Winter movie preview: 'Creed,' 'Scream,' 'Ant-Man,' 'John Wick' and 15 more
If Hollywood has a New Year’s resolution, it’s this: Get audiences back into theaters.
Granted, the movie industry has been trying for some time. There’s no telling what COVID-19 might bring, of course, but there are signs that bode well for 2023.
For starters, last year’s theatrical hits “Top Gun: Maverick,” “Black Panther: Wakanda Forever” and “Avatar: The Way of Water” lifted the industry’s spirits and contributed to a box-office total of $7.3 billion – up more than 64% over the previous year, according to BoxOfficeMojo. The success wasn’t limited to sequels and superhero films, either. The oddball indie comedy “Everything Everywhere All at Once” pulled in an unexpected $103 million, proving that audiences will indeed turn out for the right movie.
So what’s on tap for this year? Well, the winter season is usually one of slim pickings, but there are several promising titles coming up. Disney-Marvel’s “Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania” arrives unseasonably early, on Feb. 17. (The studio traditionally launches its first big feature in May). Likewise, the “Creed” franchise leaves its previous November slots and moves up to March 3 with “Creed III.” Other high-profile sequels slated for winter: “John Wick: Chapter 4,” “Scream VI” and “Magic Mike’s Last Dance.”
There are also a few art-house titles with impressive pedigrees. “The Lost King,” starring Sally Hawkins as an independent-minded historian, is the latest from the creative team behind 2013’s “Philomena.” Zach Braff, of “Garden State” fame, directs Oscar nominee Florence Pugh in “A Good Person,” a drama about addiction. And Liam Neeson plays a 1930s detective in “Marlowe,” a crime-thriller written by William Monahan (“The Departed”).
Here are 19 movies that could get Hollywood off on the right foot this year:
MISSING (Jan. 20) A Los Angeles teenager (Storm Reid, of “A Wrinkle in Time”) must use her digital-native skills to find her mother (Nia Long), who has gone missing while on vacation in Colombia. With Ken Leung.
DISTANT (Jan. 27) Anthony Ramos, star of “In the Heights,” plays an engineer who crash-lands on an unknown planet and must find a way to survive. With Naomi Scott and Zachary Quinto. Josh Gordon and Will Speck (“Blades of Glory”) direct.
MAYBE I DO (Jan. 27) Two young lovers (Emma Roberts and Luke Bracey) decide that their parents should meet -- only to discover that they already know each other a little too well. Starring Richard Gere, Diane Keaton, Susan Sarandon and William H. Macy.
80 FOR BRADY (Feb. 3) Four friends gather for a trip to the 2017 Super Bowl to watch their hero, Tom Brady (a producer of this film). With Lily Tomlin, Jane Fonda, Rita Moreno and Sally Field.
KNOCK AT THE CABIN (Feb. 3) In the latest from M. Night Shyamalan, a family is held hostage by armed strangers who warn of a coming apocalypse – unless a human sacrifice is made. With Dave Bautista, Jonathan Groff and Abby Quinn.
MAGIC MIKE’S LAST DANCE (Feb. 10) Here’s a movie about male strippers – in IMAX! Steven Soderbergh returns to direct Channing Tatum in this sequel, which is set in London. With Salma Hayek Pinault.
MARLOWE (Feb. 15) Liam Neeson dons the fedora of Raymond Chandler’s hard-boiled detective. Neil Jordan (“The Crying Game”) directs from a screenplay by William Monahan (“The Departed”). With Jessica Lange and Diane Kruger.
ANT-MAN AND THE WASP: QUANTUMANIA (Feb. 17) Mini-hero Scott Lang (Paul Rudd) and his crusader-partner Hope Van Dyne (Evangeline Lilly) delve even further into the Quantum Realm. With Michael Douglas, Michelle Pfeiffer and Jonathan Majors.
COCAINE BEAR (Feb. 24) A motley group of tourists, teens, cops and criminals must face down a crazed black bear that has ingested a massive amount of cocaine. Inspired, wondrously, by a real event. The cast includes Keri Russell and the late Ray Liotta.
CREED III (March 3) Sylvester Stallone fully passes the torch of this “Rocky” spinoff franchise to its star, Michael B. Jordan, who makes his directorial debut. With Tessa Thompson and Jonathan Majors.
SCREAM VI (March 10) In this fast-following sequel (the previous film came out in January of last year), four survivors of the Ghostface killings leave Woodsboro to start their lives anew. With Melissa Barrera, Hayden Panettiere and Courteney Cox.
CHAMPIONS (March 10) A former minor-league basketball coach (Woody Harrelson) finds himself court-ordered to manage a team with intellectual disabilities. It’s a comedy, from director Bobby Farrelly.
65 (March 17) What does the title mean? It’s how many millions of years a pilot (Adam Driver) travels back in time to crash-land on a prehistoric Earth. With Ariana Greenblatt and Chloe Coleman.
MOVING ON (March 17) Here’s yet another pairing of Jane Fonda and Lily Tomlin, this time as estranged friends who team up to get revenge on a man (Malcolm McDowell). Written and directed by Paul Weitz (“About a Boy”).
SHAZAM! FURY OF THE GODS (March 17) Zachary Levi reprises his role as the DC superhero in this long-awaited sequel, which missed several release dates during the pandemic. With Asher Angel, Rachel Zegler and Helen Mirren.
A GOOD PERSON (Mar. 24) In the wake of a tragedy, a once-happy woman (Florence Pugh) descends into opioid addiction. Morgan Freeman plays the man who helps her cope. Written and directed by Zach Braff (“Garden State”). With Zoe Lister-Jones and Molly Shannon.
JOHN WICK: CHAPTER 4 (Mar. 24) Keanu Reeves returns as the rogue hitman whom all other hitmen would love to kill. With Donnie Yen, Laurence Fishburne and the great Ian McShane. Directed by Chad Stahelski.
THE LOST KING (March 24) Driven by ghostly apparitions, a British historian (Sally Hawkins) becomes convinced that King Richard III lies buried under a parking lot in Leicester. Based on a true story. From the “Philomena” team of director Stephen Frears and screenwriters Steve Coogan and Jeff Pope.
DUNGEONS & DRAGONS: HONOR AMONG THIEVES (March 31) The dormant fantasy-film series, last heard from in 2012, gets a reboot with Chris Pine, Michelle Rodriguez and Sophia Lillis. The story concerns a band of adventurers and a lost relic.
