Courtesy of Warner Bros./ Jaap Buitendijk

With countless prequels, sequels, musical reprisals, adaptations and original concepts on their way, theaters in 2023 have something for everyone, from superhero blockbusters, action-packed films, nostalgic flicks, period pieces and more.

Below, GRAZIA USA has rounded up the most highly-anticipated must-see films of 2023.

The Little Mermaid

Halle Bailey makes history as the first Black actress to portray princess Ariel in Disney’s new live-action remake of The Little Mermaid. Directed by Rob Marshall, the adaptation includes new music from Lin-Manuel Miranda, teamed with Bailey’s outstanding vocals.

The Little Mermaid is set to hit theaters May 26, 2023.

Oppenheimer

Christopher Nolan’s forthcoming epic Oppenheimer tells the story of American physicist J. Robert Oppenheimer as he works with a team of scientists during the Manhattan Project, leading to the development of the atomic bomb.

Cillian Murphy will star as Oppenheimer alongside a star-studded cast including Emily Blunt, Matt Damon, Florence Pugh, Robert Downey Jr., Gary Oldman, Rami Malek, Casey Affleck, Kenneth Branagh and more.

Oppenheimer is set to come out on July 21, 2023.

Barbie

Margot Robbie in Barbie, 2023 (Warner Bros.)

Come on Barbie, let’s go party. Greta Gerwig’s latest directorial endeavor sees Margot Robbie as the beloved Mattel doll, Barbie. While much of the script remains under wraps, Gerwig wrote the screenplay alongside her partner Noah Baumbach. Ryan Gosling will star as Barbie’s longtime boyfriend, Ken, while Academy Award-winner Emerald Fennell, Kate McKinnon, Simu Liu, Hari Nef, Will Ferrell, America Ferrera, Alexandra Shipp and Robbie-lookalike, Death on the Nile’s Emma Mackey are also set to appear in the LuckyChap Entertainment production.

Barbie is set to hit theaters on July 21, 2023.

Challengers

Starring Zendaya, West Side Story actor Mike Faist, and The Crown’s Josh O’Conner, Bones & All director Luca Guadagnino’s latest film sees pro tennis player Tashi (Zendaya) help her husband Art (Faist) work to become a champion of the sport following a defeating loosing streak.

Challengers is set to release on August 11, 2023.

Dune: Part Two

Zendaya and Timotheé Chalamet in Dune
Zendaya and Timotheé Chalamet in Dune (Photo: courtesy of Warner Bros.)

Somehow even more star-studded than the first film, Dune: Part Two sees Timothée Chalamet continue his journey as Paul Atreides. With Zendaya reprising her role as Chani, Florence Pugh will star as Princess Irulan, Austin Butler will portray Feyd-Rautha Harkonnen, and the legendary Christopher Walken will join the cast as Shaddam IV.

Directed by Denis Villeneuve, Paul will join forces with Chani and her fellow Fremen while seeking revenge against those who destroyed his family. Faced with choosing between the love of his life and the fate of the universe, Paul must prevent the tumultuous future only he can foresee.

Dune: Part Two will land in theaters on November 3, 2023

The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes

Rachel Zegler as Lucy Gray Baird and Tom Blyth as Coriolanus Snow in The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes. (Photo Credit: Murray Close)

May the odds be ever in your favor. The forthcoming Hunger Games prequel, titled The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes, is welcoming a star-studded cast to the Capitol. West Side Story actress Rachel Zegler will star as Lucy Gray Baird while The Gilded Age’s Tom Blyth will star as a young Coriolanus Snow in the adaptation based on the novel of the same name by Suzanne Collins. The starry cast also includes Euphoria’s Hunter Schafer, Jason Schwartzman, Game of Thrones’ Peter Dinklage, and Academy Award-winning actress Viola Davis as the film’s Head Game-maker.

Directed by Francis Lawrence, the film is set 60-some years before we knew Coriolanus Snow as the despotic President of Panem (played by Donald Sutherland). In preparation for the 10th annual Hunger Games, Snow (Blyth) is tasked with mentoring fellow tribute Lucy Gray Baird (Zegler). After Lucy Gray sings during the reaping ceremony in protest, she captures the attention of all of Panem, leading Snow to believe they may be able to tip the odds in her favor. Fusing their political prowess and instinct for strategy, Snow begins to develop feelings for Lucy Gray as they fight to survive.

The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes is set to premiere on November 17, 2023.

Wonka

Timothée Chalamet will star as the prolific candy man and chocolatier Willy Wonka in this coming-of-age story. The Paul King-directed film follows a young Wonka as her meets the Oompa-Loompas on one of his early adventures. Olivia Coleman will star in the film as well.

Wonka is set to hit theaters on December 15, 2023.

The Color Purple

The new musical film rendition of The Color Purple has tapped a whole new brigade brimming with talent. For the new project, Fantasia Barrino will star as Celie, Colman Domingo as Mister, Halle Bailey will portray Nettie, Taraji P. Henson will play Shug Avery, and Corey Hawkins will star as Harpo, while H.E.R. will appear as Squeak in the upcoming adaptation.

Produced by a slew of creatives who were involved in past iterations of Alice Walker’s 1982 novel, the line-up includes Oprah Winfrey, who starred as Sofia in the 1985 film, Steven Spielberg, who directed the first film, Scott Sanders, who produced the 2005 Broadway musical, and Quincy Jones, who composed and produced the ’85 film.

Chronicling the lives of Black women in the deep south in Georgia circa 1909 through 1947, The Color Purple has received rave reviews and critical acclaim since its inception. The film garnered 11 Academy Award nominations and earned Whoopi Goldberg a Golden Globe for Best Actress in a Motion Picture for her role as Celie. The Broadway musical also picked up two Tony Awards throughout its tenure.

The Color Purple is set to premiere on December 20, 2023