“Violent Night”
Any time kooky Norwegian Tommy Wirkola makes a comedy, it’s worth paying attention to. In this case, he has a Christmas-themed action movie that sounds a little like “The Purge”—some mercenaries attack a wealthy family on Christmas Eve. It’s up to Santa to save them, played here by none other than David Harbour. Sign us up. Cam Gigandet, John Leguizamo, Beverly D’Angelo, Edi Patterson, and Alex Hassell also star.
Release Date: December 2 via Universal Pictures.
“Empire of Light”
We all love movies; I mean, that’s why you’re here, right? So too does Sam Mendes, he of “1917” and “Skyfall” and “American Beauty,” etc., and he has put that love into a 1980s period piece “Empire of Light,” about a movie theater. Olivia Colman stars in the movie, opposite the likes of Colin Firth, Toby Jones, and Monica Dolan. “Empire of Light” is bound to have some great lighting, given that it reunites Mendes with master cinematographer Roger Deakins, and the score should be of note too, with Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross providing it.
Release Date: December 9 via Searchlight Pictures.
“Guillermo del Toro’s Pinocchio”
In December, we are expected to be able to get to stream a second version of “Pinocchio” from this year, this one co-directed by Guillermo del Toro and Mark Gustafson. This stop-motion make on the classic story features the voice talents of Ewan McGregor, Ron Perlman, Finn Wolfhard, Tilda Swinton, Cate Blanchett, John Turturro, Burn Gorman, Christoph Waltz, David Bradley, and Tim Blake Nelson.
Release Date: December 9 via Netflix, with a select theatrical release to be announced.
“Roald Dahl’s Matilda the Musical”
Emma Thompson stars in this anticipated adaptation of the Tony and Olivier-winning musical, which retells the story of a girl and her powerful imagination. Matthew Warchus directs this Netflix project with an exciting cast that also includes Alisha Weir, Lashana Lynch, Stephen Graham, Andrea Riseborough, and Sindhu Vee.
Release Date: In select theaters on December 9 via Netflix and available for streaming on December 25.
“A Man Called Otto”
It’s easy to forget that in 2015, “A Man Called Ove” won the hearts of many, and racked up two Oscar nominations. Now, director Marc Forster remakes the story based on Fredrik Backman’s novel, with Tom Hanks in the role of the curmudgeonly old man who makes befriends his new neighbors. Hanks is joined in the movie by the likes of Manuel Garcia-Rulfo, Rachel Keller, Cameron Britton, Mike Birbiglia, and Kelly Lamor Wilson.
Release Date: December 14 via Sony Pictures.
“Avatar: The Way of the Water”
Here it is, after years of being pushed back since first being announced: the sequel to 2009’s cultural phenomenon “Avatar.” And which way, exactly, does water go? We will have to find out from what has to be one of the most expensive sequel gambles in movie history, also given the other “Avatar” projects that are on the way. This first return also stars Sam Worthington as Jake Sully, after getting the Na’vi blues, and promises a “familiar threat,” which one has to wonder will be like Stephen Lang’s villain from the first one. The casting here is full of even more exciting names, some new, some returning: Michelle Yeoh, Zoe Saldana, Kate Winslet, Sigourney Weaver, Jemaine Clement, Oona Chaplin, Giovanni Ribisi, Edie Falco, Cliff Curtis, CCH Pounder, and Joel David Moore.
Release Date: December 16 via 20th Century Pictures.
“I Wanna Dance with Somebody”
The spinning wheel of music biopic subjects has landed on Whitney Houston, in a movie written by Anthony McCarten (“Bohemian Rhapsody”). Naomi Ackie stars in this Kasi Lemmons-directed film as Houston, which should make for a fascinating performance (especially to see how she handles Houston’s inimitable vocal skills). At the very least, we can expect more people to appreciate Houston’s music, which is never a bad thing. Additional stars include Stanley Tucci, Tamara Tunie, Clarke Peters, Ashton Sanders, and Nafessa Williams.
Release Date: December 21 via Sony Pictures.
“Puss in Boots: The Last Wish”
Have you ever gone back and looked at the animation in, say, “Shrek 2”? It’s not the reason why those movies have become classics, or so powerful in pop culture, we can affirm that. But “Puss in Boots: The Last Wish” looks to step away from that legacy, using a similar style as “The Bad Guys” and “Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse.” That’s enough to make us curious about this sequel to a “Shrek” spin-off that’s never been in too much demand, but Antonio Banderas seems to have fun voicing all the same. Salma Hayek, Harvey Guillén, Florence Pugh, John Mulaney, Wagner Moura, Ray Winstone, Samson Kauo, Olivia Colman, and Da’Vine Joy Randolph also star.
Release Date: December 21 via Universal Pictures.
“Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery”
Daniel Craig returns as the enigmatic sleuth Benoit Blanc in “Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery,” the sequel to writer/director Rian Johnson’s “Knives Out,” this time with a batch of different suspects. We know that the title is a Beatles reference, so maybe that tidbit will play into whatever is bringing together Johnson’s latest motley crew: Jessica Henwick, Edward Norton, Kathryn Hahn, Dave Bautista, Kate Hudson, Madelyn Cline, Janelle Monáe, and Leslie Odom Jr.
Release Date: December 23 via Netflix.
“The Pale Blue Eye”
After toying with monstrous horror in “Antlers,” director Scott Cooper ventures into more Gothic horror with this murder mystery at West Point that revolves around a cadet named Edgar Allan Poe (Henry Melling). Cooper’s longtime collaborator Christian Bale stars as the detective who investigates multiple murders in this intriguing 1830s period piece. Additional cast members include Gillian Anderson, Lucy Boynton, Charlotte Gainsbourg, Toby Jones, Harry Lawtey, Simon McBurney, Timothy Spall, Charlie Tahan, and Robert Duvall.
Release Date: December 23 in select theaters via Netflix and available for streaming on January 6.