With the new year just starting, there are a lot of exciting movies that are coming out. Sequels, horror movies, and films with my favorite actors are what I’m most excited about and are releasing this year!
(Ranked by my anticipation)
7. Wonka
Timothée Chalamet plays a young Willy Wonka. News of Warner Brothers’ plans to produce a Wonka prequel to the movie Charlie and the Chocolate Factory first surfaced in January 2021. Based on Roald Dahl’s timeless book, it has now been adapted by the studio three times. Little is known about the storyline. But it is a musical, and it will focus on a young Willy Wonka before he develops into the illustrious candy maker, as portrayed in Roald Dahl’s 1964 children’s book, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. Keegan-Michael Key, Rowan Atkinson, and Olivia Colman are a few more actors who will star in this film. The director of the film is Paul King. Wonka’s release date was initially scheduled to be March 17, 2023, however, Warner Brothers revealed at CinemaCon 2022 that it has been moved to December 15, 2023. The plot of Wonka seems both inviting and mysterious to me. I’m intrigued to know the backstory of how Willy Wonka came to be, and this movie seems like a perfect way to tell that story. Timothée Chalamet is one of the greatest young actors right now. I definitely think that his portrayal will be promising. But can it compare to Johnny Depp or the iconic Gene Wilder as Wonka?
6. Killers of The Flower Moon
Directed by acclaimed director Martin Scorsese, Killers of The Flower Moon stars a cast full of big names like; Leonardo DiCaprio as Ernest Burkhart, Robert De Niro as William Hale, Jesse Plemons as Tom White, Brendan Fraser as W.S. Hamilton, John Lithgow as Prosecutor Leaward, as well as Lily Gladstone as Mollie Burkhart, and Tantoo Cardinal as Lizzie Q. Based on David Grann’s best-selling book of the same name, Osage tribe members are mysteriously murdered in northeastern Oklahoma in the 1920s. This leads to a significant FBI investigation led by 29-year-old J. Edgar Hoover and former Texas Ranger Tom White, whom Grann refers to as “an old-style lawman.” The movie will be distributed jointly by Paramount Pictures and released on Apple TV+ for streaming. As of the moment, a premiere for Killers of the Flower Moon is anticipated in May 2023 at a film festival. It was originally supposed to be released in 2022, with filming set to begin in April 2020. Due to the pandemic, the film has been pushed all the way to this year. I feel like this film hasn’t been talked about as much due to the delay in its release, and not much has been said about it. I love Leonardo DiCaprio; he is one of my favorite actors, so I can’t wait to see him in another film directed by Scorsese, who is one of my favorite directors. I’m also happy to see Brendan Fraser make a successful comeback in cinema with this film and The Whale (2022).
5. John Wick: Chapter 4
Keanu Reeves reprises his role as the remorseless assassin, John Wick, while Chad Stahelski continues to direct this film and the upcoming sequel (John Wick 5). The cast of John Wick 4 also includes; Donnie Yen as Caine, a blind assassin for the High Table, Bill Skarsgard as The Marquis de Gramont, a member of the High Table whose position Wick challenges; Laurence Fishburne as The Bowery King, and Ian McShane as Winston Scott, the manager of the New York Continental Hotel and a friend of Wicks. According to the plot summary, continuing after events from John Wick: Chapter 3 (2019), John Wick finds a way to take down the High Table, but before he can earn his release, Wick must battle a new opponent who has strong global affiliations and forces that convert former allies into new enemies. The film was originally going to be released in May of 2021, however, due to the pandemic, it was pushed to May 2022, but was pushed further again. It will now be released on March 24, 2023. Keanu Reeves is another one of my favorite actors, and his performances are always imposing. The John Wick franchise has been nothing of a success, as I loved the first 3 films. The cinematography, action, and score in these films are always brilliant. Compared to other action films, they have amazing stunt choreography, a much more suspenseful/unique plot, and the cast are always perfect for their roles. I don’t think this franchise will disappoint anytime soon.
4. Scream VI
Following the events of Scream 5, the sixth horror sequel will be about the four survivors of the Ghostface killings fleeing Woodsboro for a new beginning in New York City. When a new killer goes on a murderous rampage, they find themselves in a struggle for their lives. Scream VI will star; Jenna Ortega as Tara, Melissa Barrera as Sam, Courteney Cox as Gale, as well as Samara Weaving, and Anya Taylor Joy. Matt Bettinelli-Olpin and Tyler Gillett take over from Wes Craven as the new directors since Scream 4 due to his death. The first Scream movie was released back in 1996 and was a huge success. Courtney Cox will be the only returning cast member from the original franchise, Neve Campbell, who plays the iconic final girl Sidney Prescott, dropped out of the film due to not being offered a bigger salary. Despite my disappointment that Campbell is not in this, the trailer looks promising, and the sequel has a darker, more violent, and hopeless tone than the other films. The plot setting in New York City gives the movie less of a feeling of security compared to being trapped in a small town like Woodsboro. The sheer openness of New York gives off the feeling of the victims being more vulnerable. Looking at Ghostface’s mask, it looks very cracked and dirty which I think shows how gritty this sequel will be. I did not like Scream 5 and was extremely disappointed by it, but I feel like this one will be a lot better or not nearly as bad. I love Jenna Ortega, who is an amazing actress, so it will be great to see her reprise her role as Tara Carpenter. Scream VI releases on March 10, 2023.
3. MaXXXine
Mia Goth will return to her role of Maxine Minx in the new movie Maxxxine. It’s a sequel to the movie X (2022), which also had a prequel, Pearl, that was released on September 16, 2022. Not much is said about the plot of this horror movie, but it will continue where X left off, in which Maxine was the only survivor of a mass murder that happened on a Texas farm in 1979. The plot will center on Maxine and her journey to being a famous actress as she moves to Los Angeles in the 1980s. With Ti West (director of the X franchise) directing the third installment, there is no doubt that this will be just as bloody as the two previous films. The release date of this is currently TBA, the film will release in either 2023 or 2024.
2. Barbie
One of the most anticipated movies coming out this year is Barbie. Directed by Greta Gerwig, it stars Margot Robbie as Barbie, Ryan Gosling as Ken, as well as Emma Mackey and Simu Liu. Based on Ruth Handler’s Barbie fashion dolls, the film is the first live-action Barbie film following many computer-animated direct-to-video and streaming television films. Barbie is a comedy/fantasy movie. In the film, Barbie leaves “Barbieland” after being banned for being a less-than-perfect doll. She goes into the human world in search of genuine happiness. After watching Little Women (2019), I love Greta Gerwig, and she is a great director. This movie gives off vibes from the movies The Truman Show and The Stepford Wives with the perfect utopian setting of Barbieland. Warner Bros. Pictures plans to release Barbie in the United Kingdom and the United States on July 21, 2023.
1. Beau Is Afraid
Originally going to be called Disappointment Blvd, the film is directed by Ari Aster and stars Joaquin Phoenix as Beau. It costars Michael Gandolfini, Nathan Lane, Amy Ryan, and Parker Posey. It’s a comedy horror film. The plot centers around Beau, an anxious guy, who goes on a bizarre adventure home when his mother dies unexpectedly, battling his deepest anxieties along the way. Everything about Beau Is Afraid is unusual, whether it’s the experimental concept, the unusual environment, or the inclusion of parallel universes with tons of artistic imagery. It will be released on April 21, 2023, and has a runtime of 2 hours and 59 minutes. I’m excited to see Joaquin Phoenix, one of my favorite actors, and Ari Aster, my favorite horror director, work on the same film. I have high hopes for this, as Aster’s other films like Hereditary and Midsommar did not disappoint. Phoenix looks like he will give a promising performance, and I cannot wait to see him in a new movie since Cmon Cmon (2021).
