(Updated 12/10/2024)
Next to the beginning of summer, the end of the year is one of the best movie-going seasons. There are big sequels (like SONIC THE HEDGEHOG 3), family movies like MUFASA, and great-looking actor showcases like A COMPLETE UNKNOWN, BABYGIRL, and QUEER — and that's in addition to spectacles like the animated Lord of the Rings prequel, THE WAR OF THE ROHIRRIM, and the bleak horror of NOSFERATU.
Here are the new movies to see in theatres in December 2024.
Movies Opening the Week of December 6
Wide Release
Y2K
On the last night of 1999, two high school juniors crash a New Years Eve party, only to find themselves fighting for their lives in this dial-up disaster comedy. Read more about Y2K here.
Limited Release
Nightbitch
Rachel Yoder's satirical and strange novel is the basis for this movie starring Amy Adams. After putting her art career on pause to become a mother, a dissatisfied woman (Adams) begins to believe she is turning into a dog. As her domesticity takes this surreal turn, she finds guidance from a mysterious book, and meets a group of other women whose own experiences may be able to ground hers — or push her over the edge.
The Order
Based on a true story, a series of bank robberies and armored car heists frightened communities in the Pacific Northwest. A lone FBI agent believes that the crimes were not the work of financially motivated criminals, but rather a group of dangerous domestic terrorists.
The Return
After 20 years away, Odysseus washes up on the shores of Ithaca, haggard and unrecognizable. The king finds much has changed since he left to fight in the Trojan War. His beloved wife, Penelope, is a prisoner in her own home and hounded to choose a new husband. Their son faces death at the hands of suitors who see him as an obstacle in their pursuit of Penelope and the kingdom. Odysseus is no longer the mighty warrior his people remember, but he must face his past to save his family.
Werewolves
In WEREWOLVES, a supermoon event has triggered a latent gene in every human on the planet, turning anyone who entered the moonlight into a werewolf for that one night. Chaos ensued and close to a billion people died. Now, a year later, the Supermoon is back....
Movies Opening the Week of December 13
Wide Release
Kraven the Hunter
Villains aren't born. They're made. KRAVEN THE HUNTER is the visceral story about how and why one of Marvel’s most iconic villains came to be. Set before his notorious vendetta with Spider-Man, Aaron Taylor-Johnson stars as the titular character in the R-rated film. Read more about KRAVEN THE HUNTER here.
The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim
More than two hundred years before the events of THE FELLOWSHIP OF THE RING, the King of Rohan, Helm Hammerhand, must defend his lands from vicious attacks by men called the Dunlendings. This anime explores an unseen chapter in Middle-Earth's history, and features the voices of Brian Cox and Miranda Otto. Read more about THE LORD OF THE RINGS: THE WAR OF THE ROHIRRIM here.
Limited Release
Queer
In 1950s Mexico City, William Lee, an American ex-pat in his late forties, leads a solitary life amidst a small American community. However, the arrival in town of Eugene Allerton, a young student, stirs William into finally establishing a meaningful connection with someone.
Movies Opening the Week of December 20
Wide Release
Homestead
A nuclear bomb is detonated in Los Angeles, and the nation devolves into unprecedented chaos. Ex-Green Beret Jeff Eriksson and his family escape to The Homestead, an eccentric prepper’s fortress nestled in the mountains. As violent threats and apocalyptic conditions creep toward their borders, the residents of The Homestead are left to wonder: how long can a group of people resist both the dangers of human nature and the bloodshed at their doorstep?
Mufasa: The Lion King
MUFASA: THE LION KING enlists Rafiki to relay the legend of Mufasa to young lion cub Kiara, daughter of Simba and Nala, with Timon and Pumbaa lending their signature schtick. Told in flashbacks, the story introduces Mufasa as an orphaned cub, lost and alone until he 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 destiny—their bonds will be tested as they work together to evade a threatening and deadly foe. Read more about MUFASA: THE LION KING here.
Sonic the Hedgehog 3
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. Read more about SONIC THE HEDGEHOG 3 here.
Movies Opening the Week of December 27
Wide Release
A Complete Unknown
Set in the influential New York music scene of the early 60s, A COMPLETE UNKNOWN follows 19-year-old Minnesota musician Bob Dylan's (Timothée Chalamet) meteoric rise as a folk singer to concert halls and the top of the charts – his songs and mystique becoming a worldwide sensation – culminating in his groundbreaking electric rock and roll performance at the Newport Folk Festival in 1965. Read more about A COMPLETE UNKNOWN here.
The Fire Inside
THE FIRE INSIDE is the inspirational true story of Claressa Shields, arguably the greatest female boxer of all time. Claressa, a high school Junior from Flint, Michigan, aided by her tough-love coach, Jason Crutchfield, pushes past all limitations to become the first American woman to win an Olympic gold medal in boxing. But even at the pinnacle of success, Claressa has to reckon with the fact that not all dreams are created equal, and the real fight has only just begun.
Nosferatu
Robert Eggers’ NOSFERATU is a gothic tale of obsession between a haunted young woman and the terrifying vampire infatuated with her, causing untold horror in its wake. Read more about NOSFERATU here.
Limited Release
Babygirl
A high-powered CEO puts her career and family on the line when she begins a torrid affair with her much younger intern.
Blitz
In World War II London, nine-year-old Georgia is evacuated to the countryside by his mother, Rita, to escape the bombings. Defiant and determined to return his family, George embarks on an epic, perilous journey back home as Rita searches for him.
Check to see all the new movies playing near you!
All images courtesy of Searchlight Pictures.