Get ready for a feast of festivity on the big screen this December with action-packed thrillers, romance, anime and animation, as well as live theatre
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1 December
Michael Sheen plays Nye Bevan in Nye, a surreal and spectacular journey through the life and legacy of the man who transformed Britain’s welfare state and created the NHS.
Confronted with death, Aneurin ‘Nye’ Bevan’s deepest memories lead him on a mind-bending journey back through his life; from childhood to mining underground, Parliament and fights with Churchill. Written by Tim Price and directed by Rufus Norris (Small Island), this epic new Welsh fantasia will be broadcast live from the National Theatre. 1, 4, 5 December. Read more
6 December
Reuniting the director, writer and stars of Forrest Gump, Here is a generational story about families and the special place they inhabit, sharing in love, loss, laughter, and life.
Stretching from prehistory to the present day, the film is an odyssey of all the love and loss that can unfold in a single place. Directed by Robert Zemeckis from a screenplay by Eric Roth & Zemeckis, based on the graphic novel by Richard McGuire.
The film is told much in the style of the acclaimed graphic novel by Richard McGuire on which it is based. Tom Hanks and Robin Wright star in a tale of love, loss, laughter and life, all of which happen right Here. rough-generations-capturing-the-most-relatable-of-human-experiences Read more.
Animation fans are in for a treat with the cinema release of Niko Saves Christmas. Niko is a reindeer with big dream: he wants to join Santa’s flying team! But along the way, faces lots of challenges that lead him on an exciting adventure save Christmas. As travels, learns how important friendship and discovers it’s okay be himself.
The animated comedy ,i>Hitpig! is set in a futuristic cyberpunk world. Hitpig sets out to capture a dancing elephant named Pickles, but the two of them end up finding themselves on an immersive journey to a circus in Las Vegas. However, Hitpig soon realises that no amount of money is worth losing his newfound friend.
Directed by Cinzia Angelini and David Feiss, the film comes from an original story by Berkeley Breathed, rooted in his 2008 children’s book Pete & Pickles. Breathed also wrote the screenplay alongside Dave Rosenbaum and Tyler Werrin. Produced by Aniventure and animated by Cinesite, the film features the voices of Jason Sudeikis, Lilly Singh, Rainn Wilson, Anitta, RuPaul, Hannah Gadsby and Charlie Adler.
The anime fantasy The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim is set 183 years before Peter Jackson’s The Lord of the Rings film trilogy (2001–2003). Set 183 years before the events of the Peter Jackson’s The Lord of the Rings film trilogy (2001–2003), The War of the Rohirrim tells the story of Helm Hammerhand, a legendary king of Rohan, and his family as they defend their kingdom against an army of Dunlendings. Helm goes on to be the namesake for the stronghold Helm’s Deep.
Directed by Kenji Kamiyama from a screenplay by Jeffrey Addiss & Will Matthews and Phoebe Gittins & Arty Papageorgiou, based on characters created by J. R. R. Tolkien. It stars Brian Cox, Gaia Wise, Luke Pasqualino, and Miranda Otto.
Solo Leveling – ReAwakening is an action-adventure fantasy anime created by Chugong. When Sung Jinwoo is slain in the depths of a high-level dungeon, he is reborn – but this time with a plan. After establishing a connection with a mysterious program called “the System,”, Jinwoo levels up remarkably fast – and he intends to use his newfound strength to reach the heart of the dungeon and uncover its secrets.
The series is based on the South Korean web novel of the same name by Chugong.
13 December
In the superhero actioner, Kraven the Hunter, Kraven has a complex relationship with his father which sets him on a path of vengeance and motivates him to become the greatest and most feared hunter.
Directed by J. C. Chandor from a screenplay by Richard Wenk and the writing team of Art Marcum and Matt Holloway, the film stars Aaron Taylor-Johnson in the title role, alongside Ariana DeBose, Fred Hechinger, Alessandro Nivola, Christopher Abbott, and Russell Crowe
In the action-packed Weekend in Taipei, John Lawlor, a committed American Drug Enforcement Administration agent, fell in love with Joey, a Taipei-based transporter, but was forced to separate due to the disruption of criminal and corruption activities. Fifteen years later, the duo is reunited when Lawlor is on a mission in Taipei, unaware of the dangerous consequences of their past. Directed by George Huang and co-written with Luc Besson. Starring Luke Evans, Gwei Lun-mei, and Sung Kang
20 December
The musical drama Mufasa: The Lion King is set in the Pride Lands of Tanzania after the events of The Lion King (2019). Rafiki the mandrill tells the origin story of two lions, Mufasa and Taka, to Kiara—the granddaughter of Mufasa and daughter of Simba and Nala. The story follows the orphan Mufasa, who is befriended by the young prince Taka and adopted by Taka’s family; the pair become as close as brothers. Timon the meerkat and Pumbaa the warthog add color commentary.
Photorealistically animated, and both a prequel and sequel to the 2019 remake of the 1994 film The Lion King, it is directed by Barry Jenkins from a screenplay written by Jeff Nathanson.
22 December
Extraordinary Norwegian soprano Lise Davidsen stars as the passionate title diva in David McVicar’s thrilling production of Tosca. British-Italian tenor Freddie De Tommaso makes his eagerly anticipated company debut as Tosca’s revolutionary lover, Cavaradossi, and powerhouse American baritone Quinn Kelsey is the sadistic chief of police Scarpia. Maestro Yannick Nézet-Séguin conducts the electrifying score, which features some of Puccini’s most memorable melodies. In cinemas 22 and 24 Dec. Read more
26 December
In the action-thriller and spy film Canary Black, Avery Graves, a CIA operative, is blackmailed by terrorists into betraying her own country to save her kidnapped husband. Cut off from her team, she turns to her underworld contacts to survive.
It is directed by Pierre Morel and written by Matthew Kennedy, starring Kate Beckinsale as a CIA agent on the run.
27 December
In the horror-thriller Werewolves a supermoon event triggers a latent gene in every human on the planet, turning anyone who entered the moonlight into a werewolf for that one night. Chaos ensued and close to a billion people died.
Now, a year later, the Supermoon is back. Two scientists try to stop a mutation that turns people into werewolves after being touched by a super-moon the year before. Steven C. Miller directs from a script by Matthew Kennedy. Starring Frank Grillo, Katrina Law, Ilfenesh Hadera, Lou Diamond Phillips
In the action-adventure comedy Sonic the Hedgehog 3, Sonic, Tails and Knuckles face a powerful and mysterious new adversary, Shadow the Hedgehog. The trio forms an unlikely alliance with Dr. Robotnik in hopes of stopping Shadow and protecting the planet.
Based on the video game series it’s directed by Jeff Fowler from a screenplay by Pat Casey, Josh Miller, and John Whittington, based on a story by Casey and Miller.
Jim Carrey, Ben Schwartz, Colleen O’Shaughnessey, Natasha Rothwell, Shemar Moore, James Marsden, Tika Sumpter, and Idris Elba reprise their roles, with Krysten Ritter and Keanu Reeves joining the cast.
The erotic thriller Babygirl explores the complexities of power dynamics and sexuality within a professional setting as a high-ranking CEO (Nicole Kidman) embarks on a forbidden romance with a captivating intern (Harris Dickinson), who is significantly younger. Written, directed, and co-produced by Halina Reijn, it stars Nicole Kidman, Harris Dickinson, Sophie Wilde, and Antonio Banderas.
Read more about the latest and upcoming films.