10 films you have to see at the cinema in 2023

With a mix of original films, sequels and remakes 2023 is set to be an interesting year of cinema.

The last three years have been pretty difficult for cinemas and for those of us who love attending the cinema. The good news is that with the new Avatar release, it seems the cinema-going culture is back.

2023 is going to be a massive year for film whether it be original stuff or the completion of storylines through sequels. The following are 10 films (in no particular order) you have to put on your calendar and go see on the big screen in 2023.

Ant-Man and The Wasp: Quantumania

It's been delayed by a year but this film is set to continue the legacy that is the Marvel Cinematic Universe. With this set to be the first film of phase five, many have predicted it could be the last for Paul Rudd, although we will have to wait to find out.

The film will follow Scott Lang (Paul Rudd) as well as Hope van Dyne and her parents played by Michael Douglas and Michelle Pfeiffer as well as Lang's daughter (Kathryn Newton). This crack team goes on a new adventure through the quantum realm with Kang the Conqueror being the main antagonist. The question here will be if the Marvel franchise is indeed on the way out or if it just needed another A+ film.

Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse

The sequel to Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse which was released in 2018, this film is once again set to follow Miles Morales and his adventures throughout the 'spider-verse'.

With different visuals across each of the universes and a focus on Gwen Stacy's Spider-Woman, the film will certainly be something different compared to the more traditional superhero films. The film is set to focus on the relationship between Miles, Gwen and the 'spider force' - the name given to the larger group of spider-people who attempt to save every universe at once.

Wonka

It's fair to say not a lot is known about this film as of yet. However, we do know Timothée Chalamet will be playing the titular role with other high-quality talent such as Rowan Atkinson, Keegan-Michael Key and Olivia Colman also making up the cast.

There's still a long wait until we get back into the factory tough with the release date currently being December 15. All we know at present is that the story will follow a young Willy Wonka and his adventures before opening the chocolate factory.

The Super Mario Bros. Movie

The third film in the Mario franchise after a couple of pretty terrible adaptions in the 80s and 90s, this could be Nintendo's final chance to prove that its side-scrolling franchise can be turned into a fully-fledged film franchise.

There isn't a long wait until you can see this one in cinemas with an April 7 release date while Japan will have to wait a couple of extra weeks. Chris Pratt being cast as Mario of course raised some eyebrows especially after we heard his voice and 'lack' of an Italian accent when the teaser trailer was released. Whether the story is any good we do not know but the film certainly looks like a visual masterpiece.

The Little Mermaid

Disney continues its decision to essentially re-make every movie they've ever made continues with this adaptation of Hans Christian Andersen's 1837 novel. The film of course received criticism upon its announcement with Halle Bailey set to play the titular character, Ariel. Criticism that is of course rubbish as movies are allowed to be remade and more importantly, reinterpreted.

This will be a mid-year release with May 26 currently pencilled in. This film will have a lot to live up to regarding water scenes after what we saw from James Cameron's latest Avatar film. The music will no doubt be a focus of this film with Lin-Manuel Miranda producing the film.

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Finally, an original concept and with any luck, it will be up to the quality of the production with Scott Beck and Bryan Woods directing and Adam Driver playing the lead role. Unfortunately, it's another film that was delayed with this originally slated to be released in mid-2022.

The film is set to follow Driver who plays an astronaut who, after a massive crash, discovered that he's stranded on Earth, but 65 million years in the past. The two survivors essentially have to survive in their battle against dinosaurs long enough to make it out alive and leave.

Oppenheimer

There has probably not been a more important person in the course of history over the last 100 years. Oppenheimer being the father of the atomic bomb which not only ended World War II but has played a massive part in international relations since the attacks on Japan in 1945.

With a massive cast including Cillian Murphy as the titular character as well as Emily Blunt, Matt Damon, Robert Downey Jr and Florence Pugh, this film has some of the best actors of the 21st century. The film will follow Oppenheimer and the Manhattan Project in general. But more important is the fact Christopher Nolan decided not to use CGI and instead recreated the Trinity nuclear test with real explosives.

Barbie

No one is really sure what this movie is meant to be or going to be. We all saw the images of Margot Robbie and Ryan Gosling in Australia last year on rollerblades in Queensland. But then we saw the teaser trailer essentially spoofing 2001 A Space Oddessy. Whatever this film is it's one we're all curious about and have to go see.

The film has been a long time in the making being first announced in 2009 however development didn't begin until 2014 and Robbie was cast late in 2019. The film is set to follow Barbie who enters the human world after being expelled from Barbieland for being less than perfect.

Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny

The fifth film in one of the most famous franchises of all time is set to be the last for Harrison Ford as Indiana Jones with the actor having formed 80 last year. This will also be the first of the franchise without the directing of Spielberg or the writing of George Lucas. Instead, both men are overseeing the film as executive producers.

Set in 1969, Indiana Jones is obviously a fair bit older but is living in the backdrop of the space race while still teaching as an archeology professor. Jones is anxious about the fact the US has recruited Nazis to beat the Soviet Union and his goddaughter Helena (Phoebe Waller-Bridge) accompanies him on the journey.

Transformers: Rise of the Beasts

Our final film you have to see in 2023 is another franchise that is back for something completely new, although Michael Bay is still heavily involved. With the goal of creating a Transformers movie that would be "different than the ones that we've done before" according to producer Lorenzo di Bonaventura, we could be in for something very fun.

The premise follows a pair of archeologists from Brooklyn in the year 1994 who come into an ancient conflict. The Autobots are once again back with Optimus Prime of course the leader. We are set to see some new transformers with the beast or animal-based transformers, the Maximals, the Predacons and the Terrorcons. With a budget of more than a $200million USD, this is a film that will no doubt be visually epic and hopefully a lot of fun.