2022 was an amazing year for film, and 2023 is looking pretty incredible as well. We have our usual offerings from the MCU (we’re now in phase 5) as well as the DCEU, sequels to current franchises and also film releases from powerhouse directors.
To let you know which movies you should be looking forward to, we’ve compiled this list of upcoming movies you can expect to release in 2023. Here are the biggest new movies of 2023.
New Movies of 2023
1. M3GAN | January 6th, 2023
M3GAN set the internet ablaze with her amazing dance skills and feud with Chucky, and despite the January release we predict this movie’s going to get lots of people into the cinemas, just to see how gonzo things will get. The script is penned by Akela Cooper, from a story she devised together with James Wan, and as we all know, the pair worked on Malignant as well. As you can imagine, we’re expecting a no-holds-barred good time. Wan calls the movie Annabelle meets The Terminator, which is quite the description.
Directed by Gerard Johnstone, M3GAN follows Gemma (Allison Williams), a robotics engineer who designs a robot doll for her niece Cady (Violet McGraw) called M3GAN. M3GAN and Cady get along swimmingly, until M3GAN starts to develop a mind of her own and evolves into something that Gemma can’t control.
2. Magic Mike’s Last Dance | February 10th, 2023
It’s been 8 years since Magic Mike XXL dazzled us on the big screen. I was single then, I’m married now, a significant number of years have passed, y’know? Yet, demand for these Magic Mike movies are still very much there, and I’m sure audiences will be trooping in to see Channing Tatum work that stage once more.
Things don’t start out great for Mike in this third film. After a bad business deal left him broke, he takes on bartender gigs to get by. When he meets a wealthy socialite, played by Salma Hayek, she provides him with the opportunity to return to the stage for what he believes will be his last hurrah. But things aren’t what they seem, and she has a hidden agenda of her own.
Steven Soderbergh will be back in the director’s chair for this one, so hopefully this entry will be able to recapture the magic of the first movie.
3. Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania | February 17th, 2023
Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania is the first film to start off MCU’s phase 5. After the peak of phase 3, MCU’s phase 4 was merely alright, with some decent movies but quite a fair bit of mixed reactions. This movie does look promising, especially since we have Paul Rudd’s Ant-Man up against Jonathan Major’s Kang, and that’s a dynamic I’m eager to see play out.
Based on the trailer, a device built by Cassie – with good intentions – ends up trapping everyone in the Quantum Realm. The gang find themselves exploring the Quantum Realm, interacting with strange new creatures and embarking on an adventure that pushes them beyond the limits of what they thought was possible.
4. Creed III | March 3rd, 2023
2023 is a big year for Jonathan Majors. He’s the antagonist in Ant-Man, and he faces off with Michael B. Jordan’s Adonis Creed in Creed III. Jordan is making his directorial debut with this movie, and he took advice from actors like Denzel Washington and Bradley Cooper, who have experience directing themselves on screen.
Adonis Creed is thriving in his career and family life, and dominates the world of boxing. Things take a turn when Damian (Majors), a childhood friend, comes back into his life after serving time in prison. Damian believes he deserves a shot in the ring, and now Adonis must fight a man who has nothing to lose.
5. Scream 6 | March 10th, 2023
In 2022, we got a requel with Scream (2022), with new final girls Sam (Melissa Barerra) and Tara (Jenna Ortega), and Sidney taking a step back as main character after being the centre of things for four movies. Barerra and Ortega are returning, and so are Jasmin Savoy Brown and Mason Gooding. Unfortunately, Neve Campbell will not come back Sidney Prescott, due to salary dispute issues. Scream 6 is the first movie to not have Sidney, which is certainly a bummer since Campbell has done such a stellar job with the character over the years.
However, Courteney Cox will be back, and surprisingly, so will Hayden Panettiere, who played Kirby in Scream 4. Things will pick up from where the previous movie left off, only this time we’re not in Woodsboro anymore. The setting for the 6th film will be in New York, and that’s as much as we know for now.
6. Shazam! Fury of the Gods | March 17th, 2023
You might be a little confused to see Shazam! Fury of the Gods on the 2023 movie slate, given that it was supposed to be released in December this year. The main reason is James Cameron’s Avatar: The Way of Water, which has a December release, and this would have put Shazam 2 in direct competition with the heavyweight blockbuster.
Director David F. Sanberg took to Twitter to explain that Avatar 2 is taking up all the big screens and leaving standard, smaller screens for other films. While disappointing, the shift makes sense, and gives Shazam 2 a greater opportunity to shine at the box office.
In this sequel, Shazam and company will be taking on the Daughters of Atlas, Hespera and Kalypso, played by Helen Mirren and Lucy Liu. From the trailer, it appears that the Daughters of Atlas believe that Billy and the rest stole the powers of the Gods, and wants them to give it back. Somehow there are also creatures being conjured wanting to tear the world apart? We’ll see how it all comes together when the movie makes its debut in 2023.
7. John Wick: Chapter 4 | March 24th, 2023
What started out as a simple revenge movie has evolved into a franchise that’s so well-executed. From the trailer alone John Wick: Chapter 4 promises all of the fun things the previous movies had – location hopping and stellar fight choreography. With every film, the cast list gets more and more impressive. For this fourth film, we have a whole host of new cast members: Bill Skarsgard, Donnie Yen, and Clancy Brown.
Skarsgard will play The Marquis, one of the antagonists John Wick finds himself up against. He’ll likely be a direct threat to John Wick and The Bowery King (Laurence Fishburne) as they plot to take on the High Table. Derek Kolstad – who scripted the past three movies – will not be returning for this one. Director Chad Stahelski will still be helming this fourth film, so expect a thrilling good time.
8. Dungeons and Dragons: Honor Among Thieves | March 31st, 2023
The previous D&D movies were quite the duds, but Paramount Pictures hopes to give it a valiant shot with this latest attempt. In the film, a band of thieves undertake an epic heist to retrieve a lost relic, but as expected things go dangerously awry when they mess with the wrong people.
The movie has such a talented cast onboard, with the likes of Chris Pine, Michelle Rodriguez, Regé-Jean Page, Justice Smith, Sophia Lillis and Hugh Grant; Grant will most likely play the villain. From the trailer alone the movie does capture the essence of playing D&D, with a whole host of creatures and solid banter between the characters, so fingers crossed it lives up to the hype. It’s also co-directed by Jonathan Goldstein and John Francis Daley, who helmed the hilarious Game Night, which bodes well for this movie.
9. Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 | May 5th, 2023
This third film will finally reveal how Rocket Raccoon came to be, and may also be the conclusion for one of the characters. There were no dry eyes in the house when the trailer was released, as it’s clear to all that someone will die in James Gunn’s final film with our Marvel heroes. Chris Pratt, Dave Bautista, Pom Klementieff, Karen Gillan, Sean Gunn, Zoe Saldaña – not forgetting Vin Diesel and Bradley Cooper – are all back for this one. Will Poulter also joins the cast as the much-anticipated Adam Warlock.
There isn’t much else known about the plot of the film, but considering the quality of the other Guardians of the Galaxy movies, I’m sure Gunn will deliver an action-packed, poignant end for this trilogy.
10. Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse (Part One) | June 2nd, 2023
Considering how successful Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse was, it’s no surprise that we’re getting a sequel, well, a whole franchise really, since this is only part one of two films. Sony has already released the first look for the animated film, and needless to say fans are giddy with excitement. The visuals look great, capturing the aesthetic of the comics while also retaining the fluidity and dynamism one expects in an animated film.
As we all know, the Kingpin ordered the construction of a Super-Collider in the previous movie, which caused various Spider-People from different universes to land in the current one. This allowed Miles and Gwen to connect and have a friendship, and at the end of the movie, Gwen finds a way to contact Miles despite being from a different universe. So this movie will be an exploration of how, and of course, there will be a supervillain to take on along the way.
11. Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny | June 30th, 2023
Indiana Jones has gotten a lot of attention recently, as some have been speculating that this latest film will have Indiana Jones pass the baton to his goddaughter, played by Phoebe Waller-Bridge in this latest installment. This would allow them to continue the franchise without Harrison Ford. Director James Mangold took to twitter to set the record straight, reiterating passionately that Indiana Jones is still very much in the film and he isn’t being erased.
We find Indy enjoying a quiet life, still working as a professor, though somewhere along the way his adventures will begin again. The movie deals with Indy’s history with Nazis, and from the trailer, things weave between the past and present, leaving many to speculate that some element of time travel may be involved. It’ll be great to see Harrison Ford take up the whip again, and regardless if it’s his last film as Indy or not, let’s just enjoy the time we get to have with the character while we can.
12. Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One | July 14th, 2023
This movie was on the list last year, since it was scheduled to premiere on September 30, 2022 after several delays due to the pandemic. However, Paramount Pictures and Skydance decided to postpone the release dates for Mission: Impossible 7 and 8 in response to delays due to the ongoing pandemic. This current release date seems to be sticking, so hopefully we’ll get to the 7th installment of the Mission: Impossible series next year.
There isn’t much known about the film plot-wise, but the cast comprises of quite a few familiar faces. Tom Cruise is of course reprising his lead role as Ethan Hunt. Besides Cruise, Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One will also see the return of Ving Rhames, Henry Czerny, Simon Pegg, Rebecca Ferguson, Vanessa Kirby, and Frederick Schmidt, all of whom will be back in their old roles from the previous films. The film’s primary villain will be played by Esai Morales.
13. Barbie | July 21st, 2023
Greta Gerwig proved what a filmmaking force she is with Lady Bird and Little Women, and now audiences can’t wait to see what else she has up her sleeve in this Barbie adaptation. Gerwig co-wrote the script with her partner Noah Baumbach, so audiences are expecting something incredible, even if the plot description sounds a bit basic.
The film will centre on a Barbie doll (Margot Robbie) living in Barbieland, who’s forced into exile due to her so-called imperfections. This causes her to set off on an adventure in the real world and discovering along the way that perfection can only truly be found within. As most of us would know, Ryan Gosling will play Barbie’s boyfriend, Ken. Other notable actors in the movie are Will Ferrell, Kate McKinnon, America Ferrera, Emerald Fennell, Emma Mackey and Ncuti Gatwa.
Mackey’s involvement caused quite the twitter meltdown, since so many have seen the resemblance between Mackey and Robbie for years, leading viewers to speculate that Mackey will most likely play one of Barbie’s sisters in the movie.
14. Oppenheimer | July 21st, 2023
Oppenheimer is based on the life of theoretical physicist and “the father of the Atomic bomb” J. Robert Oppenheimer. This is Nolan’s first time attempting a biopic, but obviously considering his modus operandi, don’t expect a standard biopic with this one. Nolan’s last film Tenet wasn’t quite the hit we expected it to be, due to many feeling that it was inaccessible given the auditory choices Nolan made. While the movie may not have lived up to Nolan’s ambition, it still has a lot going for it, and is quite the vibe, especially if you watch it at home with subtitles.
There’s a running joke about the competition between Barbie and Oppenheimer, since both are released on the same day and each film is casting such talented actors. For Oppenheimer we have Cillian Murphy as the titular character, and actors like Kenneth Branagh, Emily Blunt, Robert Downey Jr., Matt Damon, Florence Pugh, Rami Malek, Benny Safdie, Jack Quaid and many more.
15. Dune: Part Two | November 3rd, 2023
The first Dune focused on the Atreides family, who are given the rulership of Arrakis by the Emperor. The movie ended with Paul (Timothée Chalamet) and his mother Lady Jessica (Rebecca Ferguson) as the sole survivors of the Atreides clan.
Those familiar with Frank Herbert’s novel will have a rough idea of what this second movie will focus on, but to those of that don’t, Dune: Part Two will cover Paul’s rise to power among the Fremen. He plans to lead them in rebellion against the Harkonnens, which will hopefully result in the liberation of Arrakis, the overthrow of Padishah Emperor Shaddam IV, and the installation of Paul as the new ruler of the known universe.
So yeah, lots happening in this second installment. Dune was already 155 minutes, who knows how long this second epic movie will be? Best to follow James Cameron’s bathroom break advice when it comes to hours long movies like this – that you can go anytime, just see the part you missed when you see the movie again.
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