TAGGED AS: Film, films, movie, movies
The past couple of years have been unusual, to say the least, and like most other industries, Hollywood has had to make a number of adjustments. We saw Warner Bros. commit to streaming all of their major 2021 releases simultaneously on HBO Max, with mixed results, while other studios incorporated some combination of theatrical and digital strategies. That has changed a bit so far in 2023, as we’ve seen studios release some big box office winners through July. Read on for the Most Anticipated Movies of 2023, and as more titles are announced and information is released, we will continue to update this page, so check back often!
[Updated 9/14/23]
Insidious: The Red Door
(2023)
Directed by: Patrick Wilson
Starring: Patrick Wilson, Rose Byrne, Ty Simpkins, Andrew Astor, Hiam Abbass
Opening on: July 7, 2023
Insidious franchise star Patrick Wilson makes his feature directorial debut with this fifth installment, which takes place a decade after Insidious 2 and focuses on the Lambert family’s older son Dalton (Ty Simpkins), who is terrorized by his family’s demons while away at college. In addition to Wilson and Simpkins, Rose Byrne and Andrew Astor also reprise their roles to complete the Lambert family.
Mission: Impossible - Dead Reckoning, Part One
(2023)
Directed by: Christopher McQuarrie
Starring: Tom Cruise, Rebecca Ferguson, Simon Pegg, Ving Rhames, Vanessa Kirby, Henry Czerny, Hayley Atwell, Pom Klementieff, Shea Whigham, Esai Morales
Opening on: July 14, 2023
This was the slot originally reserved for Mission: Impossible 8, but with COVID being what it is, we’re now getting M:I 7 in 2023 and M:I 8 in 2024. In any case, when this movie hits theaters, Tom Cruise will have played Ethan Hunt for a whopping 27 years. Where does the time go? This installment brings back familiar franchise faces like Simon Pegg, Ving Rhames, Rebecca Ferguson, Henry Czerny, and Vanessa Kirby, with Esai Morales playing the primary villain.
Barbie
(2023)
Directed by: Greta Gerwig
Starring: Margot Robbie, Ryan Gosling
Opening on: July 21, 2023
After her stellar adaptation of Little Women, director Greta Gerwig is back with this high-concept original (co-written with Noah Baumbach), which chronicles the most famous doll ever (Margot Robbie) as she’s banished from Barbieland and introduced to our world.
Oppenheimer
(2023)
Directed by: Christopher Nolan
Starring: Cillian Murphy, Florence Pugh, Emily Blunt, Matt Damon, Robert Downey Jr., Rami Malek, Josh Hartnett, Benny Safdie
Opening on: July 21, 2023
Christopher Nolan’s buzzed-about biopic on physicist and “father of the atomic bomb” J. Robert Oppenheimer stars Cillian Murphy in the titular role, as well as Emily Blunt and Matt Damon. Like virtually all of Nolan’s films, the IMAX-shot pic should be taken in on the biggest screen possible.
Haunted Mansion
(2023)
Directed by: Justin Simien
Starring: Rosario Dawson, Jamie Lee Curtis, Jared Leto, Owen Wilson, Tiffany Haddish, Danny DeVito, LaKeith Stanfield, Winona Ryder, Dan Levy
Opening on: July 28, 2023 (formerly August 11, 2023)
Disney’s first attempt at a feature film adaptation of their Haunted Mansion theme park ride was something of a notorious flop, but that was 20 years ago, so why not try again? This time around, the story centers on a single mother (Rosario Dawson) who moves into the titular mansion with her son, then enlists the help of a priest, a paranormal investigator, a psychic, and a history professor to cleanse their new home of evil spirits.
Meg 2: The Trench
(2023)
Directed by: Ben Wheatley
Starring: Jason Statham, Sienna Guillory, Cliff Curtis
Opening on: August 4, 2023
It may not have impressed the majority of critics, but 2018’s The Meg was a surprise box office hit, so we’re getting a sequel. One upside is that this time around the film is being directed by Ben Wheatley (Kill List, Free Fire), who has proven to be a pretty savvy genre guy in the past, so it’ll be interesting to see what he can do with Jason Statham and a giant shark.
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem
(2023)
Directed by: Jeff Rowe
Starring: Brady Noon, Nicolas Cantu, Micah Abbey, Shamon Brown Jr., Paul Rudd, Jackie Chan, Giancarlo Esposito, Seth Rogen, John Cena, Ice Cube
Opening on: August 4, 2023
Seth Rogen and his frequent partner Evan Goldberg are rebooting the TMNT franchise with this new, computer-animated film that retells the origin story of the titular quartet, who emerge from the sewers to fight crime and be accepted by the city they protect. Outside of the turtles themselves, the voice cast is stacked with big names, and the animation style is reminiscent of a certain Spider-Verse movie, so it’s got a lot going for it.
Blue Beetle
(2023)
Directed by: Angel Manuel Soto
Starring: Xolo Maridueña, Susan Sarandon, Harvey Guillen
Opening on: August 18, 2023
Originally conceived as a film specifically for the HBO Max streaming platform, Blue Beetle eventually found its way to being a theatrical release when Warner Bros. changed their minds about the film. The DC superhero flick will be helmed by Angel Manuel Soto (Charm City Kings) and star Xolo Maridueña, who has recently made a name for himself on the Karate Kid-inspired hit Netflix series Cobra Kai.
Gran Turismo: Based on a True Story
(2023)
Directed by: Neill Blomkamp
Starring: David Harbour, Orlando Bloom, Darren Barnet, Archie Madekwwe, Djimon Hounsou
Opening on: August 25, 2023
Don’t be too quick to dismiss this as a standard video game adaptation, because, despite its title, it’s actually a coming-of-age tale based on the true story of a teenager who won a series of video game competitions — playing the popular racing game Gran Turismo of course — en route to becoming an actual professional race car driver.
The Equalizer 3
(2023)
Directed by: Antoine Fuqua
Starring: Denzel Washington, Dakota Fanning, David Denman, Gaia Scodellaro, Sonia Ammar
Opening on: September 1, 2023
Director Antoine Fuqua and star Denzel Washington return for another go in this vigilante action thriller franchise based on the classic TV series of the same name. This time, Washington reunites with his Man on Fire co-star Dakota Fanning, though we don’t yet know exactly who her character is and what the story will be.
The Nun II
(2023)
Directed by: Michael Chaves
Starring: Bonnie Aarons
Opening on: September 8, 2023
The Conjuring Universe continues to expand, as we get a sequel to the 2018 horror film The Nun, which starred Taissa Farmiga as a young nun who comes face-to-face with the demon Valak at her convent. The second film takes place four years later, as Farmiga’s Sister Irene encounters Valak again after a priest is murdered. Bonnie Aarons, who portrayed Valak, is the only star currently attached to the film, so we have no word yet on whether or not Taissa Farmiga will also return to reprise her role.
The Creator
(2023)
Directed by: Gareth Edwards
Starring: John David Washington, Gemma Chan, Allison Janney, Ken Watanabe, Benedict Wong, Danny McBride
Opening on: September 29, 2023
From writer/director Gareth Edwards, The Creator is an epic sci-fi action thriller set amidst a future war between the human race and the forces of artificial intelligence.
Saw X
(2023)
Directed by: Kevin Greutert
Starring: Tobin Bell
Premiering on: September 29, 2023
Just in time for Halloween, we’re getting another Saw movie. Kevin Greutert, who directed 2009’s Saw VI and 2010’s Saw 3D, is returning to helm this tenth installment in the franchise, and though we don’t really know anything about the story, we do know that Tobin Bell’s Jigsaw will appear in the film. If you’ve been following the lore of the series thus far, that should be an interesting development.
Dicks: The Musical
(2023)
Directed by: Larry Charles
Starring: Josh Sharp, Aaron Jackson, Nathan Lane, Megan Mullally, Bowen Yang, Megan Thee Stallion, Tom Kenny
Opening on: October 6, 2023
Larry Charles, the man who worked with Sacha Baron Cohen to bring us movies like Borat, Bruno, and The Dictator, sets his sights on the big screen musical in this not-so-subtle twist on The Parent Trap. Aaron Jackson and Josh Sharp — the creators of the play upon which the film is based — play a pair of competing businessmen who discover they’re long-lost identical twins and decide to swap identities in order to bring their divorced parents back together.
The Exorcist: Believer
(2023)
Directed by: David Gordon Green
Starring: Leslie Odom Jr., Ellen Burstyn, Ann Dowd
Opening on: October 6, 2023
After capping off his trio of Halloween films, director David Gordon Green jumps right into another beloved horror franchise. As with his tackling of the Michael Myers story, The Exorcist is a follow-up to the original — and the 1973 original only — and will reportedly unfold as the first of a trilogy, with Ellen Burstyn set to reprise her starring turn.
TAYLOR SWIFT: THE ERAS TOUR
(2023)
Directed by: Sam Wrench
Starring: Taylor Swift
Opening on: October 13, 2023
If you missed out on seeing Taylor Swift in person during her Eras tour — and a lot of people did — then you’re in luck. You can see her in all her glory on the big screen in this concert film that weaves together some of the best moments from the tour.
Killers of the Flower Moon
(2023)
Directed by: Martin Scorsese
Starring: Leonardo DiCaprio, Robert De Niro, Jesse Plemons, Lily Gladstone, Tantoo Cardinal
Opening on: October 20, 2023
Based on David Grann’s broadly lauded best-selling book, Killers of the Flower Moon is a sobering appraisal of America’s relationship with Indigenous peoples and yet another artistic zenith for Martin Scorsese and his collaborators.
Pain Hustlers
(2023)
Directed by: David Yates
Starring: Emily Blunt, Chris Evans, Andy Garcia, Catherine O’Hara, Jay Duplass
Premiering on: October 27, 2023 on Netflix
Harry Potter and Fantastic Beasts director David Yates delves into decidedly less fantastical territory with this based-on-true-events crime drama that centers on a woman who takes a job at a pharmaceutical start-up in Florida and finds herself at the center of a criminal conspiracy. The film stars Emily Blunt, Chris Evans, and Andy Garcia, among others.
Priscilla
(2023)
Directed by: Sofia Coppola
Starring: Cailee Spaeny, Jacob Elordi, Dagmara Domińczyk
Opening on: November 3, 2023
Last year we got Elvis, and this year we get Priscilla. Sofia Coppola’s latest film is an adaptation of Priscilla Presley’s memoir and something of a passion project for Coppola. The film, which largely charts Presley’s relationship with Elvis, premiered at the Venice Film Festival to rave reviews and looks to be another Awards contender.
The Killer
(2023)
Directed by: David Fincher
Starring: Michael Fassbender, Tilda Swinton, Kerry O’Malley, Charles Parnell
Premiering on: November 10, 2023 on Netflix
Following up on his Oscar-winning Mank for Netflix, David Fincher turns to something a little darker. We don’t know much about this film, except that it’s a neo-noir thriller based on a French graphic novel series, and it will star Michael Fassbender and Tilda Swinton, among others.
The Marvels
(2023)
Directed by: Nia DaCosta
Starring: Brie Larson, Teyonah Parris, Iman Vellani, Samuel L. Jackson
Opening on: November 10, 2023 (formerly July 28,2023)
The MCU ain’t getting any smaller, as Marvel plans to release five films in 2023 alone, including this sequel to Captain Marvel, which has Nia DaCosta (2021’s Candyman) at the helm and Brie Larson returning as Carol Danvers. The film will also be the big screen debut of Iman Vellani’s Kamala Khan aka Ms. Marvel after her eponymous Disney+ series debuts in 2022.
The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes
(2023)
Directed by: Francis Lawrence
Starring: Tom Blyth, Rachel Zegler, Peter Dinklage, Hunter Schafer, Josh Andrés Rivera, Jason Schwartzman, Viola Davis
Opening on: November 17, 2023
Franchise vet Francis Lawrence returns to direct this Hunger Games prequel based on the novel of the same name by Suzanne Collins. The story primarily follows a young Coriolanus Snow (originally played by Donald Sutherland) and his involvement in the Hunger Games as a game-changing mentor years before the events of the original series.
Next Goal Wins
(2023)
Directed by: Taika Waititi
Starring: Michael Fassbender, Elisabeth Moss, Will Arnett
Opening on: November 17, 2023
Taika Waititi takes on a decidedly more grounded film after last year’s Thor: Love and Thunder in this adaptation of the 2015 documentary of the same title. The story follows Dutch-American soccer coach Thomas Rongen (Michael Fassbender), who is hired to help turn around the American Samoa national team, which is considered one of the worst in the world.
Napoleon
(2023)
Directed by: Ridley Scott
Starring: Joaquin Phoenix, Vanessa Kirby, Tahar Rahim, Ludivine Sagnier, Ben Miles
Opening on: November 22, 2023
Joaquin Phoenix reunites with Gladiator director Ridley Scott for this historical drama about the famous French general-turned-emperor. The film will be a chronicle of Napoleon’s rise to power, told through the lens of his volatile relationship to his wife, Josephine (Vanessa Kirby). The film is also reported to have several big battle sequences, which Scott should be able to manage with plenty of flair.
Wish
(2023)
Directed by: Chris Buck and Fawn Veerasunthorn
Starring: Ariana DeBose, Chris Pine
Opening on: November 22, 2023
Just as the meta Lightyear looked at the character that inspired the character Tim Allen voices in the Toy Story movies, Wish will tell the origin story of the wishing star that factors into so many Disney fables. Frozen’s Jennifer Lee and Chris Buck are writing the script for the animated film while Oscar winner Ariana DeBose will star.
The Bikeriders
(2023)
Directed by: Jeff Nichols
Starring: Austin Butler, Jodie Comer, Tom Hardy, Michael Shannon, Mike Faist, Boyd Holbrook, Norman Reedus
Opening on: December 1, 2023
Austin Butler and Jodie Comer headline an all-star ensemble cast in this drama inspired by the eponymous nonfiction photo-book, courtesy of writer-director Jeff Nichols (Take Shelter, Mud). The story traces the history of a Midwestern motorcycle club during the 1960s through the viewpoint of a woman (Jodie Comer) married to one of its members (Austin Butler).
Godzilla Minus One
(2023)
Directed by: Takashi Yamazaki
Starring: Ryunosuke Kamiki, Minami Hamabe, Yuki Yamada, Munetaka Aoki
Opening on: December 1, 2023
The latest iteration in the Japanese Godzilla franchise comes to us courtesy of writer-director Takashi Yamazaki (he also did the visual effects!) and takes place just after the end of World War II. As Japan struggles to recover from the effects of the war, the kaiju we all know and fear suddenly appears and wreaks destruction across the land.
The Boy and the Heron
(2023)
Directed by: Hayao Miyazaki
Starring: Soma Santoki, Masaki Suda, Aimyon, Yoshino Kimura
Opening on: December 8, 2023
Japanese animation legend Hayao Miyazaki’s reportedly final film was famously not promoted in any way — before the first teaser dropped just days ahead of the film’s TIFF premiere, the only thing we had to go on was a poster image and the fact that it was inspired by a 1937 novel. We now also know the film’s release date, and while those looking for a description of the film can find it online easily, we’ll choose to let audiences discover the film for themselves (and you can always check out the teaser above).
Poor Things
(2023)
Directed by: Yorgos Lanthimos
Starring: Emma Stone, Mark Ruffalo, Ramy Youssef, Willem Dafoe, Christopher Abbott, Jerrod Carmichael, Margaret Qualley, Kathryn Hunter
Opening on: December 8, 2023
Mr. Robot creator Sam Esmail wrote, directed, and produced this thriller based on the novel of the same name about a family whose vacation at an Airbnb is interrupted by the property’s owners, who have arrived with news of a mysterious widespread blackout. The cast includes Julia Roberts, Mahershala Ali, and Ethan Hawke.
Leave the World Behind
(2023)
Directed by: Sam Esmail
Starring: Julia Roberts, Mahershala Ali, Ethan Hawke, Kevin Bacon, Mhya’la Herrold
Premiering on: December 10, 2023 on Netflix
Mr. Robot creator Sam Esmail wrote, directed, and produced this thriller based on the novel of the same name about a family whose vacation at an Airbnb is interrupted by the property’s owners, who have arrived with news of a mysterious widespread blackout. The cast includes Julia Roberts, Mahershala Ali, and Ethan Hawke.
Wonka
(2023)
Directed by: Paul King
Starring: Timothée Chalamet, Olivia Colman, Sally Hawkins, Rowan Atkinson, Keegan-Michael Key
Opening on: December 15, 2023
Timothée Chalamet steps into the offbeat shoes of a young Willy Wonka in this origin story, which captures the budding chocolatier as he crosses paths with the Oompa-Loompas. Olivia Colman, Sally Hawkins, Keegan Michael-Key, and Rowan Atkinson round out the grade-A cast, while Paul King, who enjoyed massive critical success with his two Paddington films, takes the helm.
The Color Purple
(2023)
Directed by: Blitz Bazawule
Starring: Danielle Brooks, Halle Bailey, Fantasia Barrino, Taraji P. Henson, Louis Gossett Jr., H.E.R., Corey Hawkins, Deon Cole
Opening on: December 20, 2023
The musical, which nabbed a Tony for its revival on the Great White Way in 2016, makes its way to the silver screen just in time to close out the year. Be on the lookout for R&B phenom H.E.R., who makes her screen debut in the early-1900s-set Southern epic.
Rebel Moon: Part One - A Child of Fire
(2023)
Directed by: Zack Snyder
Starring: Charlie Hunnam, Sofia Boutella, Michiel Huisman, Cary Elwes, Corey Stoll, Jena Malone, Ed Skrein, Djiman Hounsou, Dona Bae
Premiering on: December 22, 2023 on Netflix
After the success of Army of the Dead, Zack Snyder’s next project for Netflix is this space epic based on an original story of Snyder’s own. The story centers on a peaceful colony who, threatened by a tyrant, send a young woman to neighboring planets to recruit an army. The film is scheduled for a limited theatrical release before it streams on Netflix, but we don’t know when that will be yet.
Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom
(2023)
Directed by: James Wan
Starring: Jason Momoa, Amber Heard, Patrick Wilson, Yahya Abdul-Mateen II, Temuera Morrison
Opening on: December 25, 2023
James Wan returns to the director’s chair for another go at the world of Atlantis and the DC superhero Aquaman (Jason Momoa), who will be joined by Amber Heard (Mera), Patrick Wilson (Ocean Master), and Yahya Abdul-Mateen II (Black Manta).
