Nothing says happy new year! like Margot Robbie encouraging an army of prepubescent girls to crush the heads of their baby dolls — and that’s just the beginning. 2023 brings a promising list of movie releases, and we’re here to give you the Hollywood run-down of which ones you should scope out. Lights, camera, action!
- Cocaine Bear – February 24
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Okay, we admit, this one looks a bit ridiculous. But, like, the epic sort of ridiculous. There’s no way for this not to be at least mildly entertaining. A massive black bear accidentally consumes heaps of cocaine and enters a drug-addled frenzy in a Georgia forest. Chaos ensues. Directed by Elizabeth Banks — who you might remember as Effie Trinket in The Hunger Ganes — Cocaine Bear is a must-see next month.
- John Wick: Chapter 4 – March 24
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Ah, immortal Keanu Reeves! We cannot wait for his return to the big screen in the fourth film of the hugely successful John Wick franchise. In this chapter, the legendary hitman takes to Japan, Berlin, Paris and New York seeking out the underworld’s most dangerous players. Honestly, all you had to say was Reeves’ name for us to be sold. The John Wick films are slick, vivid and packed with exciting fights and scenes to keep us entertained for hours.
- Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse – June 2
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The first Spider-Verse film stunned audiences with its sleek animation, relatable cast and gut-wrenching twists, and we have been awaiting a sequel ever since. Spider-Verse two takes Miles Morales across the multiverse to meet even more Spider-People, with clashing heroic ideals and charged action sequences even grander than the first. Seeing this in theaters is sure to be one hell of an experience.
- Barbie – July 21
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LADIES! ONLY SIX MORE MONTHS! I already have my theater outfit planned out. We can’t contain our excitement for director Greta Gerwig’s live-action Barbie film. The story traces the trials and tribulations of Barbie’s life after being expelled from Barbieland. I fully expect to relive my childhood in whichever AMC or local theater I see Barbie in. I even expect to shed a tear or two. It’ll all be worth it.
- Oppenheimer – July 21
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If one side of me is pink, glittering, girly mirth, the other is dark, devious and prone to the occasional lab accident. If Barbie is for the femme fatales, Oppenheimer is for the male manipulators. One thing for sure is that July 21st will be a crazy day for movie-goers. Christopher Nolan’s twelfth film — partially shot at UCLA — follows J. Robert Oppenheimer’s development of the atomic bomb. It features an A-list cast with Cillian Murphy, Florence Pugh, Robert Downey Jr. and more. Barbie/Oppenheimer double feature, anyone?
- Dune: Part Two – November 3
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Finally some Zendaya content, amiright?! Denis Villeneuve killed it with the first Dune film, and we cannot wait for Timothée Chalamet’s exhilarating return as Paul Atreides in the second. Grief-stricken and eager for revenge, Paul will face choices between family, love and the universe as he battles the conspirators who ruined his family. If it’s anything like Dune: Part One, we have faith this movie will stun viewers worldwide.
- Wonka – December 15
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Why not wrap up our list with another Chalamet lead? Paul King’s film Wonka follows the eccentric chocolate-factory owner’s origins, with Chalamet playing the titular man himself. Olivia Colman and Rowan Atkinson also make starring appearances in Wonka, and Hugh Grant’s role reads solely Oompa Loompa, which we are thrilled to witness on screen. We still have a while yet, but keep Wonka on your horizon of 2023 movies.
Which 2023 movie are you most anticipating? With a spread as impressive as this, it’s impossible to pick one. Let’s just say the theaters will LOVE me (and my bank account) this year.