Another week, another fresh crop of new movies and TV shows on streaming services. But for the second December weekend in a row, there’s a notable lack of holiday-themed arrivals to add to your winter watchlist. Perhaps we’re all on the naughty list this year.
Still, festive frustrations aside, the likes of Netflix, Prime Video and HBO Max have offered up an eye-catching suite of new content to enjoy over the next few days, with Guillermo del Toro’s Pinocchio and His Dark Materials season 3 leading the charge.
Below, then, we’ve rounded up seven of the biggest new movies and TV shows available to watch on streaming services this weekend.
Guillermo del Toro’s Pinocchio (Netflix)
Who says Netflix has lost its taste for originality? With Guillermo del Toro’s Pinocchio, the streamer breathes new life into Carlo Collodi's beloved 1883 fairytale about a wooden puppet who longs to become a real boy.
Shot entirely using stop-motion (in a manner akin to Netflix series The House), del Toro’s darker adaptation is set in the 1930s during Mussolini’s fascist regime and features a star-studded voice cast that includes Ewan McGregor, David Bradley, Tilda Swinton, Christoph Waltz, Cate Blanchett, and more.
Forrest Gump filmmaker Robert Zemeckis recently brought Pinocchio to life on Disney Plus, though we labeled that film a “somewhat magical remake whose strings ultimately hold it down.” del Toro’s version of this age-old story, though, is indisputably one of the best Netflix movies in years. Necessary viewing.
Now available to stream on Netflix.
His Dark Materials season 3 (HBO Max)
After a hysteria-inducing start in 2019, HBO and the BBC’s His Dark Materials series hasn’t quite managed to maintain the same level of popularity in the years since. The show’s third and final season, then, arrives bearing the weight of responsibility on its shoulders.
Based on The Amber Spyglass – the third novel in Philip Pullman's titular novel trilogy – His Dark Materials season 3 picks up directly after Lyra’s (Dafne Keen) abduction at the hands of her mother, Marisa Coulter (Ruth Wilson), at the end of season 2, and follows Will’s (Amir Wilson) attempts to save her.
In our review, we called the series’ final outing “a wondrous but inconsistent end to one of the best HBO Max shows.” The first two episodes of His Dark Materials season 3 are available to stream now on HBO Max, with the remaining six entries set to arrive weekly every Monday. UK fans will have to wait until December 18 to catch the series’ return on BBC iPlayer.
Now available to stream on HBO Max.
Harry & Meghan (Netflix)
Cue the influx of defamatory tabloid headlines: Harry & Meghan has begun streaming on Netflix.
This six-part docuseries, which is split into two volumes, sees the former Duke and Duchess of Sussex giving their side of a controversial royal story, which has dragged on since the pair’s seemingly fairytale marriage in 2018.
The show’s first three episodes touch on themes of duty, race, and alleged betrayal, though the next three installments – due to land on December 15 – will reportedly dial up the drama even further. Expect a lengthy fallout from (and for) Harry & Meghan.
Now available to stream on Netflix.
Emancipation (Apple TV Plus)
Will Smith is back for his first movie role since that Oscars controversy with Emancipation on Apple TV Plus.
A true story-inspired historical drama from Southpaw director Antoine Fuqua, this one follows Smith as an escapee slave, Peter, who must outwit hunters and navigate deadly Louisiana swamps on his journey to safety in the North.
Reviews for Emancipation have been decidedly mixed so far, with some critics labeling Smith’s comeback as “torture porn” and others calling it “a tough, tense chase thriller.” Once we’ve watched for ourselves this weekend, we’ll decide whether it warrants a place on our list of the best Apple TV movies.
Now available to stream on Apple TV Plus.
The Muppet Christmas Carol (Disney Plus)
Admittedly, The Muppet Christmas Carol is not a new movie (in the traditional sense), but Disney’s beloved holiday classic is now available to stream on Disney Plus for the first time.
To commemorate the film’s 30th anniversary – which falls on Sunday, December 11 – this version of the Michael Caine-starring Charles Dickens adaptation features an additional ‘lost’ song, When Love Is Gone, performed by Caine and co-star Meredith Braun.
You shouldn't need a reason to re-watch The Muppet Christmas Carol – indisputably one of the best Christmas movies – this December, but you’ve now got a pretty compelling one anyway.
Now available to stream on Disney Plus.
Little America season 2 (Apple TV Plus)
Arriving alongside Emancipation on Apple TV Plus this weekend is Little America season 2.
Once again based on a series of inspiring immigrant stories published in Epic magazine, this eight-part comedy anthology – from producers Lee Eisenberg (The Office), Siân Heder (CODA), and Kumail Nanjiani (Eternals) – aims to warm your heart with its varied tales of hope and happiness.
Sure, that might sound a little too saccharine for your liking, but Little America’s second season has been near-universally praised for being “a vital treasure in the TV landscape.” Trust us: watch this one before it becomes cool.
Now available to stream on Apple TV Plus.
Something From Tiffany's (Prime Video)
Okay, maybe we were telling a white lie when we said there were absolutely no new holiday movies to enjoy this weekend.
Something From Tiffany's on Prime Video is your quintessential festive romcom. As per the film’s official synopsis, it follows a woman (Zoey Deutch) whose life gets upended when an engagement ring meant for someone else leads her to the person (Kendrick Simpson) she's meant to be with.
We doubt this one will make it onto our list of the best Prime Video movies, but we’ll admit that Something From Tiffany’s looks like a charming enough tale for these cold winter months.
Now available to stream on Prime Video.
