The Monumental 2021 Movies Quiz

King Kong (initially appeared in a 1933 movie) and Godzilla (originally from a Japanese 1954 film) made their first cinematic standoff in 2021's Godzilla vs. Kong that hit theaters and HBO Max simultaneously on Mar. 26.

Sacha Baron Cohen was the only actor to land two acting nominations in the 2021 Golden Globe Awards. He won the best actor in a comedy or musical award for Borat Subsequent Moviefilm. He was nominated (but didn't win) for best supporting actor for his performance in The Trial of the Chicago 7. The awards ceremony aired on Feb. 28.

The Los Angeles Times revealed that no Black members were in the 87-person voting body of the Hollywood Foreign Press Association and that there hasn’t been one in at least twenty years. 

What’s new:

Within the first half-hour of the 2021 Golden Globes telecast, three members of the HFPA appeared on stage to pledge change. “We recognize we have our work to do,” said vice president Helen Hoehne. “We must have Black journalists in our organization.”

Nomadland won four awards At the 2021 British Academy Film Awards, including Best Film. Watch the film's trailer.

Chloé Zhao became the first woman of color to win the best director at the 2021 Academy Awards. She is also the youngest woman to win the award and the second woman to receive it in Oscars history.

Who was the youngest person to win the best director at the Oscars?

The youngest director to receive the Oscar for best director was Damien Chazelle in 2017 for La La Land.

Who was the first Asian to win the best director?

The first Asian to win the best director at the Oscars was Ang Lee for 2005's Brokeback Mountain, making him the first person of color to win the award.

Who was the first woman to win the Oscar for best director?

Kathryn Bigelow is the first woman to have won the Academy Award for best director for 2009's The Hurt Locker.

Glenn Close was nominated for 8 Oscars over the years, including 2021's "Hillbilly Elegy," but won none. She shares the record with Peter O'Toole (Lawrence of Arabia).

Anthony Hopkins won the best actor Oscar at the 93rd Academy Awards Sunday, April 25, 2021. Hopkins, 83, became the oldest ever acting Oscar winner. The honor was previously held by the late Christopher Plummer, 82 when he won for Beginners in 2011.

What role did Hopkins win the Oscar for in 2021?

Anthony Hopkins won for his performance as an elderly man with dementia in "The Father," directed by French novelist and playwright Florian Zeller.

What was Hopkins's previous Oscar win?

Anthony Hopkins won the best actor Oscar in 1994 for his role as Hannibal Lecter in "The Silence of the Lambs."

Emerald Fennell portrayed Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall, in the Netflix series The Crown. She then wrote and directed the comedy thriller film Promising Young Woman and won the Academy Award for Best Original Screenplay at Sunday's April 25, 2021, ceremony.

Bonus Fact

The second writing award of the evening went to Florian Zeller and Christopher Hampton, who took Best Adapted Screenplay for “The Father.”

While Cruella de Vil's original attire includes all of the above, the 2021 Cruella lacks the iconic cigarette holder featured in the original animated version of the beloved villain. “We are not allowed to smoke onscreen in a Disney film," Stone explained in a New York Times interview.

Michelle Rodriguez, Gal Gadot, and Eva Mendes all appeared in multiple Fast and Furious franchise movies.

Fast and Furious news fact:

In an interview with AP Thursday, June 10, 2021, Fast and Furious star Vin Diesel said that the saga would conclude after two more films following the upcoming ninth installment, “F9,” which hit theaters June 25. The actor said the final two films could potentially release in 2023, then 2024.

Lin-Manuel Miranda apologized Monday, June 14, 2021, in response to criticism that Afro-Latinos were underrepresented in his new film In The Heights. The film depicts a community with Dominican, Panamanian, Cuban, and Puerto Rican ancestry, many of whom have darker skin.  "I hear that without sufficient dark-skinned Afro-Latino representation, the work feels extractive of the community we wanted so much to represent with pride and joy," Miranda wrote. He added, "I'm learning from the feedback, and I thank you for raising it, and I'm listening. I'm trying to hold space for both the incredible pride in the movie we made and be accountable for our shortcomings."

Counting from Reservoir Dogs to Once Upon a Time in Hollywood (starring Brad Pitt and Leonardo DiCaprio), Quentin Tarantino directed nine full-featured films.

Fun fact: Tarantino confirmed he plans to retire after making one more film - his tenth - while promoting his “Once Upon a Time in Hollywood” novel on “Real Time With Bill Maher” on Friday. June 25, 2021.

Natasha Romanoff is the fictional character portrayed by Scarlett Johansson in the Marvel Universe film franchise — known by her alter ego, Black Widow.

Black Widow 2021

Directed by Cate Shortland, the 2021 film Black Widow sees Johansson's character return to Eastern Europe to reunite with former spies she believed were her relatives. The film opened in cinemas on July 7, 2021, and two days later on Disney+.

While viewers heard Adam Driver’s singing voice in one of 2013’s “Inside Llewyn Davis” movie songs, 2021’s Annette -  a fantastical musical starring Driver and Marion Cotillard - sees the actor in a full-fledged musical for the first time. Check out this official Annette movie clip - with Driver singing.

Annette News Fact

The 74th Cannes International Film Festival opened Tuesday, July 6, 2021, with “Annette” as the opening film. After the movie ended, the standing ovation went into its fifth minute, when Driver and his director, Leos Carax, both lit up cigarettes inside the theater, filled with maskless attendees. The 2020 Cannes Film Festival was canceled due to covid-19 restrictions.

The 2021 movie Jungle Cruise is based on a Disneyland riverboat attraction that opened in 1955 and is now located at four Disney theme parks worldwide: Disneyland, Magic Kingdom, Tokyo Disneyland, and Hong Kong Disneyland. Starring Dwayne Johnson as a riverboat captain and Emily Blunt as a scientist, "Jungle Cruise" opened on July 30, 2021, simultaneously in theaters and Disney+.

Jungle Cruise Fun Fact

The Jungle Cruise attraction was inspired by a 1955 Disney documentary, "The African Lion," about a pride of lions, and the film The African Queen, which inspired the ride's vehicles.

1984's movie Ghostbusters takes place in New York City, AKA The Big Apple.

Ghostbusters 2021

Sony Pictures' trailer for "Ghostbusters: Afterlife" was released on July 27, 2021. Starring Finn Wolfhard, McKenna Grace, Carrie Coon, and Paul Rudd, "Ghostbusters: Afterlife" was released on Nov. 11. The film's director, and co-writer, is Jason Reitman (Juno), son of the original Ghostbusters director Ivan Reitman. Watch the trailer.

“Free Guy” is an action-comedy starring Ryan Reynolds as a background character in a GTA-like videogame. The movie, released Aug. 13, 2021, opened better than expected over the weekend, collecting an estimated $28.4 million in ticket sales. On Saturday, Aug. 14, Reynolds announced that Disney (which owns 20th Century Studios) already wants a sequel. Watch the trailer.

Alfred Molina plays the evil Dr. Octopus in 2021's "Spider-Man: No Way Home" — the third Marvel Cinematic Universe Spider-Man film led by Tom Holland.

Dr. Otto Octavius Fact:

Alfred Molina first appeared as Dr. Otto Octavius In "Spider-Man 2," 17 years before "Spider-Man: No Way Home," as a mentor to Tobey Maguire's Peter Parker. A lab accident turns him into the murderous Doctor Octopus.

PAW Patrol: The Movie is the first to premiere on Paramount+ streaming service while simultaneously being released in theatres.

Image: Paramount+

PAW Patrol news facts:

Paramount backed the release of PAW Patrol: The Movie by an “eight-figure” marketing blitz. It involved partnerships with almost 200 companies - from Kellogg’s cereal to Best Western hotels - on purchase opportunities for toys and other products, many of which come with a free trial of Paramount+. The film was released Friday, Aug. 27, 2021.

Steven Knight wrote the 2021 film Spencer, starring Kristen Stuart as Princess Diana. He is also one of three creators of "Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?". Knight also scripted such films as  Stephen Frears's Dirty Pretty Things and David Cronenberg's Eastern Promises.

Is Kirsten Dunst nominated for an Oscar for Spencer?

On Feb. 9, 2022, Kristen Stewart received her first Oscar nomination for Princess Diana in "Spencer."

What is Spencer about?

The first trailer for Spencer was released just days before its premiere at the Venice film festival, Sep. 3, 2021. The film concentrates on three days over the 1991 Christmas period, where Diana chose to end her marriage to Charles. It's directed by Pablo Larraín (Jacky). Watch the trailer.

The only comedy feature film with Leonardo DiCaprio was 1998’s Woody Allen movie Celebrity. That is, until 2021.

Leonardo DiCaprio’s New Comedy News Fact

Netflix’s upcoming Don’t Look Up, directed by Adam McKay (Anchorman, Step Brothers), features Leonardo DiCaprio and Jennifer Lawrence as low-level astronomers. They discover a comet on a collision course with Earth, but no one seems to believe them. The cast includes Meryl Streep and Jonah Hill as the US President and her son, alongside Ron Perlman, Ariana Grande, Cate Blanchett, Tyler Perry, and others. The movie streams on Netflix starting December 24th, 2021, after premiering in select theaters on December 10th. Watch the trailer.