While some spend Christmas Day at home around the tree, many people head straight to the movie theater. Luckily, whether you need a family-friendly flick or want to get ahead on your awards season viewings, there are plenty of films to watch in cinemas on December 25.
New Movies in Theaters on Christmas Day 2024
Kid-friendly options were released earlier (more on those later), so the Christmas Day release list largely consists of R-rated flicks starring major A-Listers.
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Babygirl (R) – Nicole Kidman plays a businesswoman who seemingly has it all with a husband (Antonio Banderas), two kids at home while she acts as CEO of her tech company. However, she puts everything on the line when she indulges her submissive fantasies and has an affair with her young intern (Harris Dickinson). Kidman scored a Golden Globe nomination for her performance in the erotic thriller.
A Complete Unknown (R) – Timothée Chalamet plays 19-year-old Bob Dylan as he arrives in New York City and begins his meteoric rise to fame. Edward Norton, Elle Fanning and Monica Barbaro also star in this biopic, which is up for three Golden Globes.
Nosferatu (R) – Realtor Thomas Hutter (Nicholas Hoult) is searching for a house for the wealthy Transylvanian Count Orlok (Bill Skarsgård) in this remake of the 1922 short film. Thomas learns that Orlok is a vampire, and he’s taken a liking to Thomas’ wife Ellen (Lily-Rose Depp). Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Emma Corrin and Willem Dafoe also star.
The Fire Inside (PG-13) – This biopic follows professional boxer Claressa “T-Rex” Shields (Ryan Destiny) as she trains for the 2012 Summer Olympics with coach Jason Crutchfield (Brian Tyree Henry). She becomes the first American woman to win an Olympic gold medal in the sport.
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The Only New Christmas Movie in Theaters This Year
While some cinemas will bring beloved Christmas classics like Love Actually and The Grinch back to theaters, there is only one new holiday film on the big screen in 2024: Red One. After Santa Claus is kidnapped, Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson plays an E.L.F. (Extremely Large and Formidable) operative who joins forces with a bounty hunter and perpetual naughty lister (played by Chris Evans) to track down St. Nick. Lucy Liu, J.K. Simmons, Bonnie Hunt and Kiernan Shipka also star in the flick, which is also available to stream on Prime Video.
Christmas Movies That Aren’t Technically Christmas Movies
Earlier Releases Still in Theaters
There’s no time like Christmas vacation to catch up on your moviegoing — or to see Wicked for the third time. No judgement.
Mufasa: The Lion King (PG) – This prequel follows a young Mufasa as he befriends Taka, who fans better know as Scar. The photorealistic animated film has a star-studded cast that includes Aaron Pierre, Kelvin Harrison Jr., Seth Rogen, Billy Eichner, Tiffany Boone, Blue Ivy Carter and Beyoncé.
Sonic the Hedgehog 3 (PG) – Sonic (voiced by Ben Schwartz), Knuckles (voiced by Keanu Reeves) and Tails (voiced by Colleen O’Shaughnessey) reunite to battle Shadow (voiced by Idris Elba) in this threequel. Jim Carrey also returns as Dr. Ivo Robotnik while Krysten Ritter, James Marsden, Shemar Moore and Tika Sumpter round out the live-action cast.
Kraven the Hunter (PG-13) – Aaron Taylor-Johnson stars as Marvel villain Nikolai Kravinoff in this origin story, which explains how his own father sets him on the road to vengeance. Ariana DeBose and Russell Crowe also star.
Queer (R) – Daniel Craig scored a Golden Globe nod for his role as an American veteran who dodges his drug charges by fleeing to Mexico City in the 1950s. He becomes infatuated with a handsome young fellow American (Drew Starkey), who shows the older man what he has been missing. The movie, based on William S. Burroughs‘ 1985 novella, has plenty of Oscar buzz.
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Wicked (PG-13) – Let’s hold space for this epic origin story for The Wicked Witch of the West. Cynthia Erivo, Ariana Grande, Jonathan Bailey and Michelle Yeoh star in the blockbuster, which scored four Golden Globe nods and is expected to get more recognition throughout awards season.
Gladiator II (R) – Set 16 years after the death of Maximus in 2000’s Gladiator, the sequel follows Lucius (Paul Mescal), who watched his uncle kill Maximus. After his wife is killed, he is taken as a prisoner of war and forced to enter the Colosseum. He must not only battle his opponents but fight to bring real change to Rome. Pedro Pascal, Joseph Quinn and Denzel Washington also star.
Us Weekly
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