10 Movies Releasing in 2023

Following up a critically and commercially successful 2022 in the film industry after several years of hardship, movie studios have set the stage for 2023 to be incredibly exciting at the theater. In anticipation of the new year in film, the following list contains 10 major movies releasing in 2023:

1. The Super Mario Bros. Movie (April 7^th, 2023) directed by Aaron Horvath and Michael Jelenic

The Super Mario Bros. Movie (2023) produced by Illumination is the first film to be based on the iconic video game franchise since the disastrous Super Mario Bros. (1993) live-action film and the forgettable Super Mario Bros.: The Great Mission to Rescue Princess Peach! (1986) anime film before that. The new film has an all-star celebrity voice cast with Chris Pratt (Mario), Anna Taylor-Joy (Peach), Charlie Day (Luigi), Jack Black (Bowser), Keegan-Michael Key (Toad) and Seth Rogan (Donkey Kong). Recent trailers have made it clear that King Bowser and his Koopa army seek to conquer Mushroom Kingdom, drawing him into colorful conflict with everyone’s favorite Italian plumber for an exciting romp.

2. Guardians of the Galaxy Volume 3 (May 5^th, 2023) directed by James Gunn

Releasing exactly six years after Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 (2017) is Marvel Studios’ Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 (2023). Volume 3 follows the beloved band of misfits as they attempt to create a safe haven for themselves as well as other galactic refugees after losing one of their own in Avengers: Infinity War (2018); however, when a new and unknown enemy suddenly strikes, the Guardians of the Galaxy must refocus their efforts to save one another. The third and final film in this trilogy will see Chris Pratt (Peter Quill/Star-Lord), Zoe Saldaña (Gamora), Dave Bautista (Drax the Destroyer), Vin Diesel (Groot), Bradley Cooper (Rocket Raccoon), Karen Gillian (Nebula), and Pom Klementieff (Mantis) reprising their roles from earlier installments in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU).

3. The Little Mermaid (May 26^th, 2023) directed by Rob Marshall

Loosely based on the Hans Christian Andersen novel and more closely adapted from the 1989 animated film of the same name, The Little Mermaid (2023) reintroduces the underwater Disney princess in a new live-action musical fantasy film. After a chance meeting with a handsome prince, a young mermaid signs an enchanted contract with a sea witch to trade in her voice for a pair of legs so that she can explore the world on land. Starring Halle Bailey (Ariel), Jonah Hauer-King (Eric), Melissa McCarthy (Ursula), Javier Bardem (King Triton), Daveed Diggs (Sebastian), Jacob Tremblay (Flounder) and Awkwafina (Scuttle), this film hopes to reinvigorate audience enthusiasm for Disney’s live-action remakes of their classic animated films.

4. Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse (June 2^nd, 2023) directed by Joaquim Dos Santos, Kemp Powers and Justin K. Thompson

Nearly five years ago, Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse (2018) burst onto the scene, offering audiences an electrifying reinterpretation of the web-crawler through the eyes of teenage superhero, Miles Morales (Shameik Moore). After the tragic death of the original Spider-Man, Peter Parker, circumstances involving parallel universes lead Miles toward first becoming, then later embracing, his newfound identity as Spider-Man. In Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse (2023), Miles/Spider-Man and Gwen Stacy/Spider-Woman (Hailee Steinfeld), must traverse the multiverse together and team-up with other Spider-People to face off against a powerful villain. Other characters set to appear in the film include Miguel O’Hara/Spider-Man 2099 (Oscar Isaac), Peter B. Parker/Spider-Man (Jake Johnson), Jefferson Davis (Brian Tyree Henry), Rio Morales (Luna Lauren Velez), Jessica Drew/Spider-Woman (Issa Rae), Hobart “Hobie” Brown/Spider-Punk (Daniel Kaluuya) and the Spot (Jason Schwartzman).

5. The Flash (June 16^th, 2023) directed by Andy Muschietti

After a small cameo in Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice (2016) and a proper debut in Justice League (2017), The Flash (2023) will finally speed into movie theaters for his first-ever solo film. The plot follows Barry Allen/The Flash (Ezra Miller) as he uses his superspeed to travel back in time to prevent his mother’s mysterious murder, resulting in unintended changes to the timeline. In this new timeline, Barry encounters different variations of the people he knows, including a different Bruce Wayne/Batman (Michael Keaton). Other characters, such as Henry Allen (Ron Livingston), Nora Allen (Maribel Verdú), Iris West (Kiersey Clemons), General Zod (Michael Shannon), Supergirl (Sasha Calle) and even an alternate version of the Flash (Ezra Miller) are to feature in the film. Fellow Justice League members Bruce Wayne/Batman (Ben Affleck), Arthur Curry/Aquaman (Jason Momoa) and Clark Kent/Superman (Henry Cavill) are also rumored to cameo.

6. Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny (June 30^th, 2023) directed by James Mangold

Famed archeology professor, Doctor Henry Walton “Indiana” Jones, Jr. (Harrison Ford), makes his triumphant return in Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny (2023) after having spent 14 years away from the silver screen. The fifth installment in the franchise takes place in 1969 during the Space Race between the United States and Soviet Union, with the U.S. Government recruiting former Nazis to aid in their ambitious research. Meanwhile, Indy races to obtain an unspecified MacGuffin before ‘former’ Nazi and current NASA member Jürgen Voller (Mads Mikkelsen) can use this unknown item to change the world. After many years in development following the lackluster response to Indiana Jones and the Crystal Skull (2008) and Disney’s acquisition of Indiana Jones’ production company, LucasFilm, hope for a fifth film began to dwindle. To make matters worse, veteran Indiana Jones director Steven Spielberg stepped away from the project in 2020. However, powerhouse action and drama director James Mangold of Ford v Ferrari (2019) and Logan (2017) fame was hired to take the helm and will finally bring the long-awaited project to fruition. Phoebe Waller-Bridge (Helena), Antonio Banderas (Renaldo), John Rhys-Davies (Sallah), Shaunette Renée Wilson (Mason), Thomas Kretschmann (Colonel Weber), Toby Jones (Basil) and Boyd Holbrook (Klaber) are scheduled to star in the film.

7. Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One (July 14^th, 2023) directed by Christopher McQuarrie

Tom Cruise is back as infamous IMF agent, Ethan Hunt, in the first installment of a brand-new two-part spy adventure titled: Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One (2023). Plot details are relatively scarce at this point, but if previous installments are any indication, the franchise will continue to soar toward new heights by showcasing unbelievable action and death-defying stunts, often performed by Cruise himself. Returning cast members Ving Rhames (Luther Stickell), Simon Pegg (Benji Dunn), Rebecca Ferguson (Ilsa Faust), Vanessa Kirby (Alanna Mitsopolis) will be joined by new cast members Hayley Atwell (Grace), Shea Whigham (Jasper Briggs), Frederick Schmidt (Zola Mitsopolis) and Esai Morales as the film’s primary villain. Henry Czerny will also appear as Eugene Kittridge, the former director of IMF last seen in the first Mission: Impossible (1996).

8. Oppenheimer (July 21^st, 2023) directed by Christopher Nolan

Based on the biography, American Prometheus: The Triumph and Tragedy of J. Robert Oppenheimer by Kai Bird and Martin J. Sherwin, director Christopher Nolan’s new film Oppenheimer (2023) explores the life of theoretical physicist J. Robert Oppenheimer (Cillian Murphy), whose scientific research leads to the creation of the atomic bomb during World War II. Including Murphy, the film features a remarkable cast: Emily Blunt (Katherine “Kitty” Oppenheimer), Matt Damon (Leslie Groves), Robert Downey Jr. (Lewis Strauss), Florence Pugh (Jean Tatlock), Benny Safdie (Edward Teller), Josh Hartnett (Ernest Lawrence), and Gary Oldman (Harry S. Truman) as well as Rami Malek, Dane DeHaan, Jack Quaid, Kenneth Branagh, and Jason Clark in undisclosed roles. Oppenheimer also marks the first time in over twenty years that Warner Bros. Pictures will not distribute a film by Nolan; Universal Pictures will distribute the film.

9. Dune: Part Two (November 3^rd, 2023) directed by Denis Villeneuve

Dune: Part Two (2023) adapts the latter half of Frank Herbert’s epic science fiction novel, Dune (1965). Timothée Chalamet (Paul Atreides), Rebecca Ferguson (Lady Jessica), Josh Brolin (Gurney Halleck), Stellan Skarsgård (Baron Vladimir Harkonnen), Dave Bautista (Glossu Rabban), Stephen McKinley Henderson (Thufir Hawat), Zendaya (Chani), Charlotte Rampling (Gaius Helen Mohiam), and Javier Bardum (Stilgar) return from the first film, Dune (2021). New cast members Florence Pugh (Princess Irulan), Austin Butler (Feyd-Rautha), Christopher Walken (Shaddam IV), Léa Seydoux (Lady Margot), and Souheila Yacoub (Shishakli) are expected to appear. While other adaptations of the novel have failed to make a prominent impact with critics and audiences, Dune (2021) was well-received and did well enough at the box office for production partners Warner Bros. Pictures and Legendary Pictures to greenlight a sequel. Dune: Part Two will continue to follow main protagonist Paul Atreides as he works toward exacting his revenge on those who conspired against House Atreides.

10. The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes (November 17^th, 2023) directed by Frances Lawrence

Set 64 years before The Hunger Games (2012), The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes (2023) tells the story of the 10^th Hunger Games from the perspective of future Panem President Coriolanus Snow (Tom Blyth). Snow sees an opportunity to change his life around after he’s selected by the Panem Government to mentor Lucy Gray Baird (Rachel Zegler), a “tribute” from District 12 who has been nominated to participate in the deadly Hunger Games. The prequel features Tigris Snow (Hunter Schafer), cousin and confidante to Coriolanus; Dr. Volumnia Gaul (Viola Davis), the head gamemaker of the 10^th Hunger Games; Casca Highbottom (Peter Dinklage), Dean of the Academy and co-creator of the Hunger Games; Commander Hoff (Burn Gorman), leader of the peacekeepers who are sent by the Capitol to District 12; Lucretius “Lucky” Flickerman (Jason Schwartzman), television host for the 10^th Hunger Games, and many more.

In addition to these 10 films, the following are 20 honorable mentions of other movies releasing in 2023:

1. Magic Mike’s Last Dance (February 10^th, 2023) directed by Steven Soderbergh
2. Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania (February 17^th, 2023) directed by Peyton Reed
3. Creed III (March 3^rd, 2023) directed by Michael B. Jordan
4. Scream 6 (March 10^th, 2023) directed by Matt Bettinelli-Olpin and Tyler Gillett
5. Shazam! Fury of the Gods (March 17^th, 2023) directed by David F. Sandberg
6. John Wick: Chapter 4 (March 24^th, 2023) directed by Chad Stahelski
7. Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves (March 31^st, 2023) directed by Jonathan Goldstein and John Francis Daley
8. Evil Dead Rise (April 21^st, 2023) directed by Lee Cronin
9. Fast X (May 19^th, 2023) directed by Louis Leterrier
10. Transformers: Rise of the Beasts (June 9^th, 2023) directed by Steven Caple Jr.
11. Elemental (June 16^th, 2023) directed by Peter Sohn
12. Insidious 5 (July 7^th, 2023) directed by Patrick Wilson
13. Barbie (July 21^st, 2023) directed by Greta Gerwig
14. The Marvels (July 28^th, 2023) directed by Nia DaCosta
15. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem (August 4^th, 2023) directed by Jeff Rowe
16. The Equalizer 3 (September 1^st, 2023) directed by Antoine Fuqua
17. The Exorcist (October 13^th, 2023) directed by David Gordon Green
18. Wonka (December 15^th, 2023) directed by Paul King
19. The Color Purple (December 20^th, 2023) directed by Blitz Bazawule
20. Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom (December 25^th, 2023) directed by James Wan

*Please note release dates for all films are subject to change at the movie studio’s discretion

Based on this impressive release schedule, 2023 is poised to be another a hugely successful year at the box office.

Thank you for reading this list, covering 10 movies releasing in 2023!

The Mercer County Library System (MCLS) catalog as well as the MCLS Virtual Branch resource hoopla feature an enormous number of films, including titles released in 2022.

What 2023 films are you looking forward to the most? Comment with your thoughts below!

- by Jamie Anderson, Lawrence Headquarters Branch