Holiday movie season: ‘A Complete Unknown,’ ‘Moana 2,’ ‘Nosferatu’ lead the way

Maybe it’s that Hollywood is still building back up following the writers’ and actors’ strikes of 2023, or, perhaps, it’s us, but there aren’t all that many films coming to theaters and streaming services into January that have us overly excited.

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There are a few, to be certain, none more so than “A Complete Unknown,” which will bring Bob Dylan to the screen by way of Timothée Chalamet on Christmas Day — surely a cure for the tombstone blues.

Here’s a brief rundown of much of the gifts we’re expecting, keeping in mind that, as always, dates are subject to change.

“Moana 2” | Nov. 27 | Theaters >> It’s back to the water for our titular island heroine, voiced again by Auliʻi Cravalho, in this sequel to the 2016 hit from Walt Disney Animation Studios. She’ll reunite with her big pal Maui (a likewise returning Dwayne Johnson) for this adventure, with storyboard artist David Derrick Jr. making his feature directorial debut. He also co-wrote the film, set three years after the events of the first. We’re bummed that, unlike its predecessor, “Moana 2” does not boast any songs by Lin-Manuel Miranda. (We’re still unabashedly smitten with the Miranda-penned “How Far I’ll Go” from “Moana.”)

“Sweethearts” | Nov. 28 | Max >> Kiernan Shipka, fresh off playing the villain in the flop that is “Red One,” and Nico Hiraga (“Booksmart”) star in this breakup-focused rom-com set the night before Thanksgiving. Co-writer Jordan Weiss makes her feature directorial debut in this offering from streaming service Max.

“That Christmas” | Dec. 4 | Netflix >> Brian Cox, Fiona Shaw, Bill Nighy and Jodie Whittaker are among those providing voice work in this animated offering dealing with friends, family, Santa Claus and loneliness.

“Mary” | Dec. 6 | Netflix >> D. J. Caruso (“Disturbia,” “XXX: Return of Xander Cage”) helms this drama, which sees Israeli actress-model Noa Cohen portray the titular Biblical figure. The supporting cast includes Anthony Hopkins, as King Herod.

“Nightbitch” | Dec. 6 | Theaters >> Based on the 2021 novel of the same name by Rachel Yoder, this film starring Amy Adams certainly has a tone-setting title. This slice of dark-magic horror, written and directed by Marielle Heller (“The Queen’s Gambit”), has Adams portraying a stay-at-home mom who’s transformed into a dog. (And you thought it was going to be something weird.)

“Y2K” | Dec. 6 | Theaters >> Remember that New Year’s Eve when 1999 gave way to 2000 and we worried a computer glitch would spell chaos? This disaster comedy, which features Rachel Zelger in its ensemble, jumps in the way-back machine to have a little fun with that notion. Its director and co-writer is “Saturday Night Live” alum Kyle Mooney.

“Carry On” | Dec. 13 | Netflix >> While Jaume Collet-Serra became known for horror films such as “House of Wax” and “Orphan,” he has spent much of the recent years pumping out action-filled fare starring Liam Neeson (“Unknown,” “Non-Stop”) and Dwayne Johnson (“Jungle Cruise,” “Black Adam”). Now he’s guiding Taron Egerton through an action thriller set at an airport, the “Kingsman: The Secret Service” star playing a TSA agent trying to stop a Christmas Day disaster. The cast also includes Jason Bateman and Sofia Carson.

“Dirty Angels” | Dec. 13 | Theaters and digital on-demand >> Eva Green stars in this action thriller set during the 2021 withdrawal of U.S. forces from Afghanistan. Martin Campbell, the director of James Bond entries “GoldenEye” (1995) and “Casino Royale” (2006).

“Elton John: Never Too Late” | Dec. 13 | Disney+ >> Get an inside look at the unbelievably talented singer-songwriter’s “Farewell Yellow Brick Road” tour in this documentary directed by R. J. Cutler (“Billie Eilish: The World’s a Little Blurry”) and David Furnish, John’s husband.

“Kraven the Hunter” | Dec. 13 | Theaters >> After multiple delays — “Kraven the Hunter” was pulled from the fall slate pretty late in the game — this latest entry in Sony Picture’s largely uninspiring “Spider-Man Universe” should actually start hunting for box-office success. This entry based on yet another hero/villain from the pages of Marvel Comics looks at least reasonably promising, with the reliable J. C. Chandor (“Margin Call,” “A Most Violent Year”) at the helm and Aaron Taylor-Johnson in the titular role and a supporting cast that includes Ariana DeBose and Russell Crowe. What looks to be an action-packed origin story, “Kraven the Hunter” will explore the character’s complex relationship with his father (Crowe).

“The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim” | Dec. 13 | Theaters >> Given the largely lukewarm response to the expensive Prime Video series “The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power” — we like it quite a bit, if, admittedly, largely for its lush visuals — we’re genuinely curious to see how much of a market exists for a big-screen anime adventure in the late J.R.R. Tolkien’s beloved fantasy universe. (That the film reportedly exists at least partially because had Warner Bros. Discovery subsidiary New Line Cinema not gotten moving on a film, it would lose the rights to making big-screen adaptations doesn’t exactly inspire confidence.) The story is set nearly two centuries before the events of filmmaker Peter Jackson’s live-action “The Lord of the Rings” trilogy and tells the tale of a king, Helm Hammerhand, voiced by Brian Cox (“Succession”).

“Maria” | Dec. 13 | Theaters >> Angelina Jolie stars as opera singer Maria Callas in this biographical drama from director Pablo Larrain, who previously dramatized the life of two other notable women: Jacqueline Kennedy, in 2016’s “Jackie”; and Princess Diana, in 2021’s “Spencer.” “Peaky Blinders” creator Steven Knight, who penned “Spencer,” handled the screenplay duties.

“September 5” | Dec. 13 | Theaters >> Tim Fehlbaum (“Tides”) is the director and co-writer of this historical drama about the Olympic hostage crisis in Munich in 1972, told largely from the perspective of folks covering the games for television. Peter Sarsgaard leads the ensemble cast. The film, which premiered in August at the Venice International film Festival, is seeing a limited theatrical release on Nov. 29 before going wider in mid-December.

“The Brutalist” | Dec. 20 | Theaters >> Adrien Brody portrays a Holocaust survivor in this drama, which earned raves at a few major film festivals. Brady Corbet (“Melancholia”) directs, and the large supporting cast boasts Felicity Jones and Guy Pearce.

“Mufasa: The Lion King” | Dec. 20 | Theaters >> Serving largely as a prequel to the similarly executed 2019 live-action/photo-realistically animated remake of the 1994 animated classic “The Lion King,” this film revolves around a young Mufasa, voiced by compelling “Rebel Ridge” star Aaron Pierre. (An even younger version of the future lion leader is voiced by Braelyn Rankins, who was born in Northeast Ohio.) Seth Rogan, as Pumbaa, and Billy Eichner, as Timon, are among the voice actors returning from “The Lion King.” Donald Glover also reprises the role of Simba, Mufasa’s future son and the current leader of Pride Rock. Most intriguingly, the film is directed by Barry Jenkins, whose resume includes the acclaimed dramas “Moonlight” and “If Beale Street Could Talk.”

“The Six Triple Eight” | Dec. 20 | Theaters >> Known mainly for comedies, writer-director Tyler Perry helms this historical drama about the contributions of the all-Black, all-female 6888th Central Postal Directory Battalion during World War II. Kerry Washington (“The School for Good and Evil”) leads a cast that also features Susan Sarandon, Oprah Winfrey and Sam Waterston. The film is getting a limited theatrical release two weeks ahead of its streaming date.

“Sonic the Hedgehog 3” | Dec. 20 | Theaters >> All the key players are back — cartoon types Sonic (voiced by Ben Schwartz), Tails (Colleen O’Shaughnessey) and Knuckles (Idris Elba) and human characters Tom Wachowski (James Marsden), Maddie Wachowski (Tika Sumpter) and Dr. Ivo Robotnik (Jim Carrey) — and they’ll have to team up to stop a new foe, Shadow the Hedgehog (voiced by Keanu Reeves). Jeff Fowler, who directed 2020’s “Sonic the Hedgehog,” 2022’s “Sonic the Hedgehog 2” and an episode of Paramount+ spinoff series “Knuckles,” helms this romp, as well.

“Babygirl” | Dec. 25 | Theaters >> Nicole Kidman has earned praise for her starring turn as a powerful executive who becomes involved with an intern (Harris Dickinson) in this sexually charged thriller from Dutch writer-director Halina Reijn.

“A Complete Unknown” | Dec. 25 | Theaters >> Talented director James Mangold, having already delivered a strong Johnny Cash biopic in 2005’s “Walk the Line,” turns his attention to a young Bob Dylan with this highly anticipated film. Timothée Chalamet (“Wonka”) stars as the hugely influential singer-songwriter. Based largely on Elijah Wald’s 2015 book “Dylan Goes Electric,” the film attempts to capture a pivotal time in the artist’s life. Supporting players include Monica Barbaro, as Joan Baez; Edward Norton, as Pete Seeger; Elle Fanning, as Sylvie Russo; and Scoot McNairy, as Woody Guthrie. See y’all out on Highway 61.

“The Fire Inside” | Dec. 25 | Theaters >> Ryan Destiny (“Grown-ish”) stars as boxer Claressa “T-Rex” Shields in this biographical drama, the feature directorial debut of Rachel Morrison, a cinematographer whose credits include Ryan Coogler films “Fruitvale Station” and “Black Panther.” The aforementioned director of “Mufasa,” Barry Jenkins, is responsible for the screenplay.

“Nosferatu” | Dec. 25 | Theaters >> Writer-director Robert Eggers (“The Witch,” “The Northman”) doesn’t make films like anybody else, so we look forward to his update on the more-than-a-century-old German film of the same name, it based on 1897’s “Dracula” by Bram Stoker. This new take on the vampire tale boasts a cast that includes Bill Skarsgard, LIly-Rose Depp, Nicholas Hoult and Aaron Taylor-Johnson.

“The Damned” | Jan. 3 | Theaters >> Why not get 2025 rolling with what’s billed as a “chilling thriller” about folks who, upon coming across a shipwreck, must choose whether to help or prioritize their own survival?

“Wallace & Gromit: Vengeance Most Fowl” | Jan. 3 | Netflix >> Arriving a little more than a year after another Netflix release from the stop-motion masters of Aardman Animations, “Chicken Run: Dawn of the Nugget,” this is the second feature featuring the most charming of British duos, Wallace (voiced by Ben Whitehead), and his doggie pal, Gromit. As Gromit worries Wallace is too into his inventing work, a figure from the past seeks, yes, a “vengeance most fowl,” as Wallace calls it in the film’s trailer. Longtime Aardman man Nick Park directs along with Merlin Crossingham.

“The Last Showgirl” | Jan. 10 | Theaters >> Gia Coppola, granddaughter of Francis Ford Coppola, directs the one and only Pamela Anderson in a tale of an aging showgirl who faces an uncertain future when her show closes. The supporting cast boasts Jamie Lee Curtis, Dave Bautista and Kiernan Shipka.

“Unstoppable” | Jan. 16 | Prime Video >> Getting a limited theatrical release on Dec. 6, this biographical sports drama stars Jharrel Jerome (“Moonlight”) as 2011 champion wrestler Anthony Robles, on whose book, “Unstoppable: From Underdog to Undefeated: How I Became a Champion,” the film is based and who was born with only one leg. The supporting cast includes Bobby Cannavale, Jennifer Lopez, Don Cheadle and Michael Pena. William Goldenberg, a longtime editor, makes his directorial debut.

“Back in Action” | Jan. 17 | Netflix >> Originally set for a fall release, this action comedy starring the appealing duo of Cameron Diaz and Jamie Foxx — who portray former CIA operatives pulled back into the spy game — will make us wait a little longer. The supporting cast also boasts a few big names in Glenn Close, Andrew Scott and Kyle Chandler. Seth Gordon (“Horrible Bosses,” “Baywatch”) directs from a script he co-wrote with Brendan O’Brien (“Neighbors”).

“Better Man” | Jan. 17 | Theaters >> After a limited release on Christmas Day, this semi-autobiographical film about British pop star Robbie Williams (cough) monkeys around in an unusual way. Williams voices the film’s less-evolved version of himself, and Michael Gracey (“The Greatest Showman”) directs.

“Wolf Man” | Jan. 17 | Theaters >> The folks from Universal Pictures and their budget-minded horror-expert pals from BlumHouse Productions are usually good for a January scare-fest. We’ll have to wait to see if “Wolf Man” — a new take on the 1941 film from writer-director Leigh Whannell, best known for the “Insidious” franchise — is more in line in terms of quality with 2022’s decent “M3gan” or last year’s mostly “meh” “Night Swim.” Christopher Abbott will howl at the moon alongside “Ozark” fave Julia Garner.