New year, new movies.
A new "Mission: Impossible." A new "Dune." A new "Barbie?" Sure, why not.
As Hollywood continues to try to lure moviegoers away from their couches and into theaters — those home viewing options have sure gotten cozy since the onset of the pandemic — studios have lined up another year of sequels, franchise entries and otherwise familiar faces to fill those big screens at the multiplex.
Some of the numbers after those titles are starting to climb pretty high: a fourth "John Wick," a sixth "Scream," a seventh "Transformers" and the 10th entry each in the "Fast and Furious" and "Saw" series.
There will surely be some smaller, more personal films that will grab our attention as the year goes on. But this preview is all about the big ones, the headline grabbers which, if they do their job, will pack 'em in theaters and keep the lights on in Tinsel Town.
Here's a look at the 20 biggest movies headed your way in 2023, as well as a handful of other titles to keep an eye on over the next 12 months. Remember, as always, dates are subject to change.
1. 'Mission: Impossible — Dead Reckoning Part One'
Can Top top Tom? "Top Gun: Maverick" proved that Tom Cruise is yet again the biggest star in the galaxy, and it showed that all he wants to do is entertain moviegoers in the biggest way possible. He gets another chance here with the latest installment of his "Mission: Impossible" series, which was delayed two years by the pandemic, in which he gets to do all sorts of crazy stuff that only Tom Cruise would do. Fly high, Tommy boy. (July 14)
2. 'Oppenheimer'
Christopher Nolan returns to the big screen with this biopic of J. Robert Oppenheimer, who is known as the "father of the atomic bomb." Nolan regular Cillian Murphy stars in the lead role, and supporting players include Kenneth Branagh, Josh Hartnett, Robert Downey Jr., Florence Pugh, Benny Safdie, Rami Malek, Matt Damon, Emily Blunt, Matthew Modine, Casey Affleck and Gary Oldman. Whew! (July 21)
3. 'Fast X'
My how the gang has grown up. Twenty-two years after "The Fast and the Furious" (and the death of one major cast member later), the series reaches its 10th installment, which somehow needs to find a way to come back to Earth after the last entry literally brought the series to outer space. The regulars are all back, with Jason Momoa and Brie Larson joining in on the fun. (May 19)
4. 'John Wick: Chapter 4'
Keanu Reeves is back, guns cocked and loaded, for the follow-up to 2019's "John Wick: Chapter 3 – Parabellum," which might have been the one where he fought somebody with a book but who can really remember and does it even matter anyway? It's more fights, more Keanu, more cool stuff. Whoa. (March 24)
5. 'Creed III'
Michael B. Jordan is back as Adonis Creed, and he's both in front of and behind the camera in this latest installment of the popular "Rocky" spinoff series, which notably will not feature Sylvester Stallone's Rocky Balboa character. (Stallone retains a producer credit on the project.) This time around, Jordan's Creed is up against a childhood friend, played by "Devotion's" Jonathan Majors. Ring the bell! (March 3)
6. 'Dune: Part Two'
The spice is right. The second part of director Denis Villeneuve's version of Frank Herbert's epic sci-fi novel brings back Timothée Chalamet as the Duke of the House of Atreides and hopefully ropes in more of his love interest, played by Zendaya, who barely registered in 2021's part one. (Nov. 3)
7. 'Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny'
It's the fourth chapter of the "Indiana Jones" saga, or the fifth if you count 2008's "Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull," which everyone would prefer if no one mentioned again going forward. Harrison Ford is still cracking the whip at 80 years old, and "Ford v Ferrari's" James Mangold jumps in the director's chair for the latest adventure with the world's most death-defying archaeologist. (June 30)
8. 'Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse'
In 2018, "Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse" put a whole new spin on the friendly neighborhood webslinger, with a mind-blowing animation style that mixed the aesthetics of street art with computer animation to create a different kind of superhero cool. This follow-up promises even more visual razzmatazz and a further immersion into the Spider-Verse. (June 2)
9. 'Barbie'
It's Barbie's world, we just live in it. Co-writer and director Greta Gerwig whiplashes from "Little Women" to the adaptation of the iconic doll, with Margot Robbie in the lead role and Ryan Gosling as her Ken. To everyone still scratching their head over all of this, just know you're not alone, and hopefully it will all make sense soon. (July 21)
10. 'Guardians of the Galaxy Volume 3'
Groot and the gang return in their third mixtape adventure, which is written and directed by James Gunn, who is also the head of rival comic universe DC. Get ready for more laughs, more adventure and more classic rock throwbacks. (May 5)
11. 'Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania'
The third "Ant-Man" adventure kicks off Phase 5 of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. (Awesome?) Jonathan Majors joins the fold as Kang the Conqueror, which between this and "Creed III" means that Majors is in for a big year. (Feb. 17)
12. 'The Super Mario Bros. Movie'
It's a-me! Chris Pratt voices everyone's favorite plumber in this animated adventure, which also stars the voices of Anya Taylor-Joy (as Princess Peach) and Charlie Day (as Luigi). You can thank the success of "Sonic the Hedgehog" for this one. (April 7)
13. 'The Little Mermaid'
The live-action version of the animated 1989 classic stars Halle Bailey (of musical duo Chloe x Halle) in the title role, and is the latest in Disney's not-so-spiffy live-action remake series. Let's just hope it's better than this year's "Pinocchio." (May 26)
14. 'Scream VI'
No Neve Campbell? No problem. The series star is out of this upcoming entry (over a reported contract dispute), which moves the series' action to New York City. Why not call it "Ghostface Takes Manhattan?" (March 10)
15. 'Magic Mike's Last Dance'
Cue Ginuwine. Channing Tatum is back one more time to bump and grind in the final chapter in Steven Soderbergh's six-pack trilogy. (Feb. 10)
16. 'The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes'
May the odds be ever in the favor of this prequel to "The Hunger Games" movies, starring "West Side Story's" Rachel Zegler and Tom Blyth as the man who grows up to be Coriolanus Snow, the series villain played in the original films by Donald Sutherland. (Nov. 17)
17. 'Transformers: Rise of the Beasts'
Set in 1994, this "Transformers" entry is reportedly looking to be more like "Bumblebee" and less like Michael Bay's chaotic "Transformers" entries. Steven Caple Jr. directs. (June 9)
18. 'The Marvels'
Brie Larson returns as Captain Marvel in this MCU entry which picks up the action from the Disney+ series "Ms. Marvel." Don't worry, you have plenty of time to catch up before this hits screens. (July 28)
19. 'Wonka'
"Paddington" and "Paddington 2" director Paul King takes on the legendary candy king, with Timothée Chalamet in the role that Gene Wilder made famous and Johnny Depp made creepy. Good day sir! (Dec. 15)
20. 'Saw X'
Jigsaw's back, baby. (Oct. 27)
Also on the radar ...
"M3gan" is the robot of your nightmares. (Jan. 6)
Jacob Latimore and Tosin Cole throw a "House Party" in the reboot of the 1990 Kid 'n Play favorite. (Jan. 13)
Lily Tomlin, Jane Fonda, Rita Moreno and Sally Field are football fans heading to the Super Bowl to root on Tom Brady in "80 for Brady." (Feb. 3)
Elizabeth Banks directs "Cocaine Bear," based on the true story of a black bear who ingested a whole duffel bag full of drugs. (Feb. 24)
Adam Driver goes back in time, 65 million years ago, in "65." (March 10)
Zachary Levi is back in "Shazam! Fury of the Gods," the sequel to 2019's "Shazam!" (March 17)
Florence Pugh and Morgan star in "A Good Person," the latest from "Garden State" director Zach Braff. (March 24)
Ready or not, here comes the Dungeons & Dragons cinematic universe with "Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves," starring Chris Pine and Michelle Rodriguez. (March 31)
Taika Waititi ("Jojo Rabbit") directs "Next Goal Wins," about the American Samoa national soccer team, which once lost a World Cup qualifying match by a score of 31-0. (April 21)
You can't kill "The Evil Dead": The horror series continues with its latest chapter, "Evil Dead Rise." (April 21)
Fire and water mix in Pixar's latest, "Elemental." (June 16)
"Insidious: Fear of the Dark" is the supernatural series' fifth chapter, and the first since 2018's "Insidious: The Last Key." (July 7)
Director Luca Guadagnino goes from cannibalism (in "Bones and All") to a romantic comedy set in the tennis world with "Challengers," starring Zendaya. (Aug. 11)
Another Disney attraction hits the big screen with "Haunted Mansion," starring LaKeith Stanfield, Rosario Dawson and Owen Wilson. (Aug. 11)
DC will see your "Spider-Man" and raise you "Blue Beetle," about a teenage hero born from an alien bug bite. (Aug. 18)
In its quest to round up all the action stars, "The Expendables 4" adds 50 Cent, Megan Fox and Andy Garcia into the mix. (Sept. 22)
"Man on Fire" stars Denzel Washington and Dakota Fanning are together again in "The Equalizer 3." (Sept. 1)
The Conjuring Universe keeps on rolling with "The Nun 2." (Sept. 8)
Kenneth Branagh and his outlandish facial hair are back in "A Haunting in Venice," the director-star's follow-up to "Murder on the Orient Express" and "Death on the Nile." (Sept. 15)
With his "Halloween" trilogy wrapped, David Gordon Green is moving on to "The Exorcist" with his thus far untiled "Exorcist" entry. (Oct. 13)
More ghosts will be busted when the follow-up to 2021's "Ghostbusters: Afterlife" hits screens. (Dec. 20)
Originally due out in 2022, and then spring 2023, "Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom" is now due out next Christmas. (Dec. 25)
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