by Tim Gordon
As the past year comes to an end, we turn the page to the new year and look ahead to the films that will dot cineplexes in 2023. It’s time to look ahead to The Most Anticipated Movies of 2023.
House Party (January 13, 2023)
Thirty years after the original film, in this version, two best friends and club promoters throw a party in LeBron James’s house in this adaption of the beloved 1990 comedy.
Magic Mike’s Last Dance (February 10, 2023)
Channing Tatum is back for the third installment of the Magic Mike Franchise. While much is not known about the plot, we hear that the film ends with – wait for it – a 30-minute-long dance sequence. Salma Hayek co-stars in this film.
Ant-Man and The Wasp: Quantumania (Feb. 17)
Paul Rudd is back in the follow-up to Ant-Man and The Wasp. This film takes place down in the Quantum Realm, the secret universe below our own, where he meets Kang the Conqueror (Jonathan Majors), the MCU’s newest baddie.
Creed III (March 3)
Michael B. Jordan makes his directorial debut with the third installment of the Rocky spinoff. His character, Adonis “Donnie” Creed, must get in the ring with an old friend-turned-rival (played by Jonathan Majors), who has a score to settle.
Shazam! Fury of the Gods (March 17)
Shazam (Zachary Levi), the adult superhero alter ego of teen Billy Batson (Asher Angel), is experiencing a crisis of confidence. He doesn’t think he deserves his god-like powers, and the Daughters of Atlas—the goddesses Hespera (Helen Mirren), Kalypso (Lucy Liu), and Anthea (Rachel Zegler)—agree. Stay tuned for mayhem . . .
Chevalier (April 7)
Stefani Robinson wrote the screenplay for this historic story where Kelvin Harrison, Jr. plays the Chevalier de Saint-Georges, a prolific French-Caribbean composer from the 18th century, known as “Black Mozart.” The period piece looks at how the musical prodigy’s relationship with Marie Antoinette—and its eventual fallout—led him to reexamine his place in French high society.
Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 (May 5)
The team of misfits returns, led by Peter Quill (Chris Pratt), in an attempt to make the world a more peaceful place. But when one of their own needs their help they embark on a dangerous mission that could mean the end of the Guardians.
Fast X (May 19)
The penultimate installment of the Fast & Furious franchise remains a mystery, but with a reported budget of $340 million as well as notable castings of Brie Larson, Rita Moreno, and Jason Momoa, it’s clear that Dom and his crew are pulling out all the stops for its final run.
The Little Mermaid (May 26)
Head under the sea with Halle Bailey, who plays Ariel in the live-action musical remake of the Disney animated classic that also features Daveed Diggs, Awkwafina, Javier Bardem, and Melissa McCarthy as Ursula.
Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse (June 2)
The much-anticipated sequel to Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse reconvenes with Miles Morales (Shameik Moore) and his superhero crew, which includes a few new Spideys from the multiverse: Miguel O’Hara, a.k.a Spider-Man 2099 (Oscar Isaac), Hobie Brown, a.k.a Spider-Punk (Daniel Kaluuya), and Jessica Drew, a.k.a Spider-Woman (Issa Rae). Their enemy this time around is The Spot (voiced by Jason Schwartzman), who has the ability to open interdimensional portals and has a surprising connection to Miles.
Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning, Part One (July 14)
Like every other Mission: Impossible movie, the mysterious seventh installment of the action series has Tom Cruise performing some of the most dangerous stunts ever put to screen. The film also features Eugene Kittridge (Henry Czerny), the former director of the IMF in 1996’s Mission: Impossible, who is back to antagonize Ethan Hunt (Cruise). A sign that Ethan’s past is catching up to him in ways he never imagined.
The Marvels (July 28)
Captain Marvel (Brie Larson) is teaming up with Kamala Khan/Ms. Marvel (Iman Vellani) and S.W.O.R.D. agent Monica Rambeau (Teyonah Parris) in the Nia DaCosta-directed sequel to 2019’s Captain Marvel, which deals with the fallout of WandaVision and Ms. Marvel.
Dune: Part Two (Nov. 3)
Denis Villeneuve’s sci-fi epic picks up where Part One left off: Paul Atreides (Timothée Chalamet) is out to avenge his father and save the universe with help from Chani (Zendaya) and the Freman, the keepers of the spice. Florence Pugh, Austin Butler, and Christopher Walken join the already illustrious cast of the sequel.
Wonka (Dec. 15)
Wonka picks up long before Charlie visits his chocolate factory when Willy Wonka (Timothée Chalamet) was just an eccentric teen who wanted to share his candy creations with the world. Chalamet’s co-stars, Olivia Colman and Keegan-Michael Key are already raving about his performance in the musical prequel.
The Color Purple (Dec. 20)
The musical adaptation of the Broadway show based on Alice Walker’s novel follows Celie (Fantasia), a Black woman coming of age in the 1900s south. The film also stars Taraji P. Henson, Corey Hawkins, Danielle Brooks, Colman Domingo, and H.E.R., who makes her feature film debut.
Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom (Dec. 25)
Aquaman (Jason Momoa) must make friends with an unlikely ally to help save the world from an ancient evil. He’ll reportedly have another friend by his side in the James Wan-directed sequel: Ben Affleck’s Batman.