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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 been a notable lack of holiday-themed arrivals to add to your winter watch list. Maybe we’ll all be on the naughty list this year.
But celebratory frustrations aside, Netflix, Prime Video, and HBO Max have offered a standout array of new content for you to enjoy in the days to come, with Guillermo del Toro’s Pinocchio and His Dark Materials season 3 leading the way.
Below, we’ve rounded up seven of the biggest new movies and TV shows available to watch on streaming services this weekend.
Pinocchio by Guillermo del Toro (Netflix)
Who says Netflix has lost its taste for originality? With Pinocchio by Guillermo del Toro, the streamer breathes new life into Carlo Collodi’s beloved 1883 fairy tale about a wooden puppet who longs to become a real boy.
Shot entirely with stop motion (in a manner similar to Netflix series The House), del Toro’s dark 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 live on Disneyplus, though we labeled that film a “slightly magical remake whose strings ultimately hold it in check.” del Toro’s version of this age-old tale, however, 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 haven’t quite managed to maintain the same level of popularity in the years since. The show’s third and final season then comes with the weight of responsibility on its shoulders.
Based on The Amber Spyglass – the third novel in Philip Pullman’s titular novel trilogy – Download his dark materials season 3 picks up right after the kidnapping of Lyra (Dafne Keen) at the hands of her mother, Marisa Coulter (Ruth Wilson), at the end of Season 2, and follows Will’s (Amir Wilson) attempts to rescue her.
In our review, we called the series’ final appearance “a wonderful but inconsistent ending to one of the best HBO Max shows.” The first two episodes of His Dark Materials season 3 are now available to stream on HBO Max, with the remaining six episodes set to air weekly on Mondays. UK fans will have to wait until December 18 to see the return of the series on BBC iPlayer.
Now available to stream on HBO Max.
Harry and Meghan (Netflix)
Watch for the influx of defamatory tabloid headlines: Harry & Meghan has started streaming on Netflix.
In this six-part docuseries, split into two parts, the former Duke and Duchess of Sussex give their side of a controversial royal story that has continued since the couple’s seemingly fairytale wedding in 2018.
The show’s first three episodes deal with themes of duty, race, and alleged betrayal, though the next three episodes – due out December 15 – are said to amp up the drama even further. Expect a long-term 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 then That Oscar controversy with Emancipation on Apple TV Plus.
A true-story-inspired historical drama from Southpaw director Antoine Fuqua, it follows Smith as an escaped slave, Peter, who must outwit hunters and navigate deadly swamps of Louisiana 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, suspenseful chase thriller.” Once we’ve had a look for ourselves this weekend, we’ll decide if it deserves 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)
Granted, The Muppet Christmas Carol isn’t a new movie (in the traditional sense), but Disney’s beloved Christmas 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 actor 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 – arguably one of the best christmas movies — this December, but you’ve got a pretty convincing one right now anyway.
Now available to stream on Disney Plus.
Little America Season 2 (Apple TV Plus)
In addition to Emancipation on Apple TV Plus, Little America season 2 is coming this weekend.
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) – wants to warm your heart with its varied stories of hope and happiness.
Sure, that might sound a little too sugary for your taste, but Little America’s second season is almost universally praised for being “an essential treasure in the TV landscape.” Trust us: watch this one before it gets 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 typical festive rom-com. According to the movie’s official synopsis, it follows a woman (Zoey Deutch) whose life is turned upside down when an engagement ring meant for someone else leads her to the person (Kendrick Simpson) she’s meant to be with.
We doubt it’s on our list of the best Prime Video moviesbut we have to admit that Something From Tiffany’s seems like a charming enough story for these cold winter months.
Now available to stream on Prime Video.