November was a big month for movies, dominated by stars like Dwayne Johnson and titles like Wicked, Gladiator II and Moana 2. Now December is ready to put an exclamation point on 2024. Aaron Taylor-Johnson leads the way with his film Kraven the Hunter. We'll revisit the Pride Lands with Mufasa: The Lion King. And plenty of big names pop up throughout the month, with stars like Nicole Kidman, Keanu Reeves, Jude Law and Timothee Chalamet headlining new titles.
Here's a look at the essential movies coming out in December 2024 -- along with movie release dates -- and some re-releases we think you'll like.
Too Long, Didn't Read Summary:
· It's time to look ahead to the month of December 2024 with a hand-picked list of what's to come.
· Many of these movies are major franchise releases for Disney, Marvel and others, and feature stars like Amy Adams, Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Lou Diamond Phillips and many more.
· Along with new releases, we're highlighting a handful of strong re-releases for December.
Y2K
Opens December 6
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Kyle Mooney, perhaps best known as an SNL cast member from 2013 to 2022, makes his directorial debut with this satirical comedy horror flick, which he also co-wrote and appears in. This fun take on the Y2K phenomenon stars Jaeden Martell and Julian Dennison as two loser friends who crash a big high school party on New Year’s Eve 1999. It’s a night when the fear of all technology crashing is one-upped by all technology coming to life and turning against humanity instead. The cast also includes Rachel Zegler, Alicia Silverstone and Limp Bizkit frontman Fred Durst as himself. Y2K premiered at South by Southwest in March of 2024 and is Fresh on Rotten Tomatoes.
Nightbitch
Opens December 6
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This black comedy horror film stars Amy Adams as a depressed housewife. At her worst moment, her life takes a surreal turn -- as in, she assumes a dog’s identity. It’s based on the 2021 novel of the same name by Rachel Yoder, and also features Scoot McNairy, Zoë Chao, Ella Thomas and Jessica Harper in supporting roles. Nightbitch premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival in September, where Amy Adams in canine form unsurprisingly wowed audiences and critics alike.
The Order
Opens December 6
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Based on Kevin Flynn and Gary Gerhardt's 1989 non-fiction book The Silent Brotherhood, this historical crime thriller was directed by Justin Kurzel of Assassin's Creed (2016) fame, and written by Zach Baylin from King Richard (2021) and other films. The Order features Jude Law as an FBI agent who is trying to take down a white supremacist terrorist group that was active in the 1980s. Nicholas Hoult, Tye Sheridan, Jurnee Smollett, Alison Oliver and Marc Maron co-star. After premiering at the Venice International Film Festival in August, The Order is currently Certified Fresh on Rotten Tomatoes.
The Return
Opens December 6
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The Return is a sweeping drama that retells the last portion of Homer’s Odyssey. It was directed by Uberto Pasolini and stars Ralph Fiennes as Odysseus, who returns to his kingdom after 20 years of fighting in the Trojan War, only to find his beloved wife Penelope, played by Juliette Binoche, is a prisoner in her own home at the hands of suitors vying for the throne. The Return premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival in September, picking up a Fresh rating on Rotten Tomatoes.
Of course, Fiennes and Binoche have appeared together before, most memorably in the 1996 Oscar-winner The English Patient.
Get tickets for The Return here
Werewolves
Opens December 6
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Frank Grillo stars in this horror action thriller. A year ago, a supermoon event kickstarted a latent gene in humans causing anyone exposed to moonlight to transform into a killer werewolf. And now, the world is gearing up for another supermoon. Werewolves was directed and produced by Steven C. Miller and co-stars Katrina Law, Ilfenesh Hadera and the one and only Lou Diamond Phillips.
The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim
Opens December 13
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The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim is a new anime film directed by Kenji Kamiyama and based on characters created by J. R. R. Tolkien. This story, set 183 years before Peter Jackson's The Lord of the Rings trilogy, tells the story of Helm Hammerhand, a legendary king of Rohan (voiced by Brian Cox) as he and his family defend their kingdom against an army of Dunlendings.
September 5
Opens December 13
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Co-written and directed by Swiss filmmaker Tim Fehlbaum, the historical thriller September 5 centers around an American sports broadcasting crew during the 1972 Munich Olympics as they find themselves covering the infamous hostage crisis involving Israeli athletes. The cast is led by Peter Sarsgaard and also includes John Magaro, Ben Chaplin, Leonie Benesch and Corey Johnson, with Benjamin Walker as Peter Jennings. The film premiered at the Venice International Film Festival in August and is Fresh on Rotten Tomatoes.
Kraven the Hunter
Opens December 13
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This R-rated offering from Marvel is the sixth film in Sony's Spider-Man Universe, and stars Aaron Taylor-Johnson in the titular role. J.C. Chandor directs this origin story of one of Marvel’s most popular villains, Kraven, as he becomes the greatest and most feared hunter in the world. Audiences will be introduced to other Marvel villains as well including Calypso Ezili (played by Ariana DeBose), the Chameleon (Fred Hechinger), the Rhino (Alessandro Nivola), the Foreigner (Christopher Abbott) and Nikolai Kravinoff (Russell Crowe) – a ruthless crime lord and Kraven’s estranged father.
Sonic the Hedgehog 3
Opens December 20
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The third installment of this video game-based franchise is not only bringing back all its major players from the previous two films – like James Marsden, Ben Schwartz, Jim Carrey and Idris Elba – but also features the addition of Keanu Reeves to the cast as Shadow the Hedgehog. Director Jeff Fowler is also back for round three, which centers around Sonic and pals teaming up with Dr. Robotnik to take on Shadow, a mysterious villain with powers unlike anything they have faced before.
Mufasa: The Lion King
Opens December 20
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Directed by Barry Jenkins of Moonlight (2016) fame, this film is told through flashbacks and serves as a prequel of sorts to the photorealistic CGI version of The Lion King from 2019 – and, of course, the 1994 animated original as well. It tells the story of two lions, Mufasa and Taka, who were once like brothers before becoming mortal enemies. Reprising their roles from that 2019 The Lion King are Seth Rogen, Billy Eichner, Beyoncé Knowles-Carter and John Kani, with Aaron Pierre and Kelvin Harrison Jr. stepping in as younger versions of Mufasa and Taka, respectively. Other new voices we’ll hear include those of Mads Mikkelsen, Thandiwe Newton and Blue Ivy Carter in her feature film debut.
Babygirl
Opens December 25
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Nicole Kidman stars in this erotic thriller as a high-powered CEO who engages in a forbidden romance with a much younger intern, putting her career and family on the line in the process. Written, directed and co-produced by Dutch actress and filmmaker Halina Reijn, Babygirl drummed up plenty of buzz on the film festival circuit, with Kidman winning a Best Actress award at the Venice International Film Festival in August. Harris Dickinson, Sophie Wilde and Antonio Banderas round out the cast.
Get tickets for Babygirl here
Nosferatu
Opens December 25
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This gothic horror flick is a remake of the 1922 German film of the same name, which is based on Bram Stoker’s 1897 novel, Dracula. It stars Lily-Rose Depp and Bill Skarsgård as a haunted young woman and the vampire who’s obsessed with her. The loaded cast also includes Nicholas Hoult, Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Emma Corrin, Ralph Ineson, Simon McBurney and Willem Dafoe. Nosferatu was written and directed by Robert Eggers, who is coming off two critical successes with The Northman (2022) and The Lighthouse (2019).
A Complete Unknown
Opens December 25
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Timothée Chalamet stars as a young Bob Dylan in this biographical drama based on the 2015 book Dylan Goes Electric! by Elijah Wald. With James Mangold in the director’s chair, the movie covers the controversy that arose when Dylan left his folk roots behind and switched to electric amps and guitars. Chalamet, who also served as a producer for A Complete Unknown, leads a cast that includes Edward Norton, Elle Fanning, Monica Barbaro and Boyd Holbrook.
The Fire Inside
Opens December 25
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Ryan Destiny stars as pro boxer and Michigan native Claressa “T-Rex” Shields in this biopic about her run toward the 2012 Summer Olympics, in hopes of becoming the first American woman to win an Olympic gold medal in boxing. Brian Tyree Henry co-stars as the coach who supports her on the way. The Fire Inside marks the feature directorial debut for filmmaker Rachel Morrison, who became the first woman to be nominated for an Academy Award for Best Cinematography for her work on Mudbound. The Fire Inside premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival in September and was a hit with critics.
Re-releases
Also coming in December 2024 is a packed slatef re-releases, ranging from sci-fi to anime to legendary holiday classics. It’s not often that Matthew McConaughey, Studio Ghibli and Bing Crosby can be mentioned in the same sentence, but hey that’s the beauty of movies! Check out these re-releases for December.
Interstellar (IMAX Exclusive)
Opens December 6
My Neighbor Totoro - Studio Ghibli Fest 2024
Opens December 7
White Christmas 70th Anniversary
Opens December 15
Special holiday re-releases
From Elf and The Polar Express to A Christmas Story and National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation and more, see what festive favorites are playing at your local theaters this month.
