5 movies we can't wait to see in April 2023: 'Renfield,' 'Mario,' 'Evil Dead Rise' & more

It's not quite summer movie season just yet, but don't tell that to the box office. After a month that included the likes of John Wick: Chapter 4 and Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves, we're heading into an April release calendar that includes several more major genre releases, including some films that have the potential to be among the biggest of the year so far.

So, to help you plan out your month, let's take a closer look at five of the genre films we're most excited to check out this month.

The Super Mario Bros. Movie (April 5)

Let's kick things off with the animated adventure every Nintendo-obsessed kid (and their parents) has been waiting for: The first big-screen Super Mario adaptation in 30 years, and the first animated adventure in what could be a whole universe of new Nintendo stories. Starring an all-star cast that includes Chris Pratt as Mario, Charlie Day as Luigi, Anya Taylor-Joy as Princess Peach, Jack Black as Bowser, Keegan-Michael Key as Toad, and Seth Rogen as Donkey Kong, The Super Mario Bros. Movie has all the makings of a candy-colored dose of family fun this month. So, pack up the kids and check it out. Just, you know, be ready for the possibility that this could be the next movie your kid wants to watch over and over on a loop. Get tickets now.

Renfield (April 14)

The story of horror's longest-suffering sidekick, Renfield promises to put a new spin on Dracula courtesy of director Chris McKay and producer Robert Kirkman, who came up with the idea that drives this particular story. A horror-comedy starring Nicholas Hoult in the title role and Academy Award Winner Nicolas Cage as Dracula, Renfield follows what happens when the Count's familiar finally decides he's done with the toxic demands of his boss, and wants to go his own way. Oh, and when he eats bugs he gets super-strength. But come on, you stopped reading after "Nicolas Cage as Dracula," because what more do you need to know? Get tickets now.

The Pope's Exorcist (April 14)

If you've spent any time at all digging deeper into exorcism lore in pop culture, you probably know the name Gabriele Amorth, the former exorcist of the Diocese of Rome who claimed to have performed tens of thousands of exorcisms in his lifetime and whose work has inspired various stories of demonic possession. Already the subject of The Exorcist director William Friedkin's documentary The Devil and Father Amorth, this month Amorth gets his life's work repurposed for a full-blown horror film from Overlord director Julius Avery. Starring Russell Crowe as Amorth and based on the exorcist's own memoirs, it's a film that promises to dial up the possession intensity right away, and will definitely send more viewers out in search of new tales of Amorth's exploits. Get tickets now.

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Evil Dead Rise (April 21)

For the first time in 10 years, the Evil Dead franchise is heading back to the big screen, and this time it's doing it without Ash Williams and without the trappings of that legendary cabin in the woods. Written and directed by Lee Cronin (The Hole in the Ground), Evil Dead Rise takes place in a Los Angeles apartment building, where a mysterious book (you know the one) unleashes unspeakable evil on a single mom and her family. Brutality ensues, and if early reactions from first screenings are any indication, you'll never look at a cheese grater the same way again. Get tickets now.

Peter Pan & Wendy (April 28)

This is not the first live-action adaptation of the Peter Pan story, and you'd be forgiven for thinking Peter Pan & Wendy will be another paint-by-numbers remake that basically just pulls everything straight out of the original Disney animated film. But consider this: Peter Pan & Wendy hails from The Green Knight and A Ghost Story auteur David Lowery, who brought new life to Pete's Dragon and whose approach to fantasy filmmaking is both ambitious and singular. We don't know yet how this film will play out as it relates to the original animated version, but Lowery's involvement -- and the presence of Disney mainstay and Resident Alien star Alan Tudyk -- alone makes it worth watching. The film hits Disney+ April 28.