4 highly anticipated films coming out in 2023

Hollywood has officially regained the trust of cinema fans with numerous award-winning film releases in 2022, and excitement stirs online as trailers are released for films to come.

'The Banshees of Inisherin' took on multiple Oscar nominations, as well as 'The Fabelmans' and 'All Quiet on The Western Front', all extremely well-received films.

However, there is more to look forward to as 2023 is set to deliver on a range of genres with pristine casting. Here are some movies to watch this year:

The Little Mermaid

Disney released the official trailer for 'The Little Mermaid' in March 2023, and since then, it has gained over 14 million views on YouTube. It’s one of the many live-action films that Disney has produced since 'Cinderella' in 2015 and features a cast of Halle Bailey, Javier Bardem, Melissa McCarthy and Awkwafina.

Rob Marshall (director of Chicago and Mary Poppins Returns) re-tells the original story of the 1989 original where the princess mermaid Ariel falls for a human prince and risks everything to be with him. There have been mixed feelings about the film.

Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny

15 years after the last Indiana Jones, Harrison Ford is making a comeback at the age of 80 years old, along with Phoebe Waller-Bridge, who plays Jones’ goddaughter. Fans of the original series will appreciate Ford’s commitment to a role he once played in his late 30s, while introduced to a new actor in the franchise who has been celebrated for her work in 'Fleabag', winning three Emmy awards and two Golden Globes.

Oppenheimer

Christopher Nolan is back after his latest release 'Tenet' in 2020, this time putting the horrors of the second world war on the silver screen, much like his 2017 film 'Dunkirk'. This time, he tells the story of J. Robert Oppenheimer and his role in the development of the atomic bomb in World War II, based on the 2005 biography of Oppenheimer called “American Prometheus” by Kai Bird and Martin J. Sherwin.

The film's cast includes Cillian Murphy as J. Robert Oppenheimer with the supporting cast of Emily Blunt, Matt Damon, Robert Downey Jr. and Florence Pugh, and is set to release on the 21st of July 2023.

Barbie

Perhaps the most highly anticipated film of the year, Greta Gerwig’s live-action adaptation of 'Barbie' is set to release on the same day as Oppenheimer and has the internet going crazy.

The film stars Margot Robbie and Ryan Gosling as Barbie and Ken with a huge ensemble supporting cast including Kate McKinnon, Will Ferrell, Emma Mackey, Michael Cera, Dua Lipa and more.

The release of the film’s trailer and posters have inspired many Twitter memes including “She’s everything, He’s just Ken” and multiple celebrity Barbie posters. Fans even praise the casting of Ryan Gosling for his “Ken-ergy”, and some have even said his performance is Oscar-worthy.