Enchanting Fantasy Films being Released in 2023

Nothing beats the feeling of being transported somewhere completely new & exciting. 

It’s why we travel the world to bathe in the crystal blue waters of paradise.

Or explore monolithic ruins of ancient tombs and temples.

It’s also why we gravitate to our TV screens and local cinemas, so that we can submerse ourselves into fantastical realities and breathtaking stories that enrich our souls with joy and happiness.

To learn, imagine, be inspired, and explore.

So take a journey with me in 2023 to escape to (and return to!) exciting magical lands of fantasy & fiction.

Teen Wolf: The Movie

🛋️ Paramount Pictures

Where to watch: Paramount+

Release date: 26th January 2023

Film it’s based on: Teen Wolf (1985, starring Michael J. Fox)

Famous names: Tyler Posey, Crystal Reed, Colton Haynes, Tyler Hoechlin

Quick Synopsis: When a terrifying new evil emerges, Scott McCall (Tyler Posey) and the rest of his pack return to Beacon Hills. Scott rounds up the Banshees, Werecoyotes, Hellhounds, Kitsunes, and other shapeshifters of the night. With the help of his new allies, trusted friends, and the return of a long lost love, Scott and his pack just might stand a chance.🩸🌖🐺🌔🩸

Dungeons & Dragons: Honour Among Thieves

🎬 Paramount Pictures

Where to watch: Cinema near you

Release date: 31st March 2023

Game/franchise it’s based on: Dungeons & Dragons

Famous names: Chris Pine, Michelle Rodriguez, Hugh Grant, Regé-Jean Page

Quick Synopsis: When a long lost relic falls into the wrong hands, an unlikely band of thieves must become heroes as they adventure on an epic quest to stop the world being consumed by a dark evil. ✨⚔️🐲⚔️✨

The Super Mario Bros. Movie

🎬 Universal Pictures

Where to watch: Cinema near you

Release date: 5th April 2023

Game/franchise it’s based on: Nintendo's Super Mario

Famous names: Chris Pratt, Anya Taylor-Joy, Jack Black, Charlie Day, Keegan-Michael Key, Seth Rogen

Quick Synopsis: From Illumination and Nintendo, we follow Mario and Luigi as they go down the green pipe hole into a magical realm. With the help of Princess Peach, they will need to find a way to stop the all-powerful Bowser from conquering the world. 🏎️🍄👨🏻‍🔧🍄🏎️

The Last Kingdom: Seven Kings Must Die

🛋️ Netflix

Where to watch: Netflix

Release date: 14th April 2023

Book it’s based on: The Saxon Stories novels written by Bernard Cornwell

Famous names: Alexander Dreymon, Harry Gilby, Mark Rowley, Elaine Cassidy

Quick Synopsis: In the wake of King Edward's death, Uhtred of Bebbanburg and his comrades adventure across a fractured kingdom in the hopes of uniting England at last. 🔥⚔️👑⚔️🔥

Renfield

🎬 Universal Pictures

Where to watch: Cinema near you

Release date: 14th April 2023

Book it’s based on: ‘Dracula’ by written Bram Stoker

Famous names: Nicholas Cage, Nicholas Hoult, Awkwafina, Ben Schwartz

Quick Synopsis: Faced with an eternity of being Dracula's loyal and devoted servant, Renfield begins to feel more and more discontented with the superhuman 'gifts' he has been given by his Master in return for doing his every evil bidding. Will Renfield be able to live outside the shadow of his codependent relationship to the narcissistic Prince of Darkness?🩸🦇🧛🏻‍♂️🦇🩸

Peter Pan & Wendy

🛋️ Disney

Where to watch: Disney+

Release date: 28th April 2023 (to coincide with the 70th anniversary of the original Disney film)

Book it’s based on: ‘Peter and Wendy’ written by J.M. Barrie

Famous names: Jude Law, Alan Tudyk, Ever Anderson (daughter of Milla Jovovich), Jim Gaffigan

Quick Synopsis: Re-imagined Disney live-action film based on J.M. Barrie's beloved classic tale of a boy who never grows up. When Peter Pan answers Wendy Darling's wish to never grow up, he and Tinkerbell fly her and her two brothers across Edwardian London and up into the sky to the second star on the right, taking them on an unforgettable adventure to the enchanted island of Neverland. ⛰️🧚🪝🧚⛰️

The Little Mermaid

🎬 Disney

Where to watch: Cinema near you

Release date: 26th May 2023

Book it’s based on: ‘The Little Mermaid’ written by Hans Christian Andersen

Famous names: Halle Bailey, Melissa McCarthy, Simone Ashley, Daveed Diggs, Jacob Tremblay, Awkwafina, Javier Bardem, with Lin-Manuel Miranda & Alan Menken composing the musical scores

Quick Synopsis: Much like other animated classics on the growing list of Disney live action remakes, we will be splashing into the re-imagined Disney fairytale of our beloved little mermaid, Ariel. With a star-studded cast, incredible musical talent, and absolutely stunning visuals, you'll not want to miss this underwater adventure! 🐚🪸🧜🏾‍♀️🪸🐚

Ruby Gillman, Teenage Kraken

🎬 DreamWorks

Where to watch: cinema near you

Release date: 30th June 2023

What it's based on: Celtic mythology

Famous names: Lana Condor, Annie Murphy, Liza Koshy, Jane Fonda, Toni Collette, Nicole Byer

Quick Synopsis: Sweet and awkward 16-year-old Ruby Gillman is desperate to fit in at school, but she mostly just feels invisible. When she breaks her mom's rule, Ruby discovers that she is a descendant of the warrior Kraken queens and is destined to inherit the throne from her grandmother. The Kraken are sworn to protect the world's oceans against vain, power-hungry mermaids. 🐚🌊🐙🌊🐚

Elemental

🎬 Disney

Where to watch: cinema near you

Release date: 7th July 2023

What it's based on: Elements of fire, water, earth, and air

Famous names: Catherine O'Hara, Leah Lewis, Mamoudou Athie

Quick Synopsis: In a city where fire, water, land, and air residents live together, a fiery young woman and a go-with-the-flow guy discover something elemental: how much they actually have in common. 🔥💧🏙️💧🔥

Haunted Mansion

🎬 Disney

Where to watch: Cinema near you

Release date: 11th August 2023

What it’s based on: The Haunted Mansion ride in the Disney theme parks

Famous names: Jamie Lee Curtis, Danny DeVito, Owen Wilson, Rosario Dawson, Tiffany Haddish, Jared Leto

Quick Synopsis: A priest, a professor and a paranormal investigator try to help a woman and her family after they unwittingly move into a haunted mansion in New Orleans. 💀🏚️🔮🏚️💀

The Last Voyage of the Demeter

🎬 Universal Pictures

Where to watch: Cinema near you

Expected release date: 11th August 2023

Book it’s based on: ‘Dracula’ written by Bram Stoker

Famous names: Corey Hawkins, Liam Cunningham, David Dastmalchian, Javier Botet López

Quick Synopsis: The crew of the merchant ship Demeter sets sail from Carpathia to London to deliver a cargo of 50 unmarked wooden crates. However, they soon discover they're not alone as Dracula's unholy presence turns the trip into a nightmarish fight for survival. 🌊⚓️🦇⚓️🌊

Trolls Band Together

🎬 DreamWorks

Where to watch: cinema near you

Release date: 20th October 2023

Franchise it’s based on: Troll dolls created by Danish woodcutter Thomas Dam

Famous names: Justin Timberlake, Anna Kendrick, Troye Sivan, Camila Cabello, RuPaul, Eric André, Kid Kudi, Daveed Diggs, Amy Schumer, Zooey Deschanel, Icona Pop, Kenan Thompson

Quick Synopsis: Poppy discovers that Branch and his four brothers were once part of her favorite boy band. When one of his siblings, Floyd, gets kidnapped by a pair of nefarious villains, Branch and Poppy embark on a harrowing and emotional journey to reunite the other brothers and rescue Floyd from a fate even worse than pop culture obscurity. 🌸🎤🌈🎸🌸

The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes

🎬 Lionsgate

Where to watch: cinema near you

Release date: 17th November 2023

Book it’s based on: 'The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes' written by Suzanne Collins

Famous names: Rachel Zegler, Peter Dinklage, Viola Davis, Hunter Schafer, Tom Blyth, Jason Schwartzman

Quick Synopsis: Years before he becomes the tyrannical president of Panem, 18-year-old Coriolanus Snow remains the last hope for his fading lineage. With the 10th annual Hunger Games fast approaching, the young Snow becomes alarmed when he's assigned to mentor Lucy Gray Baird from District 12. Uniting their instincts for showmanship and political savvy, they race against time to ultimately reveal who's a songbird and who's a snake. 🐍🕊️🏹🕊️🐍

Wish

🎬 Disney

Where to watch: Cinema near you

Expected release date: 24th November 2023 (UK)

What it’s based on: The iconic wishing star for Disney’s 100th anniversary celebrations ✨

Famous names: Ariana DeBose, Alan Tudyk, Chris Pine

Quick Synopsis: Set in the fictional Kingdom of Wishes, the story will follow a young girl named Asha who wishes on a star and gets more than what she bargained for. Teaming up with Star, a cosmic force and boundless ball of pure energy (and maybe chaos), Asha will come face-to-face with one of the most formidable enemies in the universe. 🏰🌌🌟🌌🏰

Wonka

🎬 Warner Bros.

Where to watch: Cinema near you

Expected release date: 15th December 2023 (UK)

Book it's based on: ‘Charlie And The Chocolate Factory’ written by Roald Dahl

Famous names: Timothée Chalamet, Rowan Atkinson, Olivia Colman, Matt Lucas, Keegan-Michael Key

Quick synopsis: This whimsical musical fantasy film will serve as a prequel to the beloved Roald Dahl book. And the story will focus specifically on a young Willy Wonka on his journey towards inventing the most marvellous chocolate and sweet creations imaginable, and how he first met the Oompa-Loompas 🍬🍫🎩🍫🍬

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Currently residing in West Sussex, Maddie is a 26 y/o blogger and illustrator with a passion for mythology, legends, fairytales & folklore. You'll regularly find her escaping into fantasy books, films, TV, and games.