As school comes to a close, intriguing titles at the box office get closer and closer.

As every year holds, the summer season holds a long list of summer movie releases at the box office. This year, however, has an incredibly interesting slate. From franchise films to blockbusters from popular directors to more independent films, with actors both young and established, the summer of 2023 has a stacked list of movies. 

April 14 – Renfield, directed by Chris McKay

Renfield is a horror/comedy starring Nicholas Hoult as vampiric familiar R. M. Renfield, serving Dracula, played by none other than Nicolas Cage. The trailer sees Hoult attend a support group coping with relationship problems, which is common in a Vampire-Familiar relationship. It also shows lots of intense violence and gore that belongs in a modern vampire film. Renfield appears to promise a fun time at the theater or at home, as most Nicolas Cage films do. 

April 21 – Beau is Afraid, directed by Ari Aster

The third horror feature from writer-director Ari Aster and A24, Beau is Afraid stars Joaquin Phoenix as an anxiety-ridden man, Beau, as he navigates a strange, anxiety-filled world. As Aster’s highest-budget film ($35 million budget compared to $10 million and $9 million budgets for Hereditary and Midsommar, respectively), Beau is Afraid hopes to be his most vibrant, creative film yet. Co-starring Amy Ryan, Michael Gandolfini, Armen Nahapetian, and Nathan Lane, Aster’s newest film will be a highlight of the year for horror fans. 

May 5 – Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3, directed by James Gunn

The third and final installment of the Guardians of the Galaxy trilogy, the rag-tag team of heroes will appear on the big screen once again, with James Gunn returning to direct. The entire cast returns, along with newcomers Will Poulter (Midsommar, The Maze Runner), Elizabeth Dibecki (Tenet, The Great Gatsby), Chukwudi Iwuji (Gunn’s Peacemaker series), and Maria Bakalova (Borat: Subsequent Moviefilm, Bodies Bodies Bodies). With multiple storylines being teased in the trailers, Guardians Vol. 3 will surely.

June 2 – Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse, directed by Joaquim Dos Santos, Kemp Powers, and Justin K. Thompson

The highly-anticipated sequel to the Oscar-winning Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse, Across the Spider-Verse continues Miles Morales’ journey into becoming Spider-Man. The film will bring even more adaptations of the popular superhero into the mix, along with another star-studded cast. Shameik Moore, Hailee Steinfeld, and Jake Johnson return, with newcomers Daniel Kaluuya, Issa Rae, and Oscar Isaac voicing new Spider-Men. The film’s trailer reveals multiple animation styles, promising further advancement and milestones in animation, cementing the art form as a staple part of cinema. 

June 16 – Asteroid City, directed by Wes Anderson. 

Anderson’s 11th feature, Asteroid City, has, somehow, his most compelling cast yet. Featuring both Wes Anderson veterans such as Jason Schwartzman, Jeffery Wright, Tilda Swinton, Edward Norton, and many, many more. It also includes notable newcomers to Anderson’s unique style such as Scarlett Johansson, Tom Hanks, Bryan Cranston, Hong Chau, and Margot Robbie. A Science Fiction film taking place in the American desert, a genre and setting not yet explored in a Wes Anderson movie, his newest film will be highly anticipated by those who enjoy his unique artistic style. 

June 30 – Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny, directed by James Mangold

After fifteen years, Harrison Ford’s iconic archaeologist returns to the big screen, whip, hat, and all. Alternating between World War II and 1969, the film follows Indy as he continues to do what he is known for – fighting Nazis. The trailer promises adventures reminiscent of the original films’, as well as bringing back a familiar face in John Rhys-Davies’ Sallah. With Phoebe Waller-Bridge, Antonio Banderas, Boyd Holbrook, and Mads Mikkelson co-starring alongside Ford, The Dial of Destiny has the opportunity to bring nostalgia to filmgoers. 

July 21 – Oppenheimer, directed by Christopher Nolan

Nolan returns to the theaters with another historical drama, this time covering the controversial figure of J. Robert Oppenheimer, lead scientist of the Manhattan Project who is credited with inventing the atomic bomb. Nolan-regular Cillian Murphy will star as Oppenheimer, with Emily Blunt, Matt Damon, Robert Downey Jr, Florence Pugh, and Josh Peck in the supporting cast. Nolan’s promise of a nuclear explosion not created by CGI (No, that does not mean the use of a real atomic bomb) is bound to draw some curiosity from film-goers, and will also attract many personal historians on account of Oppenheimer’s personal opposition to his own creation. 

July 21 – Barbie, directed by Greta Gerwig

In Greta Gerwig’s third directorial feature, the iconic American toy is brought to the big screen through star Margot Robbie. Barbie promises an extremely fun film with neon colors and lots and lots of pink. The recent reveal of the supporting cast is bound to attract many, containing Ryan Gosling, Issa Rae, Emma Mackey, Simu Liu, Dua Lipa, Michael Cera, Will Ferrell, Helen Mirren, and much more. Co-written by Noah Baumbach, Barbie makes itself out to be one of the most hyped films of the year.

October 20 – Killers of the Flower Moon, directed by Martin Scorcese

Although it is to be released in October, Killers of the Flower Moon will be highly anticipated by film fans as Martin Scorcese makes another release, this time based on the 2017 novel Killers of the Flower Moon: The Ossage Murders and the Birth of the FBI, written by David Grann. Starring Scorcese-regulars Leonardo Dicaprio and Robert De Niro, the supporting cast is made up of Jesse Plemons (Chuckie O’Brien in Scorsese’s The Irishman), Brendan Fraser, and Lily Gladstone. Already named a “masterpiece” by DiCaprio himself, the film will be released in both theaters and on AppleTV.