2023 was a great year for movie lovers. We saw blockbuster smashes about the spidermen and the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, and we watched Dungeons and Dragons come to life in an oddly rewarding story. The internet blew up in July when the story of the world’s most destructive weapon, and the Barbie movie, hit theaters on the same day in a bizarre contrast of character. The boxes were shocked when Sound of Freedom brought in nearly 200 million dollars out of seemingly thin air, and movies like The Holdovers, Priscilla, and Are You There God? It’s Me Margaret all held their own delivering great stories. The comeback for the cinema has been triumphant after the 2020 shutdowns, but what can we look forward to for this year? What will flop? And What will bring all of our feelings flooding out?

Mean girls-

As the new year begins, a new rendition of the classic Mean Girls came out January 12th. This classic RomCom sits in a special place in the hearts of many, so this reboot is the musical version with a completely fresh cast except for Tina Fey’s beloved Ms. Norbury and Tim Meadows’ Principal Duvall. The movie once again follows Cady Heron as she enters high school after a life of  homeschooling. This variation takes the iconic story and adds music, dance, and a modern take on the story with more relevant pop culture references and lingo. So don’t expect to see a complete copy of the original. This feature will see Samantha Jayne and Arturo Perez Jr. co-directing in their first major big-screen project. But with lots of experience under both of their belts, and with a classic predecessor to work off of, all that is expected is to not mess up the idea of the original. It should be simple enough but history has shown that reboots don’t always turn out well.

One love – 

On February 14th, the day of love, theaters will celebrate the man who found love in everybody and everything. One Love is the newest in a growing genre of music biopics, this time following the life and legacy of Bob Marley. It takes an in depth look at Bob during his rise to fame, and examines his perseverance to continue passing his message in the wake of a civil war, assassination, and deep political divide. The passion and principles that Marley lived by will have to be perfectly articulated, but Reinaldo Marcus Green is as good as anyone to take on the challenge. Having directed King Richard, the story of Serena and Venus Williams’ father, expect another high quality production that does not miss the importance of small details. 

Dune: Part 2 – 

We’ll travel back to the world of Arrakis on March 1st for the second installment to the award winning Dune series. The story of Paul Atreides continues as he faces the fate of his love, life, and the universe in this epic drama by Denis Villeneuve. This feature should be significantly more action packed than its precursor, with an active war brewing throughout the movie as the main characters fight for the planet and themselves. There is no doubt that this film’s visuals will be groundbreaking, but the feeling of utter fear and controlled chaos displayed in the last movie was remarkable. Although the mood will almost without a doubt be different, if this installment can retain the same level of emotional draw for the audience then we should expect this series to grow closer to being a generational trilogy.

Kung Fu Panda 4 – 

Since 2008 we’ve all been kung-fu fighting right along with Cee-Lo and Jack Black. But the newest installment to the cinematic masterpiece of a trilogy looks…interesting. To be honest, it really doesn’t look great, but there also isn’t much to be expected. The Kung-Fu Panda movies have been a part of a lot of childhoods so sticking to a formula is okay here. We aren’t expecting to see a thrilling adventure from Mike Mitchell, just something to go watch something fun with a few friends.

Fall Guy – 

After his nomination worthy performance in Barbie, Ryan Gosling is back in another highly anticipated flick. Finally, a movie where Gosling plays a stuntman with an icy but charming disposition, who gets involved in a major crime and a chase to save someone’s life. Oh wait…we have seen that before, back in 2011. Many people may not remember 2011’s Drive, but it has become an icon and symbol online, after years of underwhelming numbers, through memes and online forums. Saying that, The Fall Guy does look promising. Starring Emily Blunt alongside him, Gosling appears to still be riding off the success of Barbie. His acting style has changed slightly to continue the Ken character he played, similar to how Johnny Depp played every role like Jack Sparrow after Pirates of The Caribbean, but it is too soon to tell whether or not this is a good thing for the movie world. The movie looks like a joyride though and I doubt that it won’t at least be fun.

Along with some of the top films mentioned, many sequels and prequels will be released including Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes on May 10th, and Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga on May 24th. ISS, which comes out on January 19th also appears like it could really make a big scene in the movie world. This year is as good as any to get out to the theaters, as there will be a plethora of great movies to choose from. It should be an exciting time for movie fans.