'Barbie,' 'Oppenheimer,' 'Dune' Among 2023's Most Anticipated Movies

by Tyler Glover & Julian Spivey

Killers of the Flower Moon
“Killers of the Flower Moon,” based on David Grann’s non-fiction book Killers of the Flower Moon: The Osage Murders and the Birth of the FBI, is director Martin Scorsese’s first film since 2019’s “The Irishman.” Working with his two most frequent acting collaborators Leonardo DiCaprio and Robert De Niro, Scorsese’s film will tell the true life story of members of the Oklahoma Osage tribe that were killed mysteriously by a group of white men in the 1920s. The film co-stars Jesse Plemons, Brendan Fraser, John Lithgow and a few musicians I admire in Jason Isbell, Sturgill Simpson and Jack White all trying their hand at acting. The film doesn’t have a premiere date yet but is planning on making its debut at the Cannes Film Festival in May with a U.S. premiere on the AppleTV+ streaming service sometime after that. JS
 
The Little Mermaid
One of the most beloved Disney animated films of all time is getting its live action remake this year: “The Little Mermaid.” Disney has been giving almost all of its hits live-action remakes since the enormous success of “Alice In Wonderland” in 2010. While almost all of them have been box office smashes, creatively, the results have been mixed. There have been some highs (“Cinderella,” “Beauty and the Beast”), some mediocre (“Mulan”), and some just plain awful (“Dumbo”). “The Little Mermaid” has so much going for it though with the casting of Halle Bailey, one half of the sister musical duo Chloe x Halle, who have received five Grammy nominations. With Melissa McCarthy cast as Ursula, Javier Bardem as King Triton, Awkwafina voicing Scuttle and Jacob Trembley voicing Flounder, it appears the casting is spot on. Add in that this is being directed by Rob Marshall, the director of the 2002 Best Picture winner, “Chicago,” and it is a recipe for success. I have very high hopes and hope Disney doesn’t disappoint. I cannot wait for this live action to be a “part of our world.” “The Little Mermaid” premieres in theaters on May 26. TG

Photo: Disney

Elemental
“Elemental” is a Disney and Pixar animated film set for release this June. Pixar used to have an untarnished record with instant classics such as “Toy Story,” “Finding Nemo,” “The Incredibles,” “Ratatouille” and “Up,” among many others. While recent releases have not been up to par with most of the first 10 movies, Pixar still has a fantastic reputation at delivering movies that are not only entertaining but make us think about ourselves and the world we live in. This is a tricky balance that Pixar almost has down to a science. “Elemental” takes place in a city where fire, water, land and air all live together. A fiery young woman and an easy going guy are about to discover they have a lot in common. Details are pretty scarce about this film, but I think Pixar is about to give us another instant classic. “Elemental” premieres on June 16. TG

Barbie
While I was initially hesitant to hear of a Barbie film, my hesitancy almost immediately started to become anticipation with the more information I was finding out about it. First of all, it is directed by Greta Gerwig. Gerwig has only released two films so far that she solely directed: “Lady Bird” and “Little Women.” Both of these were nominated for Best Picture with Gerwig getting nominated for Best Director and Best Original Screenplay for “Lady Bird.” The film is also written by her and her husband, acclaimed filmmaker Noah Baumbach. Academy Award nominated actress Margot Robbie and actor Ryan Gosling have been cast as Barbie and Ken. On paper, there isn’t anyone else that could have been better for the roles. I am really excited to see this film. “Barbie” is coming to theaters on July 21. TG

Photo: Warner Bros. Pictures

Oppenheimer
Well, theaters will surely be packed on July 21 with two of the summer’s biggest releases “Barbie” and “Oppenheimer” both opening that day. “Oppenheimer” is director Christopher Nolan’s latest and tells the story of J. Robert Oppenheimer, the American theoretical physicist credited with being the father of the atomic bomb,” and the Manhattan Project. Cillian Murphy stars as the titular character with a supporting cast of Emily Blunt, Matt Damon, Robert Downey Jr., Florence Pugh, Rami Malek and a lot of other names and faces you’ll recognize. Part of the thrill of “Oppenheimer” will be Nolan’s use of practical effects for the bomb’s testing rather than CGI.
 
Dune: Part Two 
I’m not usually a science fiction/fantasy guy, so the fact that that I watched director Denis Villeneuve’s “Dune: Part One” (of which I didn’t realize at the time was a ‘Part One’) was mostly because it was such an Oscar favorite that I felt a bit obligated. Though parts of the story were certainly confusing, I was mesmerized enough by Villeneuve’s vision and the film’s cinematography and effects to want to continue the story into ‘Part Two,’ which will certainly feature the characters of Zendaya and Javier Bardem, essentially cameos in ‘Part One,’ and among the film’s most interesting ones, in larger roles. “Dune: Part Two” will premiere in theaters on November 3. 

Photo: Warner Bros. Pictures

The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes
What made me a huge fan of Jennifer Lawrence was her portrayal of Katniss Everdeen in the wildly popular ‘Hunger Games’ movies. On November 17, we will be treated to a prequel that will follow a young Coriolanus Snow and his involvement in the Hunger Games years before the events of the original series. This character was played by Donald Sutherland in the original films. It is always really exciting to see all of the events that transpire that lead to people becoming who they are, whether they are good or bad. I think this film has the potential to be not only a box office success but a really entertaining movie. TG

Wish
Disney’s 2023 Thanksgiving weekend release is called “Wish.” It is written by Chris Buck and Jennifer Lee, who have had tremendous success at delivering Disney magic. Both of them were behind the ‘Frozen’ films, which is arguably Disney’s biggest hit of the 21st century. Recent Academy Award winner Ariana DeBose voices Asha as she navigates a kingdom of wishes where wishes literally do come true. Disney’s Thanksgiving releases are normally pretty big box office successes, but I am hoping the movie delivers creatively as well. TG

Maestro
Bradley Cooper’s first directorial effort since his critically acclaimed “A Star is Born” in 2018 is “Maestro,” a biopic of legendary composer and conductor Leonard Bernstein focusing on his marriage to Felicia Montealegre. Cooper, who also co-wrote the script with Josh Singer, stars as Bernstein. Carey Mulligan will play his wife. The film, which co-stars Jeremy Strong, Matt Bomer and Maya Hawke, was originally supposed to be released in 2022, but was likely held due to similarities between it and director Todd Field’s “Tar,” starring Cate Blanchett. There is no current release date for “Maestro,” but it’s a Netflix production that will likely have a short theatrical run for awards contention before debuting on the streaming service, likely toward the end of the year. JS

Photo: Netflix

Ferrari
Director Michael Mann will supposedly be coming out with his first film in eight years sometime late in 2023 (though don’t be surprised if it’s pushed to 2024) in the form of a biopic about Enzo Ferrari, the Italian founder of the car manufacturer. Oscar-nominated actor Adam Driver will be playing the lead in “Ferrari” with a supporting cast of Penelope Cruz, Shailene Woodley and Patrick Dempsey (who’s an auto racer in real life). The film will see Ferrari dealing with family issues while also preparing for the famous Italian car race Mille Miglia in 1957. JS