We have a strong year of Summer blockbusters ahead of us; but these are the top ten Summer 2023 blockbusters that really stand-out from the pack. Please note, all release dates are for the UK.
10. Talk To Me (28th July)
Talk To Me is an exciting new horror movie coming from Danny and Michael Philippou. You may know them from the Australian YouTube channel “RackaRacka”. A group of friends become addicted to the supernatural powers granted by an embalmed hand. However, things take a dark force when horrifying spirits are released. A24, the film’s distributor, have a very strong record on which horror films they back – so this is definitely one to look forward to.
9. Ruby Gillman, Teenage Kraken (30th June)
After the spectacle that was Puss in Boots: The Last Wish, there’s a lot of excitement about what Dreamworks do next. That next thing is Ruby Gillman, Teenage Kraken. Ruby Gillman is a 16-year-old Kraken girl who desires to fit in at Oceanside High. She discovers her destiny as the Warrior Queen of the Seven Seas and must battle power-hungry mermaids to protect the oceans. The director has cited Easy A, Lady Bird and Booksmart as inspirations – which is a sure-fire way to get me on onboard.
8. Asteroid City (23rd June)
“Asteroid City” is the latest from Wes Anderson, and it has a cast that speaks for itself. Tom Hanks, Maya Hawke, Sophia Lillis, Margot Robbie, Scarlett Johansson, Jason Schwartzman, Edward Norton, Adrien Brody, Bryan Cranston, Steve Carrell, Willem Dafoe, Tilda Swinton, Hong Chau, Jeff Goldblum, Tony Revolori, Matt Dillon and more! Not an awful lot is known about the movie’s plot, except that it’s set in 1955 and follows an ensemble cast at a Junior Stargazer convention. It should be charming stuff!
7. Oppenheimer (21st July)
Speaking of amazing casts, this Nolan historical looks set to blow-up the box office. Starring Cillian Murphy as the titular Oppenheimer, alongside Robert Downey Jr, Florence Pugh, Rami Malek, Jack Quaid, Matt Damon, Emily Blunt, Gary Oldman and more. The film follows Oppenheimer through the Manhattan Project, and presumably – through its aftermath.
6. Joy Ride (4th August)
This directorial debut from Adele Lim looks set to be the funniest movie of the summer. Starring Ashley Park, Sherry Cola, Stephanie Hsu and Sabrina Wu – the movie follows four friends on a joy ride across China, in search of one of their birth mothers. It’s especially exciting to see Hsu fresh off her nomination for Best Supporting Actress at this year’s Oscars. Definitely an up and comer worth keeping an eye on!
5. Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse (2nd June)
It feels like it’s been such a long time since we saw the film debut of Miles Morales, but the continuation is finally here. Across the Spider-Verse sees the continuation of Miles’ story and looks set to up the stakes. It’s being teased as a lead-in to the closer of the trilogy, “Beyond the Spider-Verse”, which is set to release next year. There’s a lot of superhero fatigue at the moment, so this movie has a lot of hearts to win; but if it’s anything like the first in the trilogy, it should be easy work.
4. The Flash (16th June)
This is a weird one to be excited about, because it’s either going to be the best superhero movie ever, or the absolute worst thing to ever grace the big screen. Honestly, it’s more likely to be the second. However, it looks set to be an exciting car crash, at the least. Ezra Miller stars as the titular hero, alongside the return of Michael Keaton’s Batman. This pivotal moment in the DC universe has attracted a lot of praise from the likes of Tom Cruise – but will it be enough for the movie to be a success?
3. The Boogeyman (2nd June)
The Boogeyman is the latest horror from Rob Savage, based on the story from Stephen King. Early signs are that it’s going to be a very solid one. The trailer backs this up ten-fold. A family find themselves haunted by a horrific entity, that feeds on their suffering. It was originally set for a streaming release, but the studio was so excited by it, that they changed track for a theatrical release. With horror, that tends to be a good sign; as a similar thing happened with Evil Dead Rise – which has been one of the best horror movies of the year.
2. Barbie (21st July)
How can you not be excited for Greta Gerwig’s “Barbie”? It feels like Gerwig is a director who cannot lose, and the dreamy Barbie trailer doesn’t seem to counter that. Starring Margot Robbie and Ryan Gosling, amongst a host of other talented faces, this comedy adventure could be the biggest hit of the summer. I mean, come on, it’s Barbie.
1. Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny (30th June)
Similar to The Flash, this very well could be a car crash. Heck, Jones’ last outing certainly was. However, things look set to be different this time – as Harrison Ford picks up the whip one last time. The final film in the franchise sees Jones battling Nazis once again. This time, however, it’s done against the back-drop of the 1969 Moon landing. We can expect Indie to be given a great send-off, under the watch of James Mangold – who was behind Logan (2017).
These are the ten movies that we’re most excited about this Summer. Did we forget any that you’re eagerly anticipating? Let us know in the comments below.