2023’s Most Anticipated Movies: ‘Guardians Of The Galaxy Vol. 3’ Leads Fandango Survey

Digital movie ticket retailer Fandango has unveiled the results of its 2023 Most Anticipated Movies Survey, and what audiences want to see the most is James Gunn’s Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3.

Never mind anyone who is voicing their upset on Twitter over the filmmaker’s plan for the revised DC universe. In a poll of 5K moviegoers, they plan to show up when the Disney Marvel Studios finale opens on May 5 next year.

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Another encouraging stat: 84% of ticket-buyers plan to see six or more movies on the big screen in 2023.

Nine of the top ten must-see movies of next year are sequels, all ten are franchises, with Universal/Illumation/Nintendo’s Super Mario Bros. Movie in the No. 10 slot repping the first chapter in a series.

2023’s Most Anticipated Blockbusters:

1. Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3

2. Spider-Man Across the Spider-Verse (June 2)

3. Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania (Feb. 17)

4. John Wick: Chapter 4 (March 24)

5. Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny (June 30)

6. Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom (Dec. 25)

7. Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One (July 14)

8. The Hunger Games: The Ballad of the Songbirds and Snakes (Nov. 17)

9. Creed III (March 3)

10. The Super Mario Bros. Movie (April 7)

Some interesting top choices: most-want-to-see comedy is Magic Mike’s Last Dance on Super Bowl weekend, Feb. 10-12; star Channing Tatum having launched his movies around the Valentine’s Day frame. Warner Discovery Boss David Zaslav should be glad to hear that result about Magic Mike 3 as it’s one of the movies that got promoted from streamer HBO Max to a big screen release under his new distribution strategy for the conglom.

In another must-see for Warner Bros next year: New Line’s feature take of Stephen King’s Salem’s Lot is one of the most anticipated horror films. The Gary Dauberman directed movie, which was moved out of the post Labor Day corridor this past year, is not yet dated for 2023.

Other results of the annual Fandango survey:

–99% are excited to see more new movies debuting in theaters.

–97% will attend the theater more often in 2023 than in 2022.

–82% claim the moviegoing experience can’t be recreated at home.

–72% would like to see more movies in IMAX and other premium large screen formats.

“With more than a hundred new releases heading into theaters, fans are excited to see movies back on the big screen where they belong,” says Fandango Managing Director Erik Davis. “The new year promises a significant increase of movies that people want to see in theaters, from returning franchises like Indiana Jones, Creed, Hunger Games and Mission Impossible, to highly-anticipated re-imaginings like The Little Mermaid and Haunted Mansion, to off-the-wall entertainment like Cocaine Bear and M3gan. 2023 boasts one of the most exciting movie line-ups in years.”

Other results from Fandango’s 2023 Most Anticipated Movies Survey:

Most Anticipated New Performance on the Big Screen:

1. Halle Bailey (The Little Mermaid)

2. Viola Davis (The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes)

3. Jonathan Majors (Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania)

4. Christopher Walken (Dune: Part 2)

5. Margot Robbie (Barbie)

Most Anticipated Hero:

1. Chris Pratt as Star Lord (Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3)

2. Harrison Ford as Indiana Jones (Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny)

3. Keanu Reeves as John Wick (John Wick 4)

4. Zoe Saldana as Gamora (Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3)

5. Paul Rudd as Ant-Man (Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania)

Most Anticipated Villain:

1. Melissa McCarthy as Ursula (The Little Mermaid)

2. Bill Skarsgård as the Marquis (John Wick 4)

3. Jonathan Majors as Kang the Conqueror (Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania)

4. Jack Black (voice) as Bowser (The Super Mario Bros. Movie)

5. Jason Momoa as Dante (Fast X)

Most Anticipated Family Film:

1. Spider-Man Across the Spider-Verse

2. The Super Mario Bros. Movie

3. The Little Mermaid (May 26)

4. Haunted Mansion (Aug. 11)

5. Pixar’s Elemental (June 16)

Most Anticipated Horror Film:

1. Salem’s Lot (undated)

2. Insidious: Fear the Dark (July 7)

3. The Exorcist (Oct. 13)

4. Scream 6 (March 10)

5. M3gan (Jan. 6)

Most Anticipated Live-Action Comedy:

1. Magic Mike’s Last Dance

2. Barbie (July 21)

3. Cocaine Bear (Feb. 24)

4. House Party (Jan. 13)

5. 80 for Brady (Feb. 3)

Most Anticipated Action/Adventure (Non-Superhero) Movie:

1. Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny

2. Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One

3. The Hunger Games: The Ballad of the Songbirds and Snakes

4. Transformers: Rise of the Beasts (June 9)

5. Fast X (May 19)

Most Anticipated Superhero Movies

1. Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3

2. Spider-Man Across the Spider-Verse

3. Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania

4. The Marvels (July 28)

5. Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom

Favorite Genre:

1. Action/Adventure/Superhero

2. Comedy

3. Animated/Family

4. Drama

5. Horror/Thriller

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