The best upcoming movies of 2023
All the top movies to check out this year and beyond - what are you looking forward to?
Last year may have brought us Elvis, multiverse madness in Everything Everywhere All at Once, a truly wild friendship in The Banshees of Inisherin and the phenomenon of ‘it’s Morbin’ time’.
That’s not a patch on what we have to look forward to this year, though. Sure, we’ve already seen best of the year contenders such as Barbie, Oppenheimer and…whatever else came out before those two. But there’s still tons to look forward to.
Killers of the Flower Moon (Apple TV+)
Adapted from the nonfiction book of the same name, Killers of the Flower Moon follows a series of murders of members from the Osage tribe in Oklahoma. Set in 1920s America, the Osage people lived on vast reserves of oil, which made the tribe incredibly wealthy, but also the target.
This is Scorsese’s first film since The Irishman, and in classic Scorsese fashion, Killers of the Flower Moon features a whole host of Hollywood’s brightest and best. Leonardo DiCaprio, Lily Gladstone, Robert De Niro, Jesse Plemons, Brendan Fraser, and a surprise visit from Jack White will all be making an appearance.
Release date: 20 October
Dune: Part Two
The sequel to the critically-acclaimed fantasy blockbuster Dune continues the story of one of the most iconic Sci-Fi novels of all time, driven by a star-studded cast including the likes of Timothée Chalamet, Zendaya, Josh Brolin, Dave Bautista, and more. Expect more zany fashion, plenty of sand, giant worms, and, of course, an attempt to save the fate of the known universe itself. No pressure.
Release date: 3 November
Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes
The appetite is still very much there for more Hunger Games. The franchise, based on the books of the same name, has remained hugely popular since its first big box office outing in 2012. Battle Royal with cheese it may have been called by some folks, but there’s no denying its impact.
The series is set to return with Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes, an origin story that tells of how a civilisation full lent into its ‘what if…’ impulses and set its citizens against each other in a battle to the death. From the trailer, we can expect a film stylised on 1920s Americana, with an extra dollop of dystopia.
Release date: 17 November 2023
Napoleon
When Ridley Scott and Joaquin Phoenix last joined forces on the big screen, we got the Roman epic that was Gladiator. This time around, Scott and Phoenix are telling an arguably even grander story. That of the French war commander and incorrectly labelled ‘short man’, Napoleon.
Napoleon will focus on the political leader’s early years to his rise to power as one of history’s most prominent figures. Few specific details are known about Napoleon at this moment, but the film is set to be released on Apple TV+ some time in 2023. Once again, there isn’t a trailer or poster for Napoleon just yet, so we hope the above iconic scene will suffice for now.
Release date: 22 November 2023
The Bikeriders
Based on the 1968 photo-book which documented the very real lives of Chicago Outlaws Motorcycle Club, The Bikeriders film instead follows a fictional biker gang and its rise to the open road. Spanning a decade, the film follows the gang grow from humble roots (if biker gangs can be humble, of course) to a more legit criminal crew. It stars Tom Hardy, Boyd Holbrook, Michael Shannon, Austin Butler, Jodie Comer and Norman Reedus.
Release date: 1 December
Wonka
The gritty origin story trope hit new levels of absurd when it was announced that Wonka would be hitting cinemas in 2023. Will Wonka turn out to be a ridiculed comedian, a la Joker? Or is he more of a Batman-like figure, a tortured soul who forges a chocolate empire after [insert harrowing adolescent experience here]? But after the original announcement came intrigue. Who is the real Willy Wonka? How did he build his fortune? And how many people did he dispose of by cramming them into chocolate tubes or feeding them poisoned blueberries?
We’ll have to wait to hear the answers to those questions. But given how this big budget musical includes a cast of Timothée Chalamet as the young chocolatier, Keegan-Michael Key, Rowan Atkinson, Olivia Colman and Sally Hawkins, Wonka is primed to be an origin story of grand proportions.
We don’t have a trailer for Wonka just yet, but we’ll be sure to update this article when that changes. For now, enjoy a Gene Wilder sing-along.
Release date: 15 December
Ferrari
Just a few short years after he played an equally as complicated Italian man in House of Gucci, Adam Driver plays yet another controversial Italian in Ferrari.
Presumably casted solely on the back of his surname, Driver plays Enzo Ferrari, the racing driver and founder of Italian luxury car company Ferrari. Alongside Penélope Cruz, Ferrari will show how its founder built arguably the most recognisable name in racing from its origins, charting the myriad of controversies that followed it along the way. Directed by Michael Mann of Heat fame, expect some high octane, but still highly fashionable, car chases and some very stylish Italian tailoring.
Release date: Christmas
Jack Needham
