With a new year comes new movies. And 2023 is filled with entertaining flicks from the usual franchises like Marvel and DC that are sticking to their superhero shtick.
However, the silver screen will be featuring more than just chiselled men in tights and capes, as many other films are awaiting their release as well.
Which are you hoping to catch in theatres?
1. Antman and the Wasp: Quantumania (Feb 16)
Oh, Lord Almighty, the Marvel machine never stops pumping out films. You’d think audience fatigue would have set in by now but the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) films still rake in the cash.
Either way, this third Antman film marks the beginning of Phase Five of the MCU, with the previous phase closed by “Black Panther: Wakanda Forever”.
This time around, hero couple Scott Lang aka Antman (Paul Rudd) and Hope van Dyne aka the Wasp (Evangeline Lilly) are stranded in the microscopic world of the Quantum Realm.
If that’s not bad enough, they are pitted against Kang the Conqueror (Jonathan Majors), a big baddie as dangerous as Thanos. One hopes that he will be as memorable!
2. Scream 6 (March 9)
Like superhero franchises, horror film series seem incapable of dying, no matter how many times the baddie is bludgeoned, blended, burnt or blown up.
One must really wonder how these serial killers enjoy such longevity, though it might be due to their box office returns.
Either way, this time around, it’s the masked knifeman, Ghostface, who will be up and about plunging kitchenware into people’s bodies.
A direct sequel to 2022’s “Scream”, this instalment in the Scream film series will see the action move to bustling New York City.
While the survivors of the previous film expect to find sanctuary in the Big Apple, they are proven quite wrong, as evidenced by the trailer.
3. John Wick: Chapter 4 (March 24)
John Wick (Keanu Reeves) is the world’s nicest and coolest assassin who’s back in theatres this year, bringing new friends and foes with him.
One of the most recognisable of his newfound allies is Caine (Donnie Yen), who plays a blind character, like Chirrut Imwe from “Rogue One: A Star Wars Story”.
The film was scheduled for release in 2021 but the pandemic was still raging at the time and Reeves was busy working on The Matrix Resurrection.
In his newest outing, Wick is still on the run with a bounty on his head, but he soon discovers a way to be rid of it, though of course, nothing is without risk!
4. Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse (June 1)
Oh, sweet. Something actually worth getting excited about! Sony Animations surprised the world with 2018’s “Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse” with its brilliant animation and engaging story.
Once more, Miles Morales (Shameik Moore), the Spider-Man of his universe, is back in action and this time around, he’s the one venturing out of his comfort zone.
As it turns out, the Multiverse from which his allies hailed from is under threat, and he must do what he can to save it.
Along the way, he comes across thousands of different variations of Spider-Man, though not all agree with him on how to deal with the deadly threat.
Given how creative and lively the animation was in the previous film, there’s much to look forward to in this potential cinematic work of art!
5. Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One (July 13)
Wow, how old are you again, Tom Cruise? Because it seems like you can’t stomach the thought of retiring.
Then again, given how capable and talented he is as an actor, perhaps it is all the better to see Cruise back in action in this upcoming spy action flick.
Once more he will be playing Ethan Hunt, the American agent whose exploits have left audiences wowed for decades.
So far, details about the plot are scant, but one can be sure there won’t be any shortage of thrills and frills from this classic franchise.
Given that Cruise dangled precariously from a helicopter in his last outing, and scaled the Burj Khalifa before that, one must wonder what further lunacy he has personally engaged in when filming this one!