Here we go!
2023 is here! With 2023 comes a whole new year of movies. I have a feeling this is going to be a fantastic year in the film industry. The MCU has a huge year coming up, but a bunch of other studios are releasing some giant, awesome projects that I cannot wait to see. I'm not over the moon about everything coming out this year, but I think it's gonna be a fantastic year, and these are the fifteen movies I am most excited for in 2023.
15. Wonka
I've liked both adaptations of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory that we've gotten. It's a charming story with great central characters, and I think a prequel about Willy Wonka could be interesting. I love Timothée Chalamet, so I'm looking forward to seeing him in this movie, and I think he'd be a great Willy Wonka. I don't exactly know what this movie will be. I know it's a musical, so there's something intriguing about that. I'm optimistic about it while definitely having my reservations, because there is a chance that this movie sucks.
Wonka hits theaters on December 15.
14. Elemental
Disney and Pixar have been on a bit of a down streak here lately, and I'm hoping Elemental changes that. Pixar is really good at telling stories about opposites: Toy Story, Inside Out, Finding Nemo, etc. Elemental is a story about opposites, so I'm hoping that they are able to give us something special here. The first look that we got is a little bit weird. I'm not so sure about the animation. But fingers crossed that this movie puts Disney and Pixar back on track with something fantastic.
Elemental is in theaters on June 16.
13. Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny
I was not looking forward to this movie at all. I'm not really an Indiana Jones fan. I love Spielberg and Harrison Ford, but I've never been that into the Indy movies. Obviously, I'm skeptical when you announce a fifth adventure with eighty-year-old Harrison Ford. To make matters worse, Spielberg isn't directing. However, the first trailer absolutely won me over. James Mangold is the perfect director to fill Spielberg's shoes, and it looks like he's made a fun, exciting return to the classic character that is now on my radar.
Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny flies into theaters on June 30.
12. Ghostbusters 4
I'm hesitant about this one. On one hand, I love Ghostbusters. On the other, I don't really like any of the Ghostbusters sequels. But I'm always hopeful that they're able to do something new and fun with the Ghostbusters movies. I didn't love Afterlife, but there is potential there to grow out some of these characters while also having the nostalgia of the first film. Fingers crossed that this one is better than any of the sequels that we've previously gotten.
Ghostbusters 4 is in theaters on December 20.
11. Dune: Part Two
I didn't love the first Dune, but part of that was that it was a slow-moving sci-fi film that put all of the pieces into place for a big, slam-bang, action-packed sequel. And Dune: Part Two is that slam-bang action-packed sequel. I haven't read the book or seen the David Lynch adaptation, so I don't know where this movie is going, but I'm hopeful that Denis Villeneuve is able to knock it out of the park and give us an awesome sequel to Dune.
Dune: Part Two hits theaters on November 3.
10. The Super Mario Bros. Movie
This is another movie that I wasn't looking forward to at all. I don't really care about Mario. I haven't played a lot of the games (with the exception of Mario Kart) and I generally don't like video game movies. Even worse, this movie was handed to Illumination, who is known for fart jokes and pop music. And then we got the trailer, and I was very excited. This looks like an insanely entertaining adventure with fantastic animation. And they have Mario Kart in it! God, this one is going to be fun.
The Super Mario Bros. Movie lands in theaters on April 7.
9. The Flash
If you read my most anticipated list last year, The Flash was in my top five. I was SO excited for this movie. Since then, it's been delayed a million times. Ezra Miller has been documented as a certified nutjob. And the entire DCEU has basically been canceled. Needless to say, my excitement for this film took a nosedive. I'm still excited. I have been waiting for a Flash film for eight years. Michael Keaton is still returning. Michael Shannon is still returning as Zod. This film could be awful and I'm so disappointed that this is the first ever Flash movie that we're getting, but I'm hopeful that this ends the DCEU on a high note.
The Flash runs into theaters on June 16.
8. Scream VI
I really, really liked Scream (which is actually Scream 5). I thought it did a fantastic job of having new meta commentary as well as new characters that we can enjoy, while also bringing back the legacy characters for some fun roles. I'm nervous about this one. Neve Campbell isn't returning and it feels like this movie has had some production trouble. A one-year turnaround is a big ask, so that makes me feel very unsettled about this. But it's moving to New York City. And it's a Scream movie. It has to be one of my most anticipated of the year.
Scream VI slashes into theaters on March 10.
7. Salem's Lot
I'm SO excited for this movie. I absolutely love Salem's Lot. It's one of my favorite Stephen King books, and I think it is ripe for a film adaptation. I don't actually know what's happening with this movie. It was supposed to come out in 2022, but then it got delayed to 2023, and now it's been taken off the release calendar entirely? I don't know, but I'm hoping we get this movie soon, because I think it has the potential to be one of the best Stephen King adaptations to date.
Salem's Lot hits theaters in 2023.
6. Creed III
I'm excited about Creed III for a multitude of reasons. I'm very interested to see this as Michael B. Jordan's directorial debut, but I'm also pumped to see Jonathan Majors take on a hopefully awesome villain role. I'm slightly worried, because the trailer didn't address the Rocky-sized elephant in the room, so I hope that gets solved, but I think this is going to be another awesome Creed movie that continues the franchise forward without the Italian Stallion.
Creed III punches into theaters on March 3.
5. Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3
The Guardians franchise has never been one of my absolute favorites from the MCU, but I'm still super hyped for this movie. We've been waiting for it for six years! There are so many awesome things in here. We're finally going to get Rocket's backstory. Adam Warlock is making his long-awaited MCU debut. And this is the last time we're getting our Guardians together. It looks emotional, exciting, and funny, which is everything I want from a Guardians of the Galaxy movie. I can't wait.
Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 is in theaters on May 5.
4. Oppenheimer
Christopher Nolan is my second favorite director of all time, so any time he comes out with a new film, I get super excited. And this movie has the greatest cast of all time. Just look it up. There are probably twenty or twenty-five superstars in this movie. It's insane. It's also a cool story about the development of the atomic bomb. It looks massive. It looks stylish. It looks awesome. I'm so excited.
Oppenheimer explodes into theaters on July 21.
3. Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse
Across the Spider-Verse is going to be great. We've been waiting for a sequel to Spider-Verse for forever, and we're finally going to get it. The trailer didn't wow me. If I'm honest, it dampened my excitement a little bit...but c'mon. A multiverse Spider-Man movie that has an insane amount of Spider-Men plus SIX different animation styles? That sounds cool. Fingers crossed that this is a worthy sequel.
Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse swings into theaters on June 2.
2. Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania
The third Ant-Man movie. The beginning of Phase Five. MODOK. Kang the frickin' Conqueror. As soon as they announced this movie, I was excited. And every single time I hear or see something new about it, I get more and more excited. The MCU has been pretty rocky since Endgame, and I'm hoping Quantumania is the first film that shows signs of them getting back on track.
Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania hits theaters on February 17.
1. Mission: Impossible - Dead Reckoning Part One
This film would've absolutely been in my most anticipated list before 2022, but it wouldn't have been number one. The reason that it is my most anticipated film of 2023 is because of Top Gun: Maverick. Tom Cruise showed what he can do when he pours his heart and soul into a film, and he's poured his heart and soul into the final two Mission: Impossible films. I really like this franchise, and I'm sure Cruise wants to close it out with some awesome movies. The trailer looked great. The cast is amazing. I'm very, very excited for this movie.
Mission: Impossible - Dead Reckoning Part One zooms into theaters on July 14.