New Disney+ movies have got the 2025 festive season underway. Indeed, with the final month of the year officially upon us, Disney+ has dropped eight (!) new movies for you to enjoy this weekend (December 5-7).
Well, depending on where you live, anyway. That's because six of the aforementioned flicks have only landed on UK shores. If you're British and are signed up to one of the best streaming services around, then, you'll definitely want to read on to see what's available. Happy streaming!
New Disney+ movies: December
Diary of a Wimpy Kid: The Last Straw
Release date: December 5
Runtimes: 78 minutes
Age rating: PG (US); 6+ (UK)
Directors: Gino Nichele and Matt Danner
Main cast: Aaron D. Harris, Chris Diamantopoulos, Erica Cerra, Hunter Dillon, Jude Zarzaur, Gracen Newton, Jill Basey, Bashir Salahuddin, and William Stanford Davis
Rotten Tomatoes (RT) score: TBC (critics); TBC (audiences)
The latest in a long line of animated movie takes on Jeff Kinney's best-selling book series, Diary of a Wimpy Kid: The Last Straw reunites us with the perennially introverted Greg. This time, he's sent on a wilderness camp trip by his expectant father, who's desperate for Greg to unlock his potential. Predictably, things don't exactly go according to plan. A family-friendly flick that'll probably pass the time if you're looking to entertain the kids for a couple of hours, but that's as good as I expect this one to be.
The Roses
Release date: December 3 (available on Hulu in the US)
Runtimes: 107 minutes
Age rating: 16+ (UK)
Director: Jay Roach
Main cast: Benedict Cumberbatch, Olivia Colman, Andy Samberg, Allison Janney, Kate McKinnon, and Ncuti Gatwa
RT score: 64% (critics); 79% (audiences)
A reimagining of its 1989 film namesake, which itself is based on Warren Adler's 1981 novel 'The War of the Roses', this comedy-drama stars Benedict Cumberbatch and Olivia Colman as Theo and Ivy. A successful couple, the pair's marriage unravels when Ivy's career takes off and Theo's nosedives. Cue hidden bitterness rising to the surface and bouts of fiery competition wrapped in adult-centric humor as their individual and collective lives come apart at the seams. A film that's been fairly positively received by fans and critics alike, The Roses is worth checking out, especially if you're in the mood for some quintessentially British slapstick and cringe comedy.
Back to the Future 1-3
Release date: December 1 (UK only)
Runtimes: 109 to 119 minutes
Age rating: 9+ to 12+ (UK)
Director: Robert Zemeckis
Main cast: Michael J. Fox, Christopher Lloyd, Lea Thompson, and Thomas F. Wilson
RT score: 63% to 93% (critics); 78% to 95% (audiences)
It wouldn't be Christmas without the Back to the Future films, which are a festive season staple on terrestrial TV in the UK. Now, Disney+ subscribers on British shores can stream them to their heart's content, too, following the sci-fi movie series' arrival on the platform. So, if you plan on watching Marty and Doc Brown's adventures across time for the first or 50th time, why not do so without adverts (well, on the ad-free plans, anyway) breaking up events?
Shrek 1-3
Release date: December 1 (UK only)
Runtimes: 91 to 94 minutes
Age rating: 6+ (UK)
Directors: Andrew Adamson, Vicky Jenson, Kelly Asbury, Conrad Vernon, and Chris Miller
Main cast: Mike Myers, Eddie Murphy, Cameron Diaz, Antonio Banderas, Julie Andrews, John Lithgow, and John Cleese
RT score: 41% to 89% (critics); 52% to 90% (audiences)
Some... BODY once told me that the first three Shrek movies would soon come to Disney+, and now they have! The titular ogre and his posse of fairy tale-inspired friends have joined the streamer's library in the UK in time for the festive season. So, if you're also looking for some great animated films to check out over the Holidays, make this trio your first of call. Sure, each one is weaker than the last – thankfully, the fourth and most recent entry, which is the worst one, isn't part of this package. Nonetheless, the first and second Shrek films are some of the best animated offerings of the 21st century, so stick them on ASAP.
New Disney+ movies: November
A Very Jonas Christmas Movie
Release date: November 14
Runtimes: 80 minutes
Age rating: PG-13 (US); 12+ (UK)
Director: Jessica Yu
Main cast: Kevin, Joe, and Nick Jonas, Chloe Bennet, Billie Lourd, Laverne Cox, Randall Park, and KJ Apa
RT score: 92% (critics); 75% (audiences)
Let it bro, let it bro, let it bro! That's right, the Jonas brothers are back in a festive caper of a movie that'll start to prepare you accordingly for the 2025 Christmas season. In this musical comedy-drama, the siblings embark on an obstacle-laden journey as they try to make it back home to New York to spend the most wonderful time of the year with their family. At the time of this piece's latest update, A Very Jonas Christmas Movie has been positively received by fans and critics alike. If you're looking for some original festive fun to stream today, then, look no further.
Madame Web
Release date: November 14 (US only)
Runtimes: 116 minutes
Age rating: PG-13 (US)
Director: S.J. Clarkson
Main cast: Dakota Johnson, Sydney Sweeney, Isabela Merced, Celeste O'Connor, and Tahar Rahim
Rotten Tomatoes (RT) score: 10% (critics); 53% (audiences)
One of the worst critically-reviewed movies of all-time, Madame Web has made its Disney+ debut in the US – and I wouldn't be surprised if it ends up being one of the most-streamed new Disney+ movies of the month. A Spider-Man adjacent film that was part of Sony's disastrous and on-hiatus Spider-Man Universe (SSU), the Dakota Johnson-starring movie is one of those absolutely terrible films that's worth watching after a few drinks. You'll cry laughing at how utterly cringey its dialog, character arcs, and plot are – and if you're lucky, you might actually come out on the other side saying you enjoyed how ridiculously bad and cheesy it was.
Freakier Friday
Release date: November 12
Runtimes: 110 minutes
Age rating: PG (US); 9+ (UK)
Director: Nisha Ganatra
Main cast: Lindsay Lohan, Jamie Lee Curtis, Julia Butters, Sophia Hammons, Chad Michael Murray, Manny Jacinto, and Mark Harmon
Rotten Tomatoes (RT) score: 74% (critics); 91% (audiences)
It's body swap o'clock again, everyone! The much anticipated legacyquel to Freaky Friday, which was well-received by fans and critics alike upon its theatrical debut, has landed on Disney+. This time around, Tess (Curtis) and daughter Anna (Lohan) don't just have to contend with swapping bodies with each other after another ill-fated psychic encounter, but also the former's soon-to-be-stepdaughter Lily (Hammons) and the latter's child Harper (Butters). Expect plenty of slapstick fantasy comedy from this one.
The Fantastic Four: First Steps
Release date: November 5
Runtimes: 114 minutes
Age rating: PG-13 (US); 12+ (UK)
Director: Matt Shakman
Main cast: Pedro Pascal, Vanessa Kirby, Joseph Quinn, Ebon Moss-Bachrach, Julia Garner, and Ralph Ineson
Rotten Tomatoes (RT) score: 86% (critics); 91% (audiences)
The third and final Marvel movie of 2025, The Fantastic Four: First Steps is another very good Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) film that didn't perform as well at the box office as many expected. Sure, it's not a perfect watch but, with its all-star cast, period piece setting, world-ending stakes, amazing score, and one of the best chase sequences ever to appear in a superhero flick, it's absolutely worth your time. Check out my review of The Fantastic Four: First Steps to find out more and, once you've seen it, read my Fantastic Four: First Steps ending explained piece to see how it sets up one of the most anticipated Marvel Phase 6 movies in Avengers: Doomsday.
New Disney+ movies: coming soon
Unfortunately, no more new Disney+ movies are set to arrive on the platform before the end of 2025.
Of course, if anything changes, I'll update this section. As of December 5, though, Diary of a Wimpy Kid: The Final Straw is the last film that'll drop on the service before we bid farewell to the year that was.
For more Disney+ coverage, see if a free Disney+ trial is available, read our Disney+ review, or get the lowdown on the new Disney+ price points.
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