The biggest winners and losers of summer 2023

As summer comes to a close, there’s still one thing on everyone’s mind: the movies are back, baby! And it wasn’t Ariel or Indiana Jones who revived the box office, but the power of original auteur filmmaking. Sure, Greta Gerwig’s Barbie and Christopher Nolan’s Oppenheimer may have done (extremely) well on their own, but together they provided a transcendent phenomenon. Theatergoers were thrilled by the idea of the double feature and tickled by pairing two very different films, and that translated into major box office dollars. It was a win for the film industry, but it was also a win for audiences who remembered how much fun going to the movies could be. [Mary Kate Carr]

With the strikes still going strong, many studios pushed back the release dates for some of their biggest films and television shows, in part because actors and writers aren’t able to promote them. Just last week, Warner Bros. announced it was moving Dune: Part Two from November 15 to March 14, 2024. Sony’s next big Venom-verse film, Kraven The Hunter, also got pushed to 2024, as did the Zendaya-led tennis romance Challengers. Most scripted network television shows have been delayed, too. And while it sucks that there are fewer new things to watch, it sucks a lot more that the people who create those things are still waiting for a fair deal after all this time. [Jen Lennon]

The story of Taylor Swift’s current cultural ascendence can be summed up with one of her own lyrics: “Checkmate, I couldn’t lose.” Swift was already one of the winningest pop artists of her generation, but The Eras Tour is the crowning jewel in a highly bejeweled career. Swifties repeatedly crashed Ticketmaster and fellow celebs scrambled to get their own seats to the shows, making Swift the hottest ticket in every town. The career-spanning setlist—plus all the memes, friendship bracelets, secret songs, and everything else about the Eras Tour—wasn’t Swift’s only Summer 2023 achievement. “Cruel Summer,” a Lover album cut, surged in popularity so much that it was released as a single and skyrocketed to No. 4 on the Billboard Hot 100—three years after it was initially released. She also dropped Speak Now (Taylor’s Version), breaking lots of records with a 13-year-old album. At the end of the U.S. leg of the tour, Swift announced 1989 (Taylor’s Version). With that re-record coming in October, plus The Eras Tour concert film, expect Swift to win the autumn—already her most powerful season—as well. [Mary Kate Carr]

Who decided that throwing things at musicians and bothering other people who paid a lot of money to see their faves perform was what the world needed more of right now? Hayley Williams of Paramore stopped a show to call out some people who decided to push their way through a crowd to get to the front (she later apologized with a thoughtful note about public shaming, but the fans’ behavior was still awful), Miranda Lambert paused in the middle of a ballad to call out some fans taking a selfie and blocking other people’s view of the stage, and someone threw a bag of their mother’s ashes on stage at a Pink concert. Perhaps most egregiously, a concertgoer threw a cell phone at Bebe Rexha, injuring her to the point where she needed stitches. It’s so, so depressing that we need to say this, but: Everyone, please just stop being jackasses to each other, okay? [Jen Lennon]

We’re still not over the experience of seeing Spider-Man: Across The Spider-Verse on the big screen in June. It expanded upon the creative animation style of the first Spider-Verse film and took it to mind-blowing new levels of artistry (unfortunately taking a toll on the artists as a result, we must point out). But it wasn’t the only film that pushed the envelope with bold designs and fun concepts this summer. Netflix brought us Nimona, a graphic novel adaptation rescued from the ashes of shuttered animation studio Blue Sky Studios. Set in a world that’s a blend of medieval and futuristic elements, it allows its impish, shape-shifting protagonist Nimona a full range of expressions that reflect the character’s fluid identity. There was also the aforementioned Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem, which had its own stylized look meant to evoke doodles in the margins of a young artist’s notebook. These projects all have their own aesthetics, but they felt fresh in their own ways. Compare them to something like Pixar’s Elemental, which didn’t stand out as anything special, or the dead-on-arrival Ruby Gillman, Teenage Kraken, and you can see where the art of animation is heading, or where it should be. [Cindy White]

With Mission: Impossible — Dead Reckoning Part One and Spider-Man: Across The Spider-Verse both hitting theaters this summer, fans who wanted a complete story—which is really not a huge ask when it comes to feature films—were left hanging. It didn’t help that Spider-Verse decided the drop the “Part One” from its title, meaning that many viewers had no idea going in that it was really only half a narrative. Don’t get us wrong—both films were still great, but they definitely left us wanting more right then, not months or years down the line. [Jen Lennon]

Actor-writer-producer Ayo Edebiri had a whole bunch of projects hit all at once this summer. We were excited, of course, for her return as talented chef and restaurateur Sydney in the excellent second season of The Bear. But as a sort of amuse bouche we also saw Edebiri get fired by Annie Murphy in the best episode of Black Mirror’s sixth season, “Joan Is Awful,” which dropped just a week before The Bear arrived. In July, Edebiri popped up as a camp counselor making it up as she goes in the indie comedy Theater Camp. Then in August we got to hear her fun new take on April O’Neil in the animated adventure Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem. You may have also caught her voice work in animated projects like Clone High, Mulligan, Bigtop Burger, and Spider-Man: Across The Spider-Verse. For good measure, Edebiri closed the summer out by co-starring in the “blisteringly funny” (according to our review) queer teen sex comedy Bottoms. Wherever she turns up next we’ll be there, and we know it’s going to be a good time. [Cindy White]

After Euphoria season two, everyone was pretty tired of Sam Levinson. There were hints of ickiness throughout the season, as rumors of friction between Levinson and star Barbie Ferreira swirled. The reports didn’t paint the production in the most positive light, either, with a few people commenting on Levinson’s alleged unprofessional behavior and his lack of preparedness leading to long shoots. Plus, fans were getting fed up with what they perceived as Levinson showing certain characters favoritism in his writing. So the wind was already blowing in a certain direction when the mess that was The Idol came out, which only cemented the anti-Levinson sentiment. After The Idol suffered universally scathing reviews, there was little surprise, and maybe even some relief, when Levinson’s series finally got the axe. [Jen Lennon]

Who would’ve thought Suits, a nine-season drama that wrapped up in 2019, would take the crown for the show of the summer in 2023? Sorry to The Bear, but it looks like Suits is what kept everyone going this year. There’s no bigger sign than its resurgence to prove that we’re craving a fun, whip-smart network-style procedural that can sustain itself for a long time. Streaming originals tend to wrap up in a few short episodes or within a couple of seasons. It might not have gotten its flowers while it aired, but Suits has emerged as a surprising winner. Now, if only this would translate to Gabriel Macht and Sarah Rafferty getting meaty roles in the present-day. [Saloni Gajjar]

The Alliance of Motion Pictures and Television Producers continues to resist offering a fair deal to WGA and SAG-AFTRA members. The organization, people by reluctant studio and network execs, has played an outsized role in Hollywood’s lengthiest labor action in years. In addition, the strikes are impacting thousands of non-union workers who also rely on film and TV productions for their livelihood. [Saloni Gajjar]

It’s been seven years since Beyoncé blessed us with the Formation World Tour. And while Queen Bey absolutely can and should do as she pleases, even if it means making us wait another seven years to see her live, we have to admit that this wait has been an especially long one. But it was so, so worth it: the Renaissance World Tour kicked off its American leg in July, and Beyoncé has never been better. Plus, Renaissance has become the highest-grossing tour by a female artist in history. [Jen Lennon]

Where to begin with this one? Sure, there is an objective way in which Doja Cat hasn’t lost this summer—she’s released three singles that have performed decently. But she has mostly been in the news for various petty controversies, most of which could be avoided by simply staying off social media. Doja has admitted in the past that her relationship with the socials isn’t the best, but now that Instagram and Twitter and TikTok are the de facto channels for promoting new music, leaving them wholesale seems unlikely. But when everyone is talking about everything but the music, it’s the music that ultimately loses. [Drew Gillis]

Isn’t it refreshing when a show comes along that’s just nice? Heartstopper is the ultimate feel-good comfort watch. Season two premiered in early August, and it’s still dominating the cultural conversation. Do teens really communicate exclusively through Instagram DMs? Actually, kind of, as our own Emma Keates discovered. It’s those little details that make Heartstopper one of the most authentic teen shows that’s come across our screen in a while. [Jen Lennon]

We’ve asked ourselves the question on many occasions this summer: What the hell is going on at Disney? The legendary studio has had its struggles before, but the past year has been a mess. Bob Iger can’t stop putting his foot in his mouth when talking about the strikes. Meanwhile, the studio’s summer movie slate became a series of disappointments and missed opportunities, with films like Indiana Jones And The Dial Of Destiny, Elemental, and Haunted Mansion opening far below expectations. On the TV side, Secret Invasion was muddled and poorly received, and the decision by Disney Plus not to hire any of the crew who worked on Netflix’s Daredevil series for its revival Daredevil: Born Again, including Charlie Cox’s preferred stunt double, drew criticism from fans and the media. [Cindy White]

For season 14, The Real Housewives Of New York City debuted a brand-new cast, the first total clearing of the board in the show’s history. It was a risky move, but it’s paid off: model Ubah Hassan has already emerged as a fan-favorite, publicist Jessel Taank is a villain in the classic Housewives tradition, and fashion icon Jenna Lyons is taking everyone to task for their sartorial choices. It’s a strong cast, and they make for compelling TV, even when they don’t get along. [Jen Lennon]

Disney World’s Galactic Starcruiser hotel is making its final jump to hyperspace in September, and we can’t say we’re surprised. Sure, it was a cool concept—a two-night, immersive fantasy journey on a Star Wars ship just sounds like fun—but at nearly $5,000 for two people, or nearly $6,000 for four, the prices were absurd. They couldn’t even throw in a complimentary alcoholic drink or two to numb the pain of spending a month-long vacation’s worth of money on a three-day Star Wars LARP. [Jen Lennon]

K-Pop fully crossed over into American pop culture years ago, but there are still acts that can bring new fans to the genre. NewJeans is easily the biggest example of this in recent memory as this summer saw the release of their EP “Get Up.” The five-song project was clearly crafted with the whole globe in mind; the group teamed with the Portugal-born, Denmark-raised R&B singer-songwriter Erika de Casier, who by her own admission had never really listened to K-Pop before. Music aside, it also feels like NewJeans did the borderline impossible at Lollapalooza: they performed a TikTok dance on stage and didn’t look completely ridiculous. [Drew Gillis]

Arrow star Stephen Amell stepped into a mess of his own making when he said during a fan convention that the SAG-AFTRA strike was “myopic” and a “reductive negotiating tactic.” Primarily, he expressed frustration over the strike rule that doesn’t allow him to promote his TV show, Heels. The frustration is understandable, the unnecessary ranting is not. It’s obvious that everyone might be annoyed that projects they worked on for so long aren’t being well-promoted now, but Amell used his platform to blame the rule instead of, you know, the AMPTP. He backtracked on his statement via a lengthy Instagram caption that further explained his point, but it wasn’t very helpful. In the end, Amell showed up on the picket line to express support for SAG-AFTRA. [Saloni Gajjar]

This summer we could finally say that someone got the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles right. The “heroes in a half shell” have been hanging around since the 1980s, but they’ve never felt as authentic and relatable as they do in Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem. Director Jeff Rowe and co-director Kyler Spears (with assistance from screenwriters Seth Rogen, Evan Goldberg, Dan Hernandez, and Benji Samit) figured out that the key was to lean into the “teenage” part of the name, and every creative decision they made—from casting actual teens to the intentionally amateurish animation style—sprung from that deceptively simple concept. Throw in a stellar supporting voice cast that included Ayo Edibiri (another of our summer winners), Jackie Chan, Ice Cube, Paul Rudd, John Cena, Rose Byrne, and Maya Rudoph, and you’ve got a recipe for success. We love this direction for the characters and hope to see more of it, especially after that tease at the end of the film (if you know, you know). [Cindy White]

With Barbie, Mattel won the summer product movie wars. Which is insane to think that there are enough movies based on products that we can compare their performances, but here we are. Anyway, Hasbro had some product movies out this year, too, but they didn’t exactly land with audiences the way Barbie did. In fact, Transformers: Rise Of The Beasts was the lowest-grossing movie in the Transformers franchise, which is not exactly great for a film that was supposed to reboot the series. Hasbro also sold its production company, eOne, for several billion dollars less than the original purchase price. All in all, it added up to a sad summer for Hasbro. [Jen Lennon]

Between Barbie, Oppenheimer, and weirdly enough, Sound Of Freedom, movie theaters were packed this summer for the first time in years. Well, okay, it’s unclear if most of the tickets purchased for Sound Of Freedom were actually used, but that’s beside the point. Ticket sales were up, which was good news for a lot of theaters. After the pandemic, many local theaters never reopened. Even the big chains were struggling. The industry still isn’t back to pre-pandemic profits, but the number of films getting wide releases is increasing again, which is a good sign. Maybe we won’t get another Barbenheimer-level theatergoing event for a while, but if nothing else, it reminded a lot of people that going to the movies can be a really special experience. [Jen Lennon]

What else are we going to have to put up with from Elon Musk’s version of Twitter? His latest stunt is rebranding the platform entirely—it’s now called X. Just X. That’s it, that’s the whole thing. No more bird logo, no more tweets, just a big, sad, black X. The rebrand was met with general bafflement from the public and particular ire from the people who live across from the company’s headquarters in San Francisco. The new sign atop the building was so bright it caused multiple complaints from neighbors and the city eventually fined X and made the company take it down. [Jen Lennon]

Okay, we know we called Suits the show of the summer earlier, but in rational terms, The Bear won over everyone upon its return. Season two was a scrumptious delight, and it’s not the only Hulu or FX on Hulu offering to reach its pinnacle. Shows like Reservation Dogs, What We Do In The Shadows, and Only Murders In The Building returned for effective, memorable seasons. Barring The Bear, which most deserved a weekly rollout, the rest of them retained a week-to-week audience as well. So it looks like Hulu emerged victorious in the streaming wars for now. [Saloni Gajjar]

It came as a shock when Henry Cavill announced last year that he would be leaving Netflix’s The Witcher series. For many fans, Cavill was Geralt; a huge fan of the books and games on which the show is based who also happened to fit the part perfectly. In the past, he’d also been extremely enthusiastic about the show, so fans were left wondering what changed, and it’s still not entirely clear why he left. But if Cavill’s last batch of episodes, which Netflix released in July, is any indication, Liam Hemsworth will have a tough time picking up Geralt’s sword. The show is set to continue with Hemsworth in the title role, but it’s clear it’ll never quite be the same. [Jen Lennon]

Okay, so, in July, Nope star and all-around delightful human being Keke Palmer went to an Usher concert. She posted a video of her outfit on Instagram; she was wearing a sheer black dress over a black bodysuit. But her boyfriend, Darius Jackson, with whom she shares a son, didn’t love it. He made a public post on Twitter criticizing her outfit and saying that she’s a mom now and shouldn’t “showcase booty cheeks to please others.” The general public dragged him all the way to hell and back, but Palmer herself stayed silent ... until a month later, when Usher dropped his new music video for “Boyfriend,” which featured Palmer. The whole thing seems specifically tailored to dunk on Jackson and his dumb comments; Palmer even winks at the camera and says, “I’m a mother, after all.” Ouch. It’s unclear if Palmer and Jackson are still together, but that seems like a tough thing to come back from. [Jen Lennon]

Poor Britney Spears can’t catch a break when it comes to love. This summer, she announced her divorce from her husband, Sam Asghari, after only a year of marriage. But Spears and Asghari weren’t the only major couple breaking up this summer: Joe Manganiello and Sofia Vergara, and Ariana Grande and Dalton Gomez also called it quits this summer. Even politicians weren’t exempt from the mess. Former New York City mayor Bill de Blasio separated from his wife, Chirlane McCray, and Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau separated from his wife, Sophie Gregoire Trudeau, as well. Maybe the COVID quarantines are finally catching up with everyone. Or maybe love is just dead forever. Who’s to say, really? [Jen Lennon]

Because of the WGA and SAG-AFTRA strikes, most of the major studios pulled out of San Diego Comic-Con this year. That meant one of the big draws for the con over the past 15 years or so, the big TV and film panels in Hall H, were canceled. It left a lot of people wondering how Comic-Con would play out, or if there would even be anything to do there without the big pop-culture draws. But it turns out that the lack of studio presence was exactly what the convention needed. Without the big panels and celebrity presence, Comic-Con got back to its roots as a fan-focused event with—gasp!—actual comics as the main focus. It was cool, and fun, and probably something we’re unlikely to see ever again. [Jen Lennon]

How did Marvel get Secret Invasion so wrong? It’s the Nick Fury TV show. It should’ve been the coolest thing Marvel has ever done. And instead it was ... what was it, even? Unnecessary, to start, but mostly just so disappointing. Samuel L. Jackson, Olivia Colman, Ben Mendelsohn, Emilia Clarke, and Cobie Smulders delivered stellar performances, but the plot felt inconsequential. Plus, Maria Hill is dead now, which really stings. [Jen Lennon]