23 Best New and Upcoming Kids’ Movies for 2023

Release Date: February 17, 2023
MPAA: PG-13

The next chapter in the Marvel Cinematic Universe trades giant worlds for tiny ones. The entire Lang family gets taken to the Quantum Realm and discovers a whole universe there — but they also have to contend with Kang the Conqueror, whom Loki fans know is not someone to be trifled with.

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Release Date: March 3, 2023

You don’t have to bust out the ol’ d20 and play the fantasy strategy game to enjoy this big-screen take on Dungeons & Dragons. It follows a group of thieves who “helped the wrong person steal the wrong thing,” and now have to get it back before the consequences become too great. It’s filled with plenty of cool creatures (and lots of fantasy violence), as well as performances from Chris Pine, Justice Smith, Michelle Rodriguez and Sophia Lillis.

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Release Date: March 17, 2023

Sure, Black Adam got a lot of attention in 2022, but don’t forget about Shazam! He returns for another adventure, this time going up against Hespera and Kalypso, the daughters of Atlas. But, fortunately, this time he has reinforcements.

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Release Date: March 17, 2023
MPAA: PG

Kids will love how this animated movie delves into the world of Super Mario Bros. and all the characters they know from the Nintendo games. Parents might get a kick out of the voice cast, which includes Keegan-Michael Key, Jack Black, Charlie Day, Seth Rogen, Fred Armisen, Anya Taylor-Joy and, of course, Chris Pratt as Mario.

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Release Date: April 28, 2023

If you’re of a certain age, it was a rite of passage to read Judy Blume’s Are You There God? It’s Me, Margaret. Now, it’s been turned into a film, starring Abby Ryder Fortson and Rachel McAdams and directed by Edge of Seventeen‘s Kelly Fremon.

Release Date: May 5, 2023

After The Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special on Disney+, the Guardians are top of mind. And once again, Peter Quill (aka Star-Lord) has to muster his motley group of space travelers to defend the universe.

Release Date: May 26, 2023

Halle Bailey of Chloe x Halle steps into the fins of Ariel in this remake of the animated Disney classic. It’s directed by Rob Marshall, who’s made other Disney live-action musicals, including Into the Woods and Mary Poppins Returns.

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Release Date: June 16, 2023

Pixar tells a tale about a world where the beings are one of four elements: fire, water, earth or air. The story focuses on two inhabitants of this world, one fire and one water, and how they learn they have more in common than they initially believed.

Release Date: June 30, 2023

Sony is taking on a live-action version of the beloved storybook about a 4-year-old with a magic crayon who draws things to life in the world around him. The cast includes Zooey Deschanel, Zachary Levi, Lil Rel Howery and Ravi Patel, among others.

Release Date: June 30, 2023

Harrison Ford dons Indy’s fedora again for an adventure with co-star Phoebe Waller-Bridge. It’s the first Indy movie not directed by Steven Spielberg; Logan’s James Mangold is taking over. Not much is known about the premise — or the title, which probably won’t stay Indiana Jones 5 — but we can hear the theme music swelling already.

RELATED: How to Watch the Indiana Jones Movies in Order, Both Chronologically and By Release Date

Release Date: July 28, 2023

Fans of Kamala Khan and Ms. Marvel will be thrilled to learn that she’s an essential part of the new Captain Marvel movie. In it, Khan, Carol Danvers and Monica Rambeau keep swapping places whenever they use their powers, and they have to figure out why.

Release Date: August 4, 2023

You can never count the TMNT out: There’s always another Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles movie just lurking beneath the surface, ready to come out of hiding (like the turtles themselves). Just don’t expect actors in suits; this one is going to be animated.

Release Date: August 11, 2023

Beware of hitchhiking ghosts! This Disney movie, inspired by the popular theme park ride (and unrelated to the 2003 version with Eddie Murphy), stars Rosario Dawson as a single mom who moves into a new house, only to find it’s filled with grim, grinning spirits. She enlists a priest (Luke Wilson), who gathers reinforcements (LaKeith Stanfield, Tiffany Haddish and others) to help. Ride enthusiasts will appreciate references to their favorite attraction characters, like the Hatbox Ghost or Madame Leota.

RELATED: The Best Halloween Movies for Kids

Release Date: August 18, 2023

Another branch of the DCEU, the movie follows a teenage as Jaime Reyes. When he finds an alien scarab, it gives him the power to access a super ex-suit.

Release Date: October 13, 2023

The PAW Patrol is (still) on a roll! Another big adventure comes to Adventure Bay, and Ryder and his team of pups — or should we say Mighty Pups? — will have to come to the rescue.

Release Date: November 17, 2023

Want some sunshine in your pocket and good soul in your feet? Then get ready for the great news: Branch and Poppy are getting married! (Or at least that’s what the teaser heavily implies.) Get ready for a troll-tastic celebration.

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Release Date: November 22, 2023

Wishes have been important in Disney lore ever since “When You Wish Upon a Star.” In this movie, a teen played by West Side Story‘s Ariana DeBose has to team up with a fallen wishing star to help rid her kingdom of darkness.

Release Date: December 15, 2023

So many actors have put their stamp on the character of Willy Wonka, the whimsical chocolatier. There’s the indelible Gene Wilder. There was the out-of-this-world Johnny Depp. And, now, Timothée Chalamet is stepping into the role. The movie serves as a prequel to Roald Dahl’s book.

Release Date: December 20, 2023

For children who ain’t afraid of no ghosts, Ghostbusters: Afterlife finally delivered on their wildest dreams: kid Ghostbusters! The next film in the franchise will pick up with all generations of the Spangler family and their ghost-hunting activities.

Release Date: December 22, 2023

This movie, from the same studio that brings us the Minions, is about a family of ducks who convince their dad to go on the ultimate vacation. Mike White, who created The White Lotus, wrote the script, so he knows a thing or two about vacations that go awry.

Release Date: December 25, 2023

This movie was pushed from December 2022, so Aquaman fans have been waiting a long time to get back to Atlantis. But the time has finally arrived, and star Jason Momoa and director James Wan are both returning.

Release Date: 2023 TBD

White Bird is based on a blockbuster novel by R.J. Palacio, author of the runaway hit Wonder. White Bird takes place in the same universe as Wonder, centered on Julian, Auggie’s classroom bully, as he listens to his grandmother tell him about her experiences as a Jewish girl in occupied France during World War II. Helen Mirren stars as Grandmère in the present.

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