December will see a bit of everything when it comes to movies releasing in theaters, with the arrival of a comedy horror movie, various biographical dramas, an animated musical, a Shakespearean play, and the return of very popular characters, among those Spider-Man. Cinemas around the world continue to operate amidst the coronavirus pandemic, and thanks to that, studios are finally being able to release all those movies that had to be delayed, though some continue to choose a simultaneous release with streaming platforms or limited theatrical releases followed by a release on streaming – and December will see a lot of those cases.
November welcomed a variety of movies for all ages and tastes, such as Eternals, Spencer, Belfast, Ghostbusters: Afterlife, Resident Evil: Welcome to Raccoon City, Encanto, and House of Gucci, and many will be or already are available to stream on different platforms, such as Clifford the Big Red Dog on Paramount+, King Richard on HBO Max, Encanto on Disney+, and tick, tick...BOOM! and The Unforgivable on Netflix.
December will see the release of a variety of movies from all genres and the return of some very popular characters – from musicals (both animated and live-action) to biographical dramas (such as one about the beloved Lucille Ball), to a new psychological thriller by Guillermo del Toro, to a Shakespearean drama led by Denzel Washington, and new adventures from Neo and Spider-Man. Here’s every movie coming to theaters in December 2021.
Encounter – December 3
Encounter is a sci-fi thriller movie directed by Michael Pearce. It tells the story of Mailk Khan (Riz Ahmed), a decorated Marine who goes on a rescue mission to save his two sons from a mysterious alien threat, and as their journey takes them in increasingly dangerous directions, the kids will have to leave their childhoods behind. Also starring are Octavia Spencer, Janina Gavankar, Rory Cochrane, Lucian-River Chauhan, and Aditya Geddeda. Encounter will have a limited theatrical release before being sent to Amazon Prime Video on December 10.
Silent Night – December 3
Silent Night is a comedy horror movie directed by Camille Griffin. Simon (Matthew Goode) and Nell (Keira Knightley) invite their closest friends and their families to join them for Christmas dinner at their home in the English countryside – but behind all the laughter, there’s a feeling of doom as the world is nearing its end, and no amount of gifts, games, food or wine can make mankind's imminent destruction go away. Also starring are Roman Griffin Davis, Annabelle Wallis, Lily-Rose Depp, Kirby Howell-Baptiste, Lucy Punch, Sope Dirisu, and Rufus Jones.
Deadlock – December 3
Deadlock is an action thriller directed by Jared Cohn. It follows Ron Whilock (Bruce Willis), an ex-military man working at a Georgia power plant who has to go back into action to prevent disaster when a group of rogue soldiers gain control of the plant and take the employees hostage. Also starring are Patrick Muldoon and Billy Jack Harlow.
National Champions – December 10
National Champions is a sports drama movie directed by Ric Roman Waugh and based on the play of the same name by Adam Mervis. Three days before the college football national championship game, star quarterback LeMarcus James (Stephan James) and teammate Emmett Sunday (Alexander Ludwig) ignite a player's strike, declaring they won't compete until all student athletes are fairly compensated. With billions of dollars at risk and legacies on the line, the stakes couldn't be higher, and now, with only hours until kickoff, their head coach James Lazor (J.K. Simmons) and various power brokers must race against the clock to protect or destroy the prevailing collegiate athletics system. Also starring are Lil Rel Howery, Tim Blake Nelson, Andrew Bachelor, Jeffrey Donovan, David Koechner, Timothy Olyphant, Uzo Aduba, and Kristin Chenoweth.
Being the Ricardos – December 10
Being the Ricardos is a biographical drama movie written and directed by Aaron Sorkin. It takes a look behind the scenes of I Love Lucy, giving a glimpse at the complex romantic and professional relationship between Lucille Ball (Nicole Kidman) and Desi Arnaz (Javier Bardem), taking the audience into the writer’s room, the soundstage, and behind closed doors with them during one critical production week of the groundbreaking sitcom. Also starring are J.K. Simmons as William Frawley, Nina Arianda as Vivian Vance, Tony Hale as Jess Oppenheimer, and Alia Shawkat as Madelyn Pugh. Being the Ricardos will get a limited theatrical release before streaming on Amazon Prime Video on December 21.
West Side Story – December 10
West Side Story is a musical drama directed by Steven Spielberg and based on the Broadway musical of the same name by Arthur Laurents, Leonard Bernstein, and Stephen Sondheim. Set in 1950s New York City, it follows Maria (Rachel Zegler) and Tony (Ansel Elgort), two teenagers from very different ethnic backgrounds who fall in love and trigger a conflict between rival street gangs the Jets and the Sharks. Also starring are Ariana DeBose, David Alvarez, Rita Moreno, Corey Stoll, and Brian d’Arcy James.
The Hating Game – December 10
The Hating Game is a rom-com directed by Peter Hutchings and based on the novel of the same name by Sally Thorne. Resolving to achieve professional success without compromising her ethics, Lucy Hutton(Lucy Hale) embarks on a ruthless game of one-upmanship against cold and efficient nemesis Joshua Templeman (Austin Stowell), a rivalry that is complicated by her growing attraction to him. The Hating Game will be released in theaters and video on demand on the same day.
Spider-Man: No Way Home – December 17
Spider-Man: No Way Home is the third entry in the MCU’s Spider-Man film series. After having his identity exposed by Mysterio at the end of Spider-Man: Far From Home, Peter Parker (Tom Holland) will now deal with the consequences of it, and in an effort to keep his loved ones safe, he will ask Doctor Strange (Benedict Cumberbatch) for help. The Sorcerer will agree to cast a spell that will make everyone forget that Peter is Spider-Man, but the spell won’t go as planned and instead it will open the gates to the multiverse, allowing villains from past Spider-Man movies to cross over to the MCU. Also starring are Zendaya, Jacob Batalon, Marisa Tomei, Benedict Wong, and Jon Favreau, and on the villains’ side are Alfred Molina as Doctor Octopus, Jamie Foxx as Electro, Rhys Ifans as Lizard, Willem Dafoe as Norman Osborn, and Thomas Haden Church as Sandman.
Nightmare Alley – December 17
Nightmare Alley is Guillermo del Toro’s latest project, and it’s a neo-noir psychological thriller based on the 1946 novel of the same name by William Lindsay Gresham. Set in 1940s New York, Nightmare Alley follows Stanton Carlisle (Bradley Cooper), who endears himself to a clairvoyant and her mentalist husband at a traveling carnival. Using newly acquired knowledge, Carlisle crafts a golden ticket to success by swindling the elite and wealthy. Hoping for a big score, he soon hatches a scheme to con a dangerous tycoon with help from a mysterious psychiatrist who might be his most formidable opponent yet. Also starring are Cate Blanchett, Toni Collette, Willem Dafoe, Richard Jenkins, Rooney Mara, and Ron Perlman.
The Tender Bar – December 17
The Tender Bar is a coming-of-age drama movie directed by George Clooney and based on the memoir of the same name by J.R. Moehringer. It follows Moehringer’s (Tye Sheridan) life growing up in Long Island as he seeks a replacement for his father, who disappeared shortly after his birth, leading J.R. to bond with his uncle, Charlie (Ben Affleck), and the patrons at a bar. Also starring are Lily Rabe, Christopher Lloyd, Sondra James, and Max Martini.
The Lost Daughter – December 17
The Lost Daughter is a psychological drama movie directed by Maggie Gyllenhaal (in her directorial debut) and based on the novel of the same name by Elena Ferrante. College professor Leda Caruso (Olivia Colman) confronts her unsettling past after meeting a woman named Nina (Dakota Johnson) and her young daughter while on vacation in Italy, but it quickly develops into an obsession that prompts memories of her early motherhood. Also starring are Jessie Buckley, Peter Sarsgaard, and Ed Harris. The Lost Daughter will get a limited theatrical release before streaming on Netflix on December 31.
Last Words – December 17
Last Words is a drama movie directed by Jonathan Nossiter and starring Nick Nolte, Kalipha Touray, Charlotte Rampling, and Stellan Skarsgård. Set in 2085, a young man, one of the few survivors of the human community of old, embarks on a long voyage to find others. Last Words premiered at the Deauville American Film Festival in September 2020 and it’s finally coming to theaters.
Sing 2 – December 22
Sing 2 is an animated musical comedy directed by Garth Jennings and the sequel to his 2016 movie Sing. Buster Moon (Matthew McConaughey) and his all-star cast of animal performers prepare to launch a dazzling stage extravaganza in the glittering entertainment capital of the world, but there's just one hitch: he has to find and persuade the world's most reclusive rock star to join them. What begins as Buster's dream of big-time success soon becomes an emotional reminder of the power of music to heal even the most broken heart. Also lending their voices to the colorful characters of Sing 2 are Reese Witherspoon, Scarlett Johansson, Taron Egerton, Tori Kelly, Nick Kroll, Bobby Cannavale, Halsey, Pharrell Williams, Nick Offerman, and Bono.
The Matrix Resurrections – December 22
The Matrix Resurrections is the fourth installment in The Matrix film series. Directed by Lana Wachowski, The Matrix Resurrections is set 20 years after the events of The Matrix Revolutions and reunites viewers with Neo (Keanu Reeves), who now lives a seemingly ordinary life as Thomas A. Anderson in San Francisco, where his therapist prescribes him blue pills – and neither he nor Trinity (Carrie-Anne Moss) recognize each other. However, Morpheus (now played by Yahya Abdul-Mateen II) offers him the red pill and reopens his mind to the world of the Matrix. The Matrix Resurrections will also stream on HBO Max beginning on December 22.
The King’s Man – December 22
The King’s Man is the third installment in the Kingsman film series, based on the comic book The Secret Service by Mark Millar and Dave Gibbons. The King’s Man serves as a prequel to Kingsman: The Secret Service and Kingsman: The Golden Circle, and it’s all about one man who must race against time to stop history’s worst tyrants and criminal masterminds as they get together to plot a war that could wipe out millions of people and destroy humanity. Starring are Ralph Fiennes, Djimon Hounsou, Harris Dickinson, Gemma Arterton, Rhys Ifans, Daniel Brühl, Matthew Goode, and Aaron Taylor-Johnson.
American Underdog – December 25
American Underdog is a biographical sports drama movie directed by Andrew and Jon Erwin. It chronicles the true story of Kurt Warner (Zachary Levi), who went from stocking shelves at a supermarket to become two-time NFL MVP, Super Bowl MVP, and Hall of Fame quarterback. Also starring are Anna Paquin, Dennis Quaid, and Chance Kelly.
A Journal for Jordan – December 25
A Journal for Jordan is a drama movie directed by Denzel Washington and based on the memoir A Journal for Jordan: A Story of Love and Honor by Dana Canedy. It’s the story of Sergeant Charles Monroe King (Michael B. Jordan), who while he’s deployed in Iraq, keeps a journal of love and advice for his infant son. Sharing this journal with her son, his fiancée, Dana Candey (Chanté Adams) reflects on her unlikely yet powerful romantic relationship with King.
The Tragedy of Macbeth – December 25
The Tragedy of Macbeth is a drama movie written and directed by Joel Coen and based on William Shakespeare’s Macbeth. It’s the story of Scottish lord Macbeth (Denzel Washington), who becomes convinced by a trio of witches that he will become the next King of Scotland, and his ambitious wife, Lady Macbeth (Frances McDormand), supports him in his plans of seizing power. Also starring are Corey Hawkins, Brendan Gleeson, Harry Melling, Alex Hassell, and Kathryn Hunter. The Tragedy of Macbeth will get a limited theatrical release before streaming on Apple TV+ on January 14, 2022.
Licorice Pizza – December 25
Licorice Pizza is a coming-of-age drama movie written and directed by Paul Thomas Anderson. Set in the 1970s, it follows Alana Kane (Alana Haim) and Gary Valentine (Cooper Hoffman) as they grow up, run around, and fall in love in California’s San Fernando Valley. Also starring are Sean Penn, Tom Waits, Bradley Cooper, and Maya Rudolph. Licorice Pizza was released in selected theaters in November and is getting a nationwide release on December 25.
Key Release Dates
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Encounter
Release Date:2021-12-03 -
Silent Night
Release Date:2021-12-03 -
Being the Ricardos (Don't Use)
Release Date:2021-12-10 -
West Side Story
Release Date:2021-12-10 -
spider-man homecoming 3
Release Date:2021-12-17 -
Nightmare Alley
Release Date:2021-12-17 -
The Lost Daughter
Release Date:2021-12-17 -
Sing 2
Release Date:2021-12-22 -
The Matrix Resurrections
Release Date:2021-12-22 -
American Underdog
Release Date:2021-12-25 -
The Tragedy of Macbeth
Release Date:2021-12-25 -
The Kings Man
Release Date:2021-12-22
