STACK #219 January 2023

FEATURE CINEMA

Pine, Michelle Rodriguez, Regé-Jean Page, and Hugh Grant, the film has survived a turbulent nine-year production and will arrive in cinemas with the promise of a bang-for-buck moviegoing experience – and pave the way for an upcoming television spin-off series. Fingers crossed that it delivers the goods. GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY VOL. 3 May Although director James Gunn has crossed the battle line to become the CEO of DC Studios, he isn't done with Marvel yet. Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 sees Chris Pratt's Star-Lord return with his crew of misfits to embark on one final

to the classic 1989 animated film. The cast includes Halle Bailey, Jonah Hauer-King, Melissa McCarthy, Jacob Tremblay, Lin-Manuel Miranda, Akwafina, and Javier Bardem, with Miranda co-writing four new songs that will accompany many of the beloved tunes from the original film. We’re hoping it delivers the way The Jungle Book (2016) and Cinderella (2015) did. INDIANA JONES AND THE DIAL OF DESTINY June Harrison Ford will don his iconic fedora for the last time in a fifth Indy adventure, which is arguably the most highly anticipated movie of the year. With series commander Steven Spielberg stepping aside, Ford v Ferrari director James Mangold has taken the reins to deliver

movies of all time. The unsuspecting 2018 animated feature was a breath of fresh air and proverbially reinvented the wheel when it came to comic book adaptations. It showcased smart and intricate storytelling, and infused a sensational soundtrack into its world-building. In this upcoming sequel the characters will visit six different universes, with different styles of animation used to represent each one. There’s no doubt that Across the Spider-Verse is shaping up to be the superhero movie of 2023. TRANSFORMERS: RISE OF THE BEASTS June More than just the seventh installment of the franchise, Rise of the Beasts is poised to open up a whole Hasbro universe as it finally incorporates the Beast Wars legacy into the overall story, before potentially opening the gates to other Hasbro properties. Rise of the Beasts will be a standalone sequel to Bumblebee (2018), which itself was a prequel

mission to save themselves and the fate of the galaxy. And if the recent trailer is anything to go by, it promises to be an absolute belter! THE LITTLE MERMAID May Disney continues its run of live-action adaptations with The Little Mermaid the next cab off the rank. Aside from a very short teaser, we have very little to go on and can only assume that director Rob Marshall ( Mary Poppins Returns ) will bring the under-the-sea magic to life for a new generation, while paying homage

what looks to be a return to form following the much-maligned Kingdom of the Crystal Skull . The first-look teaser has given us cause for much excitement, and to quote Dr. Elsa Schneider, we’re “giddy as a schoolboy” for its arrival. SPIDER-MAN: ACROSS THE SPIDER-VERSE June You’re unlikely to find a comic book fan that doesn't consider Spider-Man: Into the Spider Verse to be one of the greatest superhero

to Michael Bay's first five movies, and looks to be a winner. The first trailer pitches a fresh take on the ever-enduring series, and appears to be a throwback to those action series and toy lines that helped define a generation. All hopes are on a big screen action extravaganza fuelled by the fire of its predecessors, while pushing the story in new directions.

Wait, there’s more! 2023 is set to be a colossal year for movies, with even more exciting titles in the pipeline. Some others to look forward to include Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One , Shazam: Gods of Fury , Wonka , Fast X , Evil Dead Rise , Creed III , Magic Mike's Last Dance , Marvels , Barbie, and Dune: Part Two .

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