From Oz to Pandora, Hollywood is pulling out all the stops in the final stretch of the year. This holiday season, moviegoers can look forward to everything from long-awaited sequels (Wicked: For Good and Avatar: Fire and Ash) to prestige dramas (Hamnet) and family favorites (Zootopia 2).

As the Oscar race heats up and studios unveil their biggest crowd-pleasers, here’s a look at what’s on deck before 2025 comes to a close.

More from Gold Derby

WICKED: FOR GOOD (Nov. 21)

Director: Jon M. Chu
Cast: Ariana Grande, Cynthia Erivo, Jonathan Bailey, Jeff Goldblum, Michelle Yeoh, Ethan Slater, Bowen Yang
Studio: Universal
Synopsis: Elphaba (Erivo) has been cast out and branded the Wicked Witch of the West, while Glinda (Grande) basks in fame at the Emerald City’s palace. As the Wizard (Goldblum) tightens his grip on Oz, an uprising begins. Elphaba and Glinda must confront their shared past to shape a new future. The film includes two new songs — one each for Elphaba and Glinda.

ZOOTOPIA 2 (Nov. 26)

Director: Jared Bush and Byron Howard
Cast: Jason Bateman, Ginnifer Goodwin, Idris Elba, Shakira, Ke Huy Quan, Quinta Brunson, and Fortune Feimster
Studio: Disney
Synopsis: After cracking the biggest case in Zootopia’s history, rookie cops Judy Hopps (Goodwin) and Nick Wilde (Bateman) find their partnership isn’t as solid as they thought when Chief Bogo (Elba) orders them to join the Partners in Crisis counseling program. But it doesn’t take long for their partnership to be put to the ultimate test when they find themselves on the twisting trail of a mystery tied to the arrival of a venomous snake in the animal metropolis.

THE SECRET AGENT (Nov. 26)

Director: Kleber Mendonça Filho
Cast: Wagner Moura, Carlos Francisco, Tânia Maria, Robério Diógenes, Maria Fernanda Cândido, Gabriel Leone, and Udo Kier.
Studio: Neon
Synopsis: Amid the raucous revelry of Carnival week in 1977, a widower named Marcelo (Moura) returns to Recife — a city as vibrant as it is violent. A technology researcher who becomes an unwitting target in the dictatorship’s political maelstrom, Marcelo finds himself hunted by mercenary killers and haunted by ghosts of his past.

WAKE UP DEAD MAN: A KNIVES OUT MYSTERY (Nov. 26 in theaters/Dec. 12 on Netflix)

Director: Rian Johnson
Cast: Daniel Craig, Josh Brolin, Josh O’Connor, Glenn Close, Kerry Washington, Jeremy Renner, Mila Kunis, Andrew Scott, Thomas Haden Church, and Cailee Spaeny.
Studio: Netflix
Synopsis: Craig’s detective arrives in upstate New York where he investigates the death of a prominent cleric (Brolin) at a small-town Catholic church. The priest is seemingly murdered in an empty locked chamber, and everyone in the congregation appears to be a suspect, including O’Connor, who plays the young priest that finds the body and teams with Blanc to prove his innocence.

HAMNET (Nov. 27)

Director: Chloé Zhao
Cast: Jessie Buckley, Paul Mescal, Joe Alwyn, Emily Watson
Studio: Focus Features
Synopsis: A fictionalized account of the life of William Shakespeare and his wife Agnes, focusing on the heartbreak of losing their son Hamnet — a loss that is believed to have inspired Shakespeare’s Hamlet. Blending history and imagination, the film explores love, grief, and artistic creation.

ELLA McCAY (Dec. 12)

Director: James L. Brooks
Cast: Emma Mackey, Jamie Lee Curtis, Woody Harrelson, Ayo Edebiri, Jack Lowden, Kumail Nanjiani, Rebecca Hall
Studio: 20th Century Studios
Synopsis: The film is centered around Ella (Mackey), who has just been elected governor while also still dealing with family drama — specifically her father (Harrelson), who has reentered her life with word of a new love in his own.

FATHER MOTHER SISTER BROTHER (Dec. 18)

Director: Jim Jarmusch
Cast: Cate Blanchett, Vicky Krieps, Adam Driver, Mayim Bialik, Tom Waits, Charlotte Rampling, Indya Moore, Luka Sabbat
Studio: Mubi
Synopsis: Jarmusch crafts an anthology-style comedy-drama that weaves separate yet thematically connected stories that reflect on identity and connection. Featuring a stellar ensemble, the film had its world premiere in the main competition at the Venice International Film Festival, where it won the Golden Lion for Best Film.

AVATAR: FIRE AND ASH (Dec. 19)

Director: James Cameron
Cast: Sam Worthington, Sigourney Weaver, Zoe Saldaña, Kate Winslet
Studio: 20th Century Studios
Synopsis: The third movie introduces us to an all-new Na’vi tribe — and this particular group is unlike any we’ve met before. Dubbed the “Ash People,” they live in a particularly volcanic region of Pandora’s diverse ecosystem and have little to no affinity for the planet’s other residents.

IS THIS THING ON? (Dec. 19)

Director: Bradley Cooper
Cast: Will Arnett, Laura Dern, Bradley Cooper, Andra Day, Sean Hayes, Amy Sedaris, Ciarán Hinds, Peyton Manning, Christine Ebersole
Studio: Searchlight Pictures
Synopsis: While navigating a separation from his wife Tess (Dern), Alex (Arnett) finds unexpected joy through amateur stand-up comedy in New York. Directed by Cooper and inspired by British comedian John Bishop’s real life, the film explores marriage, parenting, friendship and personal growth.

SONG SUNG BLUE (Dec. 24)

Director: Craig Brewer
Cast: Kate Hudson, Hugh Jackman
Studio: Focus Features
Synopsis: Based on a true story, Song Sung Blue follows Mike and Claire Sardina (Jackman and Hudson), a Milwaukee couple who reinvent their lives by forming the Neil Diamond tribute band Lightning & Thunder. What starts as a small act in local bars quickly grows into something bigger than they ever imagined.

THE HOUSEMAID (Dec. 25)

Director: Paul Feig
Cast: Sydney Sweeney, Amanda Seyfried, Brandon Sklenar, Michele Morrone, Indiana Elle
Studio: Lionsgate
Synopsis: Millie (Sweeney) takes a job as a housemaid for Nina (Seyfried) and her husband Andrew (Sklenar), only to discover that the luxurious household holds dangerous secrets — and a stunning twist she didn’t see coming.

MARTY SUPREME (Dec. 25)

Director: Josh Safdie
Cast: Timothée Chalamet, Gwyneth Paltrow, Fran Drescher
Studio: A24
Synopsis: Set in 1950s era New York, Marty Supreme is loosely inspired by the life of table tennis champion Marty Reisman, who helped popularize the sport in its early days. Chalamet plays Marty Mauser, a young hustler with dreams of success. Unfolding over the course of nine eventful months, the movie charts Marty’s pursuit of fame, fortune and respect in the table tennis game — often at the expense of his personal life.

THE TESTAMENT OF ANN LEE (Dec. 25)

Director: Mona Fastvold
Cast: Amanda Seyfried, Lewis Pullman, Thomasin McKenzie, Christopher Abbott
Studio: Searchlight Pictures
Synopsis: Set in the 18th century, this period drama follows the life of Mother Ann Lee, the visionary founder of the Shaker movement. Amid a backdrop of religious fervor and societal upheaval, Ann faces fierce opposition as she challenges convention — enduring false accusations of treason and witchcraft.

NO OTHER CHOICE (Dec. 25)

Director: Park Chan-wook
Cast: Lee Byung-hun, Son Ye-jin 
Studio: Neon
Synopsis: After 25 years at the same company, Man-su (Lee Byung-hun) is blindsided by a corporate downsizing that leaves him jobless and desperate. In a ruthless labor market that measures worth by productivity, he devises a disturbing plan to remove his rivals one by one. Equal parts psychological thriller and social satire, No Other Choice examines how economic despair corrodes empathy — and how far a man will go to reclaim his dignity.

Best of Gold Derby

Sign up for Gold Derby’s Newsletter. For the latest news, follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.

Click here to read the full article.