December is one of the biggest months for movies outside of the summer blockbuster season. Awards hopefuls continue to get wide releases and Disney releases its final two blockbusters. There’s plenty to see for everyone, so here’s what I’m most excited about this month.
Jumanji: The Next Level (Dec. 13)
Rating: PG-13
Starring: Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson, Jack Black, Kevin Hart, Karen Gillan, Nick Jonas
Four friends and two unlucky grandfathers get sucked back into the Jumanji video game where they must complete a new quest to escape once again.
Why I’m excited: The 2017 sequel to the original Jumanji was a surprise hit and turned out to be a pretty entertaining movie. The main cast was a lot of fun as the avatars for four teenagers. Hopefully they can strike twice with this new sequel.
See this if you liked: Jumanji, Zathura, Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle
Bombshell (Dec. 13)
Rating: PG-13
Starring: Charlize Theron, Nicole Kidman, Margot Robbie
Three women who work at Fox News set out to expose the network’s CEO for sexual harassment allegations.
Why I’m excited: In what I’m sure will not be a controversial movie at all, Bombshell will certainly be interesting. I won’t be shocked if this is the beginning of a series of #MeToo movies that are made over the next few years. But with a leading cast of Theron, Kidman and Robbie, this looks ready to come out swinging. And Charlize Theron’s transformation into Megyn Kelly is frighteningly accurate.
See this if you liked: All the President’s Men, The Post, Spotlight
Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker (Dec. 20)
Rating: PG-13
Starring: Carrie Fisher, Mark Hamill, Daisy Ridley, Adam Driver, John Boyega, Oscar Isaac, Anthony Daniels
The Resistance and the First Order, as well as the Jedi and the Sith, face off in climactic battles.
Why I’m excited: I’ve loved Star Wars since I was seven years old. The Rise of Skywalker has the not-at-all daunting task of wrapping up a 42-year-long story. The sequel trilogy has been one of the hottest topics in Hollywood over the past five years, so it will be fascinating to see how J.J. Abrams decides to bring the saga to a close.
See this if you liked: Any Star Wars movie
Cats (Dec. 20)
Rating: PG
Starring: Jennifer Hudson, Judi Dench, Ian McKellen, Taylor Swift, James Corden, Jason Derulo, Rebel Wilson
On one special night, the Jellicle cats must decide who will ascend to the Heaviside Layer.
Why I’m excited: Cats has repeatedly been called one of the weirdest musicals of all time, but it’s also one of the most successful. The character names are weird, the plot is weird, and nothing seems to make sense. The movie is already making waves for the absolutely insane effects of merging human beings with cats and it just all looks so bizarre that I’m here for it.
See this if you liked: Les Miserables, Phantom of the Opera, Chicago
Little Women (Dec. 25)
Rating: PG-13
Starring: Saoirse Ronan, Emma Watson, Florence Pugh, Eliza Scanlen, Timothee Chalamet, Laura Dern, Meryl Streep
Based on the book by Louisa May Alcott, Little Women explores the lives of the four March sisters in post-Civil War New England.
Why I’m excited: Director Greta Gerwig and stars Saoirse Ronan and Timothee Chalamet were all part of 2017’s incredible Lady Bird, so bringing this team back together and adding Emma Watson, Laura Dern and Meryl Streep is a dream.
See this if you liked: Lady Bird, Pride & Prejudice, Sense & Sensibility
Movies with Mitchell 