What do Eddie Murphy, Jamie Foxx, Idris Elba, Kevin Hart, John Boyega, Cynthia Erivo, Teyonah Parris, Djimon Hounsou, Ray Fisher, Lauren London, Mahershala Ali, Myha’la, Gugu Mbatha-Raw and Angela Bassett all have in common? Aside from the fact that they’re extremely talented, award-winning artists, they’re also starring in new movies coming to Netflix in 2023. These forthcoming films have everything from government conspiracies to jail-busting detectives, high-stakes heists to planetary wars — and you won’t want to miss any of them.
These seven films — all boasting Black filmmakers, actors or both — are all part of a packed roster of new releases coming your way this year. So grab your calendar and stock up on popcorn, because you’re going to want to know exactly when you’ll be able to hit play on films like Kenya Barris’ You People, the return of Elba’s John Luther in Luther: The Fallen Sun, pulpy mystery caper They Cloned Tyrone and the adaptation of Rumaan Alam’s acclaimed page-turner Leave the World Behind. Keep reading to find out more about all of them.
Genre: Comedy
Logline: When a rideshare mix-up in Los Angeles brings Ezra Cohen (Jonah Hill) and Amira Mohammed (Lauren London) together, the two find themselves connecting over a shared love of streetwear and music. As they fall in love, their relationship is tested by their respective families: Ezra’s progressive and semi-woke parents (Julia Louis-Dreyfus and David Duchovny) and Amira’s unyielding yet concerned parents (Eddie Murphy and Nia Long) who inject themselves into their lives mercilessly. Kenya Barris’ feature film directorial debut is a modern love story set amidst clashing cultures and interfaith relationships. Co-written by Kenya Barris and Jonah Hill and produced by the two alongside Kevin Misher, the comedy features an all-star ensemble cast including Sam Jay, Elliott Gould, Travis Bennett, Molly Gordon, Rhea Perlman, Deon Cole, Andrea Savage and Mike Epps.
Cast: Jonah Hill, Lauren London, David Duchovny, Nia Long, Sam Jay, Elliott Gould, Travis Bennett, Molly Gordon, Rhea Perlman, Deon Cole, Andrea Savage, Mike Epps, Emily Arlook, Alani La La Anthony, Bryan Greenberg with Julia Louis-Dreyfus and Eddie Murphy
Director: Kenya Barris
Genre: Drama Thriller
Logline: In Luther: The Fallen Sun — an epic continuation of the award-winning television saga reimagined for film — a gruesome serial killer is terrorizing London while brilliant but disgraced detective John Luther (Idris Elba) sits behind bars. Haunted by his failure to capture the cyber psychopath who now taunts him, Luther decides to break out of prison to finish the job by any means necessary. The film also stars Cynthia Erivo, Andy Serkis and Dermot Crowley, who returns as Martin Schenk.
Cast: Idris Elba, Cynthia Erivo, Andy Serkis, Dermot Crowley
Director: Jamie Payne
Genre: Mystery Action Thriller
Logline: A series of eerie events thrusts an unlikely trio (Boyega, Foxx and Parris) onto the trail of a nefarious government conspiracy in this pulpy mystery caper.
Cast: John Boyega, Jamie Foxx and Teyonah Parris
Director: Juel Taylor
Genre: Action
Logline: An international heist crew is recruited to prevent a terrorist attack and must pull off the heist on a plane mid-flight.
Cast: Kevin Hart, Gugu Mbatha-Raw, Vincent D’Onofrio, Úrsula Corberó, Billy Magnussen, Jacob Batalon, Jean Reno and Sam Worthington
Director: F. Gary Gray
Genre: Action Adventure
Logline: A dutiful damsel agrees to marry a handsome prince, only to find the royal family has recruited her as a sacrifice to repay an ancient debt. Thrown into a cave with a fire-breathing dragon, she must rely on her wits and will to survive.
Cast: Millie Bobby Brown, Angela Bassett, Robin Wright, Ray Winstone, Nick Robinson, Brooke Carter and Shohreh Aghdashloo
Director: Juan Carlos Fresnadillo
Genre: Thriller
Logline: A family vacation on Long Island is interrupted by two strangers bearing news of a mysterious blackout. As the threat grows more imminent, both families must decide how best to survive the potential crisis, all while grappling with their own place in this collapsing world.
Cast: Julia Roberts, Mahershala Ali, Ethan Hawke, Myha’la, Farrah Mackenzie, Charlie Evans and Kevin Bacon
Director: Sam Esmail
Genre: Action
Logline: When a peaceful colony on the edge of the galaxy finds itself threatened by the armies of the tyrannical Regent Balisarius, they dispatch Kora, a young woman with a mysterious past, to seek out warriors from neighboring planets to help them take a stand.
Cast: Sofia Boutella, Djimon Hounsou, Ed Skrein, Michiel Huisman, Bae Doona, Ray Fisher, Charlie Hunnam, Anthony Hopkins, Cary Elwes, Corey Stoll, Jena Malone, Fra Fee, Cleopatra Coleman, Alfonso Herrera, Stuart Martin, Staz Nair, Sky Yang, Rhian Rees, E. Duffy and Charlotte Maggi
Director: Zack Snyder
