It's official: Hollywood studios are playing Santa and bringing yuletide cheer back to movie theaters as well as streaming services this holiday season.
The party gets started Friday with Marvel's "Eternals" and the Princess Diana drama "Spencer." From there, Ghostbusters, Lady Gaga, Spider-Man, Steven Spielberg and even Shakespeare will all be making an appearance at the cinema before the end of the year. But along with the blockbuster comebacks (Keanu Reeves in another "Matrix" movie, guys!) there's plenty of Oscar season fare, including Guillermo del Toro's first directorial effort since winning best picture for "The Shape of Water."
Here are the 10 movies you absolutely, positively must see in the next two months.
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'Ghostbusters: Afterlife' (released Nov. 19)
Stars: Mckenna Grace, Paul Rudd, Bill Murray
Director: Jason Reitman
The skinny: A pair of siblings (Grace and Finn Wolfhard) move to a small town, find out about the ghost-busting legacy of their grandfather Egon (the late Harold Ramis) and strap on the proton packs when there's something strange in their neighborhood. The sequel features a host of young personalities and somefan-favorite faces (including Murray, Dan Aykroyd and Ernie Hudson).
Where to watch: In theaters
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'King Richard' (Nov. 19)
Stars: Will Smith, Aunjanue Ellis, Jon Bernthal
Director: Reinaldo Marcus Green
The skinny: Want to know how Venus and Serena Williams got so darn good on a tennis court? This biopic, executive produced by both sisters, follows the obsessive efforts of their father Richard Williams (Smith) to turn Venus (Saniyya Sidney) and Serena (Demi Singleton) into champions while also instilling in his children the power of believing in themselves.
Where to watch: In theaters and on HBO Max
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'Encanto' (Nov. 24)
Stars: Stephanie Beatriz, John Leguizamo, Diane Guerrero
Directors: Byron Howard and Jared Bush
The skinny: Featuring songs by Lin-Manuel Miranda, the Disney animated fantasy centers on a Colombian family each given extraordinary abilities by their enchanted house, but when the magic begins to disappear, it's up to young Mirabel (voiced by Beatriz), the one member without any special gifts, to go on a quest to save the day.
Where to watch: In theaters
'House of Gucci' (Nov. 24)
Stars: Lady Gaga, Adam Driver, Jared Leto
Director: Ridley Scott
The skinny: The glamorous biopic centers on the murder of Italian businessman Maurizio Gucci (Driver), head of the iconic Gucci fashion house, and the involvement of his ex-wife Patrizia Reggiani (Gaga). The movie also delves into Gucci history, with Leto, Jeremy Irons and Al Pacino playing key family members.
Where to watch: In theaters
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'Don't Look Up' (Dec. 10)
Stars: Leonardo DiCaprio, Jennifer Lawrence, Timothée Chalamet
Director: Adam McKay
The skinny: DiCaprio and Lawrence star in the black comedy as astronomers crossing the country to warn various skeptics that there's a comet careening toward Earth. McKay's star-studded ensemble includes Chalamet as an evangelical shoplifting skater punk, Cate Blanchett and Tyler Perry as upbeat morning-show hosts, and Meryl Streep as the disinterested president.
Where to watch: In theaters (and on Netflix Dec. 24)
'West Side Story' (Dec. 10)
Stars: Ansel Elgort, Rachel Zegler, Ariana DeBose
Director: Steven Spielberg
The skinny: How do you follow the 1961 version of the Broadway musical that won best picture? Have Spielberg put his stamp on it. The new take on the classic love story features Elgort and Zegler as Tony and Maria, two young lovers caught in the middle of tensions between two rival street gangs, the white Jets and Puerto Rican Sharks.
Where to watch: In theaters
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'Nightmare Alley' (Dec. 17)
Stars: Bradley Cooper, Cate Blanchett, Toni Collette
Director: Guillermo del Toro
The skinny: Based on the 1946 William Lindsay Gresham noir novel, del Toro's dark and mind-bending psychological thriller casts Bradley Cooper as a traveling carny and con man with a predilection for manipulating people who partners with an equally ruthless psychiatrist (Blanchett).
Where to watch: In theaters
'Spider-Man: No Way Home' (Dec. 17)
Stars: Tom Holland, Zendaya, Benedict Cumberbatch
Director: Jon Watts
The skinny: Oh no, Spidey's secret identity as Peter Parker (Holland) is compromised! When the world finds out who he is, the teen hero reaches out to old pal Doctor Strange (Cumberbatch) for some magical help (which unfortunately goes awry) and he also has to deal with at least one sinister foe in Doctor Octopus (Alfred Molina).
Where to watch: In theaters
'The Matrix Resurrections' (Dec. 22)
Stars: Keanu Reeves, Carrie-Anne Moss, Yahya Abdul-Mateen II
Director: Lana Wachowski
The skinny: In the fourth installment of the innovative sci-fi action franchise (and the first in 18 years), Reeves returns as Neo, the "chosen one" who doesn't seem to remember his past – or his love, Trinity (Moss) – until he's taken down the virtual rabbit hole of the Matrix again by a young Morpheus (Mateen).
Where to watch: In theaters and on HBO Max
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'The Tragedy of Macbeth' (Dec. 25)
Stars: Denzel Washington, Frances McDormand, Brendan Gleeson
Director: Joel Coen
The skinny: The Bard's work goes black and white for Coen's solo directing debut, which stars Denzel Washington as the title Scottish lord who's persuaded to usurp the king (Gleeson) by his power-hungry wife (McDormand) and the prophecy of three witches (all played by Kathryn Hunter).
Where to watch: In theaters (and on Apple TV+ Jan. 14)
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