2023 Movie Preview – What to Watch from ‘Quantumania’ to ‘John Wick’ and ‘Barbie’
Next year will bring movies from DC, Marvel, and other favorite franchises and directors. Mark your calendar, so you don’t miss any of these!
Ant-Man and The Wasp: Quantumania – February 17
The cast includes Paul Rudd, Evangeline Lilly, Michael Douglas, Michelle Pfeiffer, Kathryn Newton as Cassie Lang, and Jonathan Majors as Kang the Conquerer. MODOK will also appear, but no actor has been formally attached.
“Scott Lang and Hope Van Dyne, along with Hank Pym and Janet Van Dyne, explore the Quantum Realm, where they interact with strange creatures and embark on an adventure that goes beyond the limits of what they thought was possible.”
Scream VI – March 10
Melissa Barrera, Jasmin Savoy Brown, Mason Gooding, Jenna Ortega, Hayden Panettiere, and Courteney Cox return for the latest chapter in the franchise. The studio is tight-lipped about the plot, which I appreciate beyond this one-line synopsis:
“The Scream saga continues with the four survivors of the Ghostface killings as they leave Woodsboro behind and start a fresh chapter.”
Shazam! Fury of the Gods – March 17
Director David F. Sandberg and writer Henry Gayden, who led the first movie, are back for a new story. This one is all about family and saving the Earth from evil. Zachary Levi and Asher Angel are back, along with Jack Dylan Grazer and the rest of the kids and their superhero counterparts. Helen Mirren plays Hespera, Lucy Liu is Kalypso, and Derek Russo is Atlas.
John Wick: Chapter 4 – March 24
Joining Reeves in John Wick: Chapter 4 are Lance Reddick, Rina Sawayama, Donnie Yen, Shamier Anderson, Bill Skarsgård, Hiroyuki Sanada, Scott Adkins, and Clancy Brown. Ian McShane is back as Winston, the manager of the Continental Hotel.
“With the price on his head ever increasing, legendary hitman John Wick takes his fight against the High Table global as he seeks out the most powerful players in the underworld, from New York to Paris to Japan to Berlin.”
Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves – March 31
Hollywood tries to adapt D&D again – and this time, it looks pretty dang good. The cast includes Chris Pine, Michelle Rodriguez, Regé-Jean Page as Xenk, Justice Smith, Sophia Lillis, Hugh Grant, Jason Wong, and Daisy Head.
A charming thief and a band of unlikely adventurers undertake an epic heist to retrieve a lost relic, but things go dangerously awry when they run afoul of the wrong people. Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves brings the rich world and playful spirit of the legendary roleplaying game to the big screen in a hilarious and action-packed adventure.
Evil Dead Rise – April 21
It was elevated from HBOMax Original to theatrical release this fall, so someone at Warner Bros. believes in the power of horror movies. Sam Raimi and Bruce Campbell are executive producers.
Two sisters find themselves in a fight for their lives when an ancient book gives birth to bloodthirsty demons that run amok in a Los Angeles apartment building.
via Warner Bros.
Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 – May 5
James Gunn is back in the director’s chair. The movie sees the return of Chris Pratt, Dave Bautista, Vin Diesel, Karen Gillan, Pom Klementieff, Sean Gunn, and Elizabeth Debicki as Ayesha. Also joining the film is Maria Balakova as Cosmo the Space Dog, Will Poulter as Adam Warlock, and Chukwudi Iwuji as The High Evolutionary.
Fast X – May 19
The franchise that’s all about family returns with the main cast for a new, high-octane-fueled story.
Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse – June 2
The cast brings back Shameik Moore, Jake Johnson, Hailee Steinfeld, and director Joaquim Dos Santos. New cast members include Jonathan Majors, Glen Powell, Christina Jackson, Thomas Sadoski, Joe Jonas, Jason Schwartzman, and Issa Rae. Writers Phil Lord and Christopher Miller are back at the helm.
After reuniting with Gwen Stacy, Brooklyn’s full-time, friendly neighborhood Spider-Man is catapulted across the Multiverse, where he encounters a team of Spider-People charged with protecting its very existence. But when the heroes clash on how to handle a new threat, Miles finds himself pitted against the other Spiders and must redefine what it means to be a hero so he can save the people he loves most.
Transformers: Rise of the Beasts – June 9
The cast includes Peter Cullen as Optimus Prime and Ron Perlman as Optimus Primal. The sequel is directed by Steven Caple Jr. (Transformers: Earthspark). Michael Bay is (of course) an executive producer.
Transformers: Rise of the Beasts will take audiences on a ’90s globetrotting adventure and introduce the Maximals, Predacons, and Terrorcons to the existing battle on Earth between Autobots and Decepticons.
Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny – June 30
Indy takes on Space Nazis in this sequel.
Harrison Ford returns as the legendary hero archaeologist in the highly anticipated fifth installment of the iconic “Indiana Jones” franchise, directed by James Mangold (Ford v Ferrari, Logan). Starring along with Ford are Phoebe Waller-Bridge, Antonio Banderas, John Rhys-Davies, Toby Jones, and Mads Mikkelsen. Steven Spielberg and George Lucas are serving as executive producers. John Williams, who has scored each Indy adventure since the original “Raiders of the Lost Ark” in 1981, is once again composing the score.
Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning, Part One – July 14
It’s hooking into Fallout, but nothing is known about the story beyond that. Christopher McQuarrie is writing/directing again, and the core cast that’s been a part of the franchise for nearly 30 years is back. That includes Tom Cruise, Ving Rhames, Simon Pegg, and Rebecca Ferguson. Esai Morales (who played Deathstroke in Titans) will be playing one of the antagonists the crew has to deal with.
Oppenheimer – July 21
Oppenheimer follows the life of physicist J. Robert Oppenheimer, the man credited with inventing the atomic bomb. Christopher Nolan is writing, directing, and producing. Cillian Murphy leads the star-studded cast as J. Robert Oppenheimer. It includes Emily Blunt, Matt Damon, Robert Downey, Jr., Josh Hartnett, Florence Pugh, Benny Safdie, Michael Angarano, Rami Malek, and Kenneth Branagh.
Barbie – July 21
Greta Gerwig’s long-awaited take on the iconic doll. The cast is led by Margot Robbie as Barbie and includes Ryan Gosling, Will Farrell, Issa Rae, Simu Liu, Michael CeraRhea Perlman, and Emerald Fennell.
After being expelled from Barbieland for being a less than perfect-looking doll, Barbie sets off for the human world to find true happiness.
The Marvels – July 28
Not much is known about the sequel to 2019’s Captain Marvel. It will feature stars Carol Danvers/Captain Marvel, Kamala Khan/Ms. Marvel, and Monica Rambeau, and it is directed by Nia DaCosta.
Blue Beetle – August 18
Another movie moved from HBOMax to theaters. Blue Beetle is based on the third iteration of the DC character created by Keith Ian Giffen.
Mexican-American teenager Jaime Reyes gains super powers when a mysterious scarab binds to his spine and provides him with a powerful suit of blue alien armor.
Kraven the Hunter – October 6
The renowned game hunter from Spider-Man’s corner of the Marvel universe is coming to the screen. Aaron Taylor Johnson has been cast in the titular role. Ariana DeBose joins him as Calypso, and Fred Hechinger as Dmitri Smerdyakov/Chameleon.
Dune: Part Two – November 3
The cast that made it out of Part 1 alive is returning. Christopher Walken joins them as Emperor Shaddam Corrino IV, Florence Pugh as Princess Irulan, and Austin Butler as Feyd Rautha.
“This follow-up film will explore the mythic journey of Paul Atreides. He unites with Chani and the Fremen while on a warpath of revenge against the conspirators who destroyed his family. Facing a choice between the love of his life and the fate of the known universe, he endeavors to prevent a terrible future only he can foresee.”
via Warner Bros.
Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom – December 25
Jason Mamoa returns for what’s likely his last turn as Aquaman (based on what’s been going on at DC Films). The cast includes Willem Dafoe, Patrick Wilson, Dolph Lundgren, Yahya Abdul-Mateen II, Temuera Morrison, Nicole Kidman, and Amber Heard.
Aquaman forges an uneasy alliance with an unlikely ally in a bid to save Atlantis and the rest of the planet.
