From Sweet Home season 2, Percy Jackson and the Olympians, this year’s MMFF, and more, take a look at what December has in store for you.
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Since it’s December, it’s expected that Christmas movies and holiday specials take center stage. But the joy in the moment can also be found in the new movies and shows coming our way. As the final month of the year, it’s the last hoorah for new titles this 2023 with releases this December featuring some of the most talked-about projects for months. So, if a Christmas movie marathon isn’t your thing, check out these fresh picks for that watchlist.
RENAISSANCE: A FILM BY BEYONCE
If living your best Beyhive life is your agenda this December, look no further than RENAISSANCE. Serving as both a concert film and a behind-the-scenes look at how Beyonce’s biggest tour of her career came to be, the film is Beycone’s love letter to the era, as well as the chance for Beyhive around the world to immerse themselves in the queen’s biggest tour of her career so far. You can strut your way to any local cinema now for a screening.
WONKA
Inspired by Roald Dahl’s Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, comes this sweet musical that tells the wondrous story of how a young chocolate-maker, armed with nothing but a hatful of dreams, manages to change the world, one delectable bite at a time. More specifically, it finds Willy moving to the city hoping to achieve his dream of starting his own chocolate shop. But before he does that, he first must get past the chocolate cartel. With every second oozing joyful vibes, the film is a fun watch for a carefree big screen romp. It’s currently showing in theaters nationwide.
MAESTRA: STRING OF TRUTH
December seems to have its fair share of orchestra themed shows. Such as this K-drama that centers on Cha Seeum, a visionary violin player from a young age. Swapping her bow for a baton, she traveled from Seoul to New York City, where she became one of the world’s most accomplished conductors.
After a hugely successful career, Seeum returns to her homeland when it becomes clear her past is about to be exposed. Once back in Korea, Seeum will attempt to revive Seoul’s failing Han River Philharmonic Orchestra while also working to uncover the mysterious person who is threatening to expose her secret to the world. Who knew starting back an orchestra can be so deadly? The mystery thriller is coming to Disney+ on December 9.
LEAVE THE WORLD BEHIND
Featuring an all-star cast, this drama centers on a family’s getaway to a luxurious rental home that takes an ominous turn when a cyberattack knocks out their devices — and two strangers appear at their door. She how this tale unfolds when it drops on Netflix on December 12.
YU YU HAKUSHO
90s babies will know how popular the anime was when it aired on local networks. Now, the manga and anime go live-action in this adaption. After a selfless act costs him his life, teen delinquent Yusuke Urameshi is chosen as a “Spirit Detective” to investigate cases involving rogue yokai. The series streams on Netflix beginning December 14.
DEATH’S GAME
The series centers around Choi Yi-jae (Seo In-guk), who decides to end his life and as punishment, is reincarnated twelve times courtesy of Death (Park So-dam) herself. This intriguing plotline of this webtoon adaptation dives deep into the complexities of life, the enigmatic nature of fate, the gray areas of mortality. You can catch this on Prime Video on December 15.
MAESTRO
If you’re looking to use the holiday break as a time to catch up on awards season hopefuls, you can start in this well-received drama. The film revolves around the moving story of famed composer Leonard Bernstein and his wife, actress Felicia Montealegre Cohn Bernstein as they navigate life and love. The movie drops on Netflix on December 20.
PERCY JACKSON AND THE OLYMPIANS
While the live-action movies series from the early 2010s has its fans, it’s mainly remembered as a disappointing adaptation of the Percy Jackson book series. This show looks to change that. With years of hype behind it, the show is finally making its debut this December as Percy, Annabeth, and Grover delve into the world of Greek mythology and godly adventures. Just in time for Christmas, the series is yours to stream on Disney+ beginning December 20.
AQUAMAN AND THE LOST KINGDOM
THE DCEU is on its last legs as this long-delayed sequel ends this rocky cinematic universe. Arthur Curry, aka Aquaman, is now king of Atlantis and a father. But his reign is threatened when Black Manta returns stronger than ever as he looks to destroy everything Aquaman holds dear. In order to stop him, Aquaman must team up with his imprisoned brother Orm and work together to save their home. The movie swims onto local cinemas on December 20.
REBEL MOON PART ONE: A CHILD OF FIRE
From Sparta, Metropolis, and now the moon, Zack Snyder is back with his latest sci-fi epic. When a peaceful settlement on the edge of a distant moon finds itself threatened by the armies of a tyrannical ruling force, a mysterious stranger living among its villagers becomes their best hope for survival. Billed as one of Netflix’s biggest projects of 2023, as seen by its coveted end of the year release date, the film can be streamed beginning December 22.
GYEONGSEONG CREATURE: SEASON 1 PART 1
Park Seo-joon and Han So-hee come together for this highly-anticipated team-up. The K-drama is set in Gyeongseong (Seoul’s old name) in the spring of1945. In Seoul’s grim era under colonial rule, an entrepreneur and a sleuth fight for survival and face a monster born out of human greed.The series will be divided into two parts: the first part will premiere on December 22, 2023 with seven episodes on Netflix, followed by the second part with the remaining three episodes on January 5, 2024 on the same streaming platform.
SALTBURN
Cinephiles may want to pay attention to this release. Emerald Fennell (Promising Young Woman) is back with her next film, and it’s got people talking on social media. The movie follows Oliver, a young Oxford University student who harbors an obsession with his charming classmate Felix. After he invites his to stay at his family’s estate for the summer, Felix enters an eccentric and aristocratic world that further fuels his obsession. How bad can this get, right? The film arrives on Prime Video on December 22.
METRO MANILA FILM FESTIVAL
As is tradition, December 25 isn’t just Christmas Day, but also the start of the Metro Manila Film Festival. But unlike years past, this edition features ten entries, a jump from the typical eight. So, if you’re looking for a local film to watch from the 25th all the way until the second week of January, you have your picks (or you can catch A Very Good Girl on Netflix this December 27).
POKEMON CONCIERGE
A stop-motion Pokemon series? Oh absolutely. This stop motion animated television series tells the story of Haru, a concierge at the Pokémon Resort, and her interactions with Pokémon and their owners who visit as guests. As you can imagine, the charm is off the charts. See it for yourself when it lands on Netflix this December 28.
BERLIN
This prequel series is all about one of the OG members of the Money Heist crew as Berlin recounts his tale of putting together a team for a daring heist in Paris. How romantic. It drops on Netflix on December 29.
NEW SEASONS
Finally, complete your December watchlist with these new seasons coming your way real soon. Sweet Home Season 2 (December 1), Hilda Season 3 (December 7), Single’s Inferno Season 3 (December 12), The Crown Season 6 Part 2 (December 14), What If… Season 2 (December 22).
Continue Reading: Your Cheat Sheet To The Must-See New Movies And Shows Of November 2023
