15 must-see movies in theaters for the holidays, from 'Wicked' to 'Moana 2'

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Spooky season has passed. Now comes the time for Glinda and Elphaba making a joyful noise, Moana sailing the high seas again and "The Rock" teaming up with Santa Claus.

We're giving thanks that the holidays are bringing a host of big movies, from the musical "Wicked" and the epic "Gladiator II" – both out on the same day, in case you want to pull a "Barbenheimer" – to Disney's animated sequel "Moana 2" and prequel "Mufasa: The Lion King." The latter months of the year also unleash a slew of new Oscar-ready films like "The Brutalist," "Nickel Boys" and "A Complete Unknown" to watch as awards season ramps up. And if you're sad about Halloween going away, the horror revamp "Nosferatu" arrives to suck your blood on Christmas Day.

Here's an exclusive peek at the 15 movies now in theaters or coming soon that you absolutely, positively must see between now and the end of the year:

'Red One'

Uh-oh, old St. Nick (J.K. Simmons) has been kidnapped! North Pole head of security Callum Drift (Dwayne Johnson) partners with Jack O'Malley (Chris Evans), a scruffy international bounty hunter who's on the naughty list, for an important rescue mission to save Santa in the holiday action comedy.

'Gladiator II'

In the sword-and-sandals sequel, young Lucius (Paul Mescal) has had enough of the Roman emperors who conquered his home. Like his hero Maximus, he enters the Colosseum to do battle, fighting for power player Macrinus (Denzel Washington) and seeking revenge against Roman general Acacius (Pedro Pascal).

'Wicked'

Director Jon M. Chu's adaptation of the Broadway musical/"Wizard of Oz" prequel stars Cynthia Erivo as Elphaba, the future Wicked Witch of the West. As an awkward student at magical Shiz University, she befriends the popular Glinda (Ariana Grande), butts heads with the corrupt Wizard (Jeff Goldblum) and finds new confidence.

'Moana 2' (Wednesday)

The title seafarer (voiced by Auli?i Cravalho) returns for another musical adventure with her trickster demigod buddy Maui (Dwayne Johnson). In the sequel, Moana receives a surprise call to action from her ancestors and wades into dangerous waters with a new crew and fresh songs from Grammy Award winners Abigail Barlow and Emily Bear.

'The Order' (Dec. 6)

Based on a true story, director Justin Kurzel’s crime thriller features Jude Law as a world-weary FBI agent newly posted to the Pacific Northwest. He's supposed to take it easy but instead partners with a young Oregon cop (Tye Sheridan) to tackle a neo-Nazi group with nefarious plans and a charismatic leader (Nicholas Hoult).

'Kraven the Hunter' (Dec. 13)

The latest in Sony's Marvel universe introduces Aaron Taylor-Johnson as the title Spider-Man antagonist. The origin story centers on Kraven's upbringing under a ruthless crime lord dad (Russell Crowe) and journey to become the world's greatest hunter, with Ariana DeBose as voodoo priestess Calypso and Alessandro Nivola as villainous Rhino.

'Nickel Boys' (Dec. 13)

Director RaMell Ross adapts Colson Whitehead's best-selling book with a distinctive first-person perspective. In the Jim Crow South, Elwood (Ethan Herisse) has his college dreams dashed when he's sent to a corrupt reform school and leans on fellow student Turner (Brandon Wilson) to survive abuse and brutality.

'September 5' (Dec. 13)

The true-life (and extremely timely) journalism thriller is set during 24 intense hours at the 1972 Munich Olympics. When a Palestinian terrorist group takes members of the Israeli team hostage, an ABC Sports producer (John Magaro) leads the effort to tell the story right while also dealing with internal crises and outside obstacles.

'The Brutalist' (Dec. 20)

Adrien Brody stars as a talented Hungarian architect who survives the Holocaust and pursues the American dream in director Brady Corbet's sweeping epic. Hoping to bring his wife (Felicity Jones) over from Europe, he lands in Pennsylvania and begins to work on a massive, visionary building project marked by passion as well as tumult.

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

Directed by Barry Jenkins and featuring songs by Lin-Manuel Miranda, the musical drama acts as both sequel and prequel. It tells the origin story of Mufasa (voiced by Aaron Pierre), an orphan lion who becomes best friends with Prince Taka (Kelvin Harrison Jr.), better known as Scar, and is adopted by his family.

'Sonic the Hedgehog 3' (Dec. 20)

That sneaker-clad blue speedster based on the video games is back for an animated threequel. Sonic (voiced by Ben Schwartz) and his buds Knuckles (Idris Elba) and Tails (Colleen O’Shaughnessey) need to find extra help to defend Earth when the superpowered mystery villain Shadow (Keanu Reeves) shows up.

'Babygirl' (Dec. 25)

In the romantic thriller, Nicole Kidman plays a CEO who meets a young intern (Harris Dickinson) as part of her company's mentoring program. They begin a torrid affair that gives her a new sense of freedom yet the secretive games and shifting power dynamics between them put her career and family at risk.

'A Complete Unknown' (Dec. 25)

"Walk the Line" director James Mangold tackles another iconic musician with his new biopic about Bob Dylan. Timothée Chalamet plays the folk singer-songwriter as a teenager who travels from Minnesota to New York City in the early 1960s, befriends fellow artists like Joan Baez (Monica Barbaro) and helps lead a cultural movement.

'The Fire Inside' (Dec. 25)

Written and produced by Barry Jenkins, the true-life sports drama stars actress/singer Ryan Destiny as boxer Claressa Shields. The story follows the fighter's relationship with a tough-love coach (Brian Tyree Henry), her quest for gold at the 2012 Summer Olympics and the ensuing battle for equal pay.

'Nosferatu' (Dec. 25)

Robert Eggers' gothic remake of the 1922 silent classic (based on Bram Stoker's novel "Dracula") features Lily-Rose Depp as the haunted young Ellen Hutter, Nicholas Hoult as her husband Thomas and Bill Skarsg?rd as Count Orlok, the creepy vampire obsessed with Ellen.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Movies in theaters this holiday season: 15 must-see releases