New year, new movies.

16.01.23 | By Antonia Day | Entertainment

12 Highly Anticipated Movies We Can’t Wait to See in 2023

New year, new movies.

How is it already the end of the year? 2022 brought us so many good things. Here are some of our highlights: the third season of Emily in Paris is about to hit our screens, Beyoncé released an album, and we launched our gorgeous new linen colour Wildflower.

While we’re sad to see this eventful year go, we can’t wait for all of the new things to come in 2023. With new TV shows on the horizon, there’s also a plethora of new films set to be hitting the big screens.

With that being said, here are our top 12 movies we can’t wait to watch next year.

1. Barbie

Greta Gerwig is bringing to life our favourite pink-loving-blonde: Barbie. Played by the talented doll herself, Margot Robbie, and Ryan Gosling as Ken, we will watch the famous Mattel couple be thrown into our world, after being banished from Barbieland.

2. The Little Mermaid

We can’t wait to see this live-action remake of Disney’s under-water favourite: The Little Mermaid. This rendition of the cult classic has an incredible lineup of actors, from Melissa McCarthy playing Ursula, Javier Bardem as King Triton, and pop star Halle Bailey is donning some luminescent fins to play Ariel. Get excited to experience a whole new world, The Little Mermaid will be hitting cinemas in late May.

3. Creed III

If you’re a fan of the Rocky spin-off franchise, Creed, then your day just got a whole lot better. Michael B. Jordan makes his feature directorial debut, where he plays the son of Rocky’s nemesis-turned-friend: Apollo Creed. Not much has been released about what goes on in this chapter, but we do know we’re in for an action-packed, star-studded line-up.

4. Magic Mike’s Last Dance

One last time shall we? Channing Tatum is back and stripping off his clothes one last time in this follow-up to 2015’s Magic Mike XXL. This time, follow Mike Lane (played by Channing Tatum) as he travels to London after falling on hard times. Mike partners up with a wealthy woman (Salma Hayek), only to discover she has ulterior motives.

5. Dune: Part Two

With the successful sci-fi release of Dune coming out in late 2021, the hit film is back with Dune: Part Two. Set to be released at the end of the new year. Director Denis Villenevue claims the latest film will cover the remainder of Frank Herbert’s 1965 opus, open exclusively in theatres.

6. Wonka

Timothée Chalamet has a very busy year ahead on the big screen, as he steps into the offbeat shoes of a young Willy Wonka in this origin story. Going back in time, we’ll see Willy Wonka’s past, as a budding chocolatier as he crosses paths with the Oompa-Loompas. Wonka is being brought to life by none other than Paul King, who received huge critical success with his two Paddington films.

7. The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes

Another one? That’s right! The Hunger Games Franchise is back in full swing with The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes. Based on the novel of the same name by Suzanne Collins, this story follows a young Coriolanus Snow and his involvement in the Hunger Games years before the events of the original series.

8. John Wick Chapter 4

Our favourite action franchise is finally reaching theatres in 2023 after a two-year delay. Not much information has been released about John Wick Chapter 4, but we do know that John Wick is at war with (and presumed dead by) the High Table. We know that we’re in for a couple hours of ruthless action, and a potential “not happy” ending for the central character.

9. Oppenheimer

He brought us Inception, Interstellar, The Dark Knight, and The Prestige. Christopher Nolan is known for his cerebral, often nonlinear, storytelling. He’s back with another film which we can only presume will live up to the expectations of its predecessors, Oppenheimer. Based on American Prometheus: The Triumph and Tragedy of J. Robert Oppenheimer, this tale of war is sure to leave us all perplexed.

10. Legally Blonde 3

We don’t want to get your hopes up too much, but we are so excited for this one that we just had to share it. Our beloved Reese Witherspoon franchise: Legally Blonde is rumoured to be coming out with: Legally Blonde 3. The film was scheduled to open in 2020, but with numerous delays has set it back drastically. We can’t wait to bend and snap up a ticket.

12. Babylon

Releasing in early January, Babylon chronicles the rise and fall of multiple cast and crew members during Hollywood’s transition from silent to sound films in the late 1920s. If you’re not already itching to go see it, perhaps knowing Margot Robbie and Brad Pitt are the main stars of the film will have you pre-ordering tickets in an instant.

12. Beau Is Afraid

Directed by Ari Aster who brought us the dark and twisted films Hereditary and Midsommar – Beau Is Afraid follows a paranoid man who embarks on an epic journey to get home to his mother. Starring Joaquin Phoenix, this surrealist comedy horror film will have you crying, laughing, and maybe even hiding behind your popcorn in the cinemas.