A Look at the 8 New Movies Coming Out This Week: ‘Napoleon,’ ‘Wish,’ and More!

It’s officially the holiday season! And we have no shortage of new movies coming out this week that you can enjoy with your family and friends!

This week’s new releases are spearheaded by the historical drama Napoleon, directed by the legendary Ridley Scott and featuring Joaquin Phoenix in the starring role. Alongside this mammoth film, Disney is introducing us to their latest heartwarming animated tale, Wish, where we follow the journey of a young girl, Asha, brought to life by the voice of Oscar winner Ariana DeBose.

Emerald Fennell, an Oscar-winning filmmaker, presents us with the much-awaited Saltburn, while Adam Sandler ventures into the animation realm as a singing lizard in Leo.

Adding a touch of magic to the mix is Melissa McCarthy as the wish-granting protagonist in Genie. And for those nostalgia lovers, the dynamic duo, Kel and Kennan, return to the screen in the long-anticipated sequel Good Burger 2.

Below is the full list of all the new movies coming out this week in theaters and streaming!

New Movies Coming Out This Week: November 20, 2023 – November 26, 2023.

Napoleon   (2023)

Rating: R

Release Date: In theatres nationwide on Wednesday, November 22, 2023.

Summary: Napoleon tells the personal story of Napoleon Bonaparte (Joaquin Phoenix), his origins, and his swift and ruthless climb to emperor viewed through the relationship with his wife and one true love, Josephine (Vanessa Kirby).

What to Watch For: The film is directed by four-time Academy Award-nominated Ridley Scott. The last time Joaquin Phoenix worked with Scott, it was for his Oscar-nominated role as Commodus in Gladiator (2000).

Word on the Street: Director Ridley Scott met with Joaquin Phoenix for ten days straight, going over each scene before the shoot so the Phoenix could get a hold of how he would portray Napoleon.

My Take: I love that when asked to respond to criticisms about historical inaccuracies in the film, Ridley Scott replied, ‘ Get a life.’

Wish   (2023)

Rating: PG

Release Date: In theatres nationwide on Wednesday, November 22, 2023.

Summary: Wish is about a young girl named Asha (voiced by Ariana DeBose) who worries that an evil force will take over her kingdom. When she wishes upon a star, her plea is answered by a boundless ball of energy called Star (Alan Tudyk). Together with her talking goat, Valentino (voiced by Alan Tudyk), Asha and Star will work to save their world and defeat evil.

What to Watch For: The film is directed by Chris Buck, who won an Oscar for Frozen (2013), and Fawn Veerasunthorn known for her work on Raya and the Last Dragon (2021) and Ralph Breaks the Internet (2018).

Word on the Street: The voice cast includes Nasim Pedrad, Chris Pine, Heather Matarazzo, Angelique Cabral, Victor Garber, Natasha Rothwell, and Jennifer Kumiyama.

My Take: I can’t wait to hear Ariana DeBose sing again on the movie screen.

Saltburn   (2023)

Rating: R

Release Date: In theatres on Wednesday, November 22, 2023.

Summary: In Saltburn, Oliver (Barry Keoghan) has struggled to fit into Oxford University. Oliver is drawn into the world of charming and aristocratic fellow student Felix (Jacob Elordi). Felix invites Oliver to spend the summer on his eccentric family’s sprawling estate. It’s a summer that will change everything.

What to Watch For: The film is from filmmaker Emerald Fennell, known for his Oscar-winning film Promising Young Woman (2020).

Word on the Street: The supporting cast is impressive, including Richard E. Grant, Rosamund Pike, and Carey Mulligan. Margo Robbie is one of the film’s producers.

My Take: I still think Barry Keoghan should have won the Oscar for his performance in last year’s The Banshees of Inisherin.

A Still Small Voice  (2023)

Rating: N/A

Release Date: In theaters on Friday, November 24, 2023.

Summary: A Still Small Voice is a documentary about Mati, an aspiring hospital chaplain, completing a yearlong residency at Mount Sinai Hospital during the pandemic. Mati is pushed to the breaking point dealing with the continuing loss of life, counseling not only patients but also family members coping with death.

What to Watch For: The film won the 2023 Sundance Film Festival Directing Award for filmmaker Luke Lorentzen.

Word on the Street: Luke Lorentzen’s previous film was the multi-award-winning documentary Midnight Family (2019), about a family running a private ambulance in Mexico City.

My Take: Fellow film critics tell me this movie has a great shot at an Academy Award nomination.

Leo   (2023)

Rating: PG

Release Date: Premieres on Netflix on Tuesday, November 21, 2023.

Summary: Leo is an animated film about a lizard named Leo (voiced by Adam Sandler) and his best friend, Squirtle the Turtle (voiced by Bill Barr), who live in a terrarium in a Florida elementary school classroom. All Leo wants to do is escape and see the world. The school’s students have a different idea for Leo, for him to be their best friend.

What to Watch For: The film is a musical from Adam Sandler’s production company.

Word on the Street: The impressive voice cast includes Cecily Strong, Jason Alexander, Rob Schneider, Jo Koy, Janie Haddad Tompkins, Adam Sandler’s wife Jackie, and their two daughters, Sadie and Sunny.

My Take: I love the turtle is named Leo after Leonardo from the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles and that Squirtle is named after a Pokemon character.

Genie  (2023)

Rating: PG

Release Date: Premieres on Peacock on Wednesday, November 22, 2023.

Summary: In Genie, Bernard (Paapa Essiedu) is a workaholic whose wife has left him and has just been fired. His luck turns when he happens to find a box, rubs it, and out pops a genie (Melissa McCarthy). Can this genie help Bernard win his family back before Christmas?

What to Watch For: The film’s writer is Richard Curtis. He’s known for the screenplays of Bridget Jones’s Diary (2002) and Love Actually (2004).

Word on the Street: The cast includes Alan Cumming, Luis Guzmán, Denée Benton, and Marc Maron.

My Take: This is a remake of the 1991 British film Bernard and the Genie, which starred Rowan Atkinson, Alan Cumming and Lenny Henry.

Good Burger 2  (2023)

Rating: PG

Release Date: Premieres on Paramount+ on Tuesday, November 21, 2023.

Summary: Good Burger 2 is about Ed (Kel Mitchell) and Dexter (Kenan Thompson) trying to save their beloved restaurant from a mega-corporation that wants to replace them with robot versions of themselves.

What to Watch For: The cast includes Carmen Electra, Josh Server, Jillian Bell, Nicole Byer, Mark Cuban, Rob Gronkowski, Lil Rel Howery, Flula Borg, and Lori Beth Denberg.

Word on the Street: This is a sequel to Good Burger, which was released 26 years ago.

My Take: I will miss Abe Vigoda, who starred in the original film and died in 2016.

Robot Dreams   (2023)

Rating: N/A

Release Date: In theatres on Wednesday, November 22, 2023.

Summary: In Robot Dreams, Dog is living alone in an apartment in 1980s New York City when he sees what could be the solution to not having any friends, an ad for a home robot. He orders Robot, and they have a great time together until one fateful day at the beach when a horrible mistake causes them to separate. Will they find each other again?

What to Watch For: The movie was very successful at film festivals. It won multiple awards, including Best Feature at the 2023 Philadelphia Film Festival.

Word on the Street: The film is based on a comic of the same name by Sara Varon.

My Take: I loved the look and feel of the trailer and look forward to seeing this movie.

Which New Movies Coming Out This Week Are You Excited to Watch?

Let us know below what new movies you plan to see this week!