Movies continue to reach new heights and there's never been a better time for sequels, spin-offs, and franchise endeavors. Sequels are hardly a new concept, but the way the film industry now works often means that a potential sequel or trilogy needs to be planned before the first movie even gets a greenlight.
Sequels and franchises continue to experience the biggest box office successes. At times, it feels like there are more sequels, reboots, and remakes than original movies. This paradigm isn’t set to shift in 2023 and there are already some big sequels–both confirmed and unofficial–that audiences can’t wait to experience.
10 An Action Franchise Icon Goes Out For One Last Ride
Indiana Jones And The Dial Of Destiny
It'll be 15 years since the release of Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull when the fifth entry in the legendary adventure series hits theaters in 2023. Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny features the glorious return of Harrison Ford as fearless archeologist, Indiana Jones.
Any new Indiana Jones movie would be a cinematic event, but Dial of Destiny looks especially exciting with James Mangold taking over directing duties, Mads Mikkelsen stepping in as the movie's villain, and Phoebe Waller-Bridge tagging along with Indy across this new story that's set to focus on 1969’s space race.
9 The Scariest Film Of All Time Receives A Blumhouse Legacy Sequel
The Exorcist
Blumhouse has become one of the biggest names in horror and they’ve made increasing efforts to take over classic franchises for new audiences. After the commercial success of David Gordon Green's Halloween legacy sequel trilogy, Blumhouse is taking the same approach with William Friedkin’s The Exorcist.
There are already several Exorcist sequels of varying degrees of success, including a two-season TV series. 2023’s The Exorcist might finally break this curse and find fresh ways to help this iconic possession story evolve. Ellen Burstyn is set to reprise her role of Chris MacNeil from the original, which should be satisfying, if nothing else.
8 Keanu Reeves’ Efficient Assassin Reloads For His Biggest Battle Yet
John Wick: Chapter 4
Keanu Reeves has found tremendous success through his John Wick action franchise, which consistently finds the perfect ways to showcase Reeves’ craft. Against all odds, each John Wick movie delivers greater action spectacles which improve the scope of the series’ and Reeves’ titular assassin.
John Wick: Chapter 3 – Parabellum ended with Wick at his lowest point and ready to properly advance against the High Table and their comprehensive global network of mercenaries. John Wick: Chapter 4 looks like it’ll feature the biggest action scenes yet as Reeves puts his all into this roaring rampage of revenge.
7 An Overlooked Modern Sci-Fi Classic Deserves To Finish Its Story
Alita: Battle Angel 2
2019's Alita: Battle Angel, is a live-action anime adaptation that's directed by Robert Rodriguez and co-written by James Cameron whose audience only continues to grow bigger. Alita: Battle Angel is a cyborg action thrill ride that almost feels more like the prequel to its story. The movie goes out on a bold cliffhanger that fans are worried may never receive closure.
There have been rumblings for years over an Alita sequel happening, but it finally feels possible after the combined success of Rodriguez's work on The Mandalorian and Cameron's latest masterpiece, Avatar: The Way of Water. These two are more determined than ever to return to Alita's glorious world.
6 The Self-Aware Slasher Series Heads To The Big Apple
Scream VI
2022’s Scream came out in January of this year and its sequel is already set to hit theaters in March 2023. Scream is a pivotal piece of horror that’s influenced countless other meta and self-aware genre endeavors. 2022’s Scream cleverly leans into the legacy sequel and “re-quel” angle as it deconstructs a whole new generation of horror and media tropes.
2022’s Scream goes out on a powerful message and allows for many survivors who are set to return in 2023’s Scream VI. Scream VI has the potential to be the biggest entry in the series with the film shifting its location from sleepy Woodsboro to New York City.
5 A 2000s Bumbling Buddy Cop Action Series Gets Ready For More Mayhem
Rush Hour 4
Cinema’s past decade has proven that everything old is officially new once again and some truly surprising long-dormant franchises have been resurrected. The Rush Hour trilogy were entertaining buddy cop action-comedies from the 2000s that get a lot of mileage out of the fish out of the water/opposites attract dynamic between Jackie Chan and Chris Tucker.
Nobody was expecting a Rush Hour 4, especially since part three released all the way back in 2007. However, there’s already been a surprising amount of enthusiasm towards this surprise sequel, which might sneak its way into theaters by the end of 2023.
4 An Undead Apocalypse Gets A Claustrophobic Sequel
Evil Dead Rise
Lee Cronin is a relatively fresh filmmaker who cut his teeth on genre shorts for years before 2019's atmospheric The Hole in the Ground. Cronin is responsible for Evil Dead Rise, the fifth movie in Sam Raimi's beloved Deadite horror series. 2013's Evil Dead reboot is a gore extravaganza, but the lack of Bruce Campbell's Ash Williams left some fans disappointed.
Evil Dead Rise will return to the Necronomicon and Deadite formula, but once again with new characters who summon these deadly terrors in a New York City apartment complex. There's curious skepticism over Evil Dead Rise, but hopefully it proves itself and allows this franchise to keep growing.
3 Rian Johnson’s Benoit Blanc Has Plenty More Christie-Esque Crimes To Solve
Knives Out 3
Murder mystery whodunnits are a lost art and it's extremely satisfying that Rian Johnson has gone all in on the genre with his Knives Out films and Benoit Blanc master detective. Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery manages to surpass its predecessor, which already set a high standard.
An official release date for the third Knives Out has yet to be confirmed and there hasn't even been confirmation that Johnson has finished writing the script. Nevertheless, Johnson's efficiency as a director and his clear passion for this universe and the whodunnit mystery genre means that it's not impossible for him to release Knives Out 3 before 2023 is over.
2 An Atmospheric Horror Series Returns With A Vengeance
Insidious: Fear The Dark
The Insidious horror movies from James Wan and Leigh Whannell haven’t achieved the same billion-dollar success as The Conjuring or Saw movies, but they’re still a seriously scary collection of horror. The first two films in the possession series are directed by Wan while the third and fourth entries function as prequels that dig deeper into Elise Rainier’s clairvoyant character.
Insidious: Fear the Dark will finally pick up from the events of Insidious: Chapter 2 and focus on an adult Dalton’s struggle to make sense of his evil infection. Patrick Wilson will be back in Fear the Dark as Dalton’s dad, but it’ll also be the actor’s directorial debut.
1 Tom Cruise’s Action Theatrics Ramp Up For The Franchise’s Big Finish
Mission: Impossible - Dead Reckoning, Part One
Tom Cruise’s relationship with action franchises and stunt work is in a league of its own. Cruise and Christopher McQuarrie have pushed the Mission: Impossible series to genuinely unbelievable heights. Cruise’s tasks as IMF agent Ethan Hunt are remarkable sights and the seventh entry, Mission: Impossible - Dead Reckoning, Part One, has already teased some ridiculous setpieces.
Plot details remain thin, but Dead Reckoning has a stellar cast of female action stars, which includes Hayley Atwell, Rebecca Ferguson, Vaness Kirby, and Pom Klementieff. With the eighth and presumably final Mission: Impossible film planned for June 2024, Dead Reckoning, Part One is sure to also go out on an agonizing cliffhanger.