The New Christmas Movies in 2023 That We Can't Wait to Watch
Starring big names, like Jennifer Garner and Eddie Murphy—on Hallmark, Netflix, Disney Plus, and more.
It's time to put away those copies of Hocus Pocus, Practical Magic, and The Nightmare Before Christmas (actually, you can keep that last one!), because as Christmas Queen Mariah Carey says: It's time…for new Christmas movies!
Everyone loves a classic Christmas movie, but there's also nothing like discovering a new holiday film that you'll want to rewatch year after year. Luckily, 2023 has quite the lineup of more than 100 new movies premiering and streaming in all the places you'd expect (Hallmark, Netflix, Hulu, Disney Plus, and more). But the 30 on this list are the ones we're most excited about. The stories! The settings! The big stars!
That's right—this slate of brand-new 2023 Christmas movies includes astronauts (Under the Christmas Sky), soccer stars (Christmas in Notting Hill), and unfriendly exes (EXmas, starring Leighton Meester!). There's travel (to Scotland, Germany, and France), royalty (A Royal Christmas Surprise), and magic (the "12 Days of Christmas" come to actual life in the Eddie Murphy starrer, Candy Cane Lane). There's even Brandy (Best. Christmas. Ever!) and co-stars Jennifer Garner and Rita Moreno (Family Switch). Like we said, big stars!
And, of course, there's love. Always.
So grab your hot cocoa-filled Santa mug and keep scrolling for the new Christmas movies we're most excited to watch this holiday season—presented in order of release. (Don't worry, if you missed a Hallmark or Lifetime premiere, they're replayed regularly!)
Under the Christmas Sky
Kat, an esteemed astrophysicist, is scheduled for her very first trip to space—until an accident grounds her. She starts volunteering at the local planetarium and gets paired with straightlaced David, who's trying to open an exhibit in time for Christmas. Will their stars align? (As if we even have to ask!)
When: October 22nd premiere (first replay on November 1st)
Where: Hallmark Channel
Mystic Christmas
Thanks to Mystic Pizza, we all love Mystic, Connecticut. So another movie set in the New England town, also involving a love story, aquarium friends, and a Mystic pizza shop? (Not Mystic Pizza itself, unfortunately, but just as adorable!) Sign us up.
When: October 28th premiere (first replay on November 2nd)
Where: Hallmark Channel
Joyeux Noel
As you probably guessed from the title, this Hallmark movie is set in France—and the setup is basically our dream work scenario: A copy editor named Lea sets off to France to solve the mystery behind a pretty painting of a Christmas market—and a reporter named Mark tags along. And, well, you know how this one ends!
When: October 29th premiere (first replay on November 2nd)
Where: Hallmark Channel
A Christmas Frequency
Denise Richards stars as a radio host who's not only on the verge of a divorce, but her show's tanking too. What's a girl to do? Create content! She goes on a series of blind dates for the show, and naturally, there's one candidate who's quite intriguing.
When: Streaming November 1st
Where: Hulu
Reporting For Christmas
Mary (Tamara Feldman) is a serious political reporter, so she's none too pleased when her boss assigns her a puff piece about a small-town toy company. But the toy manufacturer? Turns out he's both charming and handsome.
When: Streaming November 1st
Where: Hulu
A Wesley Christmas Wedding
A Wesley Christmas Wedding is centered around, you guessed it, a Christmas wedding—yet another thing we love! With weddings come family reunions, and this one includes a fierce matriarch, a few wild exes, and some new in-laws—some of which are definitely more loved than others.
When: Streaming November 2nd
Where: BET+
Never Been Chris'd
When BFFs Naomi (Pretty Little Liars' Janel Parrish) and Liz (Pascal Lamothe-Kipnes) go home for the holidays, they reconnect with their mutual high school crush: Chris Silver (Tyler Hynes). Will their friendship survive this love triangle? Here's hoping for a Christmas miracle!
When: November 4th premiere, 8 pm ET
Where: Hallmark Channel
Christmas Angel
Troubled R&B megastar Angel St. James (played by singer DaniLeigh) seemingly has the world at her feet—but secretly, she's unraveling. When her car breaks down and a stranger offers to help, a new chapter in her life begins.
When: Streaming November 9th
Where: BET+
A Heidelberg Holiday
We love an international Hallmark movie! When Heidi Heidelberg receives her dream opportunity—to sell her glass ornaments at the iconic Heidelberg Christmas Market in Germany—she immediately packs her bags (as we would!). While there, she meets a local artisan named Lukas and learns about her lost heritage.
When: November 12th premiere, 8pm ET
Where: Hallmark Channel
Best. Christmas. Ever!
This! Stacked! Cast! Heather Graham, Brandy Norwood, Matt Cedeño, and Jason Biggs are all here in a movie inspired by something we all could love more: the boastful Christmas letter. Jackie (played by the one and only Brandy) sends one every year, but Charlotte (Graham) doesn't buy it—and is determined to prove that her friend's life can't be quite as perfect as she makes it out to be.
When: Streaming November 16th
Where: Netflix
Dashing Through the Snow
Chris Bridges (Ludacris to us!) stars in this original Disney+ movie about a social worker for the Atlanta police department and the Christmas Eve journey he goes on with his estranged daughter. The adventure ultimately helps him remember the magic of the season, so though it's billed as a comedy, we suspect we'll need tissues.
When: Streaming on November 17th
Where: Disney+
EXmas
Leighton Meester (or Blair Waldorf, as we like to call her) and Robbie Amell star in this Freevee comedy about a man who travels home for the holidays, only to encounter a very unexpected guest of honor at his parents' house: his ex-fiancé (Meester).
When: Streaming on November 17th
Where: Freevee
A Merry Scottish Christmas
Lacey Chabert (our Gretchen Wieners forever!) is off to Scotland to reunite with her mom, Jo. Little does she know that a big family secret is about to be revealed. (But again, SCOTLAND! We're definitely here for the views.)
When: November 18th premiere, 8pm ET
Where: Hallmark Channel
The Naughty Nine
Disney describes this one as "Ocean's 11 at the North Pole"—with the squad in question being a bunch a "naughty listers" who feel they've been unfairly maligned while on their way to get the gifts they believe they deserve. (Genius, honestly!)
Premiere: November 22nd, 8pm ET, Disney Channel
Streaming: November 23rd, Disney+
Christmas at the Chalet
When ex-TV host and socialite, Lex (played by Teri Hatcher), finds herself faced with the possibility of spending Christmas at a chalet with her son, ex-husband, and her ex's new girlfriend, Lex does the unexpected: She starts working at the chalet...and documents every moment for her legions of followers.
When: November 25th premiere, 8pm ET
Where: Lifetime
Christmas in Notting Hill
When a football—or soccer, as we say on this side of the pond—star (The Royals' William Moseley) comes home for the holidays (home being "Notting Hill," of course), he finds a visiting American (actress and social media darling, Sarah Ramos). And she's quite possibly the only girl in town who has no idea who he is.
When: November 25th premiere, 6pm ET
Where: Hallmark Channel
A Biltmore Christmas
One Tree Hill family, this one's for you! OTH alum Bethany Joy Lenz plays Lucy, a screenwriter remaking a (fictional) beloved holiday classic from 1947. The only problem? She imagines her remake with a not-so-happy ending. The studio heads say NOPE and send her off to where the original movie was filmed, the real—and gorgeous—historic Biltmore Estate in Asheville, North Carolina. While she's there, she discovers a nifty little trick: the ability to time travel to 1947. There's a lot going on in this one, and we're here for All. Of. It!
When: November 26th premiere, 8pm ET
Where: Hallmark Channel
Family Switch
Jennifer Garner, Ed Helms, and Rita Moreno star in this Netflix comedy about a couple trying to keep their family connected as their children grow older—and more distant. But then, a chance encounter with an astrological reader causes the family to wake up to a full body switch...on the morning of the most important day of each of their lives. (Good luck, gang!)
When: Streaming November 30th
Where: Netflix
A Royal Christmas Surprise
In this sequel to A Royal Surprise, Riley is planning the perfect Christmas for her fiancé, Prince Mandla—and that includes hosting his parents, Queen Nobantu and King Chidike. In Kentucky.
When: Streaming November 30th
Where: BET+
The Bad Guys: A Very Bad Holiday
In this The Bad Guys prequel, there's nothing "the Bad Guys" love more than Christmas morning. While everyone is home opening presents, that's when they can execute a city-wide heist. Then, in a shocking turn, Christmas is cancelled, forcing "the Bad Guys" to do the last thing they thought they ever could: give instead of take.
When: Streaming November 30th
Where: Netflix
Rose Marie Walano is a freelance editor and children's author. (And a Cosmo alum!) Among the many things she loves are high tea, period dramas, Central Park, K-pop, and her adorable mini-doodle, Colette. You can follow her on Instagram at @rosiewalano.
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