Christmastime is here! As the year finally comes to a close, Paramount+ is putting a cheerful end by pulling all the yuletide stops this December. The streaming platform’s library catalog is nothing short of holiday classics to keep the family entertained throughout the snowy winter. For folks looking for something to sing along, viewers can look forward to live music specials brought to the screen by some of the biggest names in music. As audiences officially bid farewell to 2024, there’s no better way to spend these last few weeks than by winding down at home and getting comfy with these Paramount+ selections.
Without further ado, stay warm and cozy this fall with these top 7 new movies and shows on Paramount+ this December.
‘Disney’s A Christmas Carol’
Available on:December 1
Directed by: Robert Zemeckis
Cast:Jim Carrey, Gary Oldman, Colin Firth, Bob Hoskins, Robin Wright Penn, Cary Elwes
InA Christmas Carol, Ebenezer Scrooge (Carrey) isn’t just a miser -he’s the reigning king of Christmas curmudgeons. But on one fateful Christmas Eve, his cold, profit-driven world shatters when he’s haunted by the ghost of his late business partner, Jacob Marley. Marley’s chains serve as a chilling warning: Scrooge’s greed has bound his soul, and worse lies ahead unless he changes. Three spectral tour guides decide to make their grand appearance: the Ghost of Christmas Past, who digs deep into Scrooge’s lost joy and heartbreak; the Ghost of Christmas Present, who reveals the silent suffering of those around him, like his underpaid clerk Bob Cratchit; and the mysterious Ghost of Christmas Yet to Come, who delivers a grim glips of Scrooge’s future. Faced with his legacy of cruelty, Scrooge transforms, embracing compassion before it’s too late.
‘Deck the Halls’
Directed by: John Whitesell
Cast:Danny DeVito, Matthew Broderick, Kristin Davis, Kristin Chenoweth
Deck the Hallspulls Christmas cheer to the backseat to a hilariously over-the-top battle of the neighbors. Steve Finch (Broderick ), the town’s self-proclaimed Christmas king, lives for his perfectly planned holiday traditions. Meanwhile, the loud, scheming newcomer Buddy Hall has one outrageous goal: to deck his house so brightly it’s visible from space. As Buddy’s garish light show eclipses Steve’s carefully curated festivities, a full-blown yuletide war erupts. The battle for Christmas dominance escalates with increasingly absurd antics, from sabotaged decorations to town-wide chaos. Meanwhile, their families, caught in the middle,begin to question what the season is really about.
‘The Perfect Holiday’
Directed by: Lance Rivera
Cast:Morris Chestnut, Gabrielle Union, Charlie Murphy
A little girl’s Christmas swishsparks an eruption of romance, humor, and holiday magicinThe Perfect Holiday. Divorced mom Nancy (Union) is too busy juggling life and her three kids to focus on herself. But when her daughter Emily overhears her wistful wish for a kind from a man, she enlists the local mall Santa to make it happen. Unbeknownst to Nancy, Santa is Benjamin (Chestnut), an aspiring songwriter with charm to spare. Determined to grant her wish, Benjamin sets a plan in motion - and ends up falling for Nancy in the process. Their budding romance hits a snag when Benjamin learns her ex-husband is his dream collaborator, the egotistical hip-hop star J-Jizzy.
‘SpongeBob & Sandy’s Country Christmas Special’
Available on:December 2
Directed by: Mark Caballero, Seamus Walsh, Ian Vazquez
Cast:Lewis Black, Johnny Knoxville, Craig Robinson
Bikini Bottom is bursting with underwater festive cheer! In conjunction with its 25th anniversary,Spongebob Squarepantsis bracing itself for its highly anticipated holiday special,Spongebob & Sandy’s Country Christmas. The half-hour episode starts off with a panicked Sandy Cheeks as one of her experiments doesn’t go the way she wants. With Christmas on the brink of being ruined, Sandy must team up with the rest of her Cheeks family to bring the yuletide mood back to the ocean just in time for Christmas.
‘Dexter: Original Sin’
Available on:December 13
Directed by: Monica Raymund, Michael Lehmann
Cast:Patrick Gibson, Christian Slater
The origins of America’s favorite conflicted serial killer finally surface from the shadows inDexter: Original Sin. Featuring 10 brand new episodes, the prequel dives into Dexter Morgan’s (Gibson) early years,revealing how a seemingly ordinary student begins his dark transformation. As Dexter struggles to control his insatiable bloodlust, his adoptive father Harry (Slater) steps in, teaching him the infamous Code - a moral framework to channel his murderous impulses toward society’s worst offenders. Balancing a forensics internship at Miami Metro Police with his shadowy urges proves to be more than difficult, as young Dexter sharpens the skills that will define his future double life.
‘An Evening with Dua Lipa’
Available on:December 15
Directed by: Paul Dugdale
Cast:Dua Lipa, Elton John, Heritage Orchestra
Time to dance the night away inAn Evening with Dua Lipa. Recorded at London’s dazzling Royal Albert Hall, the pop music phenomenon and Grammy Award winner delivers gloriously reimagined renditions of her greatest hits - accompanied by the rich sounds of the Heritage Orchestra. From an intimate duet with fellow legendElton Johnto the song “Cold Heart”, the debut performance of herBarbiesoundtrack smash hit “Dance the Night”,Dua Lipaalso performs newer hits from her most recent album Radical Optimism. Embedded with personal interviews in between sets, most of which serve as reflections of Lipa’s career - as stellar as the star on top of a Christmas tree - in the music industry.
‘Josh Groban & Friends Go Home For The Holidays’
Available on:December 20
Directed by: Michael Simon
Cast:Josh Groban, Tori Kelly, James Bay
There’s no place like home this Christmas - just as Grammy-winning singerJosh Groban. A warm, holiday special unlike anything,Josh Groban & Friends Go Home For The Holidaysis a toasty gathering of musical talents that celebrates the spirit of togetherness during this time of the year. Featuring special guestsJames Bay,Jennifer Hudson,Tori Kelly,The War and Treaty, and more, there will be stories, laughter, and soulful renditions of good old-fashioned holiday repertoires. More importantly, the special is part of the “Home for the Holidays” initiative, spotlighting the thousands of American children in foster care and how the power of adoption can change these children’s lives for the better.
