Over the past few weeks, movie theaters have felt a boost in business due to big-budget hits Wicked Part One, Gladiator 2 and Moana 2. With Christmas around the corner, these venues will be bustling even more, thanks to the arrival of five new releases — including a remake, a prequel, a sequel, a biopic and an original film from the folks at A24.
Mufasa: The Lion King
Families will get the backstory of an orphan named Mufasa on Dec. 19. You may have heard of him from the now-30-year-old animated Disney film The Lion King — a popular flick, inspired by a hack writer named Bill Shakespeare and his play called Hamlet. The Disney ’toon set 1994 ablaze upon release with its hero’s journey and memorable songs that remain as popular now as they were then. The Lion King not only sired a couple direct-to-video sequels and prequels, but also a handful of animated series, a long-running Broadway musical and a 2019 photorealistic animated remake that became one of the highest-grossing animated films of all time. It was only natural that Disney would re-re-revisit The Lion King property ASAP. In this prequel/sequel directed by Barry Jenkins (Moonlight, If Beale Street Could Talk), the film starts off after the events of the 2019 film, when Rafiki tells Mufasa’s origin story to Kiara, Mufasa’s granddaughter.
Sonic The Hedgehog 3
The following day, Dec. 20, families can go back for more film fun and see the second movie based on a beloved video game. This go-around, the Sonic franchise introduces us to a popular character, Shadow The Hedgehog, voiced by Keanu Reeves. For those not in the know, while Sonic is a blue good guy, Shadow is his dark rival. In Sonic The Hedgehog 3, Sonic’s OG nemesis, Dr. Robotnik (Jim Carrey), creates Shadow as a way to get his mojo back. When things quickly spiral out of control, the main antagonist of the Sonic world, Dr. Eggman, may find himself forming an unlikely alliance with everyone’s favorite blue hedgehog.
A Complete Unknown
Music biopics have always been a thing. But in recent years, thanks in large part to Bryan Singer’s Bohemian Rhapsody and Baz Luhrmann’s Elvis, they have become more popular than ever. This holiday season, Fox Searchlight and director James Mangold have decided to focus on the ascent of music legend Bob Dylan, played by Timothee Chalamet. Mangold’s film has faced derision from fans who have doubts about Chalamet capturing Dylan’s essence, and the overall biopic treatment. That being said, it should be noted that Mangold, the man who gave us Indiana Jones And The Dial Of Destiny, has also given us a few successful mainstream biopics in the past, like Ford V Ferrari and the Johnny Cash biopic Walk The Line. This Christmas Day, you can find out if the Dylan biopic is a genuine detail of a legend or just another Wikipedia entry filled with needle drops.
Nosferatu
Also landing into theaters Christmas Day is a movie calling all the film buffs with a darker holiday spirit: Nosferatu: A Symphony Of Terror. Directed by Robert Eggers, the film revisits the well-worn territory of F.W. Murnau’s popular 1922 silent film. Known mostly for being part of the unsettling German Expressionist cinema movement, Murnau’s film follows the titular vampire as he preys on victims and brings pestilence to a town. Eggers (The Witch, The Lighthouse), a director with a particular visual style, has taken on the remake with his tried and true obsessive focus on unsettling imagery and vibes. Playing the titular character (aka Dr. Orlok), this go around is none other than Pennywise himself, Bill Skarsgard. The film also stars Lily Rose Depp.
Babygirl
But, “Hey”, you’re likely saying to yourself, “What if I want to see a movie that’s not a sequel, or based on an old movie, a Disney classic or a popular musician?” An original, non-IP based option out there for movie lovers out there: Halina Rejin’s Babygirl. Written and directed by Reijin (Bodies Bodies Bodies), the erotic thriller follows a CEO, Romy (Nicole Kidman), who embarks in a torrid affair with a much younger intern (Harris Dickinson). Based on word-of-mouth and movie nerd buzz, Rejin’s movie has left audiences speechless, thanks in large part to Kidman’s killer performance.
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