Part of our excitement for a new calendar year is the fact that we have so many new movies to look forward to. The 2023 movies that are already on the calendar are exciting and full of potential. Some, like DUNE: PART TWO are movies we've anticipated for a while. Others, like BARBIE, are titles we wouldn't have expected to be excited about, but trailers changed our mind fast. (Seriously, check out the BARBIE trailer if you haven't seen it!)
So here's a list of the 2023 movies we can't wait to see — or at least some of them. This is not a comprehensive list of movies coming out in 2023. Many upcoming movies haven't even been announced yet, so there will be a lot more than this to look forward to. That said, here's a list of movies with confirmed 2023 release dates that we can't wait to see.
(Note: That "confirmed release dates" part means that some movies like SALEM'S LOT and Scorsese's KILLERS OF THE FLOWER MOON aren't on this list. We can't wait to see those, too.)
Magic Mike's Last Dance
The first two MAGIC MIKE movies were wonderful surprises. This third will hopefully continue the tradition. The fact that Stephen Soderbergh returns to write and direct this final chapter is merely the icing on the cake. [February 10]
Ant-Man and The Wasp: Quantumania
The ANT-MAN movies have been slight deviations from much of the rest of the Marvel cinematic universe. They're fun, almost standalone adventures. This one is a little bit different, as Jonathan Majors gets a chance to take center stage as the villain Kang, thereby setting up the next couple of years of conflict in Marvel's universe. [February 17]
Creed III
Jonathan Majors isn't just a big player in the ANT-MAN sequel. He's also in the third CREED movie, playing a mean-spirited challenger from Adonis Creed's past. This one is also special because it marks the directorial debut of star Michael B. Jordan. [March 3]
Scream VI
It took a long time to get the fifth SCREAM movie going, but fans responded in a big way. It's great to see a new movie turned around so quickly – and we're eager to see what happens when the characters (and Ghostface) relocate to New York City. [March 10]
Shazam! Fury of the Gods
The first SHAZAM! is one of the most classically "comic book" superhero movies, and the Shazam family expands with this sequel. In addition to all of the returning characters, we get to see Helen Mirren and Lucy Liu as villains. Sign us up. [March 17]
John Wick: Chapter 4
The JOHN WICK movies have all been bright stars in the American action movie firmament. Each installment has upped the ante in terms of hard-hitting fight choreography. We don't know how they can top CHAPTER 3, which means we're going to be first in line to find out. [March 24]
The Super Mario Bros. Movie
For decades, the original movie adaptation of the Mario video games was pretty much the poster child for what not to do with a video game adaptation. Now, Nintendo has partnered with Illumination Entertainment, makers of the MINIONS movies, to create a film that looks incredibly faithful to the games while also having an identity of its own. [April 7]
Evil Dead Rise
Horror has been a consistently entertaining part of the cinematic landscape over the last few years. This movie was originally going to be a streaming-only affair, and we couldn't be happier that it will now open in movie theaters. Like the new SCREAM movie, this film also pushes the scenario into a new city setting. There's no cabin in EVIL DEAD RISE, but we expect plenty of nasty, gruesome Deadites to fill that void. [April 21]
Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3
James Gunn's space-faring saga has been one of the high points of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Thankfully, Gunn returns to write and direct this final chapter in the Guardians story. We're going to learn about Rocket Raccoon's shocking origin, and say goodbye to the Guardians as we know them. [May 5]
Fast X
Universal's fantastic #family franchise comes in for the first stage of its landing, now with Louis Leterrier in the pilot's seat. We don't know what insane set pieces and action concepts leterrier and his team are cooking up for FAST X, but after a brush with space in the previous movie, it seems only natural that Dom should get a chance to look down on Earth from above. [May 19]
Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse
We haven't been shy about our love for INTO THE SPIDER-VERSE, and this sequel looks like it pushes animation and comic book adaptations even further. Spider-Man and Gwen bounce off to a dimension where they'll meet even more incarnations of Spider-Man and face a very unusual villain. [June 2]
The Flash
The fastest man in the DC universe has somehow been the slowest to get a solo movie. This summer we will see multiple incarnations of the Flash, and the return of Michael Keaton as the Batman who was chronicled in Tim Burton's benchmark-setting 1989 movie. What does all this mean for the Scarlet Speedster? We don't know exactly, and we expect to be surprised. [June 23]
Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny
Stories of the development of a fifth Indiana Jones movie have floated around Hollywood for so long that the film seems like the sort of artifact Indy himself might go after. But now James Mangold has picked up where Steven Spielberg left off, directing Harrison Ford in a return of – and probably a sendoff for – one of the greatest modern movie characters. [June 30]
Mission: Impossible - Dead Reckoning, Part One
The new M:I movie continues the story that has been developing over the last few films in the series. But let's be honest: The story is nice, but it's not the main draw. The real attraction, of course, is that Tom Cruise continues to perform ever-more impressive stunts. Just watch this video of Cruise's preparation and execution of a frankly unbelievable motorcycle jump to see what we mean. [July 14]
Oppenheimer
Christopher Nolan returns with a darkly realistic portrait of Robert J Oppenheimer, man commonly known as the Father of the Atomic Bomb. Cillian Murphy plays Oppenheimer in a movie that we expect to blend a detailed character study with terrifying visions of the power that Oppenheimer unleashed. [July 21]
Barbie
We didn't expect to be so eager to see a movie version of Mattel's long-running Barbie toy line. But with filmmaker Greta Gerwig directing the action, and Margot Robbie and Ryan Gosling in the primary roles, our attitude shifted fast. The lovely teaser trailer, with suggestions of grand musical numbers and a giant-sized homage to 2001: A SPACE ODYSSEY, confirmed that BARBIE might be one of the movies we most want to see in 2023. [July 21]
Dune: Part Two
For the longest time, a new adaptation of "Dune" seemed like a dream that might never come to pass. Not only did Denis Villeneuve create a terrific vision, but DUNE has become more of a cultural landmark than we dared hope for. The sequel will finish the story chronicled in Frank Herbert's original novel — and hopefully points towards more adaptations of Herbert's increasingly strange "Dune" novels. [November 3]
Wonka
The idea of a prequel explaining how Willy Wonka became, well, Willy Wonka, might not be the most exciting thing on this list. But WONKA comes from director Paul King, who turned two PADDINGTON movies into absolute classics. Between his guidance and the power of stars like Timothée Chalamet, Olivia Coleman, and Sally Hawkins, we are more than sweetly curious to see what WONKA is cooking up. [December 15]
The Color Purple
Steven Spielberg's original movie adaptation of "The Color Purple," released in 1985, has some terrific elements, but it also feels like a movie that Spielberg wasn't quite ready to make. Now, Alice Walker's novel is adopted anew, with an exciting cast. [December 20]
Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom
This may well be the swan song for the Zack Snyder version of the DC Comic Book movie universe, but is so, what better way to conclude than with the second chapter of Aquaman's underwater adventure? James Wan knocked the original AQUAMAN out of the park, and we expect him to top all of his prior achievements with the sequel. [December 25]
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All images courtesy of Warner Bros. Pictures.