We’re already halfway through 2023 and have already brought some great movies, TV shows, and music. Barbie and Oppenheimer broke the box office, albums like Speak Now (Taylor’s Version) and Endless Summer Vacation broke streaming records, and TV shows like “The Last of Us” became iconic favorites. There are still several anticipated movies to come in the last quarter of the year. This is a list of 4 TV shows, albums, and movies to look forward to in the final months of 2023.
TV Shows
“The Morning Show” Season 3 – September 13 (Apple TV)
This Apple TV show is returning for its third season following the success of its first and second seasons. Starring Jennifer Aniston and Reese Witherspoon the show offers a behind-the-scenes look at the lives of anchors and TV personalities from a fictional morning show. The third season is said to have “high stakes as a tech titan takes interest in the United Broadcast Association” (Apple).
“Loki” Season 2 – October 6 (Disney+)
Tom Hiddleston returns for another trip through the Marvel universe as he reprises his beloved character Loki in his solo TV show. The first season followed the 2012 version of Loki and his adventures through the TVA (an organization that maintains the timeline). The second season picks up after the catalytic events from the last episode of season one. The cast includes returning characters Sophia Di Martino who plays Sylvie and Owen Wilson who plays Mobius. Also joining the cast is Ke Huy Quan following the success of Everything Everywhere All At Once.
“All the Light We Cannot See” – November 2 (Netflix)
“All the Light We Cannot See” is an adaptation of the Pulitzer Prize-winning book written by Anthony Doerr. The book takes place in the scenery of World War II and follows a blind French girl and a young German soldier whose paths collide in occupied France. The four-part series stars Aria Mia Loberti, Hugh Laurie, and Mark Ruffalo.
“Percy Jackson and The Olympians” – December 20 (Disney+)
This beloved children’s series is finally being adapted into a TV show after years of being in the works and a couple less than positively reviewed movies. With Rick Riordan as a producer on the show, it is sure to follow much of the same storyline many have fallen in love with. The season will follow the events of the first book The Lightning Thief. Walker Scobell plays Percy Jackson while Leah Jeffries and Aryan Simhardi will play his two counterparts, Annabeth Chase and Grover respectfully.
Albums
Guts – Olivia Rodrigo – September 8
Fans of Olivia Rodrigo have waited over two years for her sophomore album and the wait is almost over. There is much anticipation for this star’s second album following the breakout success of both “Drivers License” and Sour. The album will contain 12 songs and have a runtime of about 40 minutes. The album is said to be more rock-focused replacing ballads for a punk sound. Lead singles “Vampire” and “Bad Idea Right?” have already had great success.
1989 (Taylor’s Version) – Taylor Swift – October 27
1989 (Taylor’s Version), another step in the process of Swift rerecording her old masters, was announced on 8/9 as she wrapped up the US leg of the Eras Tour in LA. The album will include all the songs from the original Grammy-winning album such as “Blank Space” and “Style” as well as 5 never heard before vault tracks. As of now, no features have been announced to be on the album but there are rumors of Harry Styles starring on a track and of Kendrick Lamar being on the remix of “Bad Blood” as he was in 2016.
Higher – Chris Stapleton – November 10
Chris Stapleton, an award-winning country artist, is releasing his first album since Starting Over came out in 2020. Higher will be Stapleton’s 5th studio album. The album was produced by Stapleton, his wife, and Dave Cobb, a familiar name on Stapleton’s discography. The 14-song tracklist does not include any collaborations or covers, an unusual thing as in the past few years Stapleton’s name could be found on multitudes of artists’ pages.
Pink Friday 2 – Nicki Minaj – November 17
Originally meant to be released in October, Nicki Minaj’s 5th album will be released on November 17. The album will be a sequel to her iconic EP that was released 13 years earlier which included songs like “Super Bass”. A track list has not been released yet, but the lead single “The Last Time I Saw You” was released first on TikTok and then on streaming platforms on September 1. Rihanna is also rumored to feature on this album just as she did on the original Pink Friday.
Movies
Killers of the Flower Moon – October 20
Another adaptation on our list is Killers of the Flower Moon. The book, written by David Grann, is being turned into a movie by Martin Scorsese. The movie tells the story of Osage Native Americans in Oklahoma who were murdered after oil was found on their land and the FBI investigation of the murders. The movie is star-studded with names like Leonardo Dicaprio, last year’s Best Actor Oscar winner Brendan Fraser, Jesse Plemons, and Robert De Niro.
The Marvels – November 10
Another Marvel movie is coming to join the ranks. This time it is a team-up between Captain Marvel (played by Brie Larson), Monica Rambeau (played by Teyonah Parris), and Ms. Marvel (Iman Vellani). This movie is long-awaited as it was first announced in 2019 under a different name. The movie tells the story of what happens when Captain Marvel’s powers become entangled with Monica and Ms. Marvel’s.
The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes – November 17
Hunger Games took the world by storm in the 2010s and now it’s back for a second round. This time a prequel based on the best-selling book follows a young Cornelius Snow as he becomes a mentor for the 10th Annual Hunger Games and is paired with a girl from District 12, Lucy Gray Baid. Tom Blyth stars as young Cornelius Snow and Rachel Zegler (of West Side Story fame) becomes the new face of Hunger Games as Lucy Gray Baid.
Wonka – December 15
If you’ve ever been curious about how Willy Wonka became the man he is and came to own a candy shop then this movie is for you. Timothee Chalamet portrays Wonka in the chocolatier’s origin story. Wonka has been in the works since 2016 and is finally ready to hit the big screen in December. The cast also includes Olivia Colman, Sally Hawkins, Keegan-Michael Key, and Hugh Grant as an Oompa-Loompa.
