The Lord of the Box Office: Your December movie guide

December is not just reserved for Santa and his reindeer. It's also the month when some of the year's must-see films premiere in theaters, and 2024 is no exception. Way.com brings you what's cooking at your local cinemas—and on your smart TV.

Dec. 6: 'NightBitch'

Amy Adams stars as an overwhelmed stay-at-home mom in "NightBitch," who seems to turn into a canine at nightfall. The film is a hybrid dark comedy-horror, and Adams tells Variety it's an in-depth look at motherhood. "It deals with friendship, community, relationships, motherhood, parenthood. It hits on a lot of different ancestral wounds. So if it hits you, that'll make me really happy." The film has received mixed reviews from critics so far, but this is not surprising, given that she turns into a dog who runs with a pack at night. It's a bold move on Adams' part.

Dec. 13: 'Kraven the Hunter'

Marvel's latest comic book adaptation is the hotly awaited "Kraven the Hunter," starring Aaron Taylor-Johnson as Sergei Kravinoff (the hunter) and Russell Crowe as his father, Nikolai Kravinoff. The complex relationship between father and son results in Sergei, an antihero, becoming the most vicious hunter the world has ever known. This latest film in the Spider-Man universe of characters is the first to receive an R rating for its violent content.

Dec. 13: 'The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim'

The anime fantasy film features the familiar voice of Brian Cox (of 'Succession') as Helm Hammerhand in the story of King Rohand, who defends his kingdom from an adversarial army of Dunlendings. Directed by Kenji Kamiyama, this film in the Lord of the Rings franchise is set 183 years before Peter Jackson's film trilogy. Cox recently told Stephen Colbert about his new role, "He's an appointed king. He's not a king by divine right of kings. He was probably a warrior until he was 55, and then he became the king. And he's in trouble. It's all gone wrong. He's got to sort it out."

Dec. 20: 'Sonic the Hedgehog 3'

Keanu Reeves and Jim Carrey bring their star power to the long-awaited action-adventure film based on the Sega video games. Reeves plays Shadow, the hedgehog who has gone to the dark side, while Carrey plays the mad scientist Dr. Robotnik, whom Sonic and his friends enlist to help battle Shadow. James Marsden is back as Tom Wachowski, the adopted father of the hedgehogs. The film's producer Toby Ascher told GamesRadar+ the film was "going to be this giant, fun, and incredible movie that obviously takes a lot from "Sonic Adventure 2" and some of the games that I know the core Sonic Team grew up loving."

Dec. 20: 'Mufasa: The Lion King'

In Disney's holiday offering, Simba, the grown-up king of the Pride Lands, encourages his cub to follow his lead. The film is said to be both a prequel and sequel to the 2019 remake of "The Lion King." Seth Rogen, Donald Glover, Billy Eichner, and Beyonce Knowles-Carter are returning for the adventure. Beyonce's daughter, Blue Ivy Carter, makes her movie debut in the holiday release.

Dec. 25: 'Nosferatu'

Horror fans are in for a real Christmas gift in the form of "Nosferatu," a remake of the 1922 film about one of everyone's favorite scary movie icons, Dracula. Written and directed by Robert Eggers, the film stars Lily-Rose Depp (the object of the vampire's affection), Willem Dafoe, Nicholas Hault, and Bill Skarsgård. Fun fact: Harry Styles was once in talks to star in the film. Early film screenings have critics raving about the storyline, with Variety movie critic Clayton Davis writing, "'Nosferatu' is paralyzing fear fully realized under the vision of writer and director Robert Eggers. Dude is just clearing his throat in cinema … Bill Skarsgård is menacing while Lily-Rose Depp is haunting. Every movie gets automatically upgraded simply because Willem Dafoe is in it. An artisan wet dream. Gorgeous and horrifically brilliant."

From the Comfort of Home

For those who enjoy movies from the couch, here are the new holiday films coming to your favorite streaming platform in December.

Netflix:

"That Christmas" is available on Dec. 4. The animated film is based on the books of Richard Curtis (who also helmed one of the most iconic holiday films ever, "Love, Actually"). The story centers around a huge snowstorm that threatens Christmas for the people in a town called Wellington-On-Sea. Once again, Brian Cox lends his voice to a holiday film, playing Santa Claus.

"Carry-On" is out Dec. 13. In the nail-biter, Taron Egerton plays a TSA agent dealing with a blackmailer (Jason Bateman) who insists on getting a mysterious package through security and onto a Christmas Day flight.

Hulu:

"A Sudden Case of Christmas" will premiere on Hulu on Dec. 13 and stars Lucy DeVito, Antonella Rose, Danny DeVito, Andie MacDowell, and Wilmer Valderrama. In the film, a family vacationing in Italy tells their daughter they will be divorcing. Even though it is August, the daughter insists on one last Christmas together as a family.

Disney+:

"Sugarcane," the acclaimed documentary (also streaming on National Geographic and Hulu), delves into the investigation that starts with the discovery of unmarked graves on the grounds of an Indian residential school run by the Catholic Church in Canada. What unfolds is a story about the abuse, forced assimilation, and segregation of many children who attended segregated schools during that time. The film won the Grand Jury award for directing by Julian Brave NoiseCat and Emily Kassie at the Sundance Film Festival in January 2024.

"Elton John: Never Too Late" dances into Disney+ on Dec. 13. The documentary spans Elton John's incredible 50-year career and touches on everything from addiction to overcoming adversity, culminating in his final Dodger Stadium concert. Singer Brandi Carlile, who wrote the title song, tells Billboard, "I love that Elton doesn't like to self-reflect … He's too forward-thinking. He's too forward-moving. And I'm so inspired by that ruggedness. I don't think ruggedness is a word that gets associated with Elton John quite enough. He's really f–king tough, and he's overcome a lot. And I just wanted to sort of take pause and slow it down and write a lyric about that for him to sing because he doesn't like to say nice stuff about himself."

The long-awaited "Blink" arrives on Disney+, Hulu, and National Geographic on Dec. 16. The award-winning documentary follows a Canadian family on a worldwide journey for a devastating reason—they want their children to see as much of the world as possible before they all lose their sight to a rare genetic disorder. The family goes on an incredible journey, surfing in Indonesia and hot air ballooning in Egypt. Bring your tissues to this one, folks.