Disney seemingly owns everything, and it won’t be long until there’s just one company, Disney-Paramount Warner Bros. Discovery Plus, producing all of our fine streaming content. In the meantime, though, Disney+ is the only platform where viewers can get certain titles, from their superhero TV shows to their classic animated films and documentaries. There is a lot of crossover between what’s coming to Disney+ and their other big streaming property, Hulu, which means that if you don’t have the latter, you can enjoy a good deal of their content on the former. These are the best movies coming to Disney+ in December.

MOVIEWEB VIDEO OF THE DAY

Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Rodrick Rules (Dec. 2)

     Disney

The sixth installment in the Diary of a Wimpy Kid franchise and the second adaptation of Rodrick Rules following the live-action version from a decade ago, Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Rodrick Rules is Disney’s new animated iteration. With a screenplay from the original books’ author, Jeff Kinney, the film is set to be a delightful coming of age story about siblings and insecurity, as Greg grapples with his mean older brother Rodrick.

Pentatonix: Around the World for the Holidays (Dec. 2)

The band Pentatonix got huge based off their unique, epic a cappella renditions of classic songs, becoming almost as big as the other surprisingly successful holiday music heroes, Trans-Siberian Orchestra.

The new holiday special Pentatonix: Around the World for the Holidays finds the band tapping into that ol’ black magic from Disney to create a new holiday album inspired by cultures and traditions around the globe. This is certainly a different kind of concert film.

The Territory (Dec. 2)

     National Geographic

The Territory is one of many National Geographic documentaries to stream on Disney+ this December, along with Retrograde, Heroes Of The Mediterranean, Patagonia Wings, Ocean’s Breath, and Shark vs. Tuna. The Territory is an intense documentary about the Uru-eu-wau-wau, an Indigenous people who are practically going extinct in Brazil. Focusing on deforestation, population density, and the consequences of far-right politics, The Territory is essential viewing.

Retrograde (Dec. 9)

A moving and important documentary, Retrograde chronicles the chaos following the withdrawal of U.S. troops from Afghanistan. Focusing on a young Afghan general, Sami Sadat, the film follows Afghan troops in the nine months leading up to the total evacuation of the U.S. military, as they try to train to defend their home from encroaching Taliban fighters. It’s a harrowing portrait of the costs of war, no matter the victor, and a film which encourages empathy for the proverbial other.

Night at the Museum: Kahmunrah Rises Again (Dec. 9)

The Night at the Museum franchise is getting an animated addition in this belated sequel to Night at the Museum 3: Secret of the Tomb. Night at the Museum: Kahmunrah Rises Again focuses on the son of Ben Stiller’s character from the franchise, who takes over his position as a guard for the Museum of Natural History. He’ll have to face down Kahmunrah, who audiences last saw in the second Night at the Museum film.

Idina Menzel: Which Way to the Stage (Dec. 9)

Idina Menzel has become a Broadway and musical legend thanks to her work in Rent, Wicked, Enchanted, Frozen, and many more. She originated the roles of Elsa in Frozen and Elphaba in Wicked, and has become a chart-topping singer in her own right. Idina Menzel: Which Way to the Stage, a new Disney documentary, follows her career and rise to fame as she prepares for a night she’s always dreamed of — playing Madison Square Garden.

Beauty and the Beast: A 30th Anniversary Celebration (Dec. 16)

     Walt Disney Pictures

Airing first on ABC, Beauty and the Beast: A 30th Anniversary Celebration will be on Disney+ the very next day. An epic tribute to the somewhat problematic Disney classic, this feature presentation has an all-star ensemble cast taking on roles from the film to honor the classic. H.E.R., Josh Groban, Martin Short, Rita Moreno, Joshua Henry, David Alan Grier, and more will play the iconic characters from the film.

If These Walls Could Sing (Dec. 16)

If Peter Jackson’s great Beatles documentary left you wanting more, then this film, directed by Paul McCartney’s daughter Mary, should do the trick. The intimate documentary gains exclusive access to the iconic Abbey Road recording studio, which seems to be downright haunted by talent and genius.

Weaving together interviews with musical legends (Paul McCartney, Ringo Starr, Elton John, Liam and Noel Gallagher, John Williams, Kate Bush, and more) with obscure archival footage and amazing music, If These Walls Could Sing is simultaneously an important history lesson and a crucial, rocking meditation on music.