2020 COVID-19 pandemic, Directing Yourself, Near Future, 2020s, Deaf, Sign Language, Limited Dialogue, Family Affair, Psychological Horror, Relatives Playing Relatives, Alien Invasion, Intertitle, Prologue, Motion Capture Performance |
| Classification: Original Screenplay, Horror, Live Action, Science Fiction |
|
Domestic BO: $160,215,764 |
|
International BO: $136,434,592 |
Synopsis
Following the deadly events at home, the Abbott family must now face the terrors of the outside world as they continue their fight for survival in silence. Forced to venture into the unknown, they quickly realize that the creatures that hunt by sound are not the only threats that lurk beyond the sand path.
| 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.
| ¡Corten! |
| Director: Marc Ferrer |
| Initial Theatrical Release: November 19, 2021 (Limited) (Spain) |
| Classification: Original Screenplay, Comedy, Live Action, Contemporary Fiction |
|
International BO: $4,349 |
| Space Jam: A New Legacy |
| Director: Malcolm D. Lee |
| Lead Roles: LeBron James as Himself, Jeff Bergman as Bugs Bunny/Sylvester/Yosemite Sam/Fred Flintstone/Yogi Bear, Diana Taurasi as White Mamba, Damian Lillard as Chronos, Nneka Ogwumike as Arachnneka, Anthony Davis as The Brow, Klay Thompson as Wet-Fire |
| Initial Theatrical Release: July 14, 2021 (Wide) (Iceland) |
| Keywords: Delayed Sequel, Basketball, Video Game Industry, Father’s Footsteps, Dysfunctional Family, Artificial Intelligence, Family Comedy, Disrupted by 2020 COVID-19 pandemic |
| Classification: Original Screenplay, Comedy, Animation/Live Action, Kids Fiction |
|
Domestic BO: $70,592,228 |
|
International BO: $72,723,621 |
Synopsis
When LeBron James and his young son Dom are trapped in a digital space by a rogue A.I., LeBron must get them home safe by leading Bugs, Lola Bunny and the whole gang of notoriously undisciplined Looney Tunes to victory over the A.I.’s digitized champions on the court: a powered-up roster of professional basketball stars. It’s Tunes versus Goons in the highest-stakes challenge of his life, that will redefine LeBron’s bond with his son and shine a light on the power of being yourself. The ready-for-action Tunes destroy convention, supercharge their unique talents and surprise even “King” James by playing the game their own way.
| Chang jin hu |
| Director: Kaige Chen, Dante Lam, Tsui Hark |
| Lead Roles: Wu Jing as Wu Qianli |
| Initial Theatrical Release: September 25, 2021 (Wide), released as The Battle at Lake Changjin (China) |
| Keywords: 1950s, Action Adventure, War, Korean War, Communism |
| 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.
| 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.
| Memoria |
| Director: Apichatpong Weerasethakul |
| Lead Roles: Tilda Swinton |
| Initial Theatrical Release: September 30, 2021 (Wide) (Colombia) |
| Keywords: Set in Colombia, Mystery Drama |
| Classification: Original Screenplay, Drama, Live Action, Contemporary Fiction |
|
Domestic BO: $52,656 |
|
International BO: $975,042 |
Synopsis
A drama about a Scottish woman, who, after hearing a loud ‘bang’ at daybreak, begins experiencing a mysterious sensory syndrome while traversing the jungles of Colombia.
| Willy’s Wonderland |
| Director: Kevin Lewis |
| Lead Roles: Nicolas Cage as The Janitor, Emily Tosta as Liv Hawthorne, Chris Warner as Jed Love, Kai Kadlec as Chris Muley, Christian Del Grosso as Aaron Powers, Caylee Cowan as Kathy, Terayle Hill as Bob McDaniel |
| Initial Theatrical Release: February 12, 2021 (Limited) by Screen Media Films |
| Classification: Original Screenplay, Horror, Live Action, Contemporary Fiction |
|
Domestic BO: $418,286 |
|
International BO: $12,159 |
Synopsis
A quiet loner finds himself stranded in a remote town when his car breaks down. Unable to pay for the repairs he needs, he agrees to spend the night cleaning Willy’s Wonderland, an abandoned family fun center. But this wonderland has a dark secret that the “The Janitor” is about to discover. He soon finds himself trapped inside Willy's and locked in an epic battle with the possessed animatronic mascots that roam the halls. To survive, he must fight his way through each of them.
| The Last Duel |
| Director: Ridley Scott |
| Lead Roles: Matt Damon as Jean de Carrouges, Adam Driver as Jacques LeGris, Jodie Comer as Marguerite de Carrouges, Ben Affleck as Count Pierre d’Alençon |
| Initial Theatrical Release: October 13, 2021 (Wide), released as Le dernier duel (France) |
| Keywords: Set in France, Middle Ages, 1300s, Historical Drama, Sex Crimes, Friends turned Enemies |
| Classification: Based on Factual Book/Article, Drama, Live Action, Dramatization |
|
Domestic BO: $10,853,945 |
|
International BO: $19,226,058 |
Synopsis
In 1386, Marguerite de Carrouges claims she has been raped by her husband’s best friend and squire, Jacques Le Gris. Her husband, knight Jean de Carrouges, challenges Le Gris to trial by combat—the last legally sanctioned duel in France’s history.
| Escape From Auschwitz |
| Director: Terry Lee Coker |
| Initial Theatrical Release: May 7, 2021 (Limited) |
| Classification: Original Screenplay, Drama, Live Action, Historical Fiction |
|
Domestic BO: $2,201 |
|
International BO: $15,713 |
| Venom: Let There be Carnage |
| Director: Andy Serkis |
| Lead Roles: Tom Hardy as Eddie Brock/Venom, Woody Harrelson as Carnage |
| Initial Theatrical Release: September 30, 2021 (Wide), released as Веном 2 (Russia (CIS)) |
| Keywords: Action Thriller, Serial Killer, Friendly Alien on Earth, Investigative Journalist, Prison Break |
| Classification: Spin-Off, Action, Animation/Live Action, Super Hero |
|
Domestic BO: $213,550,366 |
|
International BO: $287,996,556 |
Synopsis
Eddie Brock is still struggling to coexist with the shape-shifting extraterrestrial Venom. When deranged serial killer Cletus Kasady also becomes host to an alien symbiote, Brock and Venom must put aside their differences to stop his reign of terror.
| Passion Simple |
| Director: Danielle Arbid |
| Lead Roles: Laetitia Dosch, Sergei Polunin |
| Initial Theatrical Release: January 15, 2021 (Wide) (Russia (CIS)) |
| Keywords: Romance |
| Classification: Based on Fiction Book/Short Story, Drama, Live Action, Contemporary Fiction |
|
International BO: $318,494 |
Synopsis
In this sexually frank portrait of female lust and vulnerability, a mother falls into an addictive relationship with a Russian diplomat, with whom she has nothing in common.
| Jungle Cruise |
| Director: Jaume Collet-Serra |
| Lead Roles: Dwayne Johnson as Frank Wolff, Emily Blunt as Lily Houghton, Edgar Ramirez as Aguirre, Jack Whitehall as MacGregor Houghton, Jesse Plemons as Prince Joachim, Paul Giamatti as Nilo |
| Initial Theatrical Release: July 28, 2021 (Wide) (Italy) |
| Keywords: Chase Adventure, 1900s, Development Hell, Disrupted by 2020 COVID-19 pandemic, Delayed Release, Jungle, On a Boat, Character's Journey Shown on Map |
| Classification: Based on Theme Park Ride, Adventure, Animation/Live Action, Historical Fiction |
|
Domestic BO: $116,987,516 |
|
International BO: $93,482,287 |
Synopsis
Dr. Lily Houghton travels from London, England to the Amazon jungle and enlists Frank Wolff’s questionable services to guide her downriver on La Quila—his ramshackle-but-charming boat. Lily is determined to uncover an ancient tree with unparalleled healing abilities—possessing the power to change the future of medicine. Thrust on this epic quest together, the unlikely duo encounters innumerable dangers and supernatural forces, all lurking in the deceptive beauty of the lush rainforest. But as the secrets of the lost tree unfold, the stakes reach even higher for Lily and Frank and their fate—and mankind’s—hangs in the balance.
| Meolligajimara |
| Director: Hyun-yong Park |
| Initial Theatrical Release: March 4, 2021 (Wide), released as Don't Go Too Far (South Korea) |
| Classification: Original Screenplay, Drama, Live Action, Contemporary Fiction |
|
International BO: $6,415 |
| 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: $319,954,023 |
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.
| House of Gucci |
| Director: Ridley Scott |
| Lead Roles: Lady Gaga as Patrizia Reggiani, Adam Driver as Maurizio Gucci, Al Pacino as Aldo Gucci, Jeremy Irons as Rodolfo Gucci, Jared Leto as Paolo Gucci |
| Initial Theatrical Release: November 24, 2021 (Wide) by United Artists |
| Keywords: Biographical Drama, Crime, Mariticide / Uxoricide, 1990s, Fashion |
| Classification: Based on Factual Book/Article, Drama, Live Action, Dramatization |
|
Domestic BO: $53,809,574 |
|
International BO: $93,664,564 |
Synopsis
When Patrizia Reggiani, an outsider from humble beginnings, marries into the Gucci family, her unbridled ambition begins to unravel the family legacy and triggers a reckless spiral of betrayal, decadence, revenge, and ultimately… murder.
| 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.
| Nora |
| Director: Lara Izagirre |
| Initial Theatrical Release: September 3, 2021 (Wide) (Spain) |
| Classification: Original Screenplay, Drama, Live Action, Contemporary Fiction |
|
International BO: $64,362 |
| Encanto |
| Director: Jared Bush, Byron Howard |
| Lead Roles: Stephanie Beatriz as Mirabel Madrigal |
| Initial Theatrical Release: November 24, 2021 (Wide) by Walt Disney |
| Keywords: Family Adventure, Sibling Rivalry, Disrupted by 2020 COVID-19 pandemic |
| Classification: Original Screenplay, Adventure, Digital Animation, Kids Fiction |
|
Domestic BO: $96,093,622 |
|
International BO: $135,088,249 |
Synopsis
The Madrigals are an extraordinary family who live hidden in the mountains of Colombia in a charmed place called the Encanto. The magic of the Encanto has blessed every child in the family with a unique gift — every child except Mirabel. However, she soon may be the Madrigals last hope when she discovers that the magic surrounding the Encanto is now in danger.
| Coming 2 America |
| Director: Craig Brewer |
| Lead Roles: Eddie Murphy as Akeem |
| Video Release Date: March 5, 2021 by Amazon Studios |
| Keywords: Delayed Sequel, Unexpected Families, Family Comedy, Dysfunctional Family, Royalty |
| Classification: Original Screenplay, Comedy, Live Action, Contemporary Fiction |
Synopsis
From the lush and royal country of Zamunda, newly-crowned King Akeem and his trusted confidante Semmi embark on an all-new adventure that has them traversing the globe from their great African nation to the borough of Queens, New York—where it all began.
| Nobody |
| Director: Ilya Naishuller |
| Lead Roles: Bob Odenkirk as Hutch Mansell |
| Initial Theatrical Release: March 19, 2021 (Wide) (Russia (CIS)) |
| Keywords: Action Thriller, Disrupted by 2020 COVID-19 pandemic, Hitmen, Money Troubles, Mid-Life Crisis, Russian Mafia, Organized Crime, Out of Retirement, Revenge, Dysfunctional Family, False Identity |
| Classification: Original Screenplay, Thriller/Suspense, Live Action, Contemporary Fiction |
|
Domestic BO: $27,568,035 |
|
International BO: $29,944,435 |
Synopsis
Sometimes, the man you don’t notice is the most dangerous of all. Hutch Mansell is an underestimated and overlooked dad and husband, taking life’s indignities on the chin and never pushing back. A nobody. When two thieves break into his suburban home one night, Hutch declines to defend himself or his family, hoping to prevent serious violence. His teenage son, Blake, is disappointed in him, and his wife, Becca, seems to pull only further away. The aftermath of the incident strikes a match to Hutch’s long-simmering rage, triggering dormant instincts and propelling him on a brutal path that will surface dark secrets and lethal skills. In a barrage of fists, gunfire and squealing tires, Hutch must save his family from a dangerous adversary — and ensure that he will never be underestimated as a nobody again.