It’s time to ring in the New Year with Raindance! 2023 promises to be an exciting year for the company as we look forward to the 31st edition of Raindance Film Festival. Don’t forget: submissions are still open, so send us your films and maybe you’ll be the next big thing in independent cinema. Not only is 2023 a promising year for Raindance, but there are a number of exciting new films premiering, so let’s take a look at the most anticipated movies of this year!
1) Babylon
A tale of outsized ambition and outrageous excess, Babylon traces the rise and fall of multiple characters during an era of unbridled decadence and depravity in early Hollywood. Featuring an ensemble that includes Brad Pitt, Margot Robbie, Tobey Maguire, Diego Calva and Li Jun Li, Damien Chazelle’s highly anticipated film has been referred to as “a daring Hollywood epic that utterly shocks the senses”. With it’s already mixed reviews, we can’t wait for the discourses on #FilmTwitter. Babylon will premiere in the UK on 20 January 2023.
2) Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania
Kicking off Phase 5 of the MCU is Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quatamania. This phase explores new realms, as Scott Lang and Hope van Dyne interact with strange new creatures and embark on an adventure that pushes them beyond the limits of what they thought was possible. With an appearance from Jonathan Majors as Kang the Conqueror, who made his first appearance in the series Loki, we’re hoping to finally connect the dots and get a deeper understanding of the Multiverse. Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quatamania will be released in UK cinemas on 17 February 2023.
3) Cocaine Bear
A film about a bear high on cocaine? Who wouldn’t be intrigued. A black-comedy thriller directed and produced by Elizabeth Banks, Cocaine Bear is a dramatised version of a true story of a bear that ingested a duffle bag full of cocaine in northern Georgia in 1985. While the thought of a bear high off of its face can be both hilarious and terrifying, based on the trailer and buzz from modern moviegoers, the film seems like it’s going to be a load of fun. As the streets are saying, “If the film can sustain the sheer berserk energy of the trailer, then Cocaine Bear is destined to become a classic.”. It’ll be released in cinemas on 24 February 2023.
4) Spider-Man Across the Spiderverse
The 2018 animated film Spider-Man Into the Spiderverse was truly revolutionary for the world of animated films. Its unique animation style, engaging soundtrack and hilarious characters made this Marvel film a huge success, so the buzz of excited anticipation around its sequel is no surprise. Spider-Man Across the Spiderverse will once again follow Miles Morales as he navigates the superhero multiverse alongside Gwen Stacey and the other Spider-Men. It premieres in the UK on 2 June 2023.
5) Indiana Jones 5
Despite his age, Harrison Ford will be reprising his iconic role as Indiana Jones next year in the fifth instalment of this quintessentially 80s film series. With a cast that now includes actors such as Phoebe Waller-Bridge and Mads Mikkelsen, the anticipation is high for this soon-to-be blockbuster that will hopefully live up to its successors. Indiana Jones 5 premieres on 30 June 2023.
6) Oppenheimer
This is definitely one of the most anticipated films of 2023, as Christopher Nolan has established himself as one of the great directors of the 21st century. Following his 2020 film Tenet, Oppenheimer has a tough act to follow, but based simply on the star-studded cast and Nolan’s reputation for larger-than-life films, there is a sense that this might be one of his best to date. It follows the story of physicist J. Robert Oppenheimer as he works on the Manhattan Project which subsequently lead to the creation of the atomic bomb. You won’t want to miss this exciting new thriller that premiers in the UK on 21 July 2023.
7) Barbie
With a star-studded cast, each taking on a variation of the famed Mattel doll and her boytoy Ken, Greta Gerwig has let little be revealed of her live-action take on everyone’s favourite pink plastic girl. After being expelled from Barbieland for being a less than perfect-looking doll, Barbie sets off for the human world to find true happiness. Rumoured to include Simu Liu, Ncuti Gatwa, Hari Nef and Issa Rae, we can’t wait to be immersed in Gerwig’s Barbie world. Come on and party with Barbie in cinemas on 21 July 2023.
8) Dune: Part Two
Picking up from Oscar Isaac and Babs Olusanmokun’s departure at the end of Dune, Paul Atreides reunites with Chani and the Fremen in Dune: Part Two to seek revenge against the conspirators. Facing a choice between the love of his life and the fate of the universe, Paul must prevent a terrible future only he can foresee. The bar is high for Dune: Part 2, following the massive successes of the first film – bagging six Academy Awards, a Golden Globe and five BAFTAs. Hopefully we’ll get more lines from Zendaya in this sequel, premiering 3 November 2023.
9) Wonka
In the third adaptation of Roald Dahl’s 1964 classic, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, Wonka will reveal the story of a young Willy Wonka, pre-amazing chocolatier. While little details of the plot have been disclosed, Oscar nominee and Gen Z heartthrob Timothée Chalamet, who’s taking on the role of young Willy Wonka, has confirmed seven musical numbers in the film. If it’s anything like his rap debut, Lil’ Timmy Tim, you won’t want to miss this. Wonka will be released in cinemas on 15 December 2023.
Ellen is an English and Film student at Samford University who is currently working for Raindance Film Festival this fall. She hopes to one day teach film at a university level.
