This year has been tough, there's certainly no doubt about it. As we begin to unwind and shift into holiday mode, many of us (ok, possibly just me), were anxiously waiting to see what streaming platform, Netflix, had in store for all of the meaningless, and purposeful watching planned for the festive season ahead. With just four weeks left till Christmas, Netflix today announced their December releases list, and it certainly does not disappoint.
Several highly-anticipated films and series will make their debut this coming month, including the scandal-filled period drama, Bridgerton, the biographical drama series on iconic Grammy-winning Latinx singer, Selena Quintanilla-Pérez and of course, the Meryl Streep-led musical film, The Prom.
Here, we round-up our favourite selects from the Netflix's impressive December releases list.
Ma Rainey's Black Bottom - 18 December
Ma Rainey's Black Bottom was the final film late actor, Chadwick Boseman, starred in before his passing. The film follows the story of trailblazing blues artist Ma Rainey (Viola Davis), as she navigates issues of race, music, relationships and exploitation in the music industry during the 1920's. Boseman, who portrays Levee, an ambitious trumpeter determined to make his own mark on the Chicago music scene. The film is already receiving Oscar buzz and we can certainly understand why.
Selena: The Series - December 4
The biographical drama on the life of Grammy-winning Latinx artist, Selena Quintanilla-Pérez, titled Selena: The Series is one of the most highly-anticipated December releases for the the streaming platform. The series will touch on her life, legacy and her rapid rise to fame, as well as cast light onto her family’s early struggles and poverty and the hard decisions they had to make to further her career.
Mank - December 4
Netflix's 1930s Hollywood film, Mank, follows the story of alcoholic, social-critic and screenwriter, Herman J. 'Mank'iewicz as he battles to finish the script for Citizen Kane, and the off-screen drama that followed the now iconic film. Accompanying Gary Oldman who portrays Mank, is Amanda Seyfried playing Marion Davies, Charles Dance as Hearst, Lily Collins as Rita Alexander, Mank's secretary, and Tom Burke as Orson Welles.
The Prom - December 11
Ryan Murphy's latest film, The Prom, is exactly the kind of OTT spirit we need this holiday season. The adaptation of Matthew Sklar’s 2016 musical of the same name, follows a pair of tired Broadway stars, Dee Dee Allen (Meryl Streep) and Barry Glickman (James Corden) looking for a revamp – who catch word of a young queer girl in Indiana named Emma Nolan (Jo Ellen Pellman) who is not allowed to take her girlfriend Alyssa (Ariana DeBose) as her date to the prom. What follows is an elaborate plan to save said high school prom from such bigotry.
Bridgerton - December 25
Bridgerton is the ultimate Gossip Girl and Pride and Prejudice crossover we didn't know we needed. Based on the best-selling historical book series by Julia Quinn of the same name, Shonda Rhimes' series will follow eight children of powerful family, the Bridgerton's, as they attempt to find love in Regency England. According to Netlfix, the first series will focus on Daphne Bridgerton (Phoebe Dynevor), the fourth of the eight children, who hopes to follow in her parent's footsteps on her quest to find true love. Despite her efforts, she results to establishing a fake courtship with the desirable but rebellious bachelor Duke of Hasting (Regé-Jean Page).
Chilling Adventures of Sabrina the Teenage Witch - December 31
The fourth and final season of Chilling Adventures of Sabrina the Teenage Witch is premiering on New Years day, which is just the fright we need to bid farewell to this scary year. The upcoming series is filled with the usual witch and warlock teenage shenanigans the show has become known and loved for, and we would be lying if we said we weren't going to miss the chaos of it all.
For the full list of Netflix December releases, see below.
It's that time of year, baby. From huge films like #Mank, #TheProm, and #MaRaineysBlackBottom to returning shows #BigMouth and #Sabrina to new teen dance drama #TinyPrettyThings...here's our festive gift to you. Coming to Netflix in December. pic.twitter.com/RRkvcZrBoa
— Netflix ANZ (@NetflixANZ) November 24, 2020
