Even if the movie industry is still in transition, there is still hope for the future of cinema. In fact, 2023 is positioned to be a significant year for studios that rely on tentpoles and franchises, as well as one that will see the release of new auteur works from directors like Christopher Nolan, Martin Scorsese, Taika Waititi, and Greta Gerwig (with no less than a Best Picture nomination).
Here is a list of just a few of the upcoming movies over the upcoming 3 months.
Movie title : John Wick: Chapter 4
Release date : March 24
The fourth installment of what is arguably the most unlikely franchise in recent memory features Keanu Reeves reprising his role as the man in black. When the modestly budgeted John Wick was released in 2014, no one could have predicted that the tale of a lone vigilante brutally avenging the death of his dog would penetrate pop culture, sparking the "Keanuaissance" and a beloved action franchise that has earned well over half a billion dollars at the box office.
The charismatic, dedicated main actor of the John Wick series and the slick directing of stuntman-turned-director Chad Stahelski, both of whom are back for this new film, have contributed to the popularity of the franchise. The ante seems to have been raised on all fronts, from the samurai sword-fu seen in the trailer to the series debut of Hong Kong action legend Donnie Yen (Hero, Ip Man, Rogue One) and Japanese A-lister Hiroyuki Sanada. It's also down to the utterly insane set pieces, jaw-dropping fight choreography, and high-profile guest stars (most recently seen in Bullet Train)
The formula that has made the series so successful appears to be being followed in John Wick: Chapter 4, which will bring more thrilling action while developing the assassin underworld lore. And given that Chapter 5 is reportedly already in the works, the filmmakers must be optimistic about Chapter 4's prospects. But how much fuel does John Wick still have left? "As far as my legs can take me, [and] as far as the audience wants to go," adds Reeves.
Movie title : Cocaine Bear
Release date : February 24
Who makes this claim about film? Elizabeth Banks, not her! For this brilliant camp-horror high-concept, Hunger Games star and frequent director, he slips back into the director's chair. Cocaine Bear, which is largely based on a factual account, examines what happens when a black bear consumes an entire bag of cocaine in the Georgian woods.
Magic. It's magic that occurs. Can a movie with a premise about a black bear going on a rampage after becoming high on cocaine be sustained? Who knows, but given that the trailer is the appropriate type of pandemonium, we're hoping for it. Ray Liotta, who starred in the film Goodfellas, also gives his final act in Cocaine Bear.
Movie title : Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves
Release date : March 31:
It's safe to say that Dungeons & Dragons, the forerunner of contemporary role-playing games, has endured. In fact, as it gets closer to its 50th anniversary in 2024, the cherished tabletop franchise continues to dominate the market. So when would be a better time to release another big-screen adaptation? After all, the game's critically criticized first try, Dungeons & Dragons from 2000, scarcely did it credit.
It's really difficult to adapt something as sentimental to fans as D&D, but fortunately, the bar has been set very low for the upcoming Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves. Jonathan Goldstein and John Francis Daley, the directors of the 2010 comedy masterpiece Game Night, appear to be taking a very different approach with this movie, forgoing the earnest fantasy approach in favor of something much funnier and, dare we say, marvel-ous.
Hugh Grant, Chris Pine, Michelle Rodriguez, and other A-list actors are among the cast, and they continue to treat the original material with the respect it merits. They have also improved their visual effects. Although the tale is original, Goldstein and Daley consulted Wizards of the Coast, the company that publishes D&D, to make sure that they weren't veering too far from the core principles of the game. Because of this, the movie's first trailer, which debuted to cautious optimism at the San Diego Comic-Con in 2022, is filled with various creatures and settings that fans will recognize and love, including the terrifying Mimics, Owlbears, and Gelatinous Cubes, as well as the Underdark realm and the walled city of Neverwinter. not to mention a lot of dragons, of course.
Movie title : M3GAN
Release date : January 6
You obviously don't know about M3GAN yet if you believe that January will be a total wasteland at the multiplex. With this wickedly campy horror film, Universal Pictures and filmmakers Jason Blum and James Wan are starting 2023 off right, defying conventional wisdom that the month is the studios' garbage disposal.
As a technological doll created for children who want a toy as intuitive as Alexa and for parents who simply don't want to do any real parenting), M3GAN will run, skip, and dance where Chucky of Child's Play fame walked. That is at least the pitch made by Gemma (Alison Williams), a high-end toymaker who designed M3GAN and tested the doll on her recently orphaned niece. Alas… the technological marvel may prove to be a little too adept at anticipating the niece’s needs, including when that may no longer include Aunt Gemma herself!
Movie title : Knock at the Cabin
Release date : February 3
The Cabin at the End of the World, written by Paul Tremblay, was adapted into a psychological horror film by writer-director and master of twists M. Night Shyamalan. A mysterious foursome of strangers warning of an impending catastrophe visit a couple on vacation in the woods with their adopted daughter, played by Ben Aldridge from Pennyworth and Jonathan Groff from Mindhunter. Along with Dave Bautista, who Shyamalan chose after being impressed by his "strong [and] still" performance in Blade Runner 2049, the cast also includes Nikki Amuka-Bird (Old) and Rupert Grint (Servant), who have previously worked with Shyamalan on other projects.
Movie title : Magic Mike’s Last Dance
Release date : February 10
Channing Tatum goes back to the strip club to complete what could be the most improbable of epic trilogies. One final dance.
You can't help but be curious, especially since Steven Soderbergh returns to the director's chair for the third and final Magic Mike movie after previously only executive producing Magic Mike XXL. And in the threequel, like his real-life alter ego, Mike has a chance to achieve genuine global fame and stardom when he serves as Salma Hayek's (who is playing the pop star in question) inspiration. Pull out the popcorn.
Movie title : Creed III
Release date : March 3
For the third installment of the Rocky spin-off series, Michael B. Jordan returns to the ring (and, for the first time, to the director's chair), where his boxing champion Adonis Creed squares off against his childhood friend Damian (played by an insanely ripped Jonathan Majors).
The movie serves as an intriguing test for Jordan and the character of Adonis. That's partly because Jordan is now taking over the directing duties of his boxing franchise, just like Sylvester Stallone did before him. It is also the first Creed film to not include Stallone's endearing bruiser, Rocky Balboa, mentoring the younger Creed. Thankfully, Tessa Thompson's Bianca is still by his side while Adonis stands alone.
Movie title : 65
Release date : March 17
Adam Driver plays space explorer Mills, a hotshot pilot who learns that his ship was hit by an asteroid and flung 65 million years into the past—during the period when dinosaurs controlled the earth—in what sounds like the setup of an old Twilight Zone story.
Driver and a little child (Ariana Greenblatt) now have to avoid man-eating carnivores and find a way off this rock so they can return to the future. It's outrageous, pure B-movie rubbish, yet it managed to secure a studio budget—possibly because Scott Beck and Bryan Woods, who wrote and are directing A Quiet Place, are involved
Movie title : Scream 6
Release date : March 10
This sixth installment of the postmodern slasher franchise follows the survivors of the previous bloodbath as they try to start a new life in New York City. This postmodern slasher franchise has seen success since last year's Scream, a surprisingly sharp reboot from the creative team known as Radio Silence. In the initial teaser trailer, the slogan "In a city of millions no one hears you scream" was used, which was clearly intended to be humorous. And that is a terrifying thought for anyone who has ever spent a Halloween night on the L train in New York City (or really any late night on any of the MTA's subway systems).
The return of the characters from the 2022 film, including Jenna Ortega as Tara Carpenter after she had a breakout year in horror, including in X and as the titular character on Netflix's Wednesday, will probably excite fans more than the fact that Scream 6 will feature at least one significant set piece on an All Hallow's Eve subway platform. Sadly, Neve Campbell, who played Sidney Prescott in the original Scream, will not be reprising the role in the new film. Fortunately for devoted followers of the series, Courteney Cox as Gale Weathers and Scream 4 MVP Hayden Panettiere as Kirby Reed are both returning.
Movie title : Shazam! Fury of the Gods
Release date : March 17
The release of Shazam! Fury of the Gods, the follow-up to Asher Angel's and Zachary Levi's 2019 coming-of-age action comedy Shazam!, which saw troubled teen Billy Batson (Asher Angel) acquire mystical abilities and transform into his superheroic adult alter-ego, Shazam (Zachary Levi), comes at a challenging and crucial time for the DC Extended Universe. After all of the commotion surrounding Black Adam, the new executives of DC Studios, James Gunn and Peter Safran, appear to want to leave the current DC properties behind and start over. However, the first Shazam! movie was such a thrill that I'm hoping this sequel succeeds and keeps this part of the DCEU alive.
Billy and the rest of the Shazam family face off against Lucy Liu's Kalypso and Helen Mirren's Hespera in this second adventure from filmmaker David F. Sandberg, who are preparing to use a catastrophic weapon against the world. Bring on the witticisms, city-leveling battles, fire-breathing monsters, and more.
Movie title : Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania
Release date : February 17
The third outing for Marvel's youngest superhero pair ushers in Phase 5 of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Paul Rudd and Evangeline Lilly, who were last seen as part of the epic group that battled Thanos in Avengers: Endgame, are back as the size-shifters Scott Lang and Hope van Dyne in a brand-new adventure that introduces the dreaded Kang the Conqueror as the MCU's next major antagonist (Jonathan Majors).
As Hank Pym (Michael Douglas) and Janet van Dyne (Michelle Pfeiffer), the original Ant-Man and the Wasp, and Cassie (Kathryn Newton), Scott and Hope accidentally travel deeper than ever into the Quantum Realm—the bizarre subatomic dimension that was only briefly explored in the first two films. They see Kang there, who provides assistance to the heroes in order to "give them more time" to prepare for his impending invasion of Earth (MCU overlord Kevin Feige has stated that this movie will plot a "straight line" towards Phase Six's Avengers: The Kang Dynasty).
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