9 Movies That Sleigh This Season: ‘Star Wars: The Last Jedi,’ ‘Pitch Perfect 3’ and More!

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9 Movies That Sleigh This Season: ‘Star Wars: The Last Jedi,’ ‘Pitch Perfect 3’ and More!

Us makes a list — and checks it twice — of the most enticing flicks to grace theaters this holiday season.

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I, Tonya (out December 8)

Director Craig Gillespie gives Margot Robbie’s portrayal of Tonya Harding a perfect 10. Five months of training — the biopic focuses on the disgraced figure skater’s rise through the ranks — meant the actress “could do all the dance pieces,” he says. “Obviously not the triple axel, but I was blown away.” Harding also awards high marks, adds Gillespie: “She’s happy with it.” 

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Star Wars: The Last Jedi (out December 15)

The dark side is calling. As Daisy Ridley’s Rey develops powers, she begins struggling with her identity. “From the start, Star Wars has always had the good guy having to confront the extent to which the bad guy is a reflection of themselves,” explains director Rian Johnson. “That is definitely the case with Rey.” Off screen, Ridley had Mark Hamill and the late Carrie Fisher as guides. Says Johnson, “They were instantly protective of these young actors in a way that was really touching.”

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Ferdinand (out December 15)

As the titular bull in this animated flick, pro wrestler John Cena is more of a lover than a fighter. Spain-based Ferdinand (the film also features the voices of Kate McKinnon and Anthony Anderson) favors sniffing flowers to charging matadors. But when the gentle beast is captured and tossed into an arena, he must fight to regain his freedom. Shaking off stereotypes resonated with Cena. “Oftentimes I’m viewed as intimidating,” the WWE legend tells Us. “But that’s just based on what they see.”

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The Greatest Showman (out December 20)

The circus, says director Michael Gracey, “is like dreaming in public.” And imaginations will soar with his P. T. Barnum biopic. The musical, starring Hugh Jackman, Zac Efron and Zendaya, “shines a light on the power of being unique.” Meanwhile, the music — by La La Land’s Justin Paul and Benj Pasek — will leave audiences humming. Says Gracey, “I’m excited to see which song hits right in the heart.”

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Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle (out December 20)

This time, the excitement is unleashed without the dice. In the continuation of the 1995 film, four students stumble upon the adventure, which has morphed into a video game. Once in the jungle, they’re forced into the bodies of their avatars (Kevin Hart, Karen Gillan, Jack Black, Dwayne Johnson). “It’s the opposite of their personalities,” says director Jake Kasdan. “The neurotic kid tries on the hero persona of The Rock. The jock is in the body of sidekick Kevin. The most popular girl is Jack. The wallflower finds herself as Karen’s action heroine.”

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Pitch Perfect 3 (out December 22)

Aca-apart. Struggling with their separate lives postcollege, the Bellas — including Anna Kendrick, Rebel Wilson, Brittany Snow and Anna Camp — reunite for an overseas USO tour. “The characters are experiencing this explosion of possibilities in their lives, and we wanted the music to match that and be even bigger,” director Trish Sie tells Us. “It’s not all a cappella. There are bands. It’s all different genres. We deliver in this film!” The cast also brings comedy to the set. “They have so many inside jokes and rituals together,” reveals Sie. “They really are like sisters who have known each other since birth. Every single holiday, they’ll bring each other kitschy gifts.”

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Father Figures (out December 22)

Imagine Mamma Mia! 2.0. Fraternal twins (Owen Wilson and Ed Helms, who never met before filming the comedy) spent their life believing their dad died when they were babies. After discovering the lie, they set out on an epic road trip to find the missing patriarch. Among the potential dads: Terry Bradshaw. “He’s our fantasy father,” Helms tells Us. “He’s the most charismatic and magnetic person I’ve ever been around.”

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Hostiles (out December 22)

To nail his role as a veteran army captain in this period film, Christian Bale had to give costar Rosamund Pike the cold shoulder. On set, “it was important to keep their distance because their characters have no history,” explains writer-director Scott Cooper. “I shot sequentially, therefore, the actors were able to grow into their characters as the relationship developed.” Set in 1892, the Western follows Bale — he learned the Native American language Cheyenne for the role — as he reluctantly accompanies a war chief to his tribal land in Montana. Along the way, they stumble upon distraught widow Pike. Says Cooper, “It’s a look at the resiliency of the American spirit.”

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Molly’s Game (out December 25)

Aaron Sorkin took a gamble. For his directorial debut, the writer brings to life the memoir of Molly Bloom (Jessica Chastain), who ran the world’s most exclusive high-stakes poker club. (Clients included Ben Affleck and Tobey Maguire.) “When I went to meet Molly I was expecting someone who was cashing in on her decadelong brush with celebrity,” he tells Us. “I was dead wrong. Molly was no princess, she was King Arthur. She was built out of integrity.” Her advice: Be authentic. “I hired a poker consultant,” he says, and for game scenes the extras “were professional players.”