Tomorrow marks the beginning of a new year. 2020 has had its ups and downs, but we can still look back fondly on…on…well, at least on chunks of the year.

For one thing, although several shows and games were delayed, we still saw some pretty stellar releases this year. And 2021 looks just as bright for new media. We don’t pretend to keep up with all of the new things coming out. Just looking at the sheer number of Star Wars and Marvel shows that Disney announced a few weeks ago makes us a bit dizzy.

But we are looking forward to several new releases in 2021. And that’s what we wanted to talk about today: some of the books, movies, shows, and games that we’re looking forward to in the new year. We’ve limited each list to only a few, but there are certainly many more we could have included. If something you’re looking forward to didn’t make the list, do let us know in the comments below so we can check it out too!

Upcoming Books

Dark Waters by Katherine Arden

We’re pretty obsessed with the Small Spaces quartet right now. Even though this is a middle grade series, it is seriously creepy and Michela doesn’t like to read it after dark. After devouring Small Spaces and Dead Voices, we can’t wait for the third book, Dark Waters, to come out. This third book in what will be a four-book series continues the story of Ollie Adler and her friends Coco Zintner and Brian Battersby as they attempt to escape the Smiling Man, who is furious that they have escaped his clutches not once but twice now. It’ll be a long wait still. If COVID doesn’t delay its publication, it will be released on August 3, 2021.

The Lion of Mars by Jennifer L. Holm

We read (and loved) Jennifer L. Holm’s book The Fourteenth Goldfish earlier this year. It had just enough sci-fi to give it some spice. So we were excited to hear that she has a new book coming out on January 5: The Lion of Mars. According to the description, The Lion of Mars tells the tale of a young boy on Mars. When all of the adults on the planet get sick, it’s up to him to save his family (and possibly unite a planet on the side–you know, the usual fare for pre-adolescent children). It sounds like a fun story, and we’re nothing if not suckers for a good story.

Upcoming Movies

Earwig and the Witch

Earwig and the Witch, by our absolute favorite Studio Ghibli, is an obvious departure from Ghibli’s traditional animation style. It follows the story of Earwig, an orphaned girl, who is adopted by a witch who promises to teach her magic. 

We aren’t yet sure how we feel about the new CGI style, and kind of wish Ghibli had just stuck to their traditional hand-drawn animation for this one. But because it’s Ghibli, we’re going to watch it anyway because we watch all Ghibli’s films at least once. (And, in the case of the super sad ones like Grave of the Fireflies, only once.) 

Death on the Nile

We are Agatha Christie fans. Ben has been on a bit of a crusade this past year to read all of her mysteries, including Death on the Nile. The book was gripping, so we were pleasantly surprised to learn that not only will there be a film adaptation in 2021, but it comes from Kenneth Branagh! He starred as Poirot in the recent film adaptation of Murder on the Orient Express, and he’s back again for Death on the Nile. We liked the last film, so we eagerly await what’s in store in Death on the Nile. The film is set to release in September 2021. 

Luca

Disney/Pixar’s upcoming film Luca focuses on two young boys in Italy as they become friends–but one of them is secretly a sea monster. Also, there’s gelato and pasta! We don’t really know much else beyond that. But it’s set in Italy, and it’s Pixar, so it has to be good. 

Upcoming TV Shows

Carmen Sandiego

While Season 3 of Carmen Sandiego did not end on quite-so-intense a cliffhanger as Season 2, there’s still plenty driving us to watch Season 4. We’ve already shared our thoughts on the series, but it’s worth repeating that we love this show. It’s great for families, and we get a kick out of it. Luckily, we don’t have to wait too long. Season 4 comes out January 15 on Netflix.

The Mandalorian

The Mandalorian cemented its place in the Star Wars favorites list upon arrival. We’ll admit that we had a few gripes about the first season, but what we have seen of Season 2 seemed much better. However, we do still need to catch up on Season 2 of The Mandalorian. We’ve been busy with The Clone Wars TV series and decided to wait to finish Season 2 of The Mandalorian until we made it through the animated series. Fortunately for us, we have plenty of time. The Mandalorian isn’t expected to release until December 2021 (at the same time as the new Boba Fett series, which should also be an interesting one).

Upcoming Video Games

Super Mario 3D World + Bowser’s Fury

Mario is a Nintendo staple. We have to admit that we haven’t played all of his games (sorry!), but we have played most of the 3D Mario titles. Ben really enjoyed Super Mario 3D Land on the 3DS. But neither of us had a Wii U, so we completely missed Super Mario 3D World when it released back in 2013. It looks crazy fun, though, and we can’t wait to run around as car versions of Mario and Luigi. The Switch Version also comes with some additional content called “Bowser’s Fury.” If Bowser weren’t a pushover who uses cakes, turtles, and hairy gumdrops to carry out his evil plans, that fury might be a bit more intimidating. Super Mario 3D World + Bowser’s Fury releases on February 12.

Mineko’s Night Market

Mineko’s Night Market has been in production limbo for a long time, but Nintendo’s website says it’s supposed to release sometime in 2021. (It’s also supposed to come to Steam.) We don’t know too much about it, but it just looks so darn cute! Apparently, you get to help a struggling village get back on its feet with crafts, cooking, and cats. What could be better than that?

Our Longshot Wishlist

The items in this section do not have official release windows in 2021 as of this writing. In fact, most of them do not have release windows…at all. None. So, this bit is mostly just wishful thinking on our part.

Breath of the Wild 2

We’ve constantly said that The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild is our favorite game ever. When the trailer for the game’s sequel hit at E3 2019, we were over the moon. All we have so far is that initial trailer, but this year is Zelda’s 35th Anniversary. How could they not give us a fantastic new Zelda to play?

Hollow Knight: Silk Song

Hollow Knight took us by surprise when we played it in 2019. Great visuals, beautiful music, and challenging gameplay combined to make a stunning game. Like the rest of the Internet, we’ve been waiting for more news on the sequel, Silk Song, for some time. We should get news soon (pretty please, Team Cherry?). And hopefully that news is “it’s coming in 2021, so buckle up buttercup.”

Skyward Book 3, by Brandon Sanderson

Probably the longest shot on this list is the third book in the Skyward series. We really enjoyed the first two books, Skyward and Starsight, and we’ve anxiously awaited the release of the third book in the series. Unfortunately, according to Brandon Sanderson’s website, it’s still in the early stages of production. But the fact that it even has a progress bar on his website is a good sign. Maybe it’ll hit lightspeed production and arrive on our shelf in late 2021. Doubtful, but you never know.

And that about wraps it up. Lots of good stuff coming, and we think this year will be a good one. On top of all of the amazing media coming out in 2021, we’re excited to keep providing your family with recommendations and tips for geeking out together. We’ve got some good stuff planned, so be sure to subscribe to our email list so you don’t miss any updates.

What are you looking forward to in the new year? Comment below to let us know!

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Feature image by zekkotek on Unsplash