What to Watch in December

Following a month that saw the release of multiple potential award season contenders, December has fewer significant releases that November, but there is still plenty on offer as we enter the festive season as the year draws to a close.

Possible award players scheduled for a December release include: Pablo Larrain‘s biopic “Maria”, coming to Netflix; Marielle Heller‘s “Nightbitch”; and Luca Guadagnino‘s “Queer”. All three films will most likely land themselves acting nominations above all else for the leading performances from Angelina Jolie, Amy Adams and Daniel Craig.

The biggest theatrical releases of the month are the latest extended Spider-Man universe project, “Kraven the Hunter”; live-action Disney prequel “Mufasa: The Lion King”; and video game sequel “Sonic the Hedgehog 3”. The only notable festive release is Netflix’s animated original “That Christmas”, with my most anticipated animated release being “Wallace & Gromit: Vengeance Most Fowl”, which premieres on BBC in the UK on Christmas Day, followed by a worldwide Netflix release a few days later.

Two of the most intriguing releases are the animation prequel to Peter Jackson‘s “The Lord of the Rings” series with the anime feature “The War of Rohirrim”, as well as Robbie Williams biopic “Better Man”, in which he takes on the appearance of a chimpanzee.

Which December release are you most excited for?

That Christmas (PG)

Dir: Simon Otto

Cast: Brian Cox, Fiona Shaw, Jodie Whittaker, Bill Nighy, Lolly Adefope, Katherine Parkinson

Synopsis: A blizzard hits a seaside town, setting off entwined tales of family, friends, love and loneliness – and Santa making a big mistake.

Your Monster (15)

Dir: Caroline Lindy

Cast: Melissa Barrera, Tommy Dewey, Edmund Donovan, Kayla Foster, Meghann Fahy

Synopsis: A soft-spoken actress finds her voice again when she meets a terrifying but weirdly charming monster that lives in her closet. Monster living in her closet.

Rumours (15)

Dir: Guy Maddin, Evan Johnson, Galen Johnson

Cast: Cate Blanchett, Roy Dupuis, Nikki Amuka-Bird, Charles Dance, Takehiro Hira, Denis Menochet, Rolando Ravello, Zlatko Buric, Alicia Vikander

Synopsis: Leaders of the world’s wealthiest democracies gather for the annual G7 summit to draft a provisional statement regarding a global crisis. They soon become spectacles of incompetence, contending with increasingly surreal obstacles as night falls in the misty woods and they realize they are suddenly alone.

Nightbitch (15)

Dir: Marielle Heller

Cast: Amy Adams, Scoot McNairy, Arleigh Snowden, Emmett Snowden, Zoe Chao, Mary Holland, Ella Thomas, Archana Rajan, Jessica Harper

Synopsis: An artist who pauses her career to be a stay-at-home mum seeks a new chapter in her life and encounters just that, when her nightly routine takes a surreal turn and her maternal instincts begin to manifest in canine form.

Unstoppable (TBC)

Dir: William Goldenberg

Cast: Jharrel Jerome, Jennifer Lopez, Bobby Cannavale, Michael Pena, Don Cheadle

Synopsis: Born with one leg, Anthony Robles defies expectations to become a champion wrestler in college, competing against the very school that rejected him.

Maria (TBC)

Dir: Pablo Larrain

Cast: Angelina Jolie, Pierfrancesco Favino, Alba Rohrwacher, Haluk Bilginer, Kodi Smit-McPhee

Synopsis: Famed opera singer Maria Callas retreats to Paris in the 1970s after a glamorous yet tumultuous life in the public eye.

The Lord of the Rings: The War of Rohirrim (12A)

Dir: Kenji Kamiyama

Cast: Brian Cox, Gaia Wise, Luke Pasqualino, Miranda Otto

Synopsis: A sudden attack by Wulf, a ruthless Dunlending lord, forces Helm Hammerhand and his people to make a daring last stand in the ancient stronghold of the Hornburg. Finding herself in an increasingly desperate situation, Helm’s daughter, Héra, must lead the resistance against a deadly enemy who’s intent on total destruction.

Kraven the Hunter (12A)

Dir: J. C. Chandor

Cast: Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Ariana DeBose, Fred Hechinger, Alessandro Nivola, Christopher Abbott, Russell Crowe

Synopsis: Kraven’s complex relationship with his ruthless father starts him down a path of vengeance, motivating him to become not only the greatest hunter in the world, but also one of its most feared.

Queer (15)

Dir: Luca Guadagnino

Cast: Daniel Craig, Drew Starkey, Jason Schwartzman, Henrique Zaga, Lesley Manville

Synopsis: Lee recounts his life in Mexico City among expatriate American students. He pursues a young man named Allerton, a US Navy serviceman recently discharged from Jacksonville, Florida.

Carry-On (15)

Dir: Jaume Collet-Serra

Cast: Taron Egerton, Sofia Carson, Danielle Deadwyler, Jason Bateman

Synopsis: A mysterious traveller blackmails Ethan Kopek, a young TSA officer, to let a dangerous package slip through security and onto a Christmas Day flight.

Mufasa: The Lion King (PG)

Dir: Berry Jenkins

Cast: Aaron Pierre, Kelvin Harrison Jr., Seth Rogen, Billy Eichner, Tiffany Boone, Donald Glover, Mads Mikkelsen, Thandiwe Newton, Lennie James, Anika Noni Rose, Blue Ivy Carter, Beyonce

Synopsis: Lost and alone, orphaned cub Mufasa meets a sympathetic lion named Taka, the heir to a royal bloodline. The chance meeting sets in motion an expansive journey of an extraordinary group of misfits searching for their destinies.

Wallace & Gromit: Vengeance Most Fowl (U)

Dir: Nic Park, Merlin Crossingham

Cast: Ben Whitehead, Peter Kay, Lauren Patel, Reece Shearsmith

Synopsis: Gromit’s concern that Wallace is becoming too dependent on his inventions proves justified when Wallace invents a ‘smart gnome’ that seems to develop an evil mind of its own. When it emerges that a vengeful figure from the past might be masterminding things, it falls to Gromit to battle sinister forces and save his master… or Wallace may never be able to invent again!

Better Man (TBC)

Dir: Michael Gracey

Cast: Robbie Williams, Jonno Davies, Steve Pemberton, Alison Steadman

Synopsis: The true story of the meteoric rise, dramatic fall, and remarkable resurgence of British pop superstar Robbie Williams.

Sonic the Hedgehog 3 (PG)

Dir: Jeff Fowler

Cast: Jim Carrey, Ben Schwartz, Krysten Ritter, Natasha Rothwell, Shemar Moore, James Marsden, Tika Sumpter, Idris Elba, Keanu Reeves

Synopsis: Sonic, Knuckles and Tails reunite to battle Shadow, a mysterious new enemy with powers unlike anything they’ve faced before. With their abilities outmatched in every way, they seek out an unlikely alliance to stop Shadow and protect the planet.

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