10 New Holiday Movies, Specials, and Series Coming This Season

Eddie Murphy plays a dad who’s so hellbent on having the most lavishly decorated home in his neighborhood, he signs a deal with a spell-casting elf (Jillian Bell)—not realizing it’ll mean chaos in the form of the 12 days of Christmas brought to magically mischievous life. (December 1 on Prime Video)

Home Alone, but animated Batman style! Here’s the official synopsis: “When young Damian Wayne finds himself alone in Wayne Manor on Christmas Eve, he must transform into ‘Little Batman’ in order to defend his home and Gotham City from the crooks and supervillains intent on destroying the holidays.” Featuring the voices of Yonas Kibreab, Luke Wilson, James Cromwell, and David Hornsby. (December 8 on Prime Video)

Melissa McCarthy plays Flora, a jovial genie accidentally freed after 2,000 years by a Bernard (I May Destroy You’s Paapa Kwakye Essiedu), who’s facing a depressing holiday season: he’s newly estranged him from his wife and young daughter—and despite being a total workaholic, he’s just lost his job. Will Flora have a blast spreading her magic around New York City while helping Bernard fix his life ,and maybe learn some valuable lessons about herself, too? All signs point to yes in this “fairytale comedy” written by Richard Curtis, whose Love Actually is already holding it down as a perpetual Christmas favorite. (November 22 on Peacock)

This horror film starring Mena Massoud (Aladdin) played Fantastic Fest earlier this year and is heading to streaming just in time for the holidays. Set at an all-girls’ boarding school circa 1971, it’s about a group of students who must battle a gang of killers when they’re stuck there over Christmas. (December 8 on Shudder)

In this comedy, Chris “Ludacris” Bridges plays Eddie, a good guy who can’t stand Christmas—which means he’s absolutely a candidate for a Scrooge-style infusion of holiday spirit. On Christmas Eve, as luck would have it, he and his young daughter have a magical encounter with someone who strongly resembles Santa Claus (Lil Rel Howery). The Marvels’ Teyonah Parris co-stars as Eddie’s estranged wife. (November 17 on Disney+)

Tim Allen’s hit Santa Clause movies spawned a hit spin-off series in 2022, which returns now for a second season. This time around, Scott Calvin is still determined to find a successor for his North Pole gig, and thinks his son could be the perfect candidate. Added bonus: Tracy Morgan’s guest starring-turn as the Easter Bunny. (First two episodes premiere November 8 on Disney+, followed by a weekly rollout.)

This Disney Channel Original Movie is billed as “Ocean’s 11 at the North Pole,” except the “crooks” involved are all fifth-graders, and the “heist” is about rigging Santa’s naughty vs. nice lists. The always-excellent Danny Glover plays Santa Claus. (November 22 on the Disney Channel; November 23 on Disney+)

“On Christmas Eve, a young RAF pilot flying home across the North Sea finds himself in peril when his radio and electric power cut out, leaving him stranded and running on limited fuel. Just when it appears his luck is about to run out, a mysterious good Samaritan guides him to safety.” John Travolta plays the good Samaritan in this short film. (December 1 on Disney+)

This live action and animation hybrid adapts the classic Margery Williams tale—“When seven-year-old William receives a new favorite toy for Christmas, he discovers a lifelong friend and unlocks a world of magic”—and features the voices of Helena Bonham Carter, Nicola Coughlan, Bethany Antonia, and more. (November 22 on Apple TV+)