We’re only a few months into 2023 and already a number of films have been released. There’s only more to come. With highly anticipated films such as Greta Gerwig’s Barbie along with Martin Scorsese’s crime drama Killers of the Flower Moon, we seem to be in for a cinematic ride throughout the year. Listed in order of anticipated release date, here are some of the different films that are expected to be the subject of much of this year’s film discourse.

Bottoms

Starring comedic duo Rachel Sennott and Ayo Edebiri, Bottoms is a teen sex comedy co-written by Sennott and the film’s director Emma Seligman. Bottoms follows two unpopular, queer high school seniors who start a “fight club” in an effort to meet cheerleaders and eventually hook up before graduation. Seligman and Sennott have previously worked together on Shiva Baby and Edebiri is fresh off the success of Hulu’s The Bear, so with this team, we’re hopefully in for another riot.

Anticipated release date: The film will debut at the SXSW film festival on March 11, 2023 and is expected to be released in limited theaters across the U.S. on the same day.

Beau is Afraid

From the mind of Ari Aster comes this surrealist horror film, described by the director as a “nightmare comedy.” Beau is Afraid stars Joaquin Phoenix and revolves around an extremely anxious man who must journey home after the sudden death of his mother, which becomes a nightmare for him. The film has been in development for quite some time, with Aster even making a short film titled Beau in 2011. You can watch the trailer for Beau is Afraid here.

Anticipated release date: April 21, 2023

Killers of the Flower Moon

Killers of the Flower Moon reunites Martin Scorsese and Leonardo Dicaprio for their seventh collaboration. The crime drama, based on David Grann’s book of the same name, is about the series of murders committed in the Osage Nation in the 1920s that triggered a major FBI investigation. The film was filmed in Osage County and Scorsese cited how important it was for him to work with the Osage Nation. The supporting cast includes Robert De Niro, Lily Gladstone, Jesse Plemons, and Brendan Fraser.

Anticipated release date: We don’t have an official release date yet but the film is rumored to make its debut at Cannes Film Festival in May.

The Little Mermaid

Disney’s live-action version of The Little Mermaid has fans of all ages excited. The film stars singer Halle Bailey (of Chloe x Halle fame) as Ariel. Director Rob Marshall stated that the film will center around the idea of Ariel “finding her voice,” with Bailey stating that she wanted to bring a “freshness” to the iconic character. The supporting cast includes Jonah Hauer-King as Prince Eric, Melissa McCarthy as Ursula, and Javier Bardem as Ariel’s father King Triton. You can watch the official teaser trailer here.

Anticipated release date: May 26, 2023

Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse

The sequel to Sony’s breathtaking animated hit Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse, Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse catches up with Miles Morales and company as they dive into the multiverse, and meet adversaries and more Spider-People along the way. The film will also further explore the budding relationship between Miles and Gwen Stacy. The cast includes Shameik Moore, Hailee Steinfeld, Jake Johnson, Issa Rae, Oscar Isaac, Jason Schwartzman, and many more. You can watch the official trailer here.

Anticipated release date: June 2, 2023

Barbie

Greta Gerwig’s upcoming Barbie is already sending film fanatics into a frenzy. Although many photos and videos of stars Margot Robbie and Ryan Gosling in character as Barbie and Ken respectively have been circulating around the internet, there is still a mysterious aura surrounding the film. The film is directed by Gerwig and is written by herself and Noah Baumbach. The film’s basic premise is said to revolve around Barbie’s journey in the human world after she is exiled from Barbieland for being a “less-than-perfect doll.” There also appears to be some sort of multiverse aspect, as different variations of Barbie and Ken will be played by Issa Rae, Simu Liu, and others. What I know for sure though is that this film is going to be quite something. You can watch the official teaser trailer for Barbie here which opens with a parody homage to Kubrick’s 2001: A Space Odyssey!

Anticipated release date: July 21, 2023

Oppenheimer

Christopher Nolan is back with a biographical film on American physicist and “father of the atomic bomb” J. Robert Oppenheimer. Starring Cillian Murphy in the lead role, the film will explore Oppenheimer’s work on the Manhattan Project during the Second World War. Nolan, a big believer in practical effects, employed the use of real explosives (as opposed to CGI) to recreate the Trinity test–the first detonation of a nuclear weapon. The supporting cast is quite stacked and includes Emily Blunt, Matt Damon, Robert Downey Jr., Florence Pugh, and many more. You can watch the official trailer here.

Anticipated release date: July 21, 2023 (the same day as Barbie, which in and of itself has given rise to many internet jokes)

Wonka

Timothée Chalamet stars as the eccentric Willy Wonka in this origin story about the famed fictional chocolatier. The film, featuring several musical numbers, will follow a young Willy Wonka on his adventures before he opens his famous chocolate factory, including the story of how he met the Oompa Loompas. The supporting cast includes Rowan Atkinson, Sally Hawkins, and Keegan-Michael Key, amongst others. For fans of Chalamet, Wonka is likely to be a sweet and unique addition to the actor’s filmography.

Anticipated release date: December 15, 2023

The list above is just some of what 2023 has to offer. There are many more films expected to be released, including some we don’t have enough information on yet to go into detail. With that in mind, here are some honorable mentions to be on the lookout for as well:

Wes Anderson’s star-studded romantic comedy-drama Asteroid City.

David Fincher’s latest thriller The Killer starring Michael Fassbender.

Ridley Scott’s historical epic Napoleon starring Joaquin Phoenix.

Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One starring Tom Cruise.

Emerald Fennell's thriller Saltburn starring Barry Keoghan, Jacob Elordi, and Rosamund Pike.

Bradley Cooper’s biographical drama Maestro starring himself as iconic American conductor Leonard Bernstein.

Scream VI starring Courtney Cox, Jenna Ortega, and Hayden Panettiere.

Eileen starring Anne Hathaway and Thomasin McKenzie, based on the Ottessa Moshfegh novel of the same name (which premiered at Sundance in January of this year).

Yorgos Lanthimos’ Poor Things starring Emma Stone, Willem Dafoe, and Mark Ruffalo.

Films to Look Forward to in 2023