8 New Must-See Family Movies Hitting Theaters This Holiday Season

  • Michael Foust Crosswalk Headlines Contributor
  • Updated Oct 25, 2024
8 New Must-See Family Movies Hitting Theaters This Holiday Season

Families may not visit theaters as often as they once did, with streaming services and busy schedules making movie nights at home more convenient. 

But a lineup of new films this holiday season offers the perfect reason to return to the cinema.

From a faith-based movie to major animated blockbusters, the next few months offer plenty for every taste.

There are so many new family movies, in fact, that Hollywood studios are releasing a handful of them in January. 

Here are eight new family movies hitting theaters soon.

Photo Credit: ©GettyImages/skynesher

  • Lost on a Mountain in Maine

    1. Lost on a Mountain in Maine (Nov. 1)

    A 12-year-old boy gets separated from his family during a hiking trip on Mount Katahdin, Maine, and then embarks on a harrowing nine-day struggle for survival in the wilderness. The film is based on a true story about a boy, Donn Fendler, who survived a perilous journey on a mountain in 1939 and then wrote a book about his adventure. Rated PG for thematic elements, peril, language and some injury images. 

    Photo Credit: ©YouTube/IGN Movie Trailers

  • The Best Christmas Pageant Ever

    2. The Best Christmas Pageant Ever (Nov. 8)

    The notorious Herdman siblings, considered the worst kids in town, unexpectedly win the lead roles in the local church's Christmas pageant and spark a town-wide controversy. This faith-based film is directed by Dallas Jenkins, who is best known as the director and creator of The Chosen. The movie stars Judy Greer (Ant-Man) as the pageant's director, Lauren Graham (Gilmore Girls) as the narrator, and Elizabeth Tabish (The Chosen) as one of the townspeople. Rated PG for thematic material and brief underage smoking. 

    Photo Credit: ©Allen Fraser/Lionsgate

  • Flow

    3. Flow (Nov. 22)

    A cat must navigate a post-apocalyptic world where a massive flood has transformed the environment into a perilous, watery landscape. Teaming up with other animals on a small boat, it faces numerous dangers, including hostile creatures and natural disasters, as they search for safe land. Flow has been hailed as groundbreaking, but be warned: It's dialogue-free. Rated PG for peril and thematic elements.  

    Photo Credit: ©YouTube/Madman Films

  • Moana 2

    4. Moana 2 (Nov. 27)

    Moana embarks on a new adventure beyond the familiar seas of Motunui as she is called by her wayfinding ancestors and joins forces again with Maui and a new crew to reconnect two groups of people. It is set three years after the original, which grossed $248 million worldwide and finished No. 12 at the box office in 2016. Auli'i Cravalho and Dwayne Johnson are back in the lead roles. Rated PG for action/peril. 

    Photo Credit: ©YouTube/Walt Disney Animation Studios

  • Sonic the Hedgehog

    5. Sonic the Hedgehog 3 (Dec. 20)

    Sonic teams up once again with Tails and Knuckles to face a powerful new adversary, Shadow the Hedgehog, who has other-worldly abilities stemming from a secret government experiment. It's the third movie in Sony's Sonic the Hedgehog franchise and follows the trio as they consider an alliance with Sonic's ex-nemesis Dr. Robotnik (Jim Carrey). It draws inspiration not only from the Sonic video game series but also from another game, Shadow the Hedgehog. Not yet rated. 

    Photo Credit: ©YouTube/Paramount Pictures

  • Mufasa: The Lion King

    6. Mufasa: The Lion King (Dec. 20)

    An orphaned cub named Mufasa who is lost and alone encounters a new lion named Taka, sparking an epic journey and bringing together a diverse group of misfits. They then embark on an adventurous quest to discover their true destinies. This live-action Disney film is a prequel and sequel to the 2019 film The Lion King and stars Aaron Pierre as Mufasa, Kelvin Harrison Jr. as Taka, and Seth Rogen as Pumbaa. Rated PG for action/violence, peril and some thematic elements.

    Photo Credit: ©YouTube/Walt Disney Studios

  • Paddington in Peru

    7. Paddington in Peru (Jan. 17)

    Paddington embarks on a new adventure as he travels back to Peru to visit his beloved Aunt Lucy, who now resides at the Home for Retired Bears. Accompanied by the Brown family, Paddington's trip takes an unexpected turn when Aunt Lucy goes missing, leading them through the Amazon rainforest and up into the mountainous regions of Peru. The film is the third in the Paddington film series, which remains one of the most charming and family-friendly franchises in recent years. Rated PG for action, mild rude humor and some thematic elements. 

    Photo Credit: ©YouTube/StudiocanalUK

  • Dog Man

    8. Dog Man (Jan. 31)

    A half-dog, half-human superhero named Dog Man fights crime and faces off against the mischievous Petey the Cat, who is on a mission "to destroy all do-gooders." This DreamWorks Animation movie is adapted from Dav Pilkey's best-selling children's book series and follows Dog Man as he teams up with the police to fight crime. It includes the voices of Pete Davidson, Isla Fisher, Stephen Root, and Ricky Gervais. Rated PG for some action and rude humor. 

    Photo Credit: ©YouTube/Universal Pictures

    Michael Foust has covered the intersection of faith and news for 20 years. His stories have appeared in Baptist Press, Christianity Today, The Christian Post, the Leaf-Chronicle, the Toronto Star and the Knoxville News-Sentinel.