Every Movie Releasing in Theaters in December 2023 (2024)

The year 2023 has seen a plethora of successful film releases, including the spectacular animated sequel Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse, Christopher Nolan's cinematic gem, Oppenheimer, and James Gunn's heartfelt farewell to the Guardians of the Galaxy franchise with Vol. 3.

Having said that, there have also been a series of film failures and box office bombs, such as Shazam! Fury of the Gods, Magic Mike's Last Dance, and The Exorcist: Believer helped to balance the scale. Now, we've officially entered the final month of the year, and there are still plenty of movies to look forward to in 2023. With that in mind, here are the best movies coming to theaters in December 2023.

Godzilla Minus One

Watch It in Theaters on Dec. 1

Godzilla Minus One

Action

Adventure

Drama

Release Date

December 1, 2023

Director

Takashi Yamazaki

Cast

Ryûnosuke Kamiki , Takayuki Yamada , Sakura Andou

Movies based on the ancient Kaiju monster, Godzilla, have long piqued curiosity among audiences worldwide, but there are so many of them that it's hard to keep count. Godzilla Minus One is the 37th film and Toho's 33rd production in the Godzilla franchise.

Godzilla Minus One currently holds a perfect score of 100% on Rotten Tomatoes and is set in post-war Japan when the nation is at its lowest point, both economically and defensively. However, prior to this peace, an atomic explosion had awakened a giant creature known as Godzilla. How will Japan deal with this major crisis when it has no way of defending itself against this monstrosity?

Renaissance: A Film by Beyonce

Watch It in Theaters on Dec. 1

Renaissance: A Film by Beyoncé

Music

Release Date

December 1, 2023

Director

Beyoncé , James B. Merryman

Cast

Beyoncé , Blue Ivy Carter

See Also

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Following Taylor Swift's The Eras Tour, fans have one more thing to look forward to this year, and it comes from none other than Beyonce, who has one of the greatest solo careers of all time.

Renaissance: A Film by Beyonce exhibits her performances on the record-breaking Renaissance world tour, her highest-grossing tour to date. The film chronicles the events that led to the inauguration of this monumental world tour, as well as how it was executed from behind the scenes.

Silent Night

Watch It in Theaters on Dec. 1

Silent Night (2023)

Action

Release Date

December 1, 2023

Director

John Woo

Cast

Joel Kinnaman , Catalina Sandino Moreno , Kid Cudi , Harold Torres

With titles like Silent Night, people might expect it to be a horror film, but when it is presented by Lionsgate and directed by John Woo, the man behind Hard Boiled and Face/Off, it can easily be classified as an action thriller.

This gritty revenge tale follows Godlock (Joel Kinnaman), a tormented father who loses his son on Christmas Eve after being caught in a crossfire between two gangs. He makes vengeance his life's purpose, embarking on a mission to avenge his son and find peace in an endless abyss of misery.

Poor Things

Watch It in Theaters on Dec. 8

Poor Things

Romance

Sci-Fi

Poor Things is a sci-fi romance film from The Lobster director Yorgos Lanthimos.The story focuses on the bizarre and fantastical world of Bella Baxter after a scientist named Dr. Godwin Baxter brings her back to life. The film is based on the 1992 novel of the same name byAlasdair Gray.

Release Date

December 8, 2023

Director

Yorgos Lanthimos

Cast

Emma Stone , Mark Ruffalo , Willem Dafoe , Ramy Youssef

Poor Things is Emma Stone's brand-new film that emphasizes equality and liberation with a good dose of dark comedy. Following its screenings at various international festivals, the film has earned positive reviews from world-renowned critics and a Rotten Tomatoes score of 95%.

The plot revolves around a young woman named Bella (Emma Stone), who, after coming back to life with the help of a scientist named Dr. Baxter, runs off to explore the world with a lawyer named Wedderburn (Mark Ruffalo), hoping to gain freedom, but becomes entangled in an even greater purpose.

Wonka

Watch It in Theaters on Dec. 15

Wonka

Fantasy

Adventure

children

Family

Willy Wonka (Timothée Chalamet) gains friends and powerful enemies while trying to achieve his chocolatier dreams.

Release Date

December 15, 2023

Director

Paul King

Cast

Timothee Chalamet , Olivia Colman , Hugh Grant , keegan-michael key , Sally Hawkins , Rowan Atkinson

Wonka is a new musical fantasy film starring Timothée Chalamet and based on a story by King. The film chronicles the origin story of the fictional figure, Willy Wonka, and how he went from a youngster selling chocolate in a small shop to becoming an eccentric genius who founded the Wonka Chocolate Factory. While there have been several films based on this character in the past, Wonka, which serves as Willy Wonka's prequel, will be distinct to both the audience and the actor, Timothée Chalamet.

Anyone But You

Watch It in Theaters on Dec. 22

Anyone But You

Comedy

Romance

Anyone But You is a romantic comedy by director Will Gluck starring Sydney Sweeny and Glen Powell. Sweeny and Powell star as Bea and Ben, two strangers with an incredible first date that goes sour following one incident at the tail end. Thinking the worst is behind them, the two are roped into a destination wedding in Sydney, Australia, where they'll have to pretend to be a couple despite absolutely hating each other.

Release Date

December 22, 2023

Director

Will Gluck

Cast

Sydney Sweeney , Glen Powell , Alexandra Shipp , Darren Barnet , Bryan Brown

Movies that begin with a love-hate relationship tend to feature better chemistry compared to traditional romance stories, and Anyone But You adds a fine touch of comedy to the popular concept. From the director of Friends with Benefits, the film follows Bea (Sydney Sweeney) and Ben (Glen Powell), who leave a bad impression on each other after going on a first date but are unexpectedly reunited at a wedding in Australia. What would mature people like Bea and Ben do in this situation?

Migration

Watch It in Theaters on Dec. 22

Migration

Animation

Action

Comedy

Release Date

December 22, 2023

Director

Benjamin Renner , Guylo Homsy

Cast

Awkwafina , Elizabeth Banks , Carol Kane , Danny DeVito , keegan-michael key , Kumail Nanjiani

Migration is one of the most anticipated animated films of 2023, mainly due to its comedic aspect that piqued viewers' interest following the release of its official trailer. The film, which features popular stars such as Kumail Nanjiani, Elizabeth Banks, and Awkwafina as the voice actors, tells the story of a family of ducks that are evenly divided between being safe in their comfortable habitat and exploring the outside world, thanks to their overprotective father, Mack. But what happens when the little ducklings persuade their father to go on a family vacation, and what experiences await them?

The Iron Claw

Watch It in Theaters on Dec. 22

The Iron Claw (2023)

Drama

Sports

Biography

Release Date

December 22, 2023

Director

Sean Durkin

Cast

Jeremy Allen White , Zac Efron , Lily James , Harris Dickinson , Maura Tierney

The Iron Claw is an upcoming biographical film based on the life of Kevin Von Erich, a professional wrestler hailing from the Von Erich family. The film, written, produced, and directed by Sean Durkin, recounts the impact the Von Erich family had and the tragedies it has gone through, particularly in the 1980s, when the famous wrestling hold known as Iron Claw became a trademark move for Kevin Von Erich (Zac Efron).

American Fiction

Watch It in Theaters With a Limited Release on Dec. 15 and Wide Release on Dec. 22

American Fiction

Comedy

Drama

Release Date

December 15, 2023

Cast

Jeffrey Wright , Tracee Ellis Ross , John Ortiz , Erika Alexander , Leslie Uggams , Adam Brody​ , Issa Rae , Sterling K. Brown , Keith David

Following its premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival, American Fiction has already earned a plethora of positive reviews from critics and audiences alike. As one of the most entertaining satirical films of 2023, the movie offers a persuasive take on racism through the lens of a frustrated journalist named Theolonius Monk (Jeffrey Wright), who writes a book by including every black cliché imaginable, but he never expected it to become an enormous hit.

Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom

Watch It in Theaters on Dec. 22

Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom

Superhero

Action

Adventure

Fantasy

The follow-up to the smash hit DC adventure Aquaman, starring Jason Momoa as the King of Atlantis.

Release Date

December 25, 2023

Director

James Wan

Cast

Jason Momoa , Yahya Abdul-Mateen II , Amber Heard , Patrick Wilson , Dolph Lundgren , Temuera Morrison

With James Gunn and Peter Safran rebooting the entire DC Universe, Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom will serve as the final installment in the DC Extended Universe, bringing a conclusion to the era.

The film, directed by James Wan, takes place several years after the events of the first film, Aquaman, and follows Arthur Curry (Jason Momoa) as he juggles his responsibilities as the King of the Ocean as well as a member of the Justice League. However, when Black Manta (Yahya Abdul-Manteen II) invades Atlanta in search of a tech to rebuild his armor, the fate of the Atlanteans becomes bleak. What would Arthur do to protect his kingdom?

Ferrari

Watch It in Theaters on Dec. 25

Ferrari

Release Date

December 25, 2023

Director

Michael Mann

Cast

Adam Driver , Shailene Woodley , Sarah Gadon , Penelope Cruz , Patrick Dempsey , Jack O'Connell

Runtime

2hr 10min

Main Genre

Biography

If you're aware that Ferrari is one of the most iconic and luxurious car manufacturers that screams the passion of an Italian brand, then you might be interested in learning about its origins through the lens of its founder, Enzo Ferrari. Fortunately for you, a biographical film chronicling the crisis of the founder's auto empire and how he rebuilt it from the ground up will be released this December.

The film, written by Troy Kennedy Martin and directed by Michael Mann, is based on a 1991 biography, Enzo Ferrari: The Man, the Cars, the Races, the Machine, by a motorsport journalist, Brock Yates, and stars Adam Driver, Patrick Dempsey, and Penélope Cruz.