January-March 2023's film releases promise to be some of the biggest, best, and most interesting of the year, and here's Screen Rant's Winter 2023 movies preview to provide a guide on what to expect. Gone are the days when the early months used to be reserved for movies studios expected to under perform. Even before the pandemic, Marvel could release movies to the tune of $1 billion+ in February and March, and streaming releases and box office expectations have changed since then as well, widening the release calendar.
That means Winter 2023's most anticipated movies include major franchise and studio releases. Naturally, that is slanted towards recognizable IPs and sequels, with both Marvel and DC represented. There's also room for some original properties in there as well though, ranging a horror spin on an old children's favorite to Sci-Fi with a prehistoric twist. These are the movies to look forward to from January-March 2023.
M3GAN - January 6, 2023 (Theaters)
Not content with creating Annabelle, writer/producer James Wan is back with another terrifying doll - this time of the A.I. kind. M3GAN, from director Gerard Johnstone and writer Akela Cooper (who developed the story alongside Wan), follows Gemma (Allison Williams), a roboticist who creates the Model 3 Generative Android. Gemma uses a prototype of the doll to help care for her niece, Cady (Violet McGraw) and, unsurprisingly, things go very wrong. The doll gains greater consciousness, which will play out in deadly fashion. M3GAN's dancing is already a viral hit, and it should be scaring audiences when it releases on January 6, 2023. See an exclusive image above.
Plane - January 13, 2023 (Theaters)
Gerard Butler will be in familiar action territory in Plane, which sees the actor star as a pilot who has to perform an emergency landing during a lightning storm - and then things go really bad. Butler's Brodie Torrance and his passengers find themselves stuck on a remote island, where most of them are quickly taken hostage by locals. Brodie has to work with passenger Louis Gaspare (Mike Colter), who was being extradited for murder, in order to free them and get back home. Plane should deliver big thrills and twists when it lands on January 13, 2023. See an exclusive image above.
The Son - January 20, 2023 (Theaters)
The Son is director Florian Zeller's follow-up to The Father, another movie based on his trilogy of plays that also includes The Mother. The Son will serve as something of a spiritual prequel to The Father (including Anthony Hopkins in a new role), telling the story of Peter (Hugh Jackman), a man whose teenage son from a previous marriage decides to move in with him. It will chart the struggles and strain of their relationship, looking at what it means to be a father and a son. The Father won Hopkins the Oscar for Best Actor, so there's serious pedigree here. The Son releases Jan 20, 2023. See an exclusive image from The Son above.
Knock At The Cabin - February 3, 2023 (Theaters)
M. Night Shyamalan's next trick, following on from 2021's divisive Old, will be an adaptation of Paul G. Tremblay's book The Cabin at the End of the World. Knock at the Cabin's story is, like Old, about another family vacation, this time where they're taken hostage and their lives put in extreme danger. Knock at the Cabin's cast includes Dave Bautista, Jonathan Groff, Ben Aldridge, Nikki Amuka-Bird, and Rupert Grint. Things are understandably being kept mysterious, but viewers can definitely expect more big twists from Shyamalan's next movie. Knock at the Cabin releases February 3, 2023.
Magic Mike's Last Dance - February 10, 2023 (Theaters)
Eight years after his last performance, Channing Tatum's Mike Leane is going to put on a final show in Magic Mike's Last Dance. The film, once again directed by Steven Soderbergh and written by Reid Carolin, will find Magic Mike down on his luck and given the chance of one last hurrah by Salma Hayek's socialite. The setup sees the pair falling for one another and working together to put on a new show in London, which promises plenty of romance alongside the glossy entertainment the franchise is known for. Magic Mike's Last Dance will release on February 10, 2023, just in time for Valentine's Day.
Murder Mystery 2 - Release Date TBC (Netflix)
Adam Sandler and Jennifer Aniston will be back on Netflix and ready to solve another crime in Murder Mystery 2, the follow-up to 2019's Murder Mystery. The first movie saw married couple Nick (Sandler), a police officer, and Audrey (Aniston), a hairdresser and lover of murder mysteries, framed from a murder that they then eventually solved. It's unlikely the sequel will stray too far from that, offering up another whodunit comedy. Filming took place in Paris and Hawaii, which could well factor into the story, and Murder Mystery 2 is expected to release on Netflix in early 2023.
Your Place Or Mine - February 10, 2023 (Netflix)
Your Place or Mine is the movie directing debut of Aline Brosh McKenna, who wrote the likes of 27 Dresses and The Devil Wears Prada as well as co-creating Crazy Ex-Girlfriend. The film stars Reese Witherspoon and Ashton Kutcher as a pair of long-distance best friends with very different lives and locations - the former is an L.A. accountant and single mom, the latter a New York marketing executive who quickly goes through girlfriends. Circumstances will mean they need to look after the other's house, leading to a new perspective on life and, presumably, each other. Your Place or Mine releases Feb 10, 2023 on Netflix, and McKenna told Screen Rant:
"Your Place or Mine' is about finding love in literally unexpected places and about two people who are trying to get out of their own way to find what they deserve. I’m most excited for people to see Reese and Ashton’s performances. They light up the screen and will charm everyone’s pants off. Not literally. Figurative pants."
Winnie-the-Pooh: Blood and Honey - February 15, 2023 (Theaters)
It's time to go back to the Hundred Acre Wood... but expect a lot more blood than honey. In a dark riff somewhere between Winnie-the-Pooh and Toy Story 3, Christopher Robin has gone off to college, leaving his old friends behind. That results in Pooh and Piglet increasingly hungry, desperate, and feral, becoming serial killers and even murdering their classic pals. The low budget slasher re-imagining can be made outside of Disney as Winnie-the-Pooh is public domain, although no one would have predicted this version, with director Rhys Waterfield telling Screen Rant his "lifetime goal is to ruin all 7 billion childhoods." Winnie-the-Pooh Blood and Honey releases in theaters February 15, 2023. Check out an exclusive image above.
Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania - February 17, 2023 (Theaters)
As the title suggests, Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania will send the entire Ant-Man family - Scott Lang (Paul Rudd), Hope van Dyne (Evangeline Lilly), Hank Pym (Michael Douglas), Janet van Dyne (Michelle Pfeiffer), and the again recast Cassie Lang (now Kathryn Newton, formerly Emma Fuhrmann and before that Abby Ryder Fortson) - back into the Quantum Realm. This will be their biggest exploration of it yet, and include their greatest challenge: new MCU supervillain Kang the Conqueror. Kang has already mentioned killing Avengers, so the stakes couldn't be higher for the titular duo. Ant-Man: and the Wasp: Quantumania has a release date of February 17, 2023.
Cocaine Bear - February 24, 2023 (Theaters)
Yes, Cocaine Bear is exactly what it sounds like - assuming it sounds like the story of a bear that takes a lot of cocaine and goes off on a drug-fueled rampage. Cocaine Bear is inspired by a true story: the real life bear was an American black bear found to have ingested 75 pounds of cocaine, which had been thrown from a cargo plane because it was too heavy. Sadly the bear died, though the movie is taking a wilder route with it. Cocaine Bear is directed by Elizabeth Banks and stars Keri Russell, O'Shea Jackson, Christian Convery-Jennings, and Alden Ehrenreich. It releases February 24, 2023. See an exclusive Cocaine Bear image above.
Creed III - March 3, 2023 (Theaters)
Adonis Creed is back for another round (or 12) in Creed III, which will also be directed by star Michael B. Jordan. This promises to be Donnie's most personal battle yet as he faces Jonathan Majors' Dame Anderson, an old friend from childhood who is fresh out of prison. Though Donnie is initially willing to give Dame a shot, it turns into a heated rivalry that ends in the ring. There'll be some returning faces, including Tessa Thompson as Bianca Taylor, but Sylvester Stallone's Rocky isn't in Creed III, with the actor deciding not to return. He'll be missed, but the franchise looks in good hands. Creed III releases March 3, 2023.
Scream VI - March 10, 2023 (Theaters)
11 years after Scream 4, 2022's Scream brought the killer franchise roaring back to life - and it proved so successful there's no such wait for the next sequel. Scream VI is mostly focused on returning characters from Scream (2022), led by Melissa Barrera and Jenna Ortega as Sam and Tara Carpenter. There will be other franchise favorites though, with Courteney Cox returning as Gale Weathers, and Hayden Panettiere back as Kirby Reed after Scream 4, though Neve Campbell turned down returning as Sidney Prescott. Scream 6 will take the action from Woodsboro to New York City, offering new opportunities for the latest Ghostface killer. Scream VI releases March 10, 2023.
65 - March 10, 2023 (Theaters)
A Sci-Fi movie that sees its pilot protagonist, Mills (Adam Driver), crash land on a strange world and faced with terrifying threats from the land's native creatures, 65 could have ended up as standard fare, but there's a twist: dinosaurs! Revealed partway through 65's trailer, it turns out Mills has actually traveled through time, and the title refers to it being 65 million years ago. Mills is faced with a battle against the creatures in a desperate, deadly bid to survive and get back home. Written and directed by Scott Beck and Bryan Woods, 65 releases March 10, 2023.
Shazam! Fury Of The Gods - March 17, 2023 (Theaters)
Shazam! Fury of the Gods will see the return of Billy Batson (Asher Angel), the teenage boy granted the ability to transform into the powerful superhero Shazam (Zachary Levi). There'll be even more superhero action this time around though with the entire Shazam Family taking on a bigger role, which is to combat an even greater threat. Shazam 2 will see them battling against a trio of Greek Gods, the Daughters of Atlas: Anthea (Rachel Zegler), Hespera (Helen Mirren), and Kalypso (Lucy Liu). Shazam! was a fun take on the DC universe, and Fury of the Gods promises more of the same when it releases on March 17, 2023.
John Wick: Chapter 4 - March 24, 2023 (Theaters)
The John Wick movies have raised the bar for what modern mainstream action cinema can be, and John Wick: Chapter 4 should continue that. It will again see Keanu Reeves as John Wick, expanding his fight to take down the High Table and regain his freedom. That's increasingly difficult in a world populated by assassins, and John Wick 4 will test old alliances as well as introduce new enemies. Many key players will be back, such as Ian McShane's Winston and Lauren Fishburne's Bowery King. There'll also be new faces, including Donnie Yen as an assassin, and Bill Skarsgård as a member of the High Table. John Wick: Chapter 4's release date is March 24, 2023.
Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves - March 31, 2023 (Theaters)
Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves is the latest and biggest attempt to bring the D&D role playing game to the big screen, and could be the most successful too. Honor Among Thieves will be a fantasy adventure that aims to capture the spirit of the games, sending its group off on a quest to recover a valuable relic and running into trouble. It'll feature some classic Dungeons & Dragons character classes, including Chris Pine as a Bard, Michelle Rodriguez as a Barbarian, Rege-Jean Page as a Paladin, Justice Smith as a Sorcerer, Sophia Lillis as a Druid, and Hugh Grant as a Rogue. Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves releases March 31, 2023, capping off the biggest Winter 2023 movies.
Key Release Dates
-
M3GAN
Release Date:2023-01-06 -
Knock at the Cabin
Release Date:2023-02-03 -
Winnie the Pooh: Blood and Honey
Release Date:2023-02-15 -
Ant-Man & the Wasp: Quantumania
Release Date:2023-02-17 -
Cocaine Bear
Release Date:2023-02-24 -
Creed 3
Release Date:2023-03-03 -
Scream 6
Release Date:2023-03-10 -
Shazam! The Fury of the Gods
Release Date:2023-03-17 -
John Wick: Chapter 4
Release Date:2023-03-24 -
Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves
Release Date:2023-03-31
