As is the case with Australia, Boxing Day is a great day to visit the cinema, with several anticipated releases hitting the screen every year. There are more than a few new films to check out this month, and unless things shuffle around, January is currently looking like a lighter month.

Piece by Piece is a LEGO animation that chronicles the journey of Pharrell Williams’ story, which is an interesting collaboration that has received decent reviews. The last comic book film of the year is released on December 19, and Kraven The Hunter gets his big screen debut, along with another rendition of the Rhino. Will this latest Sony Pictures comic-book film and spin-off in the Spider/Venom universe be a hit or a miss?

Two massive franchises return to the cinema this month with The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim seeing TLOTR returning to the cinemas for the first time since The Hobbit films finished, but this time it’s animated and from famed anime director Kenji Kamiyama. And there’s also a new live-action Disney film and prequel to 2019’s The Lion King, directed by Barry Jenkins. Mufasa: The Lion King tells the story of how Mufasa, a lost cub, becomes part of a royal family.

Here are all the new films coming to Australian cinemas in December 2024.

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DECEMBER 5

Out of Season

Mathieu lives in Paris, Alice in a small balnearic town. They have a short affair, and then each one follows their own path. To wash his melancholy, Mathieu goes to a thalasso, where by chance he finds Alice.

Piece By Piece

A vibrant journey through the life of Pharrell Williams, told through the lens of LEGO animation.

Rumours

En route to the annual G7 summit, the seven leaders of the world’s wealthiest liberal democracies get lost in the woods and face increasing peril while attempting to draft a provisional statement regarding a global crisis.

Solo Leveling: ReAwakening

This cinema release based on the hit web novel-turned-anime features a catch-up recap of the first season coupled with an exclusive sneak peek of the first two episodes of the second season.

Sumala

Sumala, a name that is feared by people in a village in Semarang Regency from the past until now. No one dares to go out when night falls because Sumala will come to kill.

The Dead Don’t Hurt

Two pioneers fight for their lives and their love on the American frontier during the Civil War.

Werewolves

Two scientists try to stop a mutation that turns people into werewolves after being touched by a super-moon the year before.

DECEMBER 12

Black Dog (Gouzhen)

Released from jail, Lang returns to his hometown in Northwest China. As part of a dog patrol tasked with clearing stray dogs before the 2008 Olympics, he bonds with a black stray. The two lonely souls embark on a new journey together.

Kraven The Hunter

Kraven’s complex relationship with his ruthless father, Nikolai Kravinoff, starts him down a path of vengeance with brutal consequences, motivating him to become not only the greatest hunter in the world, but also one of its most feared.

The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim

A sudden attack by Wulf, a clever and ruthless Dunlending lord seeking vengeance for the death of his father, forces Helm Hammerhand, the King of Rohan, and his people to make a daring last stand in the ancient stronghold of the Hornburg.

The Problem with People

Two estranged cousins who never knew each other tries to make amends for many generations of family dispute.

DECEMBER 19

Mufasa: The Lion King

Mufasa, a cub lost and alone, meets a sympathetic lion named Taka, the heir to a royal bloodline. The chance meeting sets in motion an expansive journey of a group of misfits searching for their destiny.

Wallace & Gromit: Vengeance Most Fowl

Gromit’s growing concern that Wallace has become over-dependent on his inventions is justified when he invents a “smart gnome” that seems to develop a mind of its own. As events spiral out of control, it falls to Gromit to put aside his qualms and battle sinister forces – or Wallace may never be able to invent again.

DECEMBER 26

A Real Pain

Mismatched cousins reunite for a tour through Poland to honor their beloved grandmother. The adventure takes a turn when the odd-couple’s old tensions resurface against the backdrop of their family history.

Anora

In this Palme d’Or-winning love story from Sean Baker (Tangerine, Red Rocket) a Las Vegas sex worker gets her chance at a Cinderella story when she and a young Russian oligarch fall for each other. However, when news of their impulsive marriage reaches his homeland, his parents make moves to get their union annulled.

Better Man

The director of The Greatest Showman offers a unique look into the experiences that shaped Robbie Williams—by casting the popstar as a walking, singing ape—in this atypical musical.

Parthenope

Partenope is a woman who bears the name of her city. Is she a siren or a myth?

Sonic the Hedgehog 3

Sonic, Knuckles, and Tails reunite against a powerful new adversary, Shadow, a mysterious villain with powers unlike anything they have faced before. With their abilities outmatched, Team Sonic must seek out an unlikely alliance.

The Room Next Door

Ingrid and Martha were close friends in their youth, when they worked together at the same magazine. Ingrid went on to become an autofiction novelist while Martha became a war reporter. Eventually, they were separated by the circumstances of life. After years of being out of touch, they meet again in an extreme but strangely sweet situation.

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What films are you most excited to see in cinemas this month? Let me know in the comment section below. Is there anything missing from this list? If so, let me know, and I’ll add it!

You can also check out what’s coming to streaming services like Netflix, Disney+, Prime Video, and more on our ‘What’s Streaming’ page.

[Descriptions & cinema dates gathered from Flicks.com.au & IMDB]