This year when we say holiday spirit, we're not just talking about tingly, jingly feelings. We mean spirits of the supernatural kind.
This month check out Genie on Peacock and Spirited Away on HBO Max. And, of course, all those ghosts of Christmas Past, Present, and Future that pop in the many, many adaptations of A Christmas Carol.
READ: Bah Humbug! Where to Stream A Christmas Carol This Season
Max
Worlds collide for anime, puppetry, and theatre fans with Studio Ghibli's stage adaptation of Spirited Away. Adapted from Hayao Miyazaki's 2001 Academy Award-winning animated movie, the production premiered at Tokyo's Imperial Theatre in 2022 and streamed on Hulu Japan later the same year. Tony winner John Caird directs a cast of 32 performers and over 50 puppets. Stream it December 24.
READ: How Spirited Away the Play Uses Puppets to Bring Hayao Miyazaki’s Classic Film to Life
Netflix
This month, we bid farewell to Queen Elizabeth in Part 2 of the sixth and final season of the hit series The Crown. Part 1, focusing on the relationship between Princess Diana and Dodi Fayed and the tragic car crash that ended their lives, was released in November. The six-episode final chapter, Part 2, will see the Queen's Jubilee as well as the marriages of Prince Charles and Camilla, and Prince William and Kate Middleton. Olivier winner Imelda Staunton and Tony winner Jonathan Pryce return as the elder Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip. Stream Part 2 beginning December 14.
Following its November theatrical release, the Leonard Bernstein biopic Maesto streams this month. The film centers on the lifelong relationship between composer-conductor Bernstein and actress Felicia Montealegre Cohn Bernstein. The couple, who were married until her death, are brought to life on screen by Oscar and Tony nominees Bradley Cooper and Carey Mulligan. Cooper also directs the film, which he co-wrote with Josh Singer. Stream it December 20.
READ: Critics Weigh in on Bradley Cooper's Leonard Bernstein Biopic, Maestro
PBS
Tony winner Lea Salonga and David Suchet headline Season of Light, Christmas With the Tabernacle Choir. Filmed live in the tabernacle in Salt Lake City, Utah in 2022, the annual Christmas concert will premiere on PBS December 12. Check local listings.
Peacock
Broadway favorites Denée Benton, Alan Cumming, and LaChanze take supporting roles in the new Christmas comedy Genie, starring Melissa McCarthy and British actor Paapa Essiedu. In the remake of the 1991 British movie Bernard and the Genie, McCarthy plays the wish-granter. Essiedu is the workaholic who releases the Genie from the box she's been trapped in for 2,000 years. Available for streaming now.
