11 New Holiday Movies to Look Forward to in 2026

Santa is getting backup from Arnold Schwarzenegger, Johnny Depp is stepping into Scrooge territory, and a Pretty Little Liars reunion is bringing romantic chaos to Christmas. If your holiday watchlist usually starts and ends with the same three comfort movies, the 2026 lineup gives you plenty of reasons to mix things up. PureWow’s seasonal roundup includes cozy Hallmark romances, musical inspiration, family drama and decidedly adults-only Santa action. Here are 11 holiday releases worth watching for, plus one big-screen return that might steal the entire season.

Cozy Christmas Romance Has Some Very Familiar Faces

Holiday romance thrives on unlikely pairings, inconvenient feelings and people realizing their carefully organized lives need a rewrite. This season brings matchmaking schemes, football traditions and a reunion longtime television fans will recognize right away.

A Ski Lodge Getaway Turns Into a Family Matchmaking Mission

Amanda Schull plays Lexi, a single mother hired to organize a ski lodge’s annual holiday party. She travels with her free-spirited mother and teenage daughter, and initially clashes with Ridge, played by Victor Webster. Before long, they team up to matchmake their parents.

Barbara Niven also stars in this Jeff Beesley-directed Hallmark movie. At 83 minutes and rated TV-G, it looks like an easy pick for viewers craving snowy scenery and romantic complications without an all-night commitment.

A Football Assignment Could Lead to Something More

Lyndsy Fonseca stars as Avery Clark, an ambitious freelance journalist assigned to profile a football superfan, even though she knows little about the sport. Her subject suggests that his grandson Matt, played by Robert Buckley, introduce Avery to game-day traditions.

What begins as professional research gives Avery a chance to rethink her constantly moving lifestyle. Directed by Dustin Rikert and also starring Marsha Mason, this 83-minute romance swaps the usual holiday meet-cute for a connection built around community and belonging.

Lucy Hale and Ian Harding Reunite for Christmas Dating Chaos

Pretty Little Liars fans have an obvious reason to check out Hulu’s reworking of The 12 Dates of Christmas: Lucy Hale and Ian Harding share the screen again. Hale plays Christina, whose siblings’ progress toward marriage sends her into a romantic panic.

Unlike the original film’s repeating Christmas Eve, this version has Christina arranging 12 dates over the 12 weeks before Christmas. David Lipper directs, and the reunion is the hook, but the escalating dating experiment could be the real entertainment.

Family Drama and Gospel Music Bring the Emotional Stakes

Not every seasonal movie relies on mistletoe to make its point. These picks put grief, faith and fractured relationships at the center, offering something more emotional than a straightforward festive escape.

A Basset Hound Narrates a Family’s Difficult Christmas

Based on W. Bruce Cameron’s 2020 novel, this Netflix film follows Sander Goss, played by Dennis Quaid, through the eyes of his basset hound, Winstead. Thomas Haden Church voices the dog, and Milo Ventimiglia and Brooke Lena Johnson also appear.

Sander has grown bitter after his wife’s death, his relationship with his teenage granddaughter is strained, and her mother becomes seriously ill. A corgi puppy adds another complication. Cathryn Michon directs the 99-minute, TV-14 film, and anxious animal lovers can relax about one thing: no dogs die.

Tyler Perry Puts Gospel Voices Front and Center

Durrell Tank Babbs plays Issac, a New York City pastor who inherits a struggling church threatened with demolition. To save it, he has to face outside pressures as well as his own doubts and temptations.

Tyler Perry directs the 103-minute, TV-PG film, which also stars Fantasia Barrino Taylor, Fred Hammond and Ann Nesby. The musical lineup features Yolanda Adams, Shirley Caesar, CeCe Winans and The Clark Sisters, making the gospel talent a major draw.

Secret Identities and Unexpected Partnerships Complicate Christmas

A little deception can cause a lot of holiday trouble. These three stories explore identity swaps, pretend relationships and a business rivalry that threatens more than one festive celebration.

Two Very Different Sisters Trade Identities

Felice Jankell and Happy Jankell star as Mathilda and Freddie Stjärne, sisters with little in common who must swap identities before Christmas. Christian Fandango Sundgren also stars in this Adam Pålsson-directed adaptation of Eleonor Sager’s audiobook Christmas in St. Anna.

The identity-switch premise might sound cozy, but its TV-MA rating means this isn’t an automatic family-night pick. Save it for an adult holiday watchlist.

Leighton Meester Becomes a Movie Star’s Pretend Girlfriend

Leighton Meester plays Hannah Brooks, a bodyguard protecting actor Jack Stapleton, played by Jared Padalecki, from a stalker. To keep his mother from worrying, Jack asks Hannah to pose as his girlfriend while they spend Christmas at his family ranch.

Hannah is already dealing with a breakup and her mother’s death, so the assignment is emotionally complicated before genuine feelings enter the picture. Elizabeth Allen Rosenbaum directs this TV-14 romance, which mixes celebrity fantasy with a heroine carrying some real personal baggage.

The Christmas Showdown Story Gets a Competitive Sequel

April and Chastity, played by Corbin Reid and Amber Stevens West, return after the events of The Christmas Showdown. Now that they’re running an events production company, they face a national competitor brought in by their town’s mayor.

Directed by Nanea Miyata, the sequel also features Tommy Miles and Jenifer Lewis. The friends have to protect their business while helping their struggling town, and their romantic interests join the effort.

Scrooge and Santa Get the Star Treatment

The season’s most recognizable characters arrive with some unusually attention-grabbing casting. Expect a Dickens adaptation, a stolen-gift adventure and a Santa sequel best saved until younger viewers are asleep.

Johnny Depp Takes On Ebenezer Scrooge

Ti West directs this 116-minute, PG-13 adaptation of A Christmas Carol, with Depp as Scrooge and Rupert Grint as Bob Cratchit. Ian McKellen plays Scrooge’s deceased business partner, while Sam Claflin and Daisy Ridley portray his nephew Fred and Fred’s wife, Clara.

West’s horror background makes this an intriguing pairing of filmmaker and material. The familiar redemption story already has ghosts, so how will this version make them feel fresh?

Arnold Schwarzenegger Needs Help Saving Christmas

In The Man With the Bag, Schwarzenegger plays Santa after someone steals his magical gift bag. To get it back before Christmas Eve, he has to team up with Vance, a thief on the naughty list.

Alan Ritchson, Awkwafina and Liza Koshy round out the cast, with Adam Shankman directing. Its PG rating makes this action-flavored adventure a more family-friendly Santa outing.

David Harbour Returns for Violent Night 2

Harbour’s hard-hitting Santa returns with Kristen Bell and Jared Harris in Tommy Wirkola’s Violent Night 2. This time, Saint Nick has landed on the naughty list and lost his powers.

The 110-minute sequel is rated R. This is the adults-only end of the holiday spectrum, not a stand-in for a gentle Christmas bedtime movie.

One Classic Deserves a Place Beside the New Releases

A fresh watchlist doesn’t mean abandoning every tradition. One returning favorite offers a theatrical alternative to watching another premiere from the couch.

It’s a Wonderful Life Returns to Theaters

Frank Capra’s 1946 classic returns to theaters December 18. James Stewart plays George Bailey, whose despair brings guardian angel Clarence, played by Henry Travers, into his life.

The PG-rated film runs 129 minutes and also stars Donna Reed and Lionel Barrymore. For viewers staying home, PureWow also lists free streaming on Xumo Play, a comforting finale to a season packed with new possibilities.