Most Anticipated Movies Coming in Late 2023: ‘The Marvels,’ ‘Wonka’ and More

Named after a killer robot child that is already taking the internet by storm, “M3gan” stars Allison Williams as a roboticist who programs M3gan to help her orphaned niece cope with a recent tragedy. The film is produced by horror icons Jason Blum and James Wan, so those who are easily frightened should beware.

Based on a true story during the 2017 Super Bowl, Jane Fonda, Lily Tomlin, Rita Moreno and Sally Field play lifelong friends who travel to see their beloved Tom Brady on the field. Directed by Kyle Marvin, the sports comedy sees Brady reunite with former New England Patriots tight end Rob Gronkowski and wide receivers Danny Amendola and Julian Edelman.

In director M. Night Shyamalan’s latest psychological horror, a family gets taken hostage by four strangers who demand their sacrifice to prevent an apocalypse. Dave Bautista, Jonathan Groff and Rupert Grint star in this story based on author Paul G. Tremblay’s “The Cabin at the End of the World.”

“Magic Mike’s Last Dance” brings closure to Channing Tatum’s on-screen stripping career as the final installment of the acclaimed trilogy from Warner Bros. Steven Soderbergh is back in the director’s chair for a cinematic conclusion that Tatum described as the “Super Bowl of stripping.”

The third entry in Marvel Studios’ “Ant-Man” franchise finds Paul Rudd’s Scott Lang and his Ant-Family trapped inside the Quantum Realm, forced to face Jonathan Majors’ Kang the Conqueror. Also starring Evangeline Lily, Michael Douglas, Michelle Pfeiffer and Kathryn Newton as Cassie Lang, the film will kick off Phase 5 of the Marvel Cinematic Universe.

The title speaks for itself in Elizabeth Banks’ latest directorial effort, which is a dark and comedic spin on a true story about a black bear that ate a duffel bag of cocaine in the 1980s. Starring Keri Russell, O’Shea Jackson Jr., Alden Ehrenreich and more, the thriller takes a turn toward fantasy when the bear goes on a murderous rampage in a small Georgia town.

Michael B. Jordan and Jonathan Majors jump in the ring for the third “Creed” film, which marks the ninth installment in the “Rocky” franchise. The film is a directorial debut for Jordan, who stars as Adonis “Donnie” Creed. Majors will make his first appearance in the franchise as Damian “Dame” Anderson,” Adonis’ former friend and new opponent.

Paramount Pictures’ “Scream 6” sees franchise veteran Courteney Cox rejoin “Scream 5″ stars Jenna Ortega, Melissa Barrera, Jasmin Savoy Brown, Mason Gooding, plus the return of Hayden Panettiere from Scream 4,” as Ghostface takes a stab at New York City. Directors Matt Bettinelli-Olpin and Tyler Gillett will return to helm the newest installment after directing “Scream 5.”

Zachary Levi returns as teen-turned-superhero Billy Batson in DC’s “Shazam! Fury of the Gods,” but this time, his foster siblings become powered-up heroes as well. The David F. Sandberg-directed film also stars Asher Angel, Jack Dylan Grazer, Rachel Zegler, Adam Brody, Ross Butler, Meagan Good, Lucy Liu, Djimon Hounsou and Helen Mirren.

Keanu Reeves returns as the beloved gun-fu hero in this neo-noir action film, where he must face Bill Skarsgård’s the Marquis de Gramont in single combat in order to win his freedom. Stuntman-turned-director Chad Stahelski’s fourth installment of the “John Wick” franchise features a new suit for Wick, nunchucks, axes and lots of guns.

Directed by Jonathan Goldstein and John Francis Daley, the action-fantasy film follows Chris Pine (as a bard), Michelle Rodriguez (as a barbarian), Justice Smith (as a sorcerer) and Sophia Lillis (as a druid) attempting to rectify a mistake after one of their heists goes awry. Regé-Jean Page, Chloe Coleman, Jason Wong, Daisy Head and Hugh Grant also star in the upcoming feature based on Hasbro’s Dungeons & Dragons.

Kelvin Harrison Jr. stars as French-Caribbean violinist Chevalier de Saint-Georges in the biographical drama from director Stephen Williams on a screenplay from “Atlanta” writer Stefani Robinson. Samara Weaving, Lucy Boynton, Marton Csokas, Alex Fitzalan and Minnie Driver also star in the film, which chronicles Saint-Georges’ rise as a musical prodigy, facing love life complications and racism along the way.

A star-studded cast will bring the characters of the Mushroom Kingdom to life as Mario embarks on a quest to save Luigi — and the world as they know it — from Bowser’s destruction. The cast includes Chris Pratt as Mario, Charlie Day as Luigi, Anya Taylor-Joy as Princess Peach, Jack Black as Bowser, Keegan-Michael Key as Toad, Seth Rogen as Donkey Kong, Fred Armisen as Cranky Kong and more.

Nicolas Cage transforms into Dracula for the horror-comedy “Renfield,” bringing a fresh take to his interpretation of the iconic vampire for director Chris McKay’s film adaptation of “The Book of Renfield: A Gospel of Dracula.” But the main star of the film is Nicholas Hoult as the titular character Renfield, who decides to abandon his post as Dracula’s henchman when he falls in love. Co-stars include Shohreh Aghdashloo, Awkwafina, Jenna Kanell, Ben Schwartz, Adrian Martinez and more.

Director James Gunn is signing off from the “Guardians of the Galaxy” franchise with a third and final intergalactic mission that unveils Rocket Raccoon’s (Bradley Cooper) origin story and the return of Gamora (Zoe Saldaña). In addition to Will Poulter making his Marvel debut as antagonist Adam Warlock, returning cast members include Chris Pratt, Dave Bautista, Vin Diesel, Karen Gillan, Pom Klementieff, Sean Gunn, Elizabeth Debicki and Maria Bakalova as Cosmo the Spacedog.

Book club best friends — played by Diane Keaton, Jane Fonda, Candice Bergen and Mary Steenburgen — take an Italy girls’ trip in “Book Club 2 – The Next Chapter,” the sequel to the 2018 film. Also starring in the film are Andy Garcia, Don Johnson and Craig T. Nelson on a screenplay from director Bill Holderman.

The 10th installment of the “Fast & Furious”  franchise, directed by Louis Leterrier, finds the family of criminals and professional street racers, led by Vin Diesel’s Dominic Toretto, embarking on another high-octane adventure. Jason Momoa, Brie Larson and Rita Moreno join the Fast Family, along with returning stars Michelle Rodriguez, Tyrese Gibson, Ludacris, Jordana Brewster, Charlize Theron, John Cena, Sung Kang, Jason Statham, Helen Mirren and more.

Halle Bailey is making waves as princess Ariel in Disney’s reimagining of “The Little Mermaid,” which concretes her status as the first Black actor to play the character and second Black actor to ever be dubbed a Disney princess. Directed by Rob Marshall (“Chicago,” “Mary Poppins Returns”), the live-action adaptation brings previously unseen depth to the classic story as well as four new songs from Lin-Manuel Miranda.

This sequel to Sony’s “Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse” is another animated spectacle of web-slinging starring an older Miles Morales (Shameik Moore). It follows Miles and Gwen Stacy (Hailee Steinfeld) as they battle other Spider-Man variants they encounter in the multiverse, including Issa Rae’s Spider-Woman, Oscar Isaac’s Spider-Man 2099 and Daniel Kaluuya’s Spider-Punk.

The latest installment of the tenured “Transformers” film franchise follows the prominent “Beast Wars” storyline with three factions of Transformers being linked to Earth’s past. Anthony Ramos and Dominique Fishback star, with new animal-like Transformers being voiced by Ron Perlman, Peter Dinklage, Pete Davidson and more.

Set in a world where beings made of the four elements — water, fire, earth and air — coexist, Pixar’s upcoming 27th film follows unlikely duo Ember (Leah Lewis) and Wade (Mamoudou Athie) who, despite their fundamental differences, discover that they have a lot of similarities. The animated feature is directed by Peter Sohn, who helmed Pixar’s “The Good Dinosaur.”

Jennifer Lawrence stars in the coming-of-age dramedy from director Gene Stupnitsky, in which she also produces. Set in Montauk, New York, Lawrence’s character answers a Craigslist ad from a mother calling for someone to date her son (Andrew Barth Feldman) before he starts college.

After lots of behind-the-screen legal drama, Ezra Miller will get a standalone movie as the Scarlet Speedster in director Andy Muschietti’s “The Flash,” following the hero’s previous appearance in 2017’s “Justice League.” When Barry Allen uses his powers to travel back in time and save his mother (Maribel Verdú) from murder, the change to history sets forth a series of cosmic consequences. The film also sees the return of Ben Affleck as Batman, as well as Michael Keaton back in the cape and cowl.

Harrison Ford returns as now-retired archaeologist Indiana Jones in the long-awaited fifth title from Lucasfilm’s beloved adventure series, which is set during the 1960s Space Race. Mads Mikkelsen, Antonio Banderas and Phoebe Waller-Bridge also star in the film, plus John Rhys-Davies returns as Sallah from Indy’s previous adventures. James Mangold is taking the helm as writer and director of the newest installment, with former franchise director Steven Spielberg still attached as an executive producer.

Tom Cruise is back in action as IMF agent Ethan Hunt in the seventh installment of the spy thriller franchise. Written and directed by Christopher McQuarrie, the film includes multiple death-defying stunts and action sequences, including Cruise driving a motorcycle off a cliff. In addition to Cruise, Ving Rhames, Simon Pegg, Rebecca Ferguson, Henry Czerny, Vanessa Kirby and Frederick Schmidt reprise their “Mission: Impossible” roles.

Margot Robbie plays the iconic fashion doll in Greta Gerwig’s latest movie, which was written by her and Noah Baumbach. Ryan Gosling plays Barbie’s boy toy Ken, and Issa Rae, Simu Liu, Ncuti Gatwa, Hari Nef and Kingsley Ben-Adir play alternate versions of the two dolls.

“Oppenheimer” is a welcomed reunion for long-time collaborators Cillian Murphy and director Christopher Nolan, starring Murphy in the main role of J. Robert Oppenheimer, one of the original creators of the atomic bomb. Robert Downey Jr., Matt Damon, Emily Blunt, Florence Pugh, Kenneth Branagh and Rami Malek are also among the star-studded cast.

Viewers can expect spooky frights and comic delights from director Justin Simien’s comedy-horror take on Walt Disney Studios’ “Haunted Mansion.” The film stars Rosario Dawson as Gabbie, a single mother who moves into a ghostly manor with her son (Chase Dillon). In order to exorcize her home, Gabbie enlists the help of a priest, a psychic and a historian, played by Owen Wilson, Tiffany Haddish and Danny DeVito, respectively. Other cast members include Winona Ryder, Jamie Lee Curtis, Jared Leto, Dan Levy, Hasan Minhaj and more.

“Cobra Kai” star Xolo Maridueña plays Jaime Reyes in DC’s first superhero movie led by a Latino character. When a mysterious scarab binds to Reyes’ spine, he gains superpowers and a suit of blue alien armor. In addition to Maridueña, the film stars Raoul Max Trujillo, Bruna Marquezine, Belissa Escobedo, Harvey Guillén and Sharon Stone as villain Victoria Kord. Angel Manuel Soto directs a screenplay written by Gareth Dunnet-Alcocer.

“Strays” is a live-action comedy featuring the voice talent of Jamie Foxx and Will Ferrell as two stray dogs, Bug and Reggie, who team up to exact revenge on the owner that abandoned Reggie. While it might sound like a family movie, the film is actually rated R, so parents beware. “Strays” is directed by Josh Greenbaum and the cast also features Will Forte, Isla Fisher, Randall Park and Tinashe Kajese.

Emma Seligman’s sophomore directorial effort is a raunchy teen comedy about two best friends, PJ (Rachel Sennott) and Josie (Ayo Edebiri), who start a female fight club at school ostensibly in the name of female solidarity. Their real goal, however, is to sleep with the cheerleaders they have crushes on. The satirical film also stars Havana Rose Liu, Kaia Gerber, Nicholas Galitzine, Dagmara Dominczyk, Ruby Cruz and former NFL star Marshawn Lynch.

Neill Blomkamp’s sports drama “Gran Turismo” is based on the true experience of Jann Mardenborough (Archie Madekwe), who excelled at the racing video game “Gran Turismo” and translated his remarkable skills to real life professional racing. David Harbour stars as Jann’s trainer and Orlando Bloom stars as a Nissan marketing executive.

Ready for more “Conjuring” this spooky season? The sequel to 2018’s “The Nun” will see Taissa Farmiga reprise her role as Sister Irene alongside Anna Popplewell and Bonnie Aarons. In 1956, a French priest is mysteriously murdered, which leads Sister Irene to reunite with Valak, the demon nun.  “The Conjuring: The Devil Made Me Do It’s” Michael Chaves directed a script penned by “M3GAN” screenwriter Akela Cooper and “Fear the Walking Dead” screenwriters Ian Goldberg and Richard Naing.

After a nine-year hiatus, Sylvester Stallone’s Barney Ross is set to lead the Expendables once more. The fourth installment in “The Expandables” franchise will see the return of iconic characters and newcomers as they bond over guns, explosions and lots of violence. Franchise vets Jason Statham, Dolph Lundgren and Randy Couture reprise their long-term roles alongside Curtis “50 Cent” Jackson, Megan Fox, Tony Jaa, Jacob Scipio, Levy Tran, Eddie Hall, Iko Uwais and Andy Garcia.

In Kenneth Branagh’s third movie in the Hercule Poirot whodunnit films, the supernatural thriller follows a new mystery inspired by Agatha Christie’s “Hallowe’en Party.” The star-studded ensemble includes Tina Fey, Jamie Dornan, Michelle Yeoh, Kyle Allen, Camille Cottin, Jude Hill, Ali Khan, Emma Laird, Kelly Reilly and Riccardo Scamarico.

Jigsaw is back and ready to lead a new series of deadly, puzzling traps in “Saw X.” Tobin Bell will reprise his iconic role as the serial killer kidnapper John Kramer (aka Jigsaw) in the “Saw” franchise’s landmark tenth installment. After traveling to Mexico to participate in an experimental treatment, John finds out that he was scammed, leading him to unleash Jigaw’s wrath onto his scammers. “Saw VI” (2009) and “Saw: The Final Chapter” (2010) director Kevin Greutert helmed the film in what is sure to please all horror lovers ahead of the Halloween season. 

The fictitious and daunting possibilities of AI will be explored through Gareth Edwards’ forthcoming sci-fi feature. “The Creator” is set in a postapocalyptic universe, one plagued by a war between humans and AI. John David Washington is set to star alongside Gemma Chan and Allison Janney in a film surrounding an evergrowing topic in the modern landscape.

Uma Thurman and Samuel L. Jackson are set to headline Nicol Paone’s dark comedic-thriller “The Kill Room” alongside Joe Manganiello. A hitman (Manganiello), his boss (Jackson) and an art dealer (Thurman) find themselves entangled in a money laundering scheme that quickly turns the killer into an overnight sensation. The trio finds themselves navigating the highs and lows that come from both sides of the art world against the underworld. 

Martin Scorsese’s upcoming Western epic reunites Leonardo DiCaprio and Robert De Niro 30 years after their last films together. “Flower Moon” tells the story of a series of murders of the wealthy Osage people and the FBI’s subsequent investigation of their deaths. The Apple film also stars Jesse Plemons, Lily Gladstone and actors from the Osage Nation.  

Prepare for more spine-tingling and faith-shaking horror as a new “Exorcist” movie haunts theaters in October. Ellen Burstyn reprises her role from the 1973 original as Chris MacNeil, who helps a new father with his possessed child. Ann Dowd, Leslie Odom Jr., Lidya Jewett and Olivia Marcum join the cast, as does the fictional demon Pazuzu from previous “Exorcist” movies. David Gordon Green directs the first film in a planned trilogy from a script he co-wrote with Peter Sattler.

Based on the video game of the same name, “Five Nights at Freddy’s” is a horror film starring Josh Hutcherson, Elizabeth Lail, Piper Rubio, and Matthew Lillard. This Blumhouse Production tells the story of one Mike Schmidt trying to escape the killer mascots of Freddy Fazbear’s Pizza. The film is set to debut on streaming and in theaters in October.

Denis Villeneuve’s sequel continues the journey of Paul Atreides (Timothée Chalamet) as he embarks on a warpath of revenge against those who destroyed his family, while also attempting to prevent a terrible future. Chalamet will be joined by Zendaya, Rebecca Ferguson, Javier Bardem, Josh Brolin, Stellan Skarsgård, Dave Bautista, Charlotte Rampling and Stephen McKinley Henderson. Newcomers include Austin Butler, Christopher Walken, Florence Pugh, Léa Seydoux and Souheila Yacoub.

The sequel to Marvel’s 2019 origin story for Captain Marvel, Brie Larson’s powerful character is joined by Iman Vellani’s Ms. Marvel and Teyonah Parris’ Monica Rambeau in the latest MCU team-up. “Candyman” director Nia DaCosta helms the film, which finds the three superheroes swapping places each time they use their powers. Samuel L. Jackson also reprises his role as Nick Fury in the sequel after playing a prominent role in the first film.

Taika Waititi’s sports comedy-drama stars Michael Fassbender as unorthodox soccer coach Thomas Rongen. Based on directors Mike Brett and Steve Jamison’s 2014 documentary of the same name, the film follows the true story of Rongen as he attempts to turn the American Samoa national soccer team into champions. Elisabeth Moss, Will Arnett, Uli Latukefu, Oscar Kightley, David Fane, Beulah Koale, Lehi Falepapalangi, Semu Filipo, Rachel House and Kaimana round out the cast.

Set decades before the events that occurred in the “Hunger Games” franchise, the prequel follows Tom Blyth as 18-year-old Coriolanus Snow, who is chosen to mentor District 12 tribute Lucy Gray Baird (Rachel Zegler) during the 10th annual Hunger Games. Hunter Schafer, Peter Dinklage, Viola Davis, Jason Schwartzman, Ashley Liao, Sofia Sanchez, Kjell Brutscheudt and Josh Andrés Rivera also star in the film, with Francis Lawrence directing.

This animated musical comedy stars the voices of Zooey Deschanel, Justin Timberlake, Daveed Diggs, Troye Sivan and Anna Kendrick. “Trolls Band Together” is a sequel to the 2020 hit film “Trolls World Tour.” The film picks up after Branch and Poppy get together, but things go awry when Floyd is kidnapped and the gang embarks on a mission to reunite BroZone.  

In celebration of Disney’s 100th anniversary in 2023, this new animated film focuses on the power of wishes, an important component of the studio’s history. Set in Rosas, the kingdom of wishes, the film follows the story of 17-year-old heroine Asha, voiced by Ariana DeBose. Chris Buck and Fawn Veerasunthorn direct from a script written by Jennifer Lee.

Joaquin Phoenix plays the notorious French commander Napoleon Bonaparte in Ridley Scott’s upcoming military drama “Napoleon.” The film stars Vaness Kirby as Empress Josephine, Napoleon’s wife, and follows the tumult of their relationship as the commander climbs to the top of the ranks. The Apple film will premiere in theaters and debut on streaming a week after.  

Timothée Chalamet stars as the eccentric chocolatier in the Warner Bros. musical fantasy prequel. Based on the beloved character created by renowned author Roald Dahl, the movie revolves around the adventures of a young Willy Wonka and will show how he met the Oompa-Loompas. The cast includes Olivia Colman, Sally Hawkins, Keegan-Michael Key, Mathew Baynton, Matt Lucas, Rowan Atkinson, Jim Carter and Natasha Rothwell.

Jason Momoa returns as the aquatic king of Atlantis in “Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom,” a sequel to the 2018 DC Comics film. James Wan returns to direct alongside co-stars like Amber Heard, Willem Dafoe, Patrick Wilson, Dolph Lundgren, Yahya Abdul-Mateen II and Nicole Kidman.

The musical version of the classic Alice Walker novel is directed by Blitz Bazawule, and stars Aunjanue Ellis, Halle Bailey, Colman Domingo, H.E.R. and Taraji P. Henson alongside Danielle Brooks and Fantasia Barrino, who appeared in the stage musical. The story centers on Celie (Barrino), a Black woman whose personal awakening in the early 20th century American South is at the center of the epic story.

Adam Driver suits up and heads back to 1957 to play Italian racecar driver Enzo Ferrari in this Michael Mann biopic. “Ferrari” also stars Penelope Cruz as Ferrari’s wife Laura Ferrari and Shailene Woodley as his mistress Lina Lardi and is set to premiere at Venice Film Festival this year.