2022 was a great year to be a cinephile. With the release of Avatar: The Way of Water, Glass Onion, and Bullet Train, along with some action-packed additions to the Marvel Cinematic Universe with Dr Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, it seems that 2023 has some pretty large shoes to fill. With this in view, then, let’s have a look at 7 films being released this year that’ll have you running to the cinema faster than you can say ‘popcorn!’ 

Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania

With the release of box office hit Avangers: Endgame (2019), drawing to a close the MCU’s ‘Infinity Saga’, Marvel has struggled to keep its viewers captivated. Although Phase 4 has certainly had its redeeming qualities – with WandaVision (2021), Spider-Man: No Way Home (2021), and Shang-Chi and the Legend of Ten Rings (2021), being the most notable examples – the MCU has somewhat floundered these last few years. With Thor: Love and Thunder (2022), and Eternals (2021) garnering mixed reviews from critics, it does raise the question whether the MCU has post-Endgame longevity. Nonetheless, the third Ant-Man film promises a much anticipated villain – Kang the Conquerer, who will undoubtedly go on to define much of Phase 5. For what it’s worth, I believe the MCU can certainly regain its footing. Only time will tell.

MaXXXine

Ti West’s horror instalments X (2022) and Pearl (2022) have taken the world by storm, with many praising the performance of Mia Goth – even going so far as to dub her the next ‘scream queen’ in a manner akin to the likes of Sarah Paulson in American Horror Story. Following the journey of Maxine as she tries to make it as an actress in 1980s Los Angeles, the film will no doubt continue to draw parallels to the psychotic series’ misunderstood villain Pearl (whose backstory is explored in West’s second instalment to the franchise). MaXXXine, unlike Pearl, will follow the protagonist of the first movie X, following the events of her grisly encounter with the elderly antagonist. It’s a harrowing collection of films, but nonetheless extremely compelling. I look forward to seeing the culmination of this thrilling saga.

Scream 6

Speaking of horror, since the release of Scream in 1996, the slasher film rose to instant cult classic status. Starring iconic psycho-killer ghost-face, and journalist Gale Weathers (played by Friends actress Courteney Cox) – desperate for her latest news headline no matter the cost – the sixth instalment of the franchise promises to be an action-packed romp full of blood, guts and gore. Although the franchise has, in truth, floundered somewhat – with Scream 3 (2000) and 4 (2011) plummeting critics’ ratings – the franchise bounced back with its fifth instalment. Starring Wednesday actress Jenna Ortega, she is due to reprise her role as Tara Carpenter, after surviving the events of Scream 5, which will no doubt excite fans’ anticipation for the latest instalment. And whilst the sixth movie certainly has a lot to live up to, the success of its predecessor shows it can do this in its stride.

The Super Mario Bros. Movie

Since the 1993 flop film adaptation Super Mario Bros, the Italian plumber seemed destined for a life on the console. Nonetheless, The Super Mario Bros. Movie promises a second attempt at Mario filmic stardom which has certainly garnered some attention. Despite Chris Pratt’s extraordinarily non-committal attempt at a Mario voiceover (which, it so happens, is just Pratt speaking in his own voice) the movie looks to be somewhat promising. For starters, the animation is faithful to its video game counterpart, something that the recent Sonic the Hedgehog (2020) adaptation struggled with. 

Dune: Part 2

Once again, Frank Herbert’s epic saga will have the chance to prove why it’s such a marvel of science-fiction. Following on the events of Dune: Part 1, the sequel promises the return of Timothy Chalamet’s Paul Atreides, alongside his mother Lady Jessica (played by Rebecca Ferguson), as the two join the Fremen tribe to seek vengeance for the fathers’ death. Zendaya fans will also be pleased, as the actress will finally get the screen time she deserves – as opposed to a few cursory dream sequences. And to meet the high stakes set by its predecessor, Pretty Woman actress Florence Pugh is set to join the cast as Princess Irulan. 

Wonka

Since we’ve got Timothy Chalamet on our minds (when have we not?) – let’s have a look at his next film, Wonka. Adapting Roald Dahl’s children’s novel Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, as well as following in the footsteps of two classic film adaptations, Wonka certainly has a large legacy behind it. I do wonder if the world actually needs another adaptation of the story; but putting scepticism aside, I’m quietly excited. One thing’s for sure, however: it’s set to be a big year for Chalamet.

Barbie

But perhaps the film that I’m most intrigued to see, is Great Gerwig’s Barbie adaptation, starring Margot Robbie and Ryan Gosling as romantic duo Barbie and Ken. If the trailer is anything to go off, with the trippy homage to 2001: A Space Odyssey (1968), it’s sure to be a wild (and extremely meta) rollercoaster of a film. But a welcome one nonetheless. Not much is known about the premise of the film other than some vague plot points (which we’ll keep under wraps for readers who don’t want to be spoiled!) But one thing’s for sure — the stakes are most certainly high for this one.

And that’s not all. With our top 7 list coming to a close, there are some notable examples worth mentioning. Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 will round off Marvel’s sci-fi trilogy; The Little Mermaid is set to be Disney’s latest live action remake, starring Halle Bailey as Ariel; and Spiderman: Across the Spiderverse will follow the story of its hugely successful predecessor. What a lineup! With the success of cinema in 2022, directors certainly have a lot to live up to. But it seems, for the moment at least, that viewers are in safe hands.

Featured image: Pietro Jeng on Pexels.