With the holiday season upon us and Christmas soon arriving, Disney+ Hotstar is set with everything holly-jolly and cozy this year-end. With many festive family flicks and a myriad of refreshing movies and shows, this month’s big releases include Kartik Aaryan, Alaya F starrer, edge-of-the-seat thriller Freddy on 2 December. Apart from that animated titles such as Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Rodrick Rules, Yakuza Lover – season one, Night at the Museum: Kahmunrah Rises Again and others will be available on Disney+ Hotstar. Bollywood diva Malaika Arora will be making her much-awaited digital debut and giving fans access to her past, present, and future through unfiltered conversations in an all-new, exclusive show, Moving In With Malaika from 5 December onwards. The platform is also bringing the ultimate family entertainer movie, the Vicky Kaushal starrer Govinda Naam Mera on 16 December.
On the international front, December is also going to be extra special as 30 years after the release of beloved Beauty and The Beast, Disney+ Hotstar is coming up with a two-hour extravaganza combining the animated film and a live-action special titled Beauty and The Beast: A 30th Celebration. Other big releases include Weekend Family Christmas Special and David O Russell’s epic crime fiction Amsterdam.
Meanwhile, for Korean drama fans, it’s time to wear your favorite hoodie and a pair of fuzzy socks as a bouquet of new K-dramas is set to premiere on the platform, including Connect and Big Bet. So, once you have done your holiday shopping with the best Black Friday sale, prepare for the ultimate holiday fun with a marathon of binge nights with Disney+ Hotstar.
Here’s a full list of everything new coming up:
INDIAN TITLES
Freddy (2 December)
Freddy is about the journey of Dr. Freddy Ginwala, a shy, lonely and socially awkward person who loves playing with his miniature planes and the only friend he has is his pet turtle ‘Hardy ’. Filled with unusual twists, turns and chaos of emotions, Freddy will keep the audiences at the edge of their seats.
Moving In With Malaika (5 onwards December)
Relationships, Glamour and more. This Bollywood’s iconic diva has seen it all. Capturing hearts with her stellar dance moves and charisma – Malaika Arora makes her much awaited digital debut with Disney+ Hotstar. The show starts streaming 5 December onwards from Monday to Thursday.
Govinda Naam Mera (16 December)
The happy-go-lucky Govinda Waghmare finds himself caught between his bullying wife, an unhappy mother and a girlfriend who wants to marry him. It’s all fun and games until he discovers that he may end up losing his inheritance, the ancestral bungalow in which he lives. Govinda Mera Naam takes a dramatic turn when a change is committed. Hereon the film’s journey becomes a series of thrilling events. Each character in the movie has a dark side, and nothing is as it seems.
DISNEY TITLES
Pentatonix: Around the World for the Holidays (2 December)
Superstar a cappella group Pentatonix is struggling to find inspiration for their annual holiday album, and the clock is ticking. To make matters worse, their well-intentioned but misguided manager mistakenly locks them in a magic mailroom. But with the help of some Disney magic, we’re soon on a whirlwind tour around the world, discovering holiday traditions and inspiration from Pentatonix fans all around the globe: from Japan to Grenada, Iceland to Ghana and Mexico. The journey leads the group to realize that wherever we find ourselves, the holidays offer the perfect opportunity to discover how much we have in common and that it really is a small world, after all!
Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Rodrick Rules (2 December)
The first book in Jeff Kinney’s worldwide bestselling series comes to Disney+ in the all-new animated adventure Diary of a Wimpy Kid. Greg Heffley is a scrawny but ambitious kid with an active imagination and big plans to be rich and famous – he just has to survive middle school first. To make matters worse, Greg’s lovable best friend Rowley seems to coast through life and succeed at everything without even trying! As details of his hilarious – and often disastrous – attempts to fit in fill the pages of his journal, Greg learns to appreciate true friends and the satisfaction that comes from standing up for what is right. Directed by Swinton Scott (Futurama) and written and produced by Jeff Kinney, Diary of a Wimpy Kid. features the voices of Brady Noon (The Mighty Ducks: Game Changers) as Greg Heffley, Ethan William Childress (mixed-ish) as Rowley Jefferson, and Chris Diamantopoulos (Silicon Valley) as Frank Heffley.
Weekend Family Christmas Special (9 December)
It’s the first time Emma, Fred and the girls are celebrating Christmas together and Fred is cooking up a feast! But in Emma’s family, they don’t celebrate the same way: every year, she and her parents put on a show to raise money for charity. Fred is moved, even though he has no intention of celebrating Christmas any other way. Seeing that Emma is homesick, he gets her a ticket to Canada. Emma has a better idea: he and the girls could join her! But the exes wholeheartedly disagree, and so Fred and Emma decide to go. Clara, Vic and Romy refuse to give up spending Christmas together and fool Fred into thinking he’s lost his passport. Suddenly some surprise visitors arrive on the doorstep!
National Treasure: Edge of History (14 December)
Jess Valenzuela’s life is turned upside down when an enigmatic stranger gives her a clue to a centuries-old treasure that might be connected to her long-dead father. Jess has a knack for solving puzzles, and her skills are put to the test as she and her friends follow a series of clues hidden in American artifacts and landmarks. But can Jess outsmart a black-market antiquities dealer in a race to find history’s greatest lost treasure and unbury the truth about her family’s past?
Le Pupille (16 December)
From writer and director, Alice Rohrwacher, and Academy Award winning producer, Alfonso Cuarón, “Le Pupille” is a tale of innocence, greed and fantasy. This live action short is about desires, pure and selfish, about freedom and devotion, and about the anarchy that is capable of flowering in the minds of girls within the confines of a strict religious boarding school at Christmas. The short movie will be available in both English and Italian languages.
OTHER TITLES
Amsterdam (7 December)
Amsterdam, the latest film from acclaimed writer/director David O. Russell, is a fascinating and richly intricate tale that brilliantly weaves historical fact with fiction for a timely, cinematic experience. This original crime epic is about three close friends who find themselves at the center of one of the most shocking secret plots in American history.
Connect – season one, Korean (7 December)
Dongsoo leads a solitary life, spending his time uploading music to the internet. His ordinary life is upended when he is kidnapped by an organ hunter, who takes out one of his eyes. Soon, Dongsoo is sharing the vision of someone who got his eye. Through the connected vision, he learns that the taker is a notorious serial killer, and pursues the murderer to get his eye back.
Tomorrow, I’ll be someone’s girlfriend – season one, Japanese (7 December)
Yuki earns a living as a rental girlfriend. Rina drowns her loneliness in men. Aya constantly receives plastic surgery. Moe lives her way uninfluenced by others. Yua lives in the moment in the nightlife district. Each are riddled with their own complexes, worries and emotions. What lies ahead as they struggle to make their way in the world garners much empathy.
Night at the Museum: Kahmunrah Rises Again (9 December)
In Night at the Museum: Kahmunrah Rises Again, Nick Daley is following in his father’s footsteps as night watchman at the American Museum of Natural History, so he knows what happens when the sun goes down. But when the maniacal ruler Kahmunrah escapes, it is up to Nick to save the museum once and for all.
The Banshees of Inisherin (14 December)
From Searchlight Pictures and writer-director Martin McDonagh (Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri) comes a unique feature film starring Colin Farrell and Brendan Gleeson. Although small-town neighbors Pádraic (Farrell) and Colm (Gleeson) have a lifelong friendship, they find themselves at a sudden impasse that brings alarming consequences for both of them. Colm has announced that he no longer wishes Pádraic to speak to him, insisting he will cut off one of his own fingers every time this request is breached. Despite Colm’s outrageous, unilateral proclamation, however, Pádraic is determined to salvage their relationship. Set against the backdrop of the 1920s Irish Civil War, The Banshees of Inisherin features a gifted cast, unique storyline and beautiful cinematography.
Gannibal – season one, Japanese (14 December)
After causing a major incident, police officer Daigo Agawa takes his wife Yuki and daughter Mashiro to live in the remote mountain village of Kuge. It seems the perfect place for the family to recover from the ordeal, despite the mysterious disappearance of a previous officer posted there. The village thrives on forestry, with the residents making their living from cypress timber. In charge of this whole operation is the Goto family, who own most of the village. One day, the body of an old woman is found on the mountain. The Goto family says she was attacked by a bear, but Daigo notices a human bite mark on the arm. Daigo begins to suspect something is not quite right with the village.
My Family – season one, Japanese (14 December)
Haruto Narusawa, the president of a video game company, enjoys life in the affluent seaside town of Kamakura with his wife and daughter, who attends an elementary school. However, tragedy befalls this happy family when his daughter is kidnapped. Haruto must now face numerous hardships as he navigates through the complex web of human nature that begins to show its ugliness. The only way to save his beloved daughter is to take matters into his own hands without the police’s involvement and, together with his wife, stand against the kidnappers. Can this family’s story reach a happy ending? Or will theirs be a tragedy? This non-stop family suspense-thriller tests the bonds of a family facing life’s worst nightmare.
Big Bet season one, Korean (21 December)
Cha Moosik flees to the Philippines due to a crackdown by the National Tax Service. Penniless after gambling, he meets Min Seokjun, who helps him make a comeback, and wins over powerful political and business circles. Meanwhile, the Korean government sends Oh Seunghoon to take over local cases.
The Files of Young Kindaichi – season one, Japanese (21 December)
Incantations, curses, oddities… Uncover the humans who crawl forth from the shadows. The Files of Young Kindaichi has been a mega-hit since its first broadcast in 1995. It is the gold standard for mystery-solving dramas, with the series accumulating fans across generations. The original Files of Young Kindaichi celebrated the thirtieth anniversary of its serial debut, and has gained overwhelming popularity beyond Japan, with over 100 million copies sold in twelve countries. In a new, reimagined series of selected episodes, this edition of Young Kindaichi is a collection that gives the old and new stories a contemporary perspective. Get ready for Japanese authentic horror mysteries.
Atom’s Last Shot – season one, Japanese (21 December)
Nayuta Azumi is a young game developer who creates games on his own without the help of any major companies or distributors. He is nicknamed the Banksy of the game industry, as no one knows him. After a certain incident, he decides to lead a quiet life. Meanwhile, Atom Toy Store, a long-established toy manufacturer on the verge of collapse, is desperately searching for him as they set their sights on video game production. Young genius game developers and entrepreneurs overcome adversity and take on new challenges, putting their pride in craftsmanship. Their passion creates a new wave of excitement in the game industry!
Yakuza Lover – season one Japanese (28 December)
Feisty college student Yuri dreams of a man who will love her for who she is. One day, she runs into trouble at a party but is saved by Toshiomi Oya, who hands her his business card. However, the card has a yakuza group’s name printed on it! Yuri hesitantly visits the group’s office to thank the man, where surprisingly, she is greeted by Toshiomi’s kind smile. Toshiomi is drawn to Yuri’s strong resolve, whilst Yuri is drawn to his gentlemanly ways. The star-crossed lovers get caught up in a passionate romance, but the people around them want to tear them apart. Even so, their love grows deeper with each challenge they overcome. This is the story of a most dangerous romance.
Beauty and The Beast: A 30th Celebration (30 December)
In honor of the 30th anniversary of the animated classic, this animated and live-action blended special showcases the fan-favorite movie, along with new musical performances, sets and costumes inspired by the classic story.