Summer is nearly here, and you know what that means—it’s movie time! Traditionally Hollywood releases its biggest blockbusters over the summertime, while the kids are out of school and folks are looking for an air-conditioned escape from the heat. In the era of streaming, however, there are big movies coming both to theaters and to streaming services in the Summer of 2023. (Hopefully, you have AC at home, too. If not, we suggest getting a window unit. Or at least a lot of fans. Climate change is no joke.)
Summer 2023 will see the return of quite a few franchises, including Guardians of the Galaxy, Fast and the Furious, Extraction, Mission Impossible, and Spider-Man. But it also promises some exciting new original films, including The Mother, Barbie, and Oppenheimer. Decider is all about recommending movies you can stream at home, but we didn’t want to leave the biggest theatrical movies off of the list—especially considering the fact that theatrical windows are shorter than ever, and these movies will be on streaming before you can say “45 days.”
Check out Decider’s list of some of the biggest streaming movies, as well as a few theatrical movies, coming to a streaming service near you this summer.
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‘Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3’
Release Date: May 5
Streaming Service: Theaters only (on Disney+ after the theatrical run)
Cast: Chris Pratt, Zoe Saldaña, Dave Bautista, Karen Gillan, Pom Klementieff, Vin Diesel, Bradley Cooper, Sean Gunn
Why We’re Hyped: Do old-phase Marvel characters like Peter Quill still carry the same weight with audiences that they did in 2017? We’re about to find out, with the third installment of the Guardians of the Galaxy movie. The movie received mixed reviews from critics but is projected to be a hit at the box office, officially kicking off the 2023 summer movie season. -
‘The Mother’
Release Date: May 12
Streaming Service: Netflix
Cast: Jennifer Lopez, Joseph Fiennes, Omari Hardwick, and Gael García Bernal
Why We’re Hyped: JLo may be 53 years old, but she looks fantastic as a deadly assassin in the upcoming Netflix action flick, The Mother. Hey, if Tom Cruise can do it, so can Jenny from the block! Lopez stars as a former hit woman who is forced to give up her daughter, but re-enters the young girl’s life twelve years later, to save her from the bad guys. Happy Mother’s Day! -
‘Still: A Michael J. Fox Movie’
Release Date: May 12
Streaming Service: Apple TV+
Cast: Michael J. Fox
Why We’re Hyped: It’s been over twenty years since Michael J. Fox shocked the entertainment world with the news that he had been diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease at 29 years old, and in this new Apple TV+ documentary, the Back to the Future star reflects on his career and his disease with brutal honesty and vulnerability. After premiering at Sundance Film Festival to positive reviews, this doc is definitely a must-watch for movie lovers who grew up on Fox’s films. -
‘Fast X’
Release Date: May 19
Streaming Service: Theaters only (on Peacock after the theatrical run)
Cast: Vin Diesel, Michelle Rodriguez, Tyrese Gibson, Chris “Ludacris” Bridges, Jason Momoa, Nathalie Emmanuel
Why We’re Hyped: They just keep making these Fast & Furious movies, and we just keep watching them! As the tenth film in the franchise, Fast X promises bigger and better action, like you’ve never seen before. (It didn’t earn the title of the seventh-most expensive film ever made for nothing!) -
‘Reality’
Release Date: May 29
Streaming Service: HBO and Max
Cast: Sydney Sweeney, Marchánt Davis, Josh Hamilton
Why We’re Hyped: This feature-film debut from playwright Tina Satter sounds fascinating for a few reasons. First, it depicts the true story of whistleblower Reality Winner, a former US Air Force member who leaked an intelligence report about Russian interference in the 2016 United States elections. Second, the entire film appears to take place during the course of Winner’s FBI interrogation. Finally, we’ve never seen Sydney Sweeney in a role like this before. -
‘White Men Can’t Jump’ (2023)
Release Date: May 19
Streaming Service: Hulu
Cast: Sinqua Walls, Jack Harlow, Teyana Taylor, Lance Reddick
Why We’re Hyped: Look, we’re well aware that there’s no chance in hell that the 2023 White Men Can’t Jump will outshine, or even live up to, the classic 1992 film starring Wesley Snipes and Woody Harrelson. That said, the trailer for this remake appears to capture the playful spirit of the OG. Plus, all eyes are on rapper Jack Harlow—who plays the Harrelson character, while Sinqua Walls plays Snipes—for his acting debut. -
‘Shooting Stars’
Release Date: June 2
Streaming Service: Peacock
Cast: Wood Harris, Marquis “Mookie” Cook, Caleb McLaughlin, Natalie Paul, Algee Smith, and Dermot Mulroney
Why We’re Hyped: Who wouldn’t want to watch a movie about LeBron James and his friends as teenagers? Based on James’ autobiographical book, this movie tells the story of how basketball superstar LeBron James and his childhood friends become the No. 1 high school team in the country. -
‘Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse’
Release Date: June 2
Streaming Service: Theaters only (on Netflix after the theatrical run)
Cast: Shameik Moore, Hailee Steinfeld, Jake Johnson, Issa Rae, Daniel Kaluuya, Oscar Isaac
Why We’re Hyped: Even if you’re feeling Marvel fatigue, how can you not be excited for the sequel to 2018’s Into the Spider-Verse, arguably the best comic book movie of all time? Shameik Moore is back as the voice of Miles Morales, who is going back to the multiverse alongside Gwen Stacy (Hailee Steinfield) and will face a new kind of threat. -
‘Flamin’ Hot’
Release Date: June 9
Streaming Service: Hulu and Disney+
Cast: Jesse Garcia, Annie Gonzalez, Emilio Rivera, Dennis Haysbert, Matt Walsh, and Tony Shalhoub.
Why We’re Hyped: Though I am weary of pro-capitalist brand biopics, this feel-good true story about a Frito Lay custodian who claims he invented the addicting unhealthy snack from your childhood— Flamin’ Hot Cheetos—sounds like it has the potential to be a gem. Plus, the film is directed by Eva Longoria in her feature directorial debut. Color me curious. -
‘Extraction 2’
Release Date: June 16
Streaming Service: Netflix
Cast: Chris Hemsworth
Why We’re Hyped: After being delayed from its initial 2022 release, Tyler Rake is finally back in action in Extraction 2. The first 2020 film, which stars Chris Hemsworth as a generic military action dude who saves people in need, was a huge hit for the streaming service. If this sequel does as well as the first film for Netflix, we might just have a Netflix action franchise on our hands. -
‘The Perfect Find’
Release Date: June 23
Streaming Service: Netflix
Cast: Gina Torres, Keith Powers, and Gabrielle Union
Why We’re Hyped: Based on the book of the same name by Tia Williams, The Perfect Find promises to scratch that romantic comedy itch this summer. The story follows a woman who opts to make a career change—then starts dating the boss’s son. Oops! Notably, it’s directed by Numa Perrier, whose feature debut Jezebel made a splash at the 2019 South by Southwest film festival. We can’t wait to see her follow-up. -
‘The Out-Laws’
Release Date: July 7
Streaming Service: Netflix
Cast: Adam DeVine, Pierce Brosnan, Ellen Barkin, Nina Dobrev, Michael Rooker, Poorna Jagannathan, Julie Hagerty, Richard Kind, Lil Rel Howery, and Blake Anderson.
Why We’re Hyped: Produced by Adam Sandler’s Happy Madison crew, this upcoming Netflix crime comedy about a groom-to-be who is robbed by his future in-laws promises the kind of laughs you’ve come to expect from Adam Sandler Netflix movies. Plus, for Workaholics fans, it will be fun to see Adam Devine and Blake Anderson on screen together again. -
‘Mission: Impossible — Dead Reckoning Part One’
Release Date: July 12
Streaming Service: Theaters only (on Paramount+ after the theatrical run)
Cast: Tom Cruise, Hayley Atwell, Ving Rhames, Simon Pegg, Rebecca Ferguson, Vanessa Kirby, and Henry Czerny
Why We’re Hyped: It’s an understatement to say Tom Cruise is having a moment and has been ever since he single-handedly saved the movies with the box office success of Top Gun: Maverick. But there’s no rest for the 60-year-old—he’s back in action yet again in the seventh Mission Impossible movie, which was shot back-to-back with the eighth film, slotted for 2024. -
‘Barbie’
Release Date: July 21
Streaming Service: Theaters only (on Max after the theatrical run)
Cast: Margot Robbie, Ryan Gosling, Issa Rae, Simon Liu, Kate McKinnon
Why We’re Hyped: It’s clear from the first Barbie trailers that director Greta Gerwig understood the assignment re: turning the popular toy doll into a major motion picture. Co-written with her longtime romantic partner and collaborator, Noah Baumbach, Barbie promises delightful satire, campy glamour, and endless memes. -
‘Oppenheimer’
Release Date: July 21
Streaming Service: Theaters only (on Peacock Premium after the theatrical run)
Cast: Cillian Murphy, Emily Blunt, Robert Downey Jr., Matt Damon, Rami Malek, Florence Pugh
Why We’re Hyped: Despite rumors that Christopher Nolan’s latest had been delayed, this biopic about the man who created the atom bomb is still scheduled to release on the same weekend as Barbie. Though the vibes couldn’t be more different, we’re excited for this one too. Cillian Murphy, a frequent Nolan collaborator, stars as J. Robert Oppenheimer, and with a star-studded ensemble cast, it will be hard to miss. -
‘They Cloned Tyrone’
Release Date: July 21
Streaming Service: Netflix
Cast: John Boyega, Teyonah Parris, Kiefer Sutherland, and Jamie Foxx.
Why We’re Hyped: John Boyega is going back to sci-fi in this sci-comedy mystery, directed by Juel Taylor in his feature film directorial debut, about a futuristic government conspiracy. While we don’t know much about the film yet, we do know that those costumes are fire. -
‘Happiness For Beginners’
Release Date: July 27
Streaming Service: Netflix
Cast: Ellie Kemper, Luke Grimes, Nico Santos, Blythe Danner
Why We’re Hyped: We already know that Ellie Kemper is the queen of bright-eyed, bushy-tailed optimism, thanks to her fantastic performance in The Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt. We’re excited to see her tap back into that sense of corniness and naivete in this adaptation of Katherine Center’s popular novel of the same name. -
‘Red, White, and Royal Blue’
Release Date: August 11
Streaming Service: Amazon Prime
Cast: Taylor Zakhar Perez, Nicholas Galitzine, Uma Thurman, Clifton Collins Jr., Stephen Fry
Why We’re Hyped: Anyone who’s ever read fan-fiction likely knows about the best-selling romance novel by Casey McQuiston, about a secret, passionate love affair between the fictional son of the U.S. president and the fictional Prince of England. Now this classic enemies-to-friends-to-love story will be a movie, directed by Matthew Lopez, starring Taylor Zakhar Perez and Nicholas Galitzine. Get ready to swoon. -
‘Heart of Stone’
Release Date: August 11
Streaming Service: Netflix
Cast: Gal Gadot, Jamie Dornan, Alia Bhatt
Why We’re Hyped: Wonder Woman is back in action this summer in this upcoming Netflix film, which stars Gal Gadot as an intelligence operative tasked with a dangerous mission. But we’re most excited to see Jamie Dornan back on screen again after Barb & Star. Fingers crossed he does a rendition of “Seagulls in the Sand.” -
‘Lift’
Release Date: August 25
Streaming Service: Netflix
Cast: Kevin Hart, Gugu Mbatha-Raw, Vincent D’Onofrio, Úrsula Corberó, Billy Magnussen, Jacob Batalon, with Jean Reno and Sam Worthington
Why We’re Hyped: Look, I’m a simple person: If you get an ensemble team together to pull off one big heist, I will watch your movie. This particular heist involves the FBI and an international crew on a 777 flying from London to Zurich. Directed by F. Gary Gray (who also directed The Fate of the Furious), we have a feeling this movie will be pure fun. -
‘Vacation Friends 2’
Release Date: August 25
Streaming Service: Hulu
Cast: John Cena, Lil Rel Howery, Yvonne Orji, and Meredith Hagner
Why We’re Hyped: If you caught the first Vacation Friends movie on Hulu in 2021, you know that it was massively silly and massively fun. You can expect more of the same in the sequel, which picks up a few months after the first film left off. Newly married couple Marcus (Howery) and Emily (Orji) invite their wild new BFFs, Ron (Cena) and Kyla (Hagner), on another vacation together, and more hilarity ensues. -
‘Nimona’
Release Date: Summer TBA
Streaming Service: Netflix
Cast: Chloë Grace Moretz, Riz Ahmed, and Eugene Lee Yang
Why We’re Hyped: Based on the comic series of the same name by ND Stevenson—the creative mind behind the animated television series She-Ra and the Princesses of Power—Nimona feels like it has the potential to be Netflix’s next great animated film. Chloë Grace Moretz stars as the voice of Nimona, a teenager with shape-shifting abilities, on the run from a knight ordered to kill her.