2020 has been a tumultuous year for movie releases--mainly because the vast majority of them didn't happen. However, throughout the year, some studios made the decision to release movies in theaters during the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic--like Tenet--while others went straight to streaming--like Mulan, Trolls: World Tour, and more.
And while 2021 will see many Warner Bros. movies head straight to HBO Max, this December will also see movies once set to release in theaters hit other streaming platforms. Additionally, there are still a few big-name movies headed to theaters across the globe. And all of this is happening on Christmas Day.
While 2020's holiday season will be different, as less people will be headed to the theaters in what we hope is the final leg of the pandemic, we'll all still be able to partake in that tradition of watching a brand-new movie on Christmas Day. But will you stick it out at home or brave the public and see a new movie in theaters? Here are the films that are coming out on December 25 in 2020. Originally, Monster Hunter was a part of this list, but Sony moved its release to December 18. You can check out our .
For a look into the future, check out the , and for a scarier look into the future, check out the .
On HBO Max and in theaters
Originally set to come to theaters in 2019 before landing a June 5 release date--pre-pandemic. After getting pushed back time and time again, Warner Bros. decided to as well. This will be available at no extra cost to subscribers, and you can read our .
The latest installment of the DC superhero film follows Wonder Woman (Gal Gadot) during the '80s as she comes up against two new foes, TV mogul Maxwell Lord (Pedro Pascal) and Cheetah (Kristen Wiig).
On Disney+
While Mulan had a brief stint in theaters, it debuted on Disney+ back in September for an additional $20. On Christmas, Pixar's latest movie Soul arrives, but it won't come with an extra $20 price tag. Back in November, Disney CEO Bob Chapek explained for the film saying, "We also realized that part of the lifeblood Disney+ is providing great content to the base level subscribers that are in there. So the idea is that we thought it was a really nice gesture to our subscribers to take Soul during the holiday period and provide that as part of the service."
Soul follows a jazz musician (Jamie Foxx) whose soul leaves his body and he must find his way back while learning about the human experience. It's a Pixar movie, so there's a very good chance the movie will be wonderful and full of tear-jerking moments.
On Netflix
While the Netflix original Bridgerton wasn't destined for a theatrical release, it is hitting the streaming service on Christmas Day. Directed by Chris Van Dusen (Grey's Anatomy), the film follows Daphne Bridgerton (Phoebe Dynover) who makes her way onto the Regency London’s marriage market. According to the official description, "As her family assesses her suitors, the high society scandal sheet written by the mysterious Lady Whistledown stirs drama. Enter the highly desirable and rebellious Duke of Hastings (Regé-Jean Page), a committed bachelor and the catch of the season for the debutantes' mamas."
On Amazon Prime Video
Directed by Eugene Ashe, Sylvie's Love is a romantic drama with the classic tale of two people finding each other, losing each other, and finding each other again. "Set in the summer of 1957, an aspiring television producer Sylvie (Tessa Thompson) and saxophonist Robert (Nnamdi Asomugha) first meet and fall for one another. Time and circumstances pull them apart, but years later, they meet again by chance, only to find that while their lives have changed, their feelings for each other remain the same."
In theaters
Earlier this year, Tom Hanks starred and directed the Apple TV+ film Greyhound, which followed on a boat during WWII. And the year closes out with Hanks in News of the World, which is directed by Paul Greengrass (the Bourne movies, Captain Phillips).
The movie takes place a few years after the Civil War, where Hanks's character Captain Jefferson Kyle Kidd travels throughout the States as a non-fiction storyteller sharing… news of the world. Kidd is tasked with delivering a 10-year-old to her biological relative, hundreds of miles away. Before the movie arrives on Christmas, you can .
In theaters
In 1964, Cassius Clay beat heavyweight champion Sonny Liston at the Miami Convention Hall. Clay celebrated with three of his friends: Malcolm X, Sam Cooke, and Jim Brown. The film about this fictionalized meeting is directed by Regina King--the star of HBO's Watchmen--and stars Eli Goree as Clay/Muhammad Ali, Kingsley Ben-Adir as Malcom X, Leslie Odom Jr. as Cooke, and Aldis Hodge as Brown.
While the movie is debuting on Christmas in theaters, it will arrive to Amazon Prime Video on January 15, 2021.
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