Star-studded casts, remakes of classics, and the continuation of popular franchises – 2023’s line-up of movies in Singapore looks promising.
Yes, we enjoy our binge-watch list. But if there’s one thing movie buffs love, it’s watching a flick on the big screen. The freezing halls, overpriced theatre grub and the full cinema experience… we love it all. Read on for release dates and trailers of the most anticipated upcoming movies in Singapore.
Upcoming movies in Singapore 2023
1. Elemental (16 June)
Genre: Rom-com, drama
Pixar is back with another soul-stirring film. This time, imagine what happens if the elements of nature have a life. The trailer shows how all elements (fire, water, earth and air) aren’t allowed to mingle. However, a girl from the fire element and a boy from the water element accidentally meet. They soon become friends and realise how much they actually have in common.
2. Asteroid City (23 June)
Genre: Sci-fi, rom-com, drama
Are you guilty of taking part in the viral Wes Anderson TikTok trend? You can now watch his unique visual style on the silver screen with the upcoming movie, Asteroid City. The multi-genre film is set in 1955, where students and parents gather for a Junior Stargazer convention in a fictional desert town. With a stellar cast featuring Jason Schwartzman, Scarlett Johansson, Tom Hanks, Adrien Brody, Maya Hawke, Steve Carell, Willem Dafoe, Margot Robbie, and Jeff Goldblum, expectations are certainly high.
3. Indiana Jones and The Dial of Destiny (30 June)
Genre: Action, adventure
Harrison Ford plays the iconic fictional archaeologist for the last time in Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny. Plans for the fifth Indiana Jones film have been in the making since the late 1970s, so it’ll be interesting to see what’s in store. Fleabag fans will be thrilled that Phoebe Waller-Bridge plays Indy’s godfather in this final instalment.
4. Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One (12 July)
Genre: Action, adventure
Speaking of sequels, another popular one is coming back after a short break. The upcoming film starring Tom Cruise as Ethan Hunt continues after the events in MI – Fallout. He and his team are given a mission to track down a dangerous weapon that may threaten humanity if it falls into the wrong hands. We reckon it’s going to be a thrilling adventure.
5. Oppenheimer (20 July)
Genre: Biographical film
Directed by Christopher Nolan and starring Cillian Murphy, Emily Blunt, Matt Damon, Robert Downey Jr. Florence Pugh, Rami Malek (and the list goes on), Oppenheimer is one of the most awaited films of the year. Based on the biography American Prometheus, the film follows theoretical physicist J. Robert Oppenheimer (Cillian Murphy) and his journey to creating the atomic bomb.
6. Barbie (20 July)
Genre: Rom-com
Say what you want but we’re counting down to the release of Barbie. Hear us out – the premise actually sounds interesting (but not too deep ‘cos it’s Barbie after all). Barbie (Margot Robbie) sets off to the human world after being expelled from Barbieland for looking less than perfect. Plus, Ryan Gosling plays Ken… we’re in!
7. Ferrari (September 2023)
Genre: Biographical film
In this biographical film, Adam Driver stars as Enzo Ferrari, the founder of the world-famous car manufacturer of the same moniker. The premise follows his personal life and issues while gearing up for the 1957 Mille Miglia, an auto race across Italy.
8. Dune: Part Two (2 November)
Genre: Epic, sci-fi
The epic sci-fi novel adaption returns for an exciting sequel. The film continues with the journey of Paul Atreides (Timothée Chalamet) as he seeks revenge against conspirators. Will he choose his love or the fate of the universe? We’ll have to wait and see – or just read the book if you can’t wait till November. One thing’s for sure, we’ll miss zaddy Oscar Isaac in this sequel.
9. Wonka (15 December 2023)
Do we really need another film related to Charlie and the Chocolate factory? Timothee Chalamet fans will agree. He (and his chiselled jawline) take on the role of young Willy Wonka, the eccentric chocolatier. The film is a prequel to the 1971 film adaptation, taking us through his adventures before the opening of his infamous chocolate factory.
Save the dates for these exciting upcoming movies in Singapore!
The movies you missed
M3gan (5 January)
Genre: Sci-fi, horror
Gemma (Allison Williams) is a roboticist at a toy company that uses AI to create M3GAN. This lifelike doll is programmed to be every child’s best friend and parent’s helping hand. When Gemma suddenly gains custody of her niece Cody (Violet McGraw), she decides to use a M3GAN prototype. All seems fine until the doll becomes self-aware and overprotective of her niece – that means harming anyone that comes in her way. Yikes. The premise is freakishly real and horrific now that AI is taking over the world. Plus, you know it’s going to be worth the watch when horror whiz James Wan (Insidious, The Conjuring) is one of the writers.
Babylon (19 January)
Genre: Comedy, drama
One look at the trailer and it’s giving The Great Gatsby. Set in 1920s Hollywood, Babylon follows the rise and fall of ambitious characters trying to make it on the silver screen. Margot Robbie, Brad Pitt and Tobey Maguire star in this crass, chaotic and colourful film.
Knock at the Cabin (2 February)
Genre: Psychological horror
Love him or hate him, there’s no stopping M. Night Shyamalan. His new psychological horror flick is an adaptation of the horror novel, The Cabin at the End of the World. It boasts a star cast including Dave Bautista, Rupert Grint, and Jonathan Groff. While vacationing in a remote cabin, a family is held hostage by four strangers. Their demand? Sacrificing a family member to prevent the apocalypse.
The Fabelmans (9 February)
Genre: Drama
The captivating half-autobiographical, half-fictional story follows the life of a boy who aspires to be a movie director. Follow his journey in this captivating, coming-of-age drama. Oh, and did we mention that it’s directed by Steven Spielberg, one of the greatest filmmakers of all time?
Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania (17 February)
Genre: Action, Fantasy
Paul Rudd reprises his role as Ant-Man in this 2023 film. The trailer shows Scott Lang leading a simple, normal life in New York. Things go wrong when his daughter Cassie (Kathryn Newton) accidentally sends a signal to the quantum realm, sucking the whole family into the microscopic universe. Here, they meet new characters including Kang the Conqueror, the new villain of the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
Creed 3 (2 March)
Genre: Sports drama
Michael B. Jordan enters the ring in the Creed and Rocky film franchise once again, taking on a new avatar as a director too. The third instalment takes place five years after Creed 2. Adonis “Donnie” Creed” challenges former friend and boxing prodigy Damian “Dame” Anderson in a face-off that holds more baggage than an ordinary fight.
Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 (4 May)
Genre: Adventure, sci-fi
Real talk: save for its series, the MCU is experiencing a lull after a lukewarm response to recent films. But after watching the hilarious Christmas special on Disney+, we’re stoked to catch the Guardians of the Galaxy’s swansong. Yup, it’s the last time (for now) that we’ll witness the group together.
The Little Mermaid (25 May)
Genre: Musical, fantasy
Disney fans, this one’s a long time coming. After facing backlash for its casting (ridiculous, we know) and many delays later, the live action adaption of The Little Mermaid has a release date. From the looks of the teaser and Halle Bailey’s rendition of Part of Your World, we reckon it’s pretty promising. We bet there’ll be a lot of Ariels for Halloween this year! Update: Read our review here!
The Super Mario Bros. Movie (6 April)
Genre: Fantasy, adventure, comedy
We’re still not sure how to feel about Chris Pratt being the voice of our childhood video game character. Nonetheless, we have to admit that the trailer looks amazing. Catch the world of The Super Mario Bros. come to life on the big screen.
