Coolie No. 1, Mulan, Mank, The Prom, Durgamati: What’s streaming on Amazon…

December has always a festive time, with Christmas releases and holiday specials. Here is a comprehensive list of all the films and shows going to release on multiple digital platforms across the month, including Netflix, Amazon Prime Video, Disney+ Hotstar, and Apple TV+ among others.

Netflix

1 December

After We Collided — 1 December

Adapted from Anna Todd’s similarly titled book. The film is the sequel to the 2019 work After, and follows the story of Tessa (Josephine Langford) and Hardin (Hero Fiennes Tiffin).

While in After, the couple fall for each other, betrayal tears them apart, the sequel to the film traces their lives after this breakup.

Ava

Jessica Chastain and John Malkovich’s action thriller follows a professional assassin who tries to turn a new leaf and men her familial relations after a botched-up project. However, her altruistic reformation finds her as a target this time around.

The Holiday Movies That Made Us

This Netflix documentary series takes a deep dive into two iconic Christmas films, namely Elf and The Nightmare Before Christmas. Based on the popular series The Toys That Made Us, this series tells the stories behind the films which made Christmas special for most kids in the 1980s and 1990s.

4 December

Bhaag Beanie Bhaag

The show follows the titular character, an aspiring stand-up comic in Mumbai.

Beanie Bhatnagar decides to escape her regular, boring life, with a long-term boyfriend, safe job, and middle-class family, with a career in comedy. The show features Swara Bhasker, Dolly Singh, Mona Ambegaonkar, and Girish Kulkarni.

Bombay Rose

Bombay Rose is the story of a flower seller who has to make the choice between protecting her family or allowing herself to fall in love. The story is set on the streets of Mumbai and moves from real life to fantasy, accompanied by much-loved Bollywood songs. Painted frame by frame, for which Gitanjali Rao is famed, Bombay Rose is a chronicle of the people who migrate from small towns, seeking minimal life in the maximum city.

(Also Read: Gitanjali Rao’s animated film Bombay Rose is an arresting ode to the paradoxical chaos of Mumbai)

Mank

Director David Fincher’s upcoming Herman J Mankiewicz biopic centres around the screenwriter of Orson Welles’ Citizen Kane, and his battles with director and its star Orson Welles over screenplay credit for the 1941 cinematic masterpiece.

Mank is based on a script by Fincher’s father, Jack, who had written the draft before his death in 2003.

10 December

Funny Boy 

Deepa Mehta, known for critically-lauded trilogy Earth, Fire, and Water, adapts Funny Boy from Shyam Selvadurai’s coming-of-age novel of the same name.

Set in Sri Lanka during the 1970s and 1980s, the film explores the sexual awakening of its young protagonist Arjie (played by Arush Nand/Brandon Ingram) from a young boy, deemed “funny” by a disapproving family, to a teenager enamoured by a male classmate. As political tensions escalate to a boiling point between the minority Tamils and the majority Sinhalese, the young boy comes of age in society and family that does not embrace difference outside of societal norms.

The movie will be released theatrically in select cities, and also debut on Netflix simultaneously.

11 December 

The Prom

The Prom is Netflix’s feature take of the Tony-nominated stage musical, directed by Ryan Murphy.

The film stars Meryl Streep, Nicole Kidman, James Corden, Andrew Rannells, Kerry Washington, Keegan-Michael Key, and Jo Ellen Pellman.

Streep will play Dee Dee, a Tony Award-winning actress, who stars in a flop musical about Eleanor Roosevelt with her partner. After disastrous reviews, they decide, along with Broadway newbies Angie Dickinson (Kidman) and Trent Oliver (Rannells), to attach themselves to a cause to resurrect their careers. Emma (Pellman), a student in Indiana whose high school does not allow her to attend to their prom with her girlfriend (Ariana DeBose), becomes their cause to champion.

Torbaaz

Torbaaz was part of Netflix’s lineup of 17 acquisitions, which was announced in July. The list also included Anurag Basu’s anthology Ludo and Mira Nair’s BBC One series A Suitable Boy.

Torbaaz, set in Afghanistan, is a story about child suicide bombers. Sanjay Dutt plays the role of an army officer, who wants to give the ‘children of war’ a ray of hope. The film, directed by Girish Malik, also stars Rahul Dev and Nargis Fakhri.

16 December

The Ripper

This docu-series takes a behind-the-scenes look into the investigation behind the Yorkshire Ripper. This serial killer was charged with the murders of 13 women between 1975 and 1980.

Vir Das: Outside In

Comedian Vir Das’ new special comes with a twist. The show is based on crowd work but the crowd is connected through video calling. Shot during the lockdown period, Das connects to people from Spain, England, Poland, the US, and China to put on this charity show.

As the description accompanying the trailer suggests, the proceeds from watching the standup will go to COVID-19 relief charities.

18 December

Black Bottom

An adaptation of August Wilson’s award-winning play of the same name, Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom sheds light on issues of race, art, religion, and the exploitation of black recording artistes at the hands of white producers.

The film follows Ma Rainey, essayed by Viola Davis, a famous blues singer as she makes a record in a studio in 1927 Chicago, where tension boils over among her, her white agent, and bandmates. Boseman played Ma’s boyfriend Levee, an ambitious trumpeter who aspired to make his own mark in the music industry.

Paava Kadhaigal

Directed by Gautham Menon, Sudha Kongara, Vetri Maaran, and Vignesh Shivan, Paava Kadhaigal explores how love, pride, and honour influence complex relationships through four intricate stories.

The anthology features an ensemble cast, including Anjali, Bhavani Sre, Gautham Vasudev Menon, Hari, Kalidas Jayaram, Kalki Koechlin, Padam Kumar, Prakash Raj, Sai Pallavi, Shanthnu Bhagyaraj, and Simran amongst others.

23 December

The Midnight Sky

The Midnight Sky, directed by George Clooney, is based on the novel Good Morning, Midnight by Lily Brooks-Dalton. The story follows a lonely scientist in the Arctic, who races to stop a group of astronauts from returning home to a mysterious global catastrophe.

The movie also features Felicity Jones, David Oyelowo, Tiffany Boone, Demian Bichir, Kyle Chandler, and Caoilinn Springall.

25 December

Bridgerton

Shonda Rhimes’ Bridgerton is an adaptation of Julia Quinn’s bestselling series of novels following the eight siblings of the titled family. The series follows Daphne Bridgerton (Phoebe Dynevor), the eldest daughter of the family as she makes her debut onto Regency London’s “competitive marriage market.”

As her pursuit of love unravels, the high society scandal sheet written by the mysterious Lady Whistledown casts criticisms on Daphne, who has caught the eye of London’s most desirable duke.

AK vs AK

When @anuragkashyap72 decides to kidnap a kid for his next film, it’s time to show him ki baap baap hota hai! #AKvsAK @VikramMotwane Coming soon on @NetflixIndia pic.twitter.com/uJ8SI3bR6k

— Anil Kapoor (@AnilKapoor) July 16, 2020

Anurag Kashyap will feature in Vikramaditya Motwane’s directorial AK Vs AK. The other AK in the film is Anil Kapoor. Billed as a revenge drama, the film will reportedly see both Anurag and Anil play themselves, navigating the highs and lows of belonging to the tinsel world. This is Motwane’s third collaboration with Netflix India, after the Sacred Games franchise and Radhika Apte-starrer horror miniseries Ghoul. The release date for this is yet to be announced. Amazon Prime Video India 4 December Sons of the Soil: Jaipur Pink Panthers Amazon Prime Video and Abhishek Bachchan unveiled the trailer for an all-new Amazon Original Series, Sons of the Soil: Jaipur Pink Panthers recently. Produced by BBC Studios India, the show follows the journey of Bachchan’s team during the seventh season of Pro Kabaddi League, as they strive to win the season championship for the second time, after their win in the first season of the league. The series provides a never–before–seen locker-room view of the team, including interactions with team owner, Bachchan. Sound of Metal Riz Ahmed’s upcoming movie Sound of Metal sees him play a drummer who begins to lose his hearing. Ahmed plays Ruben, a punk-metal drummer who begins to experience intermittent hearing loss during a series of adrenaline-fuelled one-night gigs. “When a specialist tells him his condition will rapidly worsen, he thinks his music career — and with it, his life — is over. His bandmate and girlfriend Lou (Olivia Cooke) checks the recovering heroin addict into a secluded sober house for the deaf in hopes it will prevent relapse and help him learn to adapt to his new situation. But after being welcomed into a community that accepts him just as he is, Ruben has to choose between his equilibrium and the drive to reclaim the life he once knew,” reads the official synopsis. Sound of Metal is slated to release in select US theatres on 20 November and on Amazon Prime Video on 4 December. 11 December Durgamati Durgamati is the Hindi remake of the Telugu movie titled Bhaagamathie. The official synopsis of Durgamati mentions that the film, featuring Bhumi Pednekar, is a fast-paced, intelligent thriller in a twist-a-minute style, and has strongly etched characters that will create a deep impact with the audience as they are gripped by the world of conspiracy and crime, served with a layer of scare. I’m Your Woman Rachel Brosnahan, best known for playing the titular character in Amazon Prime Video Original show The Marvelous Mrs Maisel, has collaborated with Amazon Studios yet again for the adventure drama I’m Your Woman. Brosnahan plays the wife of a criminal who is forced to flee with their child when she unwittingly gets embroiled in her husband’s misdeeds. The film is directed by Julia Hart from a screenplay co-written by Hart and Jordan Horowitz.   17 December Maara

here to bring smiles and win hearts with love, watch #MaaraOnPrime this dec 17 on @PrimeVideoIN#WorldPremiereOnPrime@ShraddhaSrinath @SshivadaOffcl@dhilip2488 @ShrutiNallappa @pramodfilmsnew @DesiboboPrateek @karthikmuthu14 @GhibranOfficial#MaaraOnPrime #WorldPremiereOnPrime pic.twitter.com/aC59BR68zI — Ranganathan Madhavan (@ActorMadhavan) October 9, 2020

Maara is the official Tamil remake of the Malayalam feature Charlie, featuring Dulquer Salmaan and Parvathy. The Tamil version stars Madhavan and Shraddha Srinath.

25 December

Coolie No. 1

Coolie No 1 is a remake of the 1995 hit with the same title, that starred Govinda and Karisma Kapoor in the lead. Featuring Varun Dhawan and Sara Ali Khan, the film is produced by Vashu Bhagnanu and directed by David Dhawan.

The official synopsis of the film reads, “Insulted by Rosario, a rich businessman, Jai Kishen, a matchmaker, teaches him a lesson by getting his daughter married to Raju, a coolie, who poses to be a millionaire.”

Sylvie’s Love

Sylvie’s Love, featuring Tessa Thompson and Nnamdi Asomugha in the lead, is set in the late 1950s, and follows Sylvie (Thompson), who dreams of a career in the budding world of television while she helps out around her family’s New York City record store and counts the days until her fiance returns from war.

Aja Naomi King, Jemima Kirke, Tone Bell, Alano Miller, Erica Gimpel, Lance Reddick, Wendi McLendon Covey, Ryan Bathe, and Eva Longoria are also part of the cast.

30 December

Yearly Departed

Beyond excited to finally let this cat out of the bag. Keep your 👀 peeled for more on this one soon! https://t.co/la9MRD2FlY

— Rachel Brosnahan (@RachelBros) October 15, 2020

Yearly Departed is a series of eulogies for the year 2020, where a lineup of all-women comedians will deliver their take on the not-so-favourable year. Hosted by noted comedian Phoebe Robinson (2 Dope Queens), Yearly Departed is executive produced by Brosnahan, Paige Simpson, David Jammy, Katy Mullan, Samantha Ressler, Nathalie Love, and Bess Kalb, with Kalb also joining in as the head writer.

Disney+ Hotstar

4 December

Godmothered

Set at Christmas time, Godmothered is a comedy about Eleanor, a young, inexperienced fairy godmother-in-training, who, upon hearing that her chosen profession is facing extinction, decides to show the world that people still need fairy godmothers.

Finding a mislaid letter from a 10-year-old girl in distress, Eleanor tracks her down and discovers that the girl, Mackenzie, is now a 40-year-old single mom working at a news station in Boston. Having lost her husband several years earlier, Mackenzie has all but given up on the idea of “happily ever after,” but Eleanor is bound and determined to give Mackenzie a happiness makeover, whether she likes it or not.

The film will stream on Disney+ Hotstar Premium.

Mulan

Acclaimed filmmaker Niki Caro brings the epic tale of China’s legendary warrior to life in Disney’s Mulan, in which a fearless young woman risks everything out of love for her family and her country to become one of the greatest warriors China has ever known.

When the Emperor of China issues a decree that one man per family must serve in the Imperial Army to defend the country from Northern invaders, Hua Mulan, the eldest daughter of an honoured warrior, steps in to take the place of her ailing father. Masquerading as a man, Hua Jun, she is tested every step of the way and must harness her inner-strength and embrace her true potential. It is an epic journey that will transform her into an honoured warrior and earn her the respect of a grateful nation… and a proud father.

The film will stream on Disney+ Hotstar Premium.

7 December

Euphoria: Trouble Don’t Last Always

Featuring Zendaya, Hunter Schafer, Jacob Elordi, Algee Smith, and Sydney Sweeney, Trouble Don’t Always last will pick up after the events of the Season One finale following Rue as she celebrates Christmas after being left by Jules at the train station.

11 December

High School Musical: The Musical: The Series: The Holiday Special

In this holiday music special, the cast of High School Musical: The Musical: The Series perform their favourite Christmas, Hanukkah, and New Year’s songs and share anecdotes from their memorable holidays, best – and most embarrassing. High School Musical: The Musical: The Holiday Special will also feature a sneak peek of the first performance in the highly anticipated second season of High School Musical: The Musical: The Series.

25 December

Soul

Pixar Animation Studios’ all-new feature film Soul introduces Joe Gardner – a middle-school band teacher who gets the chance of a lifetime to play at the best jazz club in town. But one small misstep takes him from the streets of New York City to The Great Before – a fantastical place where new souls get their personalities, quirks, and interests before they go to Earth.

Determined to return to his life, Joe teams up with a precocious soul, 22 who has never understood the appeal of the human experience. As Joe desperately tries to show 22 what’s great about living, he may just discover the answers to some of life’s most important questions.

The film will stream on Disney+ Hotstar Premium.

 

 

Apple TV+

1 December

The Oprah Conversation: President Barack Obama

Oprah Winfrey sits down with the 44th president in a candid conversation covering his legacy, democracy, race, and the American dream. In a candid conversation, Winfrey and Barack Obama explore the transformative years leading up to his historic presidency, the accomplishments that led him to the White House, and the monumental expectations placed upon him during his pivotal time in office.

In this candid conversation, Winfrey and Obama will also talk about his new insightful and deeply personal memoir A Promised Land.

4 December

Mariah Carey’s Magical Christmas Special

A holiday event from superstar and multi-platinum, multi-Grammy award-winning artist Mariah Carey which will debut globally on Apple TV+ this holiday season. The new special is set to premiere on the heels of the 25th anniversary of Carey’s iconic No 1 holiday anthem All I Want For Christmas Is You, and will feature the legendary icon Carey and a star-studded line-up of surprise guest appearances, in a magical holiday journey to enliven the Christmas spirit around the world.

The innovative special will combine music, dancing, and animation driven by a universally heartwarming story that brings the world together.

Earth At Night In Color

This landmark natural history series narrated by Tom Hiddleston, Earth At Night In Color uses next-generation cameras to reveal the nocturnal lives of animals, in colour, for the first time ever.

Filmed across six continents, from the Arctic Circle to the African grasslands, this pioneering series follows the moonlit dramas of animals at night, revealing new insights and never before seen behaviours.

Earth At Night In Color is produced by Offspring Films. The series is executive produced by Alex Williamson and Isla Robertson, and produced by Sam Hodgson.

Stillwater

Based on the Scholastic book series Zen Shorts by Jon J Muth, Stillwater is produced by Gaumont and Scholastic Entertainment and centres on siblings Karl, Addy, and Michael, who are typical kids with typical kid challenges – meaning that sometimes even the smallest things can feel insurmountable. Fortunately for these three, they have Stillwater, a wise panda, as their next-door neighbour.

Through his example, stories, and gentle humour, Stillwater gives the children a deeper understanding of their feelings as well as tools that help them face their own day-to-day challenges.

Stillwater is executive produced by Sidonie Dumas, Christophe Riandee, Nicolas Atlan, Terry Kalagian, Iole Lucchese, Caitlin Friedman, Jef Kaminsky, and Rob Hoegee and features the voice talents of James Sie, Eva Binder, Tucker Chandler, and Judah Mackey.

11 December

Wolfwalkers

An Apple Original Film, Wolfwalkers is the latest from two-time Academy Award-nominated director Tomm Moore (Song of the Sea, The Secret of Kells) and director Ross Stewart (The Secret of Kells), and co-produced by the award-winning animation studios Cartoon Saloon (Oscar and Golden Globe nominee, The Breadwinner) and Melusine Productions (Oscar nominee, Ernest & Celestine).

In a time of superstition and magic, a young apprentice hunter, Robyn Goodfellowe, journeys to Ireland with her father to wipe out the last wolf pack. While exploring the forbidden lands outside the city walls, Robyn befriends a free-spirited girl, Mebh, a member of a mysterious tribe rumoured to have the ability to transform into wolves by night. As they search for Mebh’s missing mother, Robyn uncovers a secret that draws her further into the enchanted world of the Wolfwalkers and risks turning into the very thing her father is tasked to destroy.

Voot Select

7 December

Your Honor

Based on the Israeli TV series Kvodo, created by Ron Ninio and Shlomo Mashiach, Your Honor is a legal thriller that stars Bryan Cranston as Michael Desiato, a respected New Orleans judge whose teenaged son Adam (Hunter Doohan) is involved in a hit-and-run that “leads to a high-stakes game of lies, deceit, and impossible choices.”

18 December

The Stand

The Stand is based on Stephen King’s bestselling novel of the same name. Starring Whoopi Goldberg, Alexander Skarsgård, and James Marsden, The Stand depicts King’s apocalyptic vision of a world decimated by plague and embroiled in an elemental struggle between good and evil.

The fate of mankind rests on the frail shoulders of the 108-year-old Mother Abagail (Goldberg) and a handful of survivors. Their worst nightmares are embodied in a man with a lethal smile and unspeakable powers: Randall Flagg (Skarsgård), the Dark Man.

ALTBalaji

Paurashpur

Paurashpur features an ensemble cast that includes noted names from the industry such as Annu Kapoor, Milind Soman, Shilpa Shinde, Shaheer Sheikh, Flora Saini, and Anant Joshi among others. The show will be directed by Sachindra Vats, and produced by Jaasvand Entertainment.

Paurashpur will stream both on ALTBalaji and ZEE5.

ZEE5

4 December

Darbaan

Darbaan is a family drama that is about a friendship between a master and his caretaker. The story brings these two generations together that is sure to strike a chord with the audience. The film is inspired and based on a story by Rabindranath Tagore.

18 December

Black Widows

Black Widows is the eighth adaptation of the series, and is about three best friends who plan the perfect murder of their abusive husbands, fake-mourn their death but end up with a retiring cop on their trail instead.

25 December

Shootout at Alair

Prakash Raj, Srikanth, and Saranya Potla feature in this Telugu series charting the life of cops. Sushmitha Konidela is producing the show.

Eros Now

7 Kadam

Starring Amit Sadh, 7 Kadam revolves around the narrative of the clash of ideals between a father and son, between a master and his pupil. The story oscillates between the upholding of moral principles by the father and the turmoil of holding on to them by the son, who is striving to be a crusader for the upliftment of his family’s financial state.

The release date for the show is yet to be announced.

SonyLIV

Sandwich – 25 December

Sandwich follows Naina and Sameer. A tryst in fate brings love in Naina and Sameer’s life, and later love brings marriage. Directed by Rohan Sippy, Sandwich features Aahana Kumra, Kunaal Roy Kapur, Zakir Hussain, and Divya Seth Shah amongst others. The release date for the show is yet to be announced.