Overview
How do you start one of the most-anticipated film events on Sydney's annual calendar? For Westpac Openair Cinema, that's a familiar question. The answer in 2023: with the new movie by an all-time great, and one of the 2023 Oscar frontrunners: Steven Spielberg's The Fabelmans.
The prolific director's latest comes hot on the heels of 2021's West Side Story, which also received some Academy Award love via a swag of nominations and a win for Ariana DeBose for Best Supporting Actress. When The Fabelmans launches Westpac Openair's new season on Sunday, January 8, the next batch of Oscar nominations won't yet be out — but it'll still begin the beloved harbourside cinema's 2023 run in a glorious way.
The Fabelmans follows a teenager who wants to become a filmmaker, and takes loose inspiration from Spielberg's own childhood and early years in the business. Gabriel LaBelle plays that 16-year-old, with Michelle Williams (Venom: Let There Be Carnage) and Paul Dano (The Batman) as his parents, and Seth Rogen (Pam & Tommy) as his dad's best friend.
After already locking in its dates — with its 2023 season running until Tuesday, February 21 — and announcing that Kitchen by Mike's Mike McEnearney will be behind its food range just like in 2022, Westpac Openair Cinema doesn't reveal its full 40-night lineup until Monday, November 28. But alongside announcing The Fabelmans, the event advised that both the also cinema-focused Empire of Light and the Cate Blanchett-starring Tár will also grace its giant 350-square-metre cinema screen at Mrs Macquaries Point. And, so will #MeToo drama She Said, the Emma Thompson-led Good Luck to You, Leo Grande, and The Lost King with Sally Hawkins and Steve Coogan.
Those six films join a trio of other already-unveiled titles: this year's Palme d'Or-winner Triangle of Sadness, the Harry Styles- and Florence Pugh-starring thrills of Don't Worry Darling and the fashion-focused Mrs Harris Goes to Paris.
And, back when the dates were first announced, the team behind the beloved event did drop a few other names of movies that've caught their attention, and that "would be pretty awesome experiences on Sydney Harbour", though. On that list: Elvis, Top Gun: Maverick, Fire of Love, Ticket to Paradise, Moonage Daydream and Bros.
Whatever other flicks fill out the bill, they'll play at one of Sydney's favourite outdoor cinema spots, which comes complete with spectacular panoramic views of the city, the Opera House and the Harbour Bridge.
As happens every year, tickets are likely to go quickly when they go on sale. Across the summer of 2018–19, more than 40,000 tickets sold within the first two days of pre-sale — so put it in your diary ASAP.
Westpac Openair 2023 runs from Sunday, January 8—Tuesday, February 21. Check back here on Monday, November 28 for the full lineup — with tickets on sale on Monday, December 12.
Top images: Fiora Sacco.