The December 2022 Movie Release Schedule Is Packed With 'Avatar 2' & A Bunch Of Oscar Films
Don't miss these release dates!
Daniel Craig in "Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery." Middle: Will Smith in "Emancipation." Right: A scene from "Avatar: The Way Of Water."
The December 2022 movie release schedule is packed heading into the holiday season, although Avatar 2 expected to dominate like it's 2009 all over again.
James Cameron's Avatar: The Way Of Water aims to make all the money this holiday season, with Disney betting that we'll all want to watch 3D cat people again after a 13-year break — and that we'll fork over lots of money for the privilege.
In fact, the Canadian director says he's already shot Avatar 3 for 2024 and he's partway through Avatar 4 for 2026. The script for Avatar 5 is also done, so we can expect plenty more from this world over the next decade.
"We know exactly where we're going, if we get the opportunity to do it," Cameron told The Hollywood Reporter recently. "That opportunity will simply be market-driven, if people want it, if they like this movie enough."
He added that the movie has to be one of the top five all-time at the box office in order to break even, so it will be interesting to watch this either way.
But Avatar isn't the only flick you can catch this month. You can also expect plenty of Oscar bait this December, as studios try to beat the deadline for the next Academy Awards.
Here are the biggest release dates to mark on your calendar for a fun-filled December at the movies.
Top Gun: Maverick
Release date: December 2-15 (re-release)
What it's about: Tom Cruise's fighter-pilot sequel Top Gun: Maverick is taking one last lap through cinemas this month, as the titular hero teaches a new generation of pilots ahead of an impossible bombing run. Oh, and his dead best friend's kid is one of those pilots. No pressure.
Who is in it: Tom Cruise, Jennifer Connelly, Miles Teller, Jon Hamm and Val Kilmer.
Violent Night
Release date: December 2
What it's about: Think Die Hard, but with Santa Claus delivering the "season's beatings" instead of Bruce Willis.
Who is in it: David Harbour (Stranger Things) plays an irreverent, hard-edged version of Santa.
Emancipation
Release date: December 9
What it's about: A runaway slave heads North to join the Union during the U.S. Civil war.
Who is in it: Will Smith makes his return to the screen for the first time since the Oscar slap.
Guillermo del Toro's Pinocchio
Release date: December 9 (streaming on Netflix)
What it's about: A wooden puppet wants to be a real boy, but his nose grows when he lies. You know the deal, although you can expect a dark twist to this stop-motion film thanks to director Guillermo del Toro.
Who is in it: This one features a star-studded voice cast including Ewan McGregor (Cricket), Finn Wolfhard (Candlewick), Cate Blanchett (Spazzatura) and Tilda Swinton (Wood Sprite/Death).
The Whale
Release date: December 9
What it's about: An obese, shut-in English teacher tries to make things right with his teenaged daughter in this Oscar contender from director Darren Aronofsky.
Who is in it: Brendan Fraser shoots for a career renaissance a few decades after his Mummy fame, with Sadie Sink (Stranger Things) playing his daughter.
Avatar: The Way Of Water
Release date: December 16
What it's about: Former human Jake Sully has fully embraced life as a Nav'i alongside his wife, Princess Neytiri. Set over a decade after the first film, this one follows the couple and their kids. Details of the plot are scarce, but expect a visual 3D feast that's partly set underwater.
Who is in it: Sam Worthington and Zoe Saldana return as the lead couple, while Sigourney Weaver will play their daughter in a motion-capture performance. Kate Winslet is also in this one along with many others.
Puss In Boots: The Last Wish
Release date: December 21
What it's about: Adorable cat Zorro sets out to restore a few of his missing nine lives.
Who is in it: Antonio Banderas, Salma Hayek, Florence Pugh, Harvey Guillen and John Mulaney lend their voices to this latest instalment in the Shrek spinoff franchise.
Babylon
Release date: December 23
What it's about: Modern Hollywood loves making Oscar-bait movies about old Hollywood, and this is another one of those from director Damien Chazelle (La La Land). Set in the 1920s, the story is all about the "unbridled decadence and depravity" of that era in Hollywood, according to the synopsis.
Who is in it: Margot Robbie, Brad Pitt and Diego Calva star in this one.
Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery
Release date: December 23 (streaming on Netflix)
What it's about: Detective Benoit Blanc returns to solve a new murder mystery.
Who is in it: This star-studded ensemble sees Daniel Craig investigating the likes of Edward Norton, Kate Hudson, Janelle Monae, Kathryn Hahn, Leslie Odom Jr., Dave Bautista, Jessica Henwick and Madelyn Cline.
I Wanna Dance With Somebody
Release date: December 25
What it's about: A biopic about Whitney Houston and her rise to fame.
Who is in it: Naomi Ackie plays Whitney, while Stanley Tucci stars as music exec Clive Davis.
White Noise
Release date: December 30 (streaming on Netflix)
What it's about: Based on the book by Don DeLillo, which tells the story of a family grappling with the line between real and fake in American life.
Who is in it: This Noah Baumbach film stars Adam Driver and Greta Gerwig.