ON THE BIG SCREEN

AQUAMAN AND THE LOST KINGDOM
PG-13
Jason Momoa returns as Aquaman in this sequel to his 2018 debut as the underwater superhero. It’s a direct continuation of that flick, as his nemesis Black Manta (Yahya Abdul-Manteen II) is back and ready to take their underwater battles to a new level. Most of the other key players in Atlantis and on land are back, too, including Patrick Wilson, Nicole Kidman, Dolph Lundgren, Randall Park, and Amber Heard. And somehow Batman (Ben Affleck) jumps into the watery mix this time, too!

THE HUNGER GAMES:
THE BALLAD OF SONGBIRDS AND SNAKES
Not yet rated
This fifth installment of The Hunger Games saga goes back into the past, exploring the life of Coriolanus Snow as a young man. Played by Tom Blyth, Snow at 18 becomes a mentor for the 10th Hunger Games, long before the 74th games, which brings Katniss Everdeen into his purview, and his rise to power in Panem begins. Rachel Zegler, Hunter Schafer, Peter Dinklage, Jason Schwartzman, and Viola Davis join this next cinematic version of the dystopian world created by novelist Suzanne Collins.

THE MARVELS
PG-13
Brie Larsen returns as Captain Marvel in this latest installment in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, joined by Ms. Marvel (Iman Vellani), astronaut Monica Rambeau (Teyonah Parris) and Nick Fury (Samuel L. Jackson) in an action-packed adventure that centers on (shockingly!) a threat to the actual universe. If that sounds like a Marvel plot you may have heard before, at least this one is full of women as the lead protagonists. It’s number 33 in the MCU series that began with Iron Man in 2008; more are on the way in 2024, too.

WISH
PG
Disney’s newest animated musical fantasy follows Asha (Ariana DeBose), a teenager who lives in a magical kingdom where a benevolent monarch grants wishes. But when it turns out the king isn’t such a good man, Asha finds a way to change things for the better. From Frozen Oscar winners Chris Buck and Jennifer Lee, this flick that also stars the vocal talents of Evan Peters, Chris Pine, Alan Tudyk, and Victor Garber looks to be one of 2023’s biggest hits among the younger set.

WONKA
PG 
With endless love for Willy Wonka, a proven thing among moviegoers, director-writer Paul King (of Paddington fame) decided it’s time to give us the candymaker’s back story. That’s what Wonka is all about, how he met the Oompa-Loompas and other friends on the way to becoming the greatest chocolate maker the (fantasy) world has ever known. An amazing cast, led by Timothee Chalamet and backed up by Olivia Colman, Hugh Grant, Keegan-Michael Key, Rowan Atkinson, and Sally Hawkins makes this one of the season’s hottest tickets.