The Disney 2023 Theatrical Preview
Disney’s 2023 slate is filled with potential box office and critical winners.
Disney’s theatrical presence in 2023 is a smaller but exciting slate of films. We get three new entries into the Marvel Cinematic Universe, the return of Indiana Jones, and two new original animated films from Pixar and Walt Disney Animation Studios. Plus we get The Little Mermaid and Haunted Mansion.
Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania (February 17)
Synopsis: Super-Hero partners Scott Lang (Paul Rudd) and Hope Van Dyne (Evangeline Lilly) return to continue their adventures as Ant-Man and the Wasp. Together, with Hope’s parents Hank Pym (Michael Douglas) and Janet Van Dyne (Michelle Pfeiffer), the family finds themselves exploring the Quantum Realm, interacting with strange new creatures and embarking on an adventure that will push them beyond the limits of what they thought was possible.
Peyton Reed returns to direct the third installment in the Ant-Man franchise. The film also kicks off Marvel Studios’ Phase 5. The film will serve a pivotal role as Kang the Conqueror (Jonathan Majors) will be formally introduced.
Majors’ Kang is expected to play a major role throughout Phase 5 and Phase 6 including Avengers: The Kang Dynasty and Avengers: Secret Wars. The film also marks Cassie Lang’s hero debut. The film is written by Jeff Loveness.
The film stars Paul Rudd, Evangeline Lilly, Michael Douglas, Michelle Pfeiffer, Kathryn Newton, Bill Murray, and Jonathan Majors.
Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 (May 5)
Synopsis: The beloved band of misfits are looking a bit different these days. Peter Quill, still reeling from the loss of Gamora, must rally his team around him to defend the universe along with protecting one of their own. It’s a mission that, if not completed successfully, could quite possibly lead to the end of the Guardians as we know them.
James Gunn’s last ride with Marvel Studios before he heads off to run DC Studios. The final film in the Guardians of the Galaxy trilogy will be about protecting one of their own, and the entire fate of the team is going to be on the line. The Guardians will also face off against Adam Warlock and the High Evolutionary. It’s going to be an action-packed, emotional journey.
The film stars Chris Pratt, Zoe Saldaña, Dave Bautista, Karen Gillan, Pom Klementieff, Vin Diesel, Bradley Cooper, Will Poulter, Elizabeth Debicki, Sylvester Stallone, Sean Gunn, Maria Bakalova, and Chukwudi Iwuji.
The film is written and directed by James Gunn.
The Little Mermaid (May 26)
Synopsis: The Little Mermaid tells the story of Ariel (Halle Bailey), the youngest daughter of King Triton (Javier Bardem), the ruler of the underwater kingdom Atlantica. Ariel, already fascinated by the world of humans, falls deeply in love with the handsome Prince Eric (Jonah Hauer-King) after saving him during a shipwreck, and resolves to meet him in the world above water. Her quest brings her in conflict with her father and in the clutches of the scheming sea witch Ursula (Melissa McCarthy).
Disney gives the live-action treatment to one of its most popular Disney Renaissance films. It will be interesting to see how well this one does critically and commercially as the original The Little Mermaid is one of the most beloved Disney films of all time. The 2023 film was directed by Rob Marshall and had a screenplay from David Magee and Jane Goldman. The film will also have music by Alan Menken and Lin-Manuel Miranda.
The Little Mermaid stars Halle Bailey, Jonah Hauer-King, Javier Bardem, Melissa McCarthy, Daveed Diggs, Jacob Tremblay, and Awkwafina.
Elemental (June 16)
Synopsis: In a city where fire, water, land and air residents live together, a fiery young woman and a go-with-the-flow guy are about to discover something elemental: how much they actually have in common.
Elemental’s story comes from Peter Sohn who will also direct the film. Sohn’s inspiration for Elemental comes from his upbringing as the son of immigrants in New York City in the 1970s, highlighting the city’s distinct cultural and ethnic diversity.
Leah Lewis will voice Ember, a fiery young woman, and Mamoudou Athie will voice Wade, a go-with-the-flow guy.
Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny (June 30)
Synopsis: In 1969, American archaeologist and adventurer Indiana Jones lives against the backdrop of the Space Race. Jones is uneasy over the fact that the U.S. government has recruited former Nazis to help beat the Soviet Union in the competition to make it to space. His goddaughter, Helena, accompanies him on his journey. Meanwhile, Jürgen Voller, a NASA member and ex-Nazi involved with the moon-landing program, wishes to make the world into a better place as he sees fit.
Harrison Ford is back for one last adventure as Indiana Jones.
Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny may be one of the most anticipated films of the year. A lot is coming out in 2023 but the excitement for this film is noticeable. This is Disney’s only shot at doing a Harrison Ford-led Indiana Jones film. Let’s see if they make the most of it.
The film stars Harrison Ford, John Rhys-Davies, Phoebe Waller-Bridge, Antonio Banderas, Shaunette Renée Wilson, Thomas Kretschmann, Toby Jones, Boyd Holbrook, Olivier Richters, Ethann Isidore and Mads Mikkelsen.
The film is directed by James Mangold. The film is written by Mangold, Jez Butterworth, and John-Henry Butterworth.
The Marvels (July 28)
Synopsis: Following the events of Ms. Marvel, Carol Danvers, Kamala Khan, and Monica Rambeau begin swapping places with each other every time they use their powers and must team-up to figure out why.
Captain Marvel returns in what promises to be a jam-packed sequel.
Iman Vellani and Teyonah Parris make their MCU big screen debuts after starting out in Disney+ series Ms. Marvel and WandaVision. Samuel L. Jackson returns as Nick Fury in the film. Carol Danvers also known as Captain Marvel appeared twice throughout Marvel Studios’ Phase 4 and both appearances were post-credit scenes. The First was in Shang-Chi and the second was in Ms. Marvel. It will be nice to have Captain Marvel on screen for more than just one scene.
The film stars Brie Larson, Iman Vellani, Teyonah Parris, and Samuel L. Jackson.
The film is directed by Nia DaCosta, with a screenplay from DaCosta, Megan McDonnell, Elissa Karasik, and Zeb Wells.
Haunted Mansion (August 11)
Synopsis: A single mom named Gabbie and her 9-year-old son, who are looking to start a new life, move into a strangely affordable mansion in New Orleans, only to discover that the place is much more than they bargained for. Desperate for help, they contact a priest, who, in turn, enlists the aid of a widowed scientist-turned-failed-paranormal expert, a French Quarter psychic, and a crotchety historian to help exorcise the mansion.
Can Disney kickstart a new Disney Parks film franchise? The Haunted Mansion is a super popular intellectual property, but will it translate to theaters? Eddie Murphy’s version failed to do so in 2003. Now Disney has waited 20 years to try again. Can the Haunted Mansion become more than just an iconic attraction/property.
The Haunted Mansion stars Rosario Dawson, LaKeith Stanfield, Owen Wilson, Tiffany Haddish, Winona Ryder, Dan Levy, Jared Leto, Danny DeVito, and Jamie Lee Curtis.
Haunted Mansion is directed by Justin Simien, with a screenplay from Katie Dippold.
Wish (November 22)
Synopsis: 17-year-old Asha and her goat Valentino navigate Rosas, the kingdom of wishes, where wishes can literally come true.
Wish is inspired by Walt Disney Animation Studios’ legacy of films. It will also feature a ton of nods and easter eggs to previous Disney animated films. The concept that the famous wishing star is real should be pretty intriguing. The style of animation looks gorgeous as well.
Wish will feature songs written by Julia Michaels.
Wish is directed by Chris Buck and Fawn Veerasunthorn with a screenplay from Walt Disney Animation Studios’ Chief Creative Officer Jennifer Lee.
Wish will feature the voices of Ariana DeBose and Alan Tudyk.
Definitely a smaller slate of films from Disney. We also lose out on a Star Wars film that was slated to premiere in 2023. Despite all that it should still be a solid year at the box office for Disney. Maybe Disney will recapture some 2019 vibes with this slate.
Overall, it still seems like an exciting slate of films. I’m particularly curious how Elemental, Wish, and Haunted Mansion will perform both critically and commercially.
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Zach Perilstein is the Editor-in-Chief of the Boardwalk Times
