Though still a ways away, here’s the line-up of upcoming movies releases confirmed in 2023 (so far). Following the last couple years of heavy movie delays or cancellations due to the COVID-19 pandemic, movie theaters and studios are finally getting back on track. While most 2020-scheduled films were delayed to 2021 or 2022, the confirmed slate of movie releases for 2023 is seeing brand new projects, as well as other films, pushed back to accommodate packed release schedules. Big-budget franchise movies from studios like Disney have had to delay their original schedule, which means sequels like Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 and Indiana Jones 5 originally scheduled for much earlier aren’t being released until 2023.
Even though 2023 is still beyond the horizon, there have already been a few highly anticipated movies originally slated for 2023 that are now scheduled for 2024. Furiosa, the Mad Max: Fury Road origin story, was first scheduled for June 2023 but is now pushed all the way back to 2024. In conjunction with unforeseen delays due to the pandemic, Marvel Studios originally had a few untitled projects set for 2023 that were removed from the lineup completely. It’s theorized that these removed Marvel Phase 4 movies will be delayed to 2024 instead of being canned altogether, but it goes to show that moviegoing still isn’t quite back to normal.
JANUARY
Kraven the Hunter
Directed by: J.C. Chandor
Starring: Aaron Taylor-Johnson
Opening on: January 13, 2023
Originally set to appear sometime in the Andrew Garfield Spider-Man franchise before it was discontinued by Sony, the classic Spidey villain finally makes the jump to the big screen. The film will be directed by J.C. Chandor (All Is Lost, Triple Frontier), with Aaron Taylor-Johnson (who portrayed Pietro Maximoff/Quicksilver in Avengers: Age of Ultron) set to play the character.
FEBRUARY
Ant-Man and The Wasp: Quantumania (2022)
Directed by: Peyton Reed
Starring: Paul Rudd, Evangeline Lilly, Michael Douglas, Michelle Pfeiffer, Jonathan Majors, Bill Murray
Opening on: February 17, 2023
It may have been delayed a year, but Paul Rudd & Co. are back for round three of this delightful franchise, which promises some exciting casting: namely, Jonathan Majors as supervillain Kang the Conqueror and Bill Murray as… something.
MARCH
Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves (2023)
Directed by: John Francis Daley, Jonathan Goldstein
Starring: Chris Pine, Hugh Grant, Regé-Jean Page, Michelle Rodriguez, Sophia Lillis, Justice Smith
Opening on: March 3, 2023
The popular role-playing game gets a shiny reboot, courtesy of directors John Francis Daley and Jonathan Goldstein (Game Night, 2015’s Vacation) and an all-star cast that includes Chris Pine, Michelle Rodriguez, Hugh Grant, Bridgerton breakout star Regé-Jean Page, and more.
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: March 17, 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). No other details about the film are available as of yet.
John Wick: Chapter 4 (2023)
Directed by: Chad Stahelski
Starring: Keanu Reeves, Laurence Fishburne, Lance Reddick, Ian McShane, Donnie Yen, Bill Skarsgård, Hiroyuki Sanada
Opening on: March 24, 2023
Chad Stahelski and Keanu Reeves’ blockbuster action franchise finally reaches theaters in 2023 after a two-year delay caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. We don’t know much about the film, except that John Wick is at war with — and possibly presumed dead by — the High Table, and Stahelski has gone on record to say that there is a possibility that Chapter 4 will not be a “happy ending” for its central character.
MAY
Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 (2023)
Directed by: James Gunn
Starring: Chris Pratt, Zoe Saldana, Bradley Cooper, Dave Bautista, Karen Gillan, Pom Klmentieff, Will Poulter, Elizabeth Debicki
Opening in: May 5, 2023
Writer-director James Gunn’s follows his giddily irreverent 2021 effort The Suicide Squad with the latest Guardians, which is sure to have a winning Chris Pratt, an awesome mix — see what we did there? — of other actors, and, we’re just guessing, plenty of comedic hijinks. We also know that Will Poulter is set to play Adam Warlock, who was teased at the end of Vol. 2.
Fast X (2023)
Directed by: Justin Lin
Starring: Vin Diesel, Michelle Rodriguez, Tyrese Gibson, Sung Kang, Ludacris, Nathalie Emmanuel
Opening on: May 19, 2023
This is only part one of the tenth installment of the most speedy and angry franchise out there. (Part two, rumored to be the last in the series, will drop in 2024.) And while the plot is hush-hush at the moment, we know that Vin Diesel, Michelle Rodriguez, and the rest of the family will be back to do their thing.
The Little Mermaid
Directed by: Rob Marshall
Starring: Halle Bailey, Jonah Hauer-King, Melissa McCarthy, Javier Bardem, Daveed Diggs, Awkwafina
Opening on: May 26, 2023
This live-action remake of Disney’s fish-out-of-water favorite has some inspired casting — in particular, Melissa McCarthy (Ursula), Awkwafina (Scuttle), and Javier Bardem (King Triton) — and new tunes co-written by Lin-Manuel Miranda, while pop star Halle Bailey will don some fins to play Ariel.
JUNE
Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse (Part One) (2022)
Directed by: Joaquim Dos Santos
Starring: Shameik Moore, Hailee Steinfeld, Oscar Isaac, Issa Rae
Opening on: June 2, 2023
The Oscar-winning animated Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse was a big hit with critics and audiences, and Across the Spider-Verse was one of the most anticipated of 2022… until it got moved to 2023. Shameik Moore will voice Miles Morales again, with Hailee Steinfeld’s Gwen Stacy and Oscar Isaac’s Miguel O’Hara (aka Spider-Man 2099) joining him. We also know that Issa Rae is set to voice Jessica Drew (aka Spider-Woman), and it’s likely that Jake Johnson’s Peter Parker will be back as well.
Transformers: Rise of the Beasts (2023)
Directed by: Steven Caple Jr.
Starring: Ron Perlman, Anthony Ramos, Peter Cullen, Dominique Fishback, Luna Lauren Velez
Opening on: June 9, 2023
The Transformers franchise takes another step back in time after the 1980s-set Bumblebee, taking viewers back to the mid-’90s as a pair of archaeologists stumble into a three-way conflict between different factions of Transformers. The film is loosely based on the Beast Wars storyline and will be directed by Steven Caple Jr. (Creed II), with Peter Cullen reprising his role as the voice of Optimus Prime and people like Ron Perlman, Anthony Ramos, and Dominique Fishback joining the cast.
The Flash (2023)
Directed by: Andy Muschietti
Starring: Ezra Miller, Ben Affleck, Sasha Calle, Billy Crudup, Michael Keaton
Opening on: June 23, 2023
In case you hadn’t heard, multi-verses are going to be all the rage in 2022, and this movie is looking to be DC’s contribution to the trend. Like a lot of the films on this list, we don’t yet know anything about the story, but the casting of Michael Keaton as Bruce Wayne is either a super meta stunt or a big hint as to what we’ll see. There are rumors that the plot will follow the “Flashpoint” storyline from the comics, in which case, yes, expect some crossover shenanigans.
Indiana Jones 5 (2023)
Directed by: James Mangold
Starring: Harrison Ford, Antonio Banderas, Mads Mikkelsen, Phoebe Waller-Bridge, Shaunette Renée Wilson, Toby Jones, Boyd Holbrook
Opening on: June 30, 2023
For the first time ever, a person not named Steven Spielberg is helming an Indiana Jones film. James Mangold (Walk the Line) directs this long-awaited follow-up to 2008’s Kingdom of the Crystal Skull, which boasts turns by Phoebe Waller-Bridge, Mads Mikkelsen, Shaunette Renée Wilson, Antonio Banderas, and, of course, Harrison Ford.
JULY
Madame Web
Directed by: S.J. Clarkson
Starring: Dakota Johnson, Sydney Sweeney
Opening on: July 7, 2023
Just a month after Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse (Part One), Sony will release another of its live-action Spider-Man-adjacent film projects. There isn’t much information out about this film yet, except that it will star Dakota Johnson (in the title role) and Euphoria’s Sydney Sweeney, and it will be directed by S.J. Clarkson, who has done episodes for series like Dexter, Bates Motel, Jessica Jones, The Defenders, and Succession.
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.
Oppenheimer
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.
The Marvels (2023)
Directed by: Nia DaCosta
Starring: Brie Larson, Teyonah Parris, Iman Vellani, Samuel L. Jackson
Opening on: July28,2023
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.
Roosevelt
Directed by: Martin Scorsese
Starring: Leonardo DiCaprio
Opening on: July 14, 2023
The legacy of the 32nd president of the United States gets the Martin Scorsese treatment, with Leonardo DiCaprio — who else? — set to star as the leader who navigated the Great Depression and World War II. This was announced way back in 2017, and we haven’t heard a whole lot about it since then, so take this release date with a grain of salt.
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.
AUGUST
Blue Beetle
Directed by: Angel Manuel Soto
Starring: Xolo Maridueña
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.
SEPTEMBER
Untitled A Quiet Place Spinoff
Directed by: Michael Sarnoski
Starring: TBD
Opening on: September 22, 2023
We don’t know much yet about this film besides its scheduled release date and the fact that Michael Sarnoski, who made his feature directorial debut with the acclaimed Nicolas Cage film Pig, will be behind the camera. We also know the story will be based on an idea from John Krasinski, who will serve as producer on the film.
OCTOBER
The Exorcist
Directed by: David Gordon Green
Starring: Leslie Odom Jr., Ellen Burstyn
Opening on: October 13, 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 unfold as the first of a trilogy, with Ellen Burstyn set to reprise her starring turn.
Dune: Part Two (2023)
Directed by: Denis Villeneuve
Starring: Timothée Chalamet, Zendaya, Rebecca Ferguson, Javier Bardem, Josh Brolin, Stellan Skarsgård
Opening on: October 20, 2023
The first installment’s day-and-date release on HBO Max may have put this sequel into question, but fear not: Dune: Part Two is officially a go, with director Denis Villeneuve claiming the film will cover the remainder of Frank Herbert’s 1965 opus (and open exclusively in theaters).
DECEMBER
Wonka
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
Directed by: Blitz Bazawule
Starring: H.E.R., Corey Hawkins
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.
Star Wars: Rogue Squadron
Directed by: Patty Jenkins
Starring: TBD
Opening on: December 23, 2023
It was announced in 2020 that Wonder Woman director Patty Jenkins had been tapped to direct a film about the starfighter pilots in the Star Wars universe called Rogue Squadron, and by mid-2021, Jenkins revealed that the script was almost done. Later the same year, production was reportedly delayed due to Jenkins’ schedule, but the release date remains intact, so we can keep our fingers crossed on this one.
TBD
The Nightingale
Directed by: Mélanie Laurent
Starring: Dakota Fanning, Elle Fanning
Opening on: TBD
The bestselling novel unfolds on the big screen, with Mélanie Laurent directing the tale of two sisters (played by real-life sibs Elle and Dakota Fanning) who resist the German occupation of France during World War II.
Legally Blonde 3 (2023)
Directed by: Jamie Suk
Starring: Reese Witherspoon, Jennifer Coolidge
Opening in: TBD
We don’t know what the story will entail, but we do know that a third entry in the beloved Reese Witherspoon comedy franchise Legally Blonde is set to come out sometime reportedly in 2023. The film has been in development since 2018 and was originally scheduled to open in 2020, but various delays — including, yes, the coronavirus — set it back. We know that Jennifer Coolidge is returning, and the film will be the feature debut of director Jamie Suk.
