Sci-Fi Movies That Will Blow Everyone Away In 2023

There were some big sci-fi event movies in 2022, from Ryan Reynolds' time-tripping "The Adam Project" to David Cronenberg's nightmarish "Crimes of the Future" to the mind-bending multiverse exploration "Everything Everywhere All At Once." While the bar has indeed been raised, sci-fi fans have plenty to look forward to in 2023.

Whether it's a sequel to the long-awaited adaptation of one of the all-time great sci-fi novel series to two new space-centric additions to the Marvel Cinematic Universe, anticipation is already building for the hottest upcoming science fiction films of 2023 — and let's not forget a new prequel to the "Hunger Games" saga and yet another bombastic, big-budget entry into the "Transformers" franchise. And that's just the tip of the iceberg in a year's worth of cinematic offerings that also features a creepy AI robot child with homicidal tendencies, alien abduction, a top-secret sci-fi film with an A-list cast from the director of "Rogue One: A Star Wars Story," and a sci-fi rom-com that puts a futuristic spin on having a baby. All this and more will be coming soon to a theater (or streaming service) near you, so read on for a sneak peek at sci-fi movies that will blow everyone away in 2023.

Anthony Ramos (whose credits include "A Star is Born" and Broadway's "Hamilton") stars in this sci-fi comedy as Andy Ramirez, a space miner whose job entails digging minerals out of asteroids. When an unforeseen problem with his spaceship leads him to crash land on an unfamiliar alien planet, he's forced to rely on his AI-enhanced survival suit (voiced by "Star Trek" actor Zachary Quinto). 

As his oxygen supply diminishes, he winds up making radio contact with Naomi Calloway (Naomi Scott, who played Princess Jasmine in Disney's live-action "Aladdin"), who is trapped in one of the ship's escape pods. Setting aside his safety, Andy begins searching the planet to rescue her before he runs out of oxygen while trying to evade the strange alien creatures that stalk him along the way. Also part of the cast is Kristofer Hivju of "Game of Thrones" fame, although the film's official synopsis doesn't detail how his character, Dwayne, factors into the plot.

"Distant" was initially given a release date of March 2022, which was delayed until September, and then, ultimately, early 2023.

Premiere: January 23, 2023

With "The Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special" serving as a bridge between the second movie and the third (and final) one, fans of the Marvel franchise flick can expect to see a fitting end to the adventures of Peter "Star-Lord" Quill (Chris Pratt), Gamora (Zoe Saldaña), Drax the Destroyer (Dave Bautista), Nebula (Karen Gillan), Rocket Raccoon (Bradley Cooper), Mantis (Pom Klementieff), and Groot (Vin Diesel). While plot details are under wraps (as is typical for a Marvel project), it has been revealed that Will Poulter will be playing Adam Warlock, who may or may not be a villain dubbed Magus. Also part of the action is the High Evolutionary, a godlike being and likely nemesis to the Guardians played by Chukwudi Iwuji.

While director James Gunn has said the final film in the trilogy will be the last "Guardians of the Galaxy" film, hints have emerged that it may not be the last we see of some of the films' characters. "What I can say is that, again, it's gonna be very funny but also extremely emotional. And it's gonna be, in some ways, the end of the chapter as the Guardians of the Galaxy family," teased Klementieff in an interview with the "D23 Inside Disney" podcast. "So we'll see what happens after, you know?" 

Premiere: May 5, 2023

Say what you will about the "Transformers" film franchise, but its success is reflected in the sheer number of sequels that keep getting cranked out. Coming in the summer of 2023, "Transformers: Rise of the Beasts" (the seventh for those who are still counting) takes Optimus Prime (voiced, as always, by Peter Cullen) back to 1994 when two archeologists make a discovery that lands them smack-dab in the middle of an ancient war between the Autobots, the Maximals, and the Terrorcons. The Maximals, led by the gorilla-like Optimus Primal (voiced by "Sons of Anarchy" alum Ron Perlman), are Transformers that, instead of transforming into sports cars, morph into exotic animals. The Terrorcons (led by Scourge, voiced by "Game of Thrones" Emmy winner Peter Dinklage) do transform into vehicles, albeit really crappy ones. Scourge, for example, becomes a Peterbilt logging truck, while fellow Terrorcon Battletrap (David Sobolov) transforms into a GMC tow truck.

There are also a few new Autobots under Optimus Prime's command, including "Saturday Night Live" alum Pete Davidson as Mirage, an Autobot spy who transforms into a sleek Porsche and can confuse foes by sending out virtual reality projections of his own image. Other new Autobots are YouTube sensation Liza Koshy (as Transformer/Ducati motorcycle named Arcee) and Mexican footballer turned actor Cristó Fernández as Wheeljack, a brainy mechanic who transforms into a groovy VW bus.

Premiere: June 9, 2023

This throwback sci-fi film is set in the 1980s after America is struck by a series of nuclear attacks. With fallout leaving those who survived slowly dying from radiation poisoning, a young girl named Mayday Malone (Kylee Levien) uses a series of inter-connected ham radios to contact her father, who has been orbiting the Earth on the space shuttle as part of a NASA mission. Instead of reaching her dad, Mayday receives an intergalactic distress call from deep in space that sends her on a journey to what was once known as Area 51 but has now been dubbed Spacerock. A massive problem emerges when she's exposed to massive amounts of radiation that leave her severely ill. As her organs fail, her mother offers her to the aliens who made the distress call in a last-ditch hope that they'll be able to save her.

Not only is the movie set in the 1980s, but it also boasts a cast full of familiar '80s stars, including Anthony Michael Hall (of "Sixteen Candles" and "The Breakfast Club" fame), "The Facts of Life" alum Lisa Whelchel, "Die Hard" and "Family Matters" actor Reggie VelJohnson, Dee Wallace of "Cujo," and "Flash Gordon" star Sam Jones.

Premiere: July 2023

Based on the YA book series by Suzanne Collins, the "Hunger Games" trilogy (comprising four movies, but why quibble?) was one of the biggest film franchises of the 2010s, raking in nearly $3 billion worldwide while establishing Jennifer Lawrence as one of Hollywood's top stars. Arriving eight years after the franchise's final film, fans are practically salivating for "The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes."

However, those expecting the further adventures of Katniss Everdeen may be disappointed to learn the latest "Hunger Games" installment is a prequel, not a sequel. Set decades before the previous films, "The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes" focuses on future Pan Em tyrant Coriolanus Snow (Tom Blyth of Epix series "Billy the Kid") as he mentors competitors in the 10th annual Hunger Games. Other characters introduced include District 12 tribute Lucy Gray Baird (Rachel Zegler), who forms a connection with Coriolanus; Tigris Snow (Hunter Schafer), Coriolanus's cousin and chief adviser; Casca Highbottom (Peter Dinklage), co-creator of the Hunger Games; Lucretius "Lucky" Flickerman (Jason Schwartzman), the Hunger Games' TV host and ancestor of future TV host Caesar Flickerman, played in the earlier films by Stanley Tucci; Dr. Volumnia Gaul (Viola Davis), the Hunger Games' head game maker; and Grandma'am (Fionnula Flanagan), imperious grandmother of Coriolanus.

Premiere: November 17, 2023

Greek director Christos Nikou ("Apples") makes his English-language debut with "Fingernails," described as a blend of science fiction and romance. Jessie Buckley (whose recent roles have included TV's "Fargo" and the darkly comic feature "I'm Thinking of Ending Things") stars as Anna, a woman who questions whether she really loves her husband (Jeremy Allen White of "The Bear" and "Shameless"). As it happens, she lives in a future iteration of Earth in which technology can test married couples to prove definitively whether or not they are truly in love. 

When Anna takes the test and receives a positive result, she feels there must have been a mistake, given her ambivalence about her marriage. To find out more, she lands a job as an assistant at one of the testing facilities (known as a "love institute"), working under Trevor, a testing instructor (played by Riz Ahmed, who was nominated for an Oscar for his performance in "The Sound of Metal").

The film was picked up by Apple TV+ and will be released via streaming at a yet-to-be-revealed date in 2023.

Premiere: TBA 2023

"The Pod Generation" takes place in a not-so-distant future in which AI has become an ingrained, integrated part of everyday life. New York City couple Rachel ("Game of Thrones" alum Emilia Clarke) and Alvy (Chiwetel Ejiofor, who recently dipped a toe into the sci-fi genre as the star of the Showtime series "The Man Who Fell to Earth), have decided to start a family but opt to take a non-traditional approach. As it happens, Rachel's job with tech firm Pegasus presents the opportunity to share the pregnancy experience equally by using the company's latest innovation: pregnancy pods, detachable man-made wombs that each partner can wear. Rachel is all in, but Alvy, a botanist studying what's left of fast-receding nature, and a big fan of nature in general, is uncertain. However, his love for Rachel spurs him to give it a try.

"Working with Emilia and Chiwetel as a couple on screen is a dream come true," director Sophie Barthes told Variety. "Emilia's versatility, her disarming sense of humor, and capacity to navigate complex emotions are a perfect match to Chiwetel's charisma and extraordinary screen presence," she added, explaining that the "idea of the artificial womb as either doom or liberation for women is inherently comedic material."

Premiere: TBA 2023