2022 was a pretty good year for Netflix subscribers thanks to such Original movies as Guillermo Del Toro’s Pinocchio, Enola Holmes 2, and The Gray Man. Admittedly, not all of the streaming service’s movies were up to par – A Madea Homecoming and Marmaduke were particular lowlights – but there was generally more good than bad, which is a good thing considering the rise in subscription prices.
So, what about 2023? What Netflix Originals are coming our way this year? Well, there are quite a lot actually – far too many for us to discuss here – and there are a fair few that we think are worth adding to your watchlist. Check out our ‘most anticipated movies’ below and then let us know which titles you are most looking forward to in 2023.
Beverly Hills Cop: Axel Foley
The fourth instalment in the Beverly Hills Cop franchise is currently in production and is expected to land on Netflix towards the tail end of this year. Eddie Murphy is reprising his iconic role again and while little is known about the plot at this stage, you can expect the usual mix of comedy and action that made the previous films in the series so enjoyable.
Murphy will be joined by several other actors you will remember from the franchise, including Judge Reinhold as Detective Billy Rosewood, John Ashton as Sergeant Taggart, and Bronson Pinchot as sassy art gallery salesman Serge! Kevin Bacon and Joseph Gordon Levitt will also be starring in the new movie that will hopefully have more in common with the excellent first Beverly Hills Cop title than the lacklustre third entry.
Expected release date: Late 2023
Chicken Run: Dawn Of The Nugget
The chickens of Tweedy Farm return, only this time they are no longer residents of the farm as they have managed to avoid their fate of becoming pie-filling by escaping to a peaceful island sanctuary. But while they have fled to safer pastures new, they discover the rest of chicken-kind is in danger and judging by the title, it could be assumed that this ‘danger’ has something to do with these fluttering birds being turned into chicken nuggets!
We are just speculating as specific plot details are still under wraps but here’s hoping this second film is just as funny and heartwarming as the original. Jane Horrocks, Imelda Staunton, and Lynn Ferguson will be reprising their roles as Babs, Bunty, and Mac, but previous cast members Julie Sawalha and Mel Gibson have been replaced by Thandiwe Newton and Zachary Levi who will now be voicing Ginger and Rocky respectively.
Expected release date: November 10th, 2023
Extraction 2
Chris Hemsworth returns as mercenary Tyler Rake (the names David Spade and Patrick Mower were already taken) in this follow-up to one of Netflix’s most successful movies. According to the plot synopsis of Extraction 2, Rake’s next extraction job takes place at one of the world’s deadliest prisons where he has been tasked with rescuing a family from a gangster. Does he get them out alive? Probably but from what we know of the plotline, Rake later becomes a revenge target when the gangster is killed.
The original film’s director Sam Hargrave is back in the director’s chair for this sequel that will hopefully be just as exciting and action-packed. If it does well, expect news of a third movie sometime in the near future.
Check out the teaser trailer here
Expected release date: June 2023
Havoc
Gareth Evans, the director of such Indonesian martial arts films as The Raid and Merentau, is the man behind this latest action movie starring Tom Hardy. The Venom actor plays a detective who fights his way through the criminal underworld to rescue a politician’s estranged son and in the process discovers a web of corruption and conspiracy that ensnares his entire city (Cardiff).
The rest of the plot is unknown at this stage but if the film is as action-heavy as some of Evans’ previous films, you should expect plenty of brutal fisticuffs and some explosive stunt work as Hardy’s detective character embarks on his mission.
Expected release date: Summer 2023
Rebel Moon – Part 1
Zach Snyder’s space epic was originally intended to be a Star Wars movie, according to reports found online, but when his ideas fell by the wayside after Disney acquired Lucasfilm in 2012, his story was reworked so it would fit into an entirely new universe. The plotline isn’t too dissimilar to Star Wars, however, as it involves a young woman (Sofia Boutella) on a planet within a galaxy far far away who recruits a group of warriors from other planets to join a resistance group that is battling against a tyrannical enemy.
Joining Boutella in the cast is Ed Skrein as Darth Vad…erm… a cunning interplanetary warlord known as Regent Balisarius, and Anthony Hopkins who provides voicework for a sentient JC1435 mechanized battle robot that is apparently far braver than cowardly old C-3PO!
Parts of Rebel Moon were shot at Death Valley National Park in California, which coincidentally was also the location for certain scenes in Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope and Star Wars Episode VI: The Return of the Jedi, so this is something else the movie has in common with George Lucas’ space fantasy. Rebel Moon has the potential to become the next big sci-fi franchise but it still remains to be seen whether the force is strong with this one!
Expected release date: Late 2023
The Killer
Based on the French graphic novel of the same name, this neo-noir thriller from Fight Club director David Fincher is centred around a professional assassin named Christian who is slowly losing his mind as he waits for his next target. Michael Fassbender stars as the contract killer of the title and he is joined in the cast by Tilda Swinton who is believed to be playing another assassin.
The film is the second in Fincher’s four-year deal with the streaming service (his first film for Netflix was Mank), and it marks his reunion with screenwriter Andrew Kevin Walker, who he previously collaborated with on Se7en. Little else is known about the film but with a strong creative team behind the camera and two world-leading actors in front of it, this globetrotting crime thriller is likely to be another hit (sorry for the pun) for Netflix.
Expected release date: Sometime in 2023
The Mothership
In this upcoming sci-fi movie, Halle Berry stars as a lady named Sara Morse, who discovers a peculiar extraterrestrial item beneath her home several months after her husband has gone missing. Could this be connected to his disappearance? The truth is certainly out there but the events of the movie’s plotting will only be unveiled when we finally get the opportunity to check out this Spielbergian movie for ourselves when it eventually lands on Netflix.
The Mothership marks the directorial debut of Matthew Charman, who was previously nominated for an Oscar for his screenplay for Bridge of Spies. Other cast members include Omari Harwick (Power) as Sara’s missing husband, and young actors Quinn MacPherson and Jaiden J. Smith who star as Sara’s children joining her on her quest for answers. We don’t have a definite release date for this film yet but as principal photography is reportedly finished, it shouldn’t be too long before we get a close encounter with this family-friendly movie!
Expected release date: Sometime in 2023
The Shrinking of Treehorn
This upcoming computer-animated film is from director Ron Howard and is based on the children’s book of the same name by Florence Parry Heide. It has been described as a musical set in New York City during the holidays and it focuses on a young boy named Treehorn who is clearly shrinking, although his parents refuse to acknowledge his sudden reduction in size!
Netflix has been behind many excellent animated movies over the years, including Klaus, The Sea Beast, and the recent Pinocchio, so expectations for this one are high. As Howard is at the helm and as the source material is well-regarded, there are other reasons to believe this will be a good one, but we’ll know more when word about the movie grows in size towards the end of this year.
Expected release date: November 2023
The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar
Directed by Wes Anderson and based on the short story by Roald Dahl, this upcoming release centres on a man named Henry Sugar who has a series of misadventures after discovering a book that enables him to predict the future. Benedict Cumberbatch stars as the sweet-sounding titular character and he is joined in the film by an esteemed cast including Dev Patel, Ralph Fiennes, and Ben Kingsley.
Netflix acquired the rights to Roald Dahl’s stories in 2021 and after Matilda (which was given an initial release in cinemas in the UK), this is the streaming giant’s second adaptation of his works. We have no reason to believe this will be anything less than brilliant as director Wes Anderson was also behind Fantastic Mr Fox, a critically praised adaptation of another of Dahl’s novels.
Other Dahl projects coming to Netflix include The Twits, Charlie And the Chocolate Factory, and Charlie And the Great Glass Elevator so there is much to look forward to if you’re a fan of the author.
Expected release date: Sometime in 2023
Maestro
Leonard Bernstein, the legendary American conductor and composer who worked on such films as West Side Story and On The Waterfront, is the subject of this biopic from Bradley Cooper who both directs and takes on the lead role. Joining Cooper in the cast is Carey Mulligan, who stars as Felicia Montealegre, Bernstein’s wife, and Stranger Things actress Maya Hawke, who takes on the role of the couple’s daughter.
The movie spans three decades of Bernstein’s life, with a focus on both his marriage to Felicia and his homosexuality, which was known by his wife but was never revealed to the public. There is no definite release date for this one yet but as we expect it to be a contender for the 2024 awards season (for Best Actor, Best Director, and possibly Best Film), a late 2023 release is expected.
Expected release date: Late 2023
So, there you have it, our list of anticipated Netflix Original movies that are releasing in 2023. Are you looking forward to these releases? Or are there any other Netflix titles that you are most looking forward to? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.Â