While some spend Christmas Day at home by the Christmas tree, many go straight to the cinema. Luckily, there are plenty of films to see in theaters on December 25th, whether you’re looking for a family-friendly film or want to get ahead of the awards season.

New films in the cinema on Christmas Day 2024

Kid-friendly options were released earlier (more on that later), so the Christmas Day release list largely consists of R-rated films starring big A-listers.

Baby girl (R) – Nicole Kidman plays a businesswoman who seemingly has everything with a husband (Antonio Banderas), two children at home while serving as CEO of her technology company. However, she puts everything at risk when she indulges her submissive fantasies and has an affair with her young intern (Harris Dickinson). Kidman received a Golden Globe nomination for her performance in the erotic thriller.

A complete unknown (R) – Timothée Chalamet stars 19-year-old Bob Dylan, who arrives in New York City and begins his meteoric rise to fame. Edward Norton, Elle Fanning And Monica Barbara can also be seen in this biopic, which is nominated for three Golden Globes.

Nosferatu (R) – Realtor Thomas Hutter (Nicholas Hoult) is looking for a house for the wealthy Transylvanian Count Orlok (Bill Skarsgard) in this remake of the 1922 short film. Thomas learns that Orlok is a vampire and has taken a liking to Thomas’ wife Ellen (Lily Rose Depp). Aaron Taylor Johnson, Emma Corrin And Willem Dafoe also star.

The fire within (PG-13) – This biopic follows professional boxer Claressa “T-Rex” Shields (Ryan fate), while working with trainer Jason Crutchfield (Brian Tyree Henry). She is the first American woman to win an Olympic gold medal in the sport.

The only new Christmas movie coming to theaters this year

While some cinemas show popular Christmas classics such as: Actually love And The Grinch Back in theaters, only one new holiday film will hit the big screen in 2024: Red. After Santa Claus was kidnapped, Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson plays an ELF (Extremely Large and Formidable) agent who teams up with a bounty hunter and eternally naughty Lister (played by Chris Evans) to track down St. Nick. Lucy Liu, JK Simmons, Bonnie Hunt And Kiernan Shipka She also stars in the film, which is also available to stream on Prime Video.

Previous releases are still in theaters

There’s no better time than the Christmas holidays to catch up on your moviegoing – or watching – viewing Evil for the third time. No judgment.

Mufasa: The Lion King (PG) – This prequel follows a young Mufasa as he befriends Taka, who fans know better as Scar. The photorealistic animated film features a star-studded cast including: Aaron Pierre, Kelvin Harrison Jr., Seth Rogen, Billy Eichner, Tiffany Boone, Blue Ivy Carter And Beyonce.

Sonic the Hedgehog 3 (PG) – Sonic (voiced by Ben Schwartz), Knuckles (voiced by Keanu Reeves) and Tails (voiced by Colleen O’Shaughnessey) reunite to fight Shadow (voiced by Idris Elba) in this threequel. Jim Carrey also returns as Dr. Ivo Robotnik returns Krysten Ritter, James Marsden, Shemar Moore And Tika Sumpter round out the live-action cast.

Kraven the Hunter (PG-13) – Aaron Taylor Johnson In this origin story, he plays Marvel villain Nikolai Kravinoff, who explains how his own father sets him on the path of revenge. Ariana DeBose And Russell Crowe also star.

Strange (R) – Daniel Craig He received a Golden Globe nomination for his role as an American veteran who escapes drug charges and flees to Mexico City in the 1950s. He falls in love with a handsome young fellow American (Drew Starkey), who shows the older man what he was missing. The film based on William S. Burroughs‘ Novella from 1985 that has a lot of Oscar feeling.

Evil (PG-13) – Let’s make room for this epic origin story of The Wicked Witch of the West. Cynthia Erivo, Ariana Grande, Jonathan Bailey And Michelle Yeoh Star in the blockbuster, which received four Golden Globe nominations and is expected to receive more recognition as awards season progresses.

Gladiator II (R) – Set 16 years after the death of Maximus in the 2000s gladiatorthe sequel follows Lucius (Paul Mescal), who watched his uncle kill Maximus. After his wife is killed, he is taken prisoner of war and forced to enter the Colosseum. He must not only fight against his opponents, but also fight to bring about real change in Rome. Pedro Pascal, Joseph Quinn And Denzel Washington also star.