2023’s sci-fi offerings are pretty diverse in terms of the subjects they cover: from desert planets, to robot children, to space exploration, to…well, Transformers. With all of this variety, there’s bound to be something for everyone who’s a science fiction fan at the movies next year. Here are some of the most talked-about upcoming films that audiences are excited to see.
RELATED: Game Rant’s Ultimate Sci-Fi Guide
M3gan - January 13, 2023
In this horror/sci-fi fusion, Gemma (played by Allison Williams from Get Out) is a roboticist that works for the company producing M3GAN, a life-like doll programmed with artificial intelligence that is designed to befriend and look out for a child. When Gemma suddenly becomes the sole caretaker of her orphaned niece, she decides to pair her niece with a M3GAN prototype. Little does she know that this choice to bring M3GAN into their home will result in some dire consequences.
Distant - January 27, 2023
Distant is about an asteroid miner who crash-lands on an alien planet and must find his way through the hostile terrain. The problem is, he’s quickly running out of oxygen and is also being pursued by the strange creatures that inhabit the planet, and the only thing keeping him going is the hope of meeting up with the one remaining survivor of the crash. This sci-fi comedy is going to star Anthony Ramos (In The Heights, Hamilton) and Naomi Scott (Aladdin, Charlie’s Angels).
65 - March 10, 2023
This upcoming sci-fi thriller stars Adam Driver, Ariana Greenblatt, and Chloe Coleman, and is being produced by Sam Raimi, with Scott Beck and Bryan Woods (writers and producers behind A Quiet Place) at the helm as directors. The trailer shows Adam Driver’s character crash landing on an alien planet with Ariana Greenblatt as the only other survivor, and they find that the planet is not uninhabited, but rather, is home to…dinosaurs. While the premise seems like a classic, slightly wacky sci-fi plot, the movie itself looks quite intense and thrilling.
Transformers: Rise of the Beasts - June 9, 2023
The seventh installment of the Transformers franchise is finally set to release in 2023, and will reportedly be based on the Transformers spinoff Beast Wars, in which the robots transform into robotic animals. Anthony Ramos and Dominique Fishback are set to star in it, with performances by Pete Davidson, Liza Koshy, Michelle Yeoh, Peter Dinklage, and other various Transformers.
Dune: Part 2 - November 3, 2023
The long-awaited sequel to the blockbuster Dune will finally be hitting theaters in late 2023, and will be continuing the journey of Paul Atreides (Timothee Chalamet), who will be joining forces with Chani (Zendaya) and the Fremen to get revenge against the people that destroyed his family and prevent the terrible future that he has been shown. The response to the first Dune movie from both critics and audiences alike was overwhelmingly positive, so hopefully Dune: Part 2 will be able to live up to the epic nature of its predecessor.
Spaceman - TBD
This upcoming sci-fi drama is coming to Netflix sometime in 2023, and is an adaptation of the 2017 novel Spaceman of Bohemia by Jaroslav Kalfar. The film will tell the story of Jakub Procházka, a man who was orphaned as a boy and raised in the Czech countryside by his parents, only to overcome the odds against him and become the county’s first astronaut. Adam Sandler, Paul Dano, and Carey Mulligan are set to star.
The Mothership - TBD
This story follows the character of Sarah Morse (played by Halle Berry), who discovers an extraterrestrial object underneath her family’s house one year after her husband mysteriously vanished from their farm. She and her children embark on a journey to find her husband, as well as the truth behind their discovery. The Mothership will be coming to Netflix sometime in the new year.
The Pod Generation - TBD
This film also doesn’t have an exact release date yet, but it will be releasing sometime in 2023. The story follows a couple (played by Emilia Clarke and Chiwetel Ejiofor) who are on a journey to start their family, only they are in a futuristic New York City and attempt to use new technologies such as detachable artificial wombs and pods to do so. The premise sounds like an extended version of a Black Mirror episode, so it will be interesting to see if this story turns into more of a thriller than a happy family tale.
Hello Stranger - TBD
In another Black Mirror-esque plot, Hello Stranger follows a newly widowed woman named Faye (Jordana Brewster), who attempts to replace her recently deceased husband Evan with an android simulant, or SIM. The SIM version of Evan looks and acts like him, but Faye does not feel the same way for it as she did for her actual husband, despite the fact that SIM Evan now has feelings for her. SIM Evan tries to win her over, while also avoiding a government agent who has been sent to shut down SIMs who have become “conscious”, as they’re seen as a threat to humanity.
NEXT: The Good Prosthetic, Evil Prosthetic Trope in Sci-Fi, Explained
