he arguably obsolete catchphrase ‘let’s catch a movie’ might make a comeback this summer. The heat is going to be brutal so it will occur to many to enjoy the wonder that is indoor entertainment.

And we are not out of options because we have some of the best movie sequels lined up for the theatres, and over-the-top platforms this sunny season.

Summer of 2023 will cast new faces, but the highlight will be the cream of Hollywood competing to lay forth the best content in their respective movie genres.

The movies are bound to create chaos in cinemas while their appearance on platforms like the HBO, Max, Disney+, Netflix, Amazon Prime, Hulu and Peacock is going to not only generate revenue but also provide an easier way out for viewers to relax and enjoy the movies without the hassle of buying tickets.

So sip your lemonade, stay cool and earn all those extra bonuses from work because this summer is not one for relaxing. Soon, you’ll be directing all of those in keeping up with the long list of jaw-dropping films. From action to comedy and cartoons to real-life adaptations and back to comic book movies, there’s something lined up for everyone.

Starting on May 19 - the date itself is enough for hype - even for those who do not watch movies and series ‘these days’ but are familiar with the Fast and Furious franchise know what’s in store.

The street racers that most Gen Z and millennials grew up with are returning after almost two years with Fast X, which follows the theatrical runs of Vin Diesel, Jordana Brewster and their gang. You can appreciate this production on Peacock, a streaming platform.

At this point, you’d think Marvel would want to sum up the franchise, but this seems far from their plan. The franchise will be coming back with Spider-man: Across the Spider-Verse on June 2. This is a sequel to the first part of Spider-man: Into the Spider-Verse, released in 2018.

Spider-man: Across the Spider-Verse will be a comic-book movie but the question still stands; should Marvel just stop? As die-hard fans rush to finish one movie after another, others struggle with keeping track of multiple plotlines.

What we already have this summer is Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3, which was officially released on May 4. The Marvel superhero sequel was welcomed by fans with a great deal of interest and enthusiasm.

Spider-man: Across the Spider-Verse may be a comic book but that doesn’t mean we won’t see the Avengers altogether.

Mid-June, we will get our hands on Extraction 2, a Netflix original film featuring Chris Hemsworth who plays Tyler Rake, a black-market mercenary on a thrilling mission in the subcontinent.

If Extraction 2 manages to top the charts as before, a Netflix original action franchise might be in the making.

But Rake won’t be the only Avenger we’ll see in a different role this summer as Robert Downey Jr will be appearing as Lewis Strauss in Oppenheimer, a biographical movie set against the backdrop of World War II.

The movies mentioned earlier are just for easing into summertime. But you will need to mark your calendar for late summer – and mark July 21 because two movies, which are based on equally wonderful concepts but poles apart will be released on this date. The greatest of fiction and non-fiction, Barbie and Oppenheimer, will make their screen debut together.

The casts for these productions include Australian actress Margot Robbie as Barbie, Canadian actor Ryan Gosling as Ken, Irish actor and Peaky Blinders star Cillian Murphy as J Robert Oppenheimer. Stay on your toes this July because both these movies will keep everyone running between the halls before spoilers surface on social media.

If you think these are all the Hollywood stars due to appear on Netflix, Hulu, Amazon Prime and other streaming platforms, then you are mistaken for Mission Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One, starring Tom Cruise as Ethan Hunt, is also scheduled to release in July.

Following the success of Top Gun: Maverick last year, the 60-year-old actor is on a roll to put out the best content for the generations to come. Harrison Ford will also be back with Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny, set to release by the end of June.

Moving away from the action genre and towards drama, we see Euphoria star Sydney Sweeney making an appearance as a US Air Force member in Reality. Caleb McLaughlin from Stranger Things will appear as a friend of teenage LeBron James in Shooting Stars and Nina Dobrev will be in the cast of crime comedy The Out-Laws.

On a lighter note, Fireboy and Watergirl fans may be intrigued by the upcoming Elementals on Disney+. Elementals will be released on June 16.

If you have not followed the Wes Anderson trend, you might be living under a rock but it is about time you came out. For all the global die-hard fans of Roald Dahl, who penned many of children’s favourite short stories and novels like Matilda and Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, Wes Anderson will be directing The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar. Both bookworms and Wes’s fans will equally revere this collaboration as their dreams for Roald Dahl‘s books to be adapted into motion-picture will finally come true.

The writer is an  undergraduate student of psychology at FC College