Champions
This looks cute. This is from Bobby Farrelly of the Farrelly brothers. I don’t know if this will hit the awards crowd like his brother’s Green Book did, but this honestly looks more my speed, and a space that feels good for his sensibilities while also stretching into different tonal areas. Not familiar with the writer Mark Rizzo, but a quick IMDb search shows that he was a story editor on and wrote a few episodes of Gravity Falls, which is a show I love, and think is really funny. So, that has me feeling more optimistic about this whole endeavor. Keeping my fingers crossed on this.
Champions hits theaters on March 24th, 2023.
Mafia Mamma
Good premise, looks really fun. I don’t think Catherine Hardwicke has ever directed a full on comedy before, but she has done great stuff with Toni Collette before. Plus, this being a sorta two-hander between Collette and Monica Bellucci, that’s just delightfully inspired casting. The trailer is fairly amusing as far as comedy trailers go, the general idea is doing most of the comedic heavy lifting than some of the actual banter, but I’m hoping the experience is different as you’re watching it. I am curious about this one.
Mafia Mamma opens in theaters on April 14th, 2023.
You People
Outside of Barbershop: The Next Cut and Girl’s Trip, I have not been much of a fan of Kenya Barris. However, I want to give this one a chance. Jonah Hill being a co-writer definitely inspires some confidence, I’m curious how those two energies mesh. Also, the idea of Eddie Murphy being kinda like the Robert De Niro in Meet The Parents to Jonah Hill’s Ben Stiller is such a funny conceit to me, that I have to see how this pans out. Murphy is a comedy legend, so I feel like I have to be there just to see. And hey, if it does turn out terrible, at least it’s just a Netflix joint, you can just start something else.
You People hits Netflix on January 27th, 2023.
Indiana Jones And The Dial Of Destiny
That gag at the end was pretty good. There’s definitely aspects of this I’m really into. But I don’t know, there’s still something about it that hasn’t fully convinced me yet. I feel like you can sense the lack of Spielberg’s touch. Just one of those intangible things that’s hard to describe, but you know it when you see it. It feels wrong. That said, I think Mangold is a terrific filmmaker, and I hope he delivers. Also bittersweet that this will probably end up as John Williams’ final score as he has stated in the past. I hope it turns out great.
Indiana Jones And The Dial Of Destiny will be released in theaters on June 30th, 2023.
Transformers: Rise Of The Beasts
Is this still in continuity with the other movies? I have no idea how any of this works anymore. Bumblebee was genuinely very good, I was bummed that it didn’t do well. I feel like this might fare a bit better since it has a bigger scale, plus the animals stuff, whatever that is, I don’t know, I’m not very familiar. I will say real quick about the trailer, using a remixed version of “Juicy” by Biggie is such a weird and out-of-place choice for this, considering what the song is about, the general vibe of it, and how that contrasts with the stuff in the trailer, it honestly was getting to parody territory. That aside, I enjoyed Creed II, which this has the same director for, Steven Caple Jr., so I want to have some faith he’ll deliver a solid film.
Transformers: Rise Of The Beasts will hit theaters on June 9th, 2023.
Guardians Of The Galaxy Vol. 3
Honestly, just super stoked to have my heart ripped out of my chest and stomped on. Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 is still my very favorite film from the Marvel Cinematic Universe, I think what James Gunn has been able to pull off with this franchise is something genuinely special and personal, and in ways most of the MCU won’t or can’t be. I could speculate, but I would just rather wait until I see the thing, and watch it all unfold how Gunn would prefer. Basically, I’m very pumped for this, and it’ll be bittersweet to see the saga of this group come to an end.
Guardians Of The Galaxy Vol. 3 opens in theaters on May 5th, 2023.
Thoughts on any of the trailers? Feel free to discuss in the comments!