6. BLACK CHRISTMAS (DECEMBER 13)



Plot Summary: The members of a college sorority find themselves being hunted by a mysterious killer while preparing for the winter holidays.

The Breakdown: The 1974 slasher classic Black Christmas has already been remade once before (in 2006), but this new version seems a far cry from the previous two iterations, and in a promising way. Judging by its trailer, director Sophia Takal and writer April Wolfe have made a horror movie that's as much about the patriarchal legacy of its setting, Hawthorne College, as it is a loner stalking and murdering young women, and it's an intriguing and relevant twist to the original film's premise. That also bodes well for the rest of this particular reboot, which is angling to cap off what's been another great twelve months for horror movies in general.

5. CATS (DECEMBER 20)



Plot Summary: Members of the Jellicle cat tribe try to decide one night which of them will ascend to the Heaviside Layer and come back to a new life.

The Breakdown: Yes, Cats is the weirdest Broadway musical to turn into a movie, but there's something inspired about just how bonkers Tom Hooper's adaptation looks so far, from its "digital fur technology" to Idris Elba, Taylor Swift, and Jennifer Hudson as humanoid felines singing and dancing across the film's gigantic sets. December has become a lucrative frame for musicals in recent years (see: The Greatest Showman, Mary Poppins Returns), and the longstanding popularity of the original show suggests the Cats movie could prove to be an equally big hit at the box office. Whether it'll actually be good, well, that's something we're all curious to find out.

4. STAR WARS: THE RISE OF SKYWALKER (DECEMBER 20)



Plot Summary: The Skywalker Saga draws to a close as Rey, Finn, and Poe Dameron fight back against Kylo Ren and the forces of the First Order.

The Breakdown: Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker is now officially the longest Star Wars movie ever, and with fair reason. J.J. Abrams' film is tasked with not only concluding the nine-part Skywalker Saga that began in 1977, but also wrapping up the sequel trilogy, introducing new characters, and explaining how Emperor Palpatine is back from the dead in a cohesive fashion. The Rise of Skywalker's ultra-secretive marketing has started to frustrate some fans by this point, but the actual movie continues to look promising, and (in Abrams' capable hands) the ultimate payoff is expected to be worth all the build-up and spoiler dodging.

3. LITTLE WOMEN (DECEMBER 25)



Plot Summary: Sisters Jo, Meg, Amy, and Beth March come of age and strive to live life on their own terms in post-Civil War 1860s New England.

The Breakdown: Between Louisa May Alcott's cherished source material and Greta Gerwig directing a cast that includes her Lady Bird stars Saoirse Ronan and Timothée Chalamet, it's long been anticipated that Little Women will be a contender in this year's awards race. The early reactions suggests it's exactly that, with Gerwig earning praise for her nonlinear remixing of Alcott's narrative and drawing energetic performances from her cast (especially Florence Pugh, who's already been having a terrific year thanks to Fighting with My Family and Midsommar). Little Women arrives over the busy winter holiday frame, so mark your calendars accordingly.

2. SPIES IN DISGUISE (DECEMBER 25)



Plot Summary: World-famous super spy Lance Sterling is accidentally turned into a pigeon by his gadget man, Walter Beckett, forcing them to work together and save the day.

The Breakdown: There's been a theme of Will Smith getting CG makeovers this year and that continues with his latest offering, the wacky action-comedy Spies in Disguise. Blue Sky's new project seems like a far cry from the type of ambitious storytelling seen in recent Disney and Pixar animated films, but its brand of irreverent entertainment could be exactly what families are in the mood for over the winter holidays, and there's admittedly something inspiredly silly about its "Will Smith is a pigeon" setup. Add Tom Holland as the ungainly Q to Smith's dashing secret agent and Spies in Disguise could make for some welcome holiday frivolity.