Top 10 Anticipated Movies of 2023

Greetings, reader!

As is tradition, I have gathered a list of this year's upcoming films that I am most excited for, and ranked them based on the degree of my anticipation. Here is the cinema that I'm most enthusiastic to see throughout 2023!

Here are my honorable mentions: Dungeons and Dragons: Honor Among Thieves, Knock at the Cabin, Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse, The Marvels, The Super Mario Bros. Movie.

10. Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny

Like millions of others, I rolled my eyes when hearing that there's going to be a fifth Indiana Jones movie in the Lord's year 2023, and joked around when hearing that the film will include the most ancient artifact to ever be explored in the franchise - no, I'm not talking about the dial of destiny, I'm talking about the man donning the fedora for one last time. I mean, who in their right mind would spearhead an action/adventure film with an 80-year-old Harrison Ford in the title role?

Then I saw the trailer, and realized that I had forgotten two key facts in my judgement of them making an Indiana Jones film with Harrison Ford still in the lead. Number one, I had underestimated my underlying love for the franchise, as merely hearing the iconic John Williams score filled me with excitement and nostalgia. And number two, I had severely underestimated the badass that is Harrison Ford. No matter how old the man is, fans of the franchise will feel goosebumps when he puts on that fedora, with the whip in his hand and that gritty smirk on face. Also, as the fourth instalment of the franchise was a mixed bag at best, one can hope that this will be a more deserving franchise finale.

9. Wonka

The whole Willy Wonka / Chocolate Factory universe was never a huge deal for me - I've never seen the 1971 Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory (although I've seen enough clips to appreciate how magical Gene Wilder was in the role), and the 2005 reboot Charlie and the Chocolate Factory is a film that I liked as a kid, but it never was a huge favorite. Honestly, my fondest memory relating to that world is the classic Futurama episode Fry and the Slurm Factory (Season 2 episode 4), with its top-tier parody.

So why am I excited for this prequel film then? Well, in short, Timothée Chalamet. As miniscule as my investment in this franchise has been when compared to many other universally beloved family movies, I still got goosebumps when I saw the first promo pictures of Chalamet in the role of a young Willy Wonka. He looks so right for the role, and knowing what a talented actor he is, I'm guessing he'll do the role's famous whimsy justice while bringing his own twist into it. Looking forward to this one!

8. Fast X

Don't get me wrong, I'm still pissed off at the absolute injustice that the 10th Fast and Furious film isn't called "FastTen Your Seatbelts". I suppose Vin Diesel just ignored all of my e-mails.

Still, I am looking forward to the film. The Fast and Furious films keep being massively entertaining and inventive against all expectations, with the popularity and relevance of the seventh, eighth and ninth films in the franchise breaking the laws of the universe even more than all of the physics-defying action stunts that these films are known for. So why should the tenth be any different?

After they outdid their stunts film after film to a point of fans joking that they'll probably take their cars to space next, the ninth film of this wonderfully self-aware franchise did just that, which raises the serious question: how in the name of Christ almighty are they going to top that? The Toretto family teaming up against Godzilla? Cars transforming into weapons and robot-like characters to the point of the film being a Transformers crossover? Cars traveling faster than light, thus breaking the space-time continuum? With this franchise, at this point, anything is possible, and I'm here for it.

7. Cocaine Bear

My dear friend Eetu brought this undoubtedly magnificent piece of cinema to my attention, exclaiming that we have GOT to see this on the big screen with our old high school friend group. The IMDB plot description goes like this: "An oddball group of cops, criminals, tourists, and teens converge in a Georgia forest where a 500-pound black bear goes on a murderous rampage after unintentionally ingesting cocaine".

Oh, and it's loosely based on a true story.

In the words of the great Kylian Mbappé: "I will be there no matter what".

6. Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3

If you're waiting for the day I do a "Top 10 anticipated movies of the upcoming year" list that doesn't have proper Marvel Cinematic Universe representation in it, you're going to be waiting a long time. It seems that every year from 2014 to present day, half of the people in my social circles deliver a dramatic monologue on how they "just don't care about the MCU anymore" as it has all become too repetitive and there are too many films to keep up with - yet the films keep being relevant and popular, and those same people keep tuning in after the cinematic universe once again comes up with some cool new way of staying fresh.

When you consider the vast and endless swamp of comic books that these films are based on, it's no wonder that the MCU is still going strong despite everyone's cynicism - with so many interconnected characters and storylines to adapt, of course there's always material for the next film and the next one and the next one. A skeptic might say that they're just cash grabs designed to make money - but as long as the films are fun and entertaining, filled with charismatic characters, cool action sequences and neat connections, I don't really see the problem with that. There are worse ways of making money in the world, such as drug dealing, organized crime, or The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power.

So, once again, I'm quite keen on seeing what the MCU is cooking up next, as they have proved their ability to keep producing solid, entertaining content time and again. The first two Guardians of the Galaxy films are loads of fun, and that particular part of the fictional universe is begging to be explored more, so I can't wait to see what this rag-tag group of heroes does next.

5. Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania

This one has me even more hyped up than the new Guardians of the Galaxy! For starters, Scott Lang / Ant-Man (Paul Rudd) is one of my favorite Marvel characters, as Rudd brings such a laid-back and relatable vibe to a franchise full of dramatic and self-important characters. The dude is like the Jim Halpert of superheroes, and I love it.

Also, it just sounds like this film will have some serious narrative impact on the larger MCU. I'm especially looking forward to the role of Kang the Conqueror (Jonathan Majors), who has been teased by Kevin Feige and other producers to be the cinematic universe's next 'big bad' after the Thanos era. The character's debut in the season finale of Loki (2021-) was exhilarating, and this will apparently be the next major project where he has a role. I can't wait to see more of that character, and the direction in which he will take the long-term MCU storyline.

4. Next Goal Wins

I love me a good football movie, and this sounds to be just that. Based on the true story of the valiant (yet ultimately unsuccessful) campaign of the infamously terrible American Samoa national football team to qualify for the 2014 World Cup, this biopic sounds like it'll combine the beauty of the sport with the comedy of its context. A bit of a Ted Lasso (2020-) vibe if you ask me, and that's always a good thing. The team's manager is even played by Michael Fassbender, and the film is being directed by the wonderful Taika Waititi!

3. Oppenheimer

The man who made Inception, Interstellar, Memento, Dunkirk and the Dark Knight trilogy has yet to make a bad movie, so there's good reason to be hyped up for Christopher Nolan's next big project. Always one for ambition, Nolan is now tackling the biopic genre by telling the true story of J. Robert Oppenheimer, the scientist behind the Manhattan Project and the atomic bomb.

Oppenheimer will be played by Nolan's longtime collaborator Cillian Murphy, who looks to be frighteningly right for the role based on the teaser trailer. And in classic Nolan fashion, the supporting cast is flooded with names like Emily Blunt, Gary Oldman, Matt Damon, Rami Malek and Kenneth Branagh. I reckon this film will blow us away (gallows pun not intended).

2. Dune: Part Two

This is a no-brainer for me. Dune was my most anticipated film of 2020, and when it was delayed due to Covid, it became my most anticipated film of 2021. When it was finally released, it met all of my expectations, becoming my #1 favorite movie of the year and perhaps the greatest book-to-film adaptation I've ever seen. So, naturally, I'm quite amped up for the sequel - it would in fact be at first place, if it wasn't for...

1. The Community Movie

Okay, a release date hasn't been confirmed yet, but all signs seem to be pointing towards streaming service Peacock wanting to get this film out there as soon as possible, now that it's greenlit and in the making. After all, the process leading up to this was quite something:

As many of you know, Community is the objectively* greatest TV sitcom of all time. And throughout the series, the phase "Six seasons and a movie" is uttered multiple times as a meaningful running gag, since showrunner Dan Harmon always intended to do just that. When the last scene of the show's sixth and final season fades away, we're left with the text "#andamovie" on a white screen - and this was back in 2015. After that, it was multiple years of excruciating waiting, with fans fretting over whether or not the movie will ever be made - Harmon kept giving cryptic answers, and the castmembers always seemed willing and excited about the idea, but it didn't always seem realistic as they've become big and busy stars with projects of their own.

There's even an Instagram account, @leggendario., who swore to post a Community-related meme every day until the movie is made. Years and years (as well as countless memes) later, it seemed hopeless, yet us fans never gave up hope. And then, on a magical day last fall, I open my Instagram to see that Ken Jeong (who plays Ben Chang on the show) had posted "Six seasons and a movie!". Curious as hell, I continue scrolling to see that Joel McHale (who plays Jeff Winger) had posted the same. Now full of adrenaline, I keep thinking - DOES THIS MEAN WHAT I THINK IT DOES? IS IT CONFIRMED?. The next post I see is from Dan Harmon himself, and he has tagged @leggendario., saying that he can finally stop. A tear runs down my cheek, as I process the news that my all-time favorite comedy is finally getting its destined movie sequel.

Much isn't yet known about the film, other than Dan Harmon is helming the project and at least Joel McHale, Danny Pudi, Gillian Jacobs, Alison Brie, Ken Jeong, Jim Rash and Yvette Nicole Brown are returning (Donald Glover also sounded hopeful). And that's all I really need. The last time I checked, the film was set to be released straight to Peacock and that service didn't operate in Finland. But I don't really care - whether it's paying for a VPN, travelling to the States or starting a massive online campaign to bring the film to a service outside America, I will find a way to see this film.

*This is a fact.

Thank you for reading! Tune in next week for the nominations of my 'personal Oscars' (and/or Emmys and/or Grammys), as I reveal my nominees for various categories to the best cinema, television and music of 2022! Naturally, the winners will be decided and revealed the following week.