Fantasy & Sci-Fi Shows for the Whole Family

Welcome back, Incluvies!

2023 is proving to be an exciting year for new family-friendly fantasy and science fiction shows. We wanted to list some of our most anticipated shows coming this year. These films run the gamut from high fantasy to spacefaring science fiction. They accomplish what the best speculative fiction stories set out to do: illuminate the human condition with the glow of fire-breathing dragons and lightsabers.

The Little Mermaid (2023)

Halle Bailey makes waves on the Silver Screen this spring as Ariel in The Little Mermaid. Bailey’s beautiful, inside and out, with the voice of an angel. She is sure to capture your heart as surely as she captures the Prince’s. The movie comes out in May 2023, but you can check out a snippet of Halle Bailey’s version of “Part of Your World on YouTube (above).

While you are there, check out this compilation of adorable kids reacting to being represented in The Little Mermaid (2023).

We hope you are as excited as we are about this film! Here at Incluvie, we support diversity and representation in film. We know that representation matters! Colorblind casting for lead roles is one way that we can increase opportunities for underrepresented groups, like Black women. We hope you will join us in supporting this film and all other colorblind castings that help increase diversity in media.

Moon Girl and Devil Dinosaur (2023)

Marvel’s Moon Girl and Devil Dinosaur is the newest addition to the Disney Plus family! The family-friendly fantasy and science fiction show stars Lunella Lafayette (voiced by Diamond White) is a brilliant 13-year-old girl who moonlights as a superhero for the Lower West Side. In her genius, she accidentally brings Devil Dinosaur (voiced by Fred Tatasciore) to modern-day New York. The two spark a connection, and bring together brains and brawn to save the day. Her best friend, Casey (voiced by Libe Barer), is along for the ride, keeping Moon Girl fashionable, and keeping her secret. Laurence Fishburne and Helen Sugland have created a gem with this one. Check out the trailer above.

Bonus representation: Casey is of Jewish ancestry, giving some rare representation of people of color with Jewish ancestry.

First episode streams on Disney Plus on February 10th! Don’t miss the Moon Girl Magic.

My Dad the Bounty Hunter (2023)

Netflix enters the family-friendly fantasy and science fiction show fray with My Dad the Bounty Hunter. This film is a charming, space-faring romp that does exactly what fantasy and science fiction storytelling does best, take a real-life issue and examine it under the threat of space dragons and laser battles. In this case, we see a family unit work through family absenteeism without sugarcoating its negative effects. Terry is said absentee father, trying to rebuild his relationship with siblings, Lisa and Sean, after their relationship becomes strained because of all the games, moments, and plays he’s missed or canceled on. Naturally, as he tries to make up for it in one weekend, a mysterious stranger appears and thwarts the attempted reconciliation. Canceling once again to the disappointment of his children, we learn the spacefaring reason for his absenteeism by stowing away on his mission alongside his children. Interesting implications aside from the more cynical among us, this promises to be a fun adventure story that illuminates a father reconnecting with his children.

Netflix premieres the first episode on February 9th.

Strange World (2022)

Strange World is a Disney-animated sci-fi movie that takes on themes of environmentalism, interracial family dynamics, and generational trauma. The family-friendly fantasy and science fiction show also features the first openly gay LGBTQ+ main character in a Disney animated film. The film is an excellent romp that lands somewhere between Osmosis Jones and A Wrinkle in Time. The Clades are a legendary family of explorers whose growing differences threaten to tear them apart during their most crucial mission.

Watch it on Disney Plus.

Black Panther (2018) & Black Panther: Wakanda Forever (2022)

Because ‘duh.’ Seriously, no family-friendly fantasy and science fiction show list would be complete with the Afrofuturism themes explored in the Black Panther series. Go watch the movie and see the blossoming of diversity on the screen. Director Ryan Coogler manages a multitude of representations (mostly) well. Both movies are high-grossing, critically acclaimed, and historic: Angela Bassett is the first Marvel movie actor to be nominated for an Oscar!

We will keep scouring the ‘movieverse’ for new features and showcasing them on Incluvie just for you. Until next time, make sure you are lending your eyeball support to diverse movies. We can all help diversify media by supporting existing media that is making strides toward inclusion.

We hope you enjoy these movie selections.