HOLLYWOOD’S AWARDS SEASON will soon be upon us, so now is the perfect time to get excited about the films set to be released in 2023.
It’s a rather mixed bag, with everything from a Super Mario feature film to Christopher Nolan’s newest directorial effort, starring our very own Cillian Murphy.
Babylon
20 January
With La La Land, Damien Chazelle incisively took us behind the veneer of contemporary Hollywood, and now he’s going back in time to show us the decadance and debauchery of 1920s Tinseltown. Margot Robbie, Brad Pitt and Tobey Maguire portray aspiring movie stars and filmmakers at the end of the silent film era, when Hollywood was akin to the wild west.
The Whale
3 February
Hailed by critics as Brendan Fraser’s Hollywood comeback, The Whale sees him portray a reclusive gay man who tries to reconnect with his estranged teenage daughter (Sadie Sink of Stranger Things fame). This adaptation of a stage play received a six-minute standing ovation at the Venice Film Festival.
Winnie the Pooh: Blood and Honey
15 February
No, this isn’t a spoof. Since the first Winnie the Pooh book is now in the public domain, the honey-loving bear is fair game for any and all twisted adaptations. As such, first-time director Rhys Frake-Waterfield has envisioned Pooh and Piglet descending into bloodthirsty killers when Christopher Robin leaves for college. Unsurprisingly, the film’s announcement was met with mixed reactions earlier this year.
A Good Person
24 March
Florence Pugh, one of the most celebrated actors of the year, stars alongside veteran Morgan Freeman in a drama about a woman whose life falls apart after a fatal accident, leading her to form an unlikely relationship with her would-be father in law. Written, produced and directed by Scrubs alumnus Zach Braff.
Next Goal Wins
21 April
2023 is set to be a good year for Irish actors: Michael Fassbender is heading up Taika Waititi’s take on the inspiring true story of the American Samoa football team. Considered to be the worst in the world, they defied the odds to qualify for the 2014 FIFA World Cup, with the help of a Dutch coach. Based on the critically acclaimed documentary of the same name.
The Super Mario Bros Movie
23 April
Everyone’s favourite Italian plumber is leaping from hand-held consoles to the big screen, losing his accent along the way, it seems. Chris Pratt voices the plucky Nintendo mascot with Charlie Day as his brother Luigi, Jack Black as Bowser and Anya Taylor-Joy as Princess Peach. If you’ve ever played a Mario game, you can probably guess the plot.
Oppenheimer
21 July
Christopher Nolan tends not to do things by halves, so a biopic about the father of the atomic bomb seems like a fitting project. Cork man and Nolan’s frequent collaborator Cillian Murphy stars in the title role, accompanied by Emily Blunt, Matt Damon, Robert Downey Jr and Florence Pugh. Details have been kept under wraps, but expect a spectacle.
Barbie
21 July
Much has been made of the fact that Barbie is scheduled for release on the same day as Oppenheimer. Choose your fighter! Margot Robbie brings the iconic doll to life alongside Ryan Gosling as Ken and a host of other big names, including our own Nicola Coughlan. Greta Gerwig directs. Like Oppenheimer, details of Barbie are few and far between, but viewers are sure to be in for a memorable affair.
The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes
17 November
We are living in the age of prequels, sequels and remakes, so the cultural juggernaut that was The Hunger Games series was bound to get one eventually. The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes tells the story of a young Coriolanus Snow, who you’ll remember as the tyrannical president from the original films. West Side Story star Rachel Zegler plays Lucy Grey Baird, a District 12 tribute whom Snow mentors for the 10th Hunger Games, long before Katniss showed up.
Wonka
15 December
Another “extended universe” title, albeit an intriguing one: Timothée Chalamet steps into the shoes of the most famous fictional chocolate factory owner to depict his early days in the business. Chalamet is accompanied by a star-studded cast including Rowan Atkinson, Sally Hawkins and Olivia Colman. There will be musical numbers.
The Color Purple
22 December
The second screen adaptation of Alice Walker’s Pulitzer prize-winning novel is, in fact, based on a Broadway musical version of the source text. Set over 20 years, the story follows sisters Celie (former American Idol winner Fantasia) and Nettie (singer Ciara) as they grow up in the Deep South, trying to survive in the face of racism and cruelty. Oprah Winfrey, who starred in the 1985 film adaptation, serves as producer.
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