What to expect from Netflix in 2023

CONSTANTINOS PSILLIDES looks at what the streaming giant has in store

From a ghostbusting service to electronic beat earworm, streaming giant Netflix has a lot in store for 2023, including ending password sharing. The move, followed by a drop in subscription numbers for the first time in a decade, is expected to boost Netflix’s revenue and compete with the House of Mouse and Disney +.

Here’s what’s coming to the platform in 2023:

The Pale Blue Eye (January 6)

Here’s what the doctor ordered: a good ol’ fashion gothic murder mystery! Set in New York in 1830, the film stars Christian Bale as Augustus, a veteran detective called in to solve a series of gruesome murders at the military West Point Academy. As the case takes a turn for the supernatural, Augustus finds unexpected help from a young cadet and future raven whisperer called Edgar Allan Poe, played by Harry Meiling. And speaking of Poe…

The Fall of the House of Usher (TBA)

Friend of the column and master story teller Mike Flanagan tackles one of Poe’s greatest stories, The Fall of the House of Usher. Pitched as a miniseries, this will see the return of many Flanagan collaborators, such as Carla Cugino who stars as Madelenie Roderick, a woman living with her brother on their family estate, the eponymous House of Usher.

Lockwood and Co (January 27)

Based on Jonathan Stroud’s YA series of books, Lockwood and Co is set in an alternative timeline Britain where ghosts and phantoms are an everyday occurrence. Mostly annoying but more often lethal, these apparitions can only be battled by children and teenagers as growing old results in not being able to see or feel them. To combat the roaming ghosts, a number of ghost-busting agencies are set up, including Lockwood and Co. The company is owned by charismatic Anthony Lockwood and friend George, who in the beginning of the series recruit a powerful psychic girl called Lucy.

Maestro (TBA)

When Bradley Cooper decides he wants an Oscar, he goes all out. Maestro is a biopic of famed conductor Leonard Bernstein, played of course, by Bradley Cooper, and produced by Martin Scorcese, Steven Spielberg and Todd Phillips. The film is expected to focus on Bernstein’s relationship and marriage with Felicia Montealegre, played by Carey Mulligan. From writing the music to The West Side Story, to being the first American-born conductor to receive international acclaim, Maestro is sure to find a spot in next year’s Oscar’s line-up.

Beverley Hills Cop: Axel Foley (TBA)

If you were born in the 80s or 90s, I am terribly sorry for putting that electric beat in your head for the rest of the day. Beverly Hills Cop is a three-film series released in the late 80s, starring Eddie Murphy as Detroit police detective who visits the glitzy, upscale Beverly Hills police department to solve the murder of a friend. A classic ‘fish-out-of-water’ movie, Beverly Hills Cop was a massive success and launched the career of Eddie Murphy. Now, almost 30 years after, Axel Foley returns as an outside consultant to help investigate corruption in the Beverly Hills police department. The film will see all the stars come back, including Judge Reinhold and John Ashton, Paul Reiser and Bronson Pinchot as the lovable and extremely capable art dealer, Serge!

The Killer (TBA)

Director David Fincher returns to crime thrillers in The Killer, penned by Se7en writer Andrew Kevin Walker, based on a series of graphic novels. And if ‘from the people who brought you Se7en’ wasn’t enough of a hook, the film stars Michael Fassbender and Tilda Swinton.

Avatar: The Last Airbender & One Piece

Live adaptations of anime series have been more or less a disaster so far for Netflix. Following the Cowboy Bebop fiasco last year, one would think that the streaming giant would pull the plug on all similar projects but that turned out not to be the case. Instead, Netflix greenlighted two highly ambitious projects for 2023, both with dedicated fanbases that would not hesitate to crucify the creators if the adaptation doesn’t meet their standards. One Piece is the long running anime about a gang of seafaring pirates (trust me on this, it would take up the whole newspaper if I attempted to go any deeper than that), while Avatar: The Last Airbender tells the story of a boy destined to save the world. In the Last Airbender universe, rivaling nations (represented by the four main elements), squabble for control and are only kept in check by an Avatar who has the power of every element. Aang though disappears, throwing the world into disarray.