It’s a major milestone for two of the biggest names in film production. Walt Disney Studios (Disney) and Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc. (Warner Bros.) are both celebrating centennial years in 2023, but before we move forward let’s go back to 1923 when Disney and Warner Bros. were founded.
On April 4, 1923, brothers Harry, Albert, Sam, and Jack Warner founded Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc., better known as Warner Bros. Delivering content that spans animation, television, film, and video games, Warner Bros. remains one of the “Big Five” major film studios in the U.S. and branched out with New Line Cinema and DC Studios falling under the umbrella of Warner Bros. content.
Walter Disney, better known as Walt Disney, founded Disney Brothers Cartoon Studio on October 16, 1923 with his brother Roy O. Disney. A few years later in 1926, the company was renamed to Walt Disney Studios and released its first full feature animated film in 1937; Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs. Remaining the oldest running animation studio in the world, Disney has created a media conglomerate that is beloved by millions. Over time the brand partnered with big names like Pixar Animation Studios, Marvel Entertainment Inc., and Lucasfilm Ltd. to produce and distribute content that appears on the small and silver screens.
100 years of entertainment is indeed a triumph for Disney and Warner Bros. and they’re not done yet. Here’s all the films releasing in 2023 under the Disney and Warner Bros. umbrellas.
Disney Releases
Ant-Man and The Wasp: Quantumania (February 17)
Paul Rudd kicks off phase 5 of Marvel as his character Scott Lang, aka Ant-Man, explores the Quantum Realm with his daughter Cassie (Kathryn Newton), Hope Van Dyne (Evangeline Lilly), and Hope’s parents Hank Pym and Janet Van Dyne (Michael Douglas and Michelle Pfeiffer). This film also puts Kang The Conqueror (Jonathan Majors) in the big bad spot as the villain all the heroes should fear in the next phase of the MCU. William Jackson Harper, Katy M. O’Brian, and Randall Park are also slated to appear in Ant-Man and The Wasp: Quantumania.
Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 (May 5)
The superheroes of space are going on one last adventure in Guardians of the Galaxy (GOTG) Vol. 3. Peter Quill, aka Star-Lord (Chris Pratt) and the rest of the Guardians, Drax (Dave Bautista), Groot (Vin Diesel), Rocket (Bradley Cooper), Nebula (Karen Gillan), and Mantis (Pom Klementieff) are not only trying to get Gamora (Zoe Saldana) to remember who they are, but they have a major mission that could dismantle the squad if failed. Make sure you bring your tissues, because director and writer of GOTG James Gunn, along with the cast, teased that this last installment will be an emotional journey. Elizabeth Debicki, Sean Gunn, Will Poulter, Maria Bakalova, and Sylvester Stallone also appear in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3.
The Little Mermaid (May 26)
Halle Bailey goes under the sea and becomes a Disney princess in the highly anticipated The Little Mermaid. Bailey plays the beloved mermaid Ariel in the Disney live-action film bringing new life to the character first introduced in the 1989 animated feature. Melissa McCarthy, Jonah Hauer-King, Javier Bardem, Noma Dumezweni, Jacob Tremblay, Daveed Diggs, Awkwafina, and Lin-Manuel Miranda all play key roles in The Little Mermaid.
Elemental (June 16)
In a city where fire-, water-, land- and air-residents live together, Ember Lumen (Leah Lewis) and Wade Ripple (Mamoudou Athie) – opposite elements – meet and react with one another. The plot and full cast of Elemental is under wraps, but a Disney/Pixar film rarely fails to entertain the masses.
Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny (June 30)
The plot is unknown currently, but one thing is for certain, Harrison Ford is back as Indiana Jones for the fifth time for the film franchise. Toby Jones, Antonio Banderas, Phoebe Waller-Bridge, and Mads Mikkelsen star in Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny as the famed archaeologist goes on another adventure.
The Marvels (July 28)
Brie Larson returns as Carol Danvers, aka Captain Marvel, in the sequel to the 2019 Captain Marvel film. In The Marvels, Monica Rambeau (Teyonah Parris) and Kamala Khan, aka Ms. Marvel, (Iman Vellani) are paired with Carol in some way unbeknownst to fans of the franchise. Zawe Ashton and Samuel L. Jackson as Nick Fury also appear in the film.
Haunted Mansion (August 11)
After single mom Gabbie (Rosario Dawson) and her son (Chase Dillon) discovers their newly brought mansion is haunted by ghosts, Gabbie hires a tour guide, a psychic, a priest, and a historian to help exorcise the home. Jamie Lee Curtis, Owen Wilson, Jared Leto, Winona Ryder, Danny DeVito, LaKeith Stanfield, Dan Levy, Tiffany Haddish, and Hasan Minhaj make up the all-star cast.
Wish (November 23)
Whatever your heart’s desire comes true in Disney’s Wish. Ariana DeBose voices Asha, a 17-year-old, who navigates Rosas, the kingdom of wishes, with her goat Valentino (Alan Tudyk) “where wishes can literally come true.” No other cast has been revealed at this time.
Warner Bros. Releases
House Party (January 13)
Jacob Latimore and Tosin Cole bring new life to the House Party franchise in the “remix” of the 1990 film of the same name. Kevin (Latimore) and Damon (Cole) work for a cleaning business and discover one of the lavish homes they clean belongs to LeBron James. In need of fast cash, the pair decides to throw an epic house party jam packed with A-list celebs and surprise appearances for the audience.
Magic Mike’s Last Dance (February 10)
Channing Tatum gears up the final tease in Magic Mike’s Last Dance. Tatum strips down one last time as Mike Lane for a final big show with some help from Maxandra Mendoza (Salma Hayek) that will reignite passions for all parties involved. Talk about a perfect Valentine’s Day treat.
Shazam! Fury of Gods (March 17)
In a continuation of the 2019 film Shazam!, Billy Batson (Asher Angel) is still trying to hone in on his supernatural abilities he garners whenever he recites the magic word “SHAZAM!” and is transformed into his adult super hero alter ego, Shazam (Zachary Levi). A new film brings new adventures for Shazam and the other colorful characters returning to and joining the franchise. Ross Butler, D.J. Cotrona, Jack Dylan Grazer, P.J. Byrne, Helen Mirren, Lucy Liu, Adam Brody, Grace Caroline Currey, Rachel Zegler, Meagan Good, Djimon Hounsou, and Diedrich Bader all appear in Shazam! Fury of Gods.
Evil Dead Rise (April 21)
A reunion between estranged sisters Beth (Lily Sullivan) and Ellie (Alyssa Sutherland) is cut short by “the rise of flesh-possessing demons, thrusting them into a primal battle for survival as they face the most nightmarish version of family imaginable.” The mother of all evil comes to life in Evil Dead Rise. Nell Fisher, Morgan Davies, and Gabrielle Echols also star in the gory horror flick. (Red Band Trailer below – not suitable for all ages).
The Flash (June 16)
The official plot for The Flash is still unknown, but it will see Ezra Miller suit up as Barry Allen aka The Flash in his first solo movie as the character along with both Ben Affleck and Michael Keaton reprising their roles as Batman/Bruce Wayne. Michael Shannon, Ron Livingston, Sasha Calle, and Kiersey Clemons also appear in The Flash.
Barbie (July 21)
Greta Gerwig will ignite childhoods everywhere with the release of her written (along with Noah Baumbach) and directed film Barbie this summer. Margot Robbie takes on the title character as her perfect world is challenged and a “full-on existential crisis” begins. Ryan Gosling plays Barbie’s devoted partner Ken with Helen Mirren, Emma Mackey, Simu Liu, Issa Rae, Ncuti Gatwa, Kingsley Ben-Adir, and many others appearing in the film.
Meg 2: The Trench (August 4)
The sequel to the 2018 film The Meg brings the Megalodon shark back to the big screen. Jason Statham, Cliff Curtis, Shuya Sophia Cai, and Page Kennedy are set to reprise their roles in Meg 2: The Trench, but the full plot of the film is unknown.
Blue Beetle (August 18)
A new DC Comics story is entering the cinematic world. In Blue Beetle, a Mexican teenager named Jaime Reyes (Xolo Maridueña) finds an alien beetle that gives him superpowered armor turning him into his super alter ego Blue Beetle. Harvey Guillén, Susan Sarandon, Raoul Max Trujillo, and George Lopez are also featured in the film.
The Nun 2 (September 8)
Taissa Farmiga is back as Sister Irene in The Nun 2, the sequel to the 2018 horror flick The Nun. Although the plot is unknown, Bonnie Aarons also returns to the franchise playing the Nun with Storm Reid, Anna Popplewell, and Katelyn Rose Downey joining the franchise.
Dune: Part Two (November 3)
Timothée Chalamet is back as Paul Atreides, the Messiah of nomads, in Dune: Part Two. The follow up to the 2021 film finds Paul reuniting with Chani (Zendaya) and the Fremen “while on a warpath of revenge against the conspirators who destroyed his family. Facing a choice between the love of his life and the fate of the known universe, he endeavors to prevent a terrible future only he can foresee.” Florence Pugh, Dave Bautista, Léa Seydoux, Christopher Walken, and Austin Butler join the ensemble cast of Dune: Part Two with Javier Bardem, Josh Brolin, and Rebecca Ferguson returning.
Wonka (December 15)
Timothée Chalamet brings an origin story of the beloved character Willy Wonka in the upcoming feature Wonka. The film will focus on a young Willy Wonka and how he met the Oompa-Loompas before opening his famed candy factory. Olivia Colman, Sally Hawkins, Rowan Atkinson, Keegan-Michael Key, Natasha Rothwell, and Matt Lucas also star in Wonka.
The Color Purple (December 20)
In a musical adaptation of Alice Walker’s 1982 novel, The Color Purple is about “the life-long struggles of an African American woman living in the south during the early 1900s.” Produced by Oprah Winfrey, who starred as Sofia in the 1985 feature film The Color Purple, Halle Bailey, Taraji P. Henson, Colman Domingo, Elizabeth Marvel, Danielle Brooks, Louis Gossett Jr., Aunjanue Ellis, Corey Hawkins, David Alan Grier, H.E.R., Deon Cole, Fantasia Barrino, and Ciara star in the film.
Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom (December 25)
Warner Bros. ends their 2023 movie slate with Jason Momoa reprising his role as Arthur Curry aka Aquaman in Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom, the sequel to the 2018 character’s standalone film. You know how it goes, these comic book-based films keep their plots under wraps, but at least fans can know Ben Affleck, Yahya Abdul-Mateen II, Patrick Wilson, Dolph Lundgren, Nicole Kidman, Amber Heard, and Randall Park are included in the project.
Which Disney or Warner Bros. film are you most excited to see in 2023?
_
Amber Dover is a multimedia journalist with over a decade writing about pop culture. Cat mom with a deep love of horror, you can follow Amber at @Glambergirlblog on Instagram and Twitter.
Keep up-to-date with us on all of our channels and social media accounts:
YouTube: http://youtube.com/Popternative
Instagram http://instagram.com/popternative
Twitter: http://twitter.com/popternative
Facebook https://facebook.com/popternative/
Spotify: https://goo.gl/nWtNHP
Apple Podcasts: https://goo.gl/y6tbA9