Genie

Available from Friday 1 December in Sky Cinema on demand. Cert PG

For a writer now synonymous with Christmas, it’s surprising Richard Curtis has only written one Christmas movie. So, what does the man behind Love Actually have up his sleeve for his second? As the title suggests, Bernard Bottle (Paapa Essiedu, The Lazarus Project) stumbles upon a genie (Melissa McCarthy, Bridesmaids) who can grant him wishes. But it’s not fame and fortune he seeks. With his life unravelling, all he wants is love, actually (sorry!), and to win back his family. Sure to be as sweet as a candy cane.

A Thousand And One

Available from Saturday 2 December in Sky Cinema on demand. Cert 15

Teyana Taylor (Coming 2 America) takes centre stage as a mother whose love knows no bounds, as she fights the system to build a brighter future for her young son Terry. Set across the 1990s and early 2000s in New York City, the film starts as convicted thief Inez (Taylor) is released from prison: with opportunities denied her at every turn, she kidnaps her son Terry back from foster care and the two begin to navigate the trials and tribulations of city life, as well as Terry’s growing pains and his academic gifts.  

The Three Musketeers: D’Artagnan

Available from Sunday 3 December in Sky Cinema on demand. Cert PG

All for one and one for all! The first film of this two-part epic saga inspired by Alexandre Dumas’ much-loved 1844 novel is a swashbuckling adventure from start to finish. When D'Artagnan (François Civil) arrives to Paris in search of the attackers who left him for dead, he forms an unexpected alliance with musketeers Athos (Vincent Cassel), Porthos (Pio Marmaï) and Aramis (Romain Duris). Their escapades eventually lead them to defend France when its future is at stake, but the evil they’re fighting is bigger than they ever imagined. Eva Green (Casino Royale) and Jacob Fortune-Lloyd (Bodies) also star.

Transformers: Rise Of The Beasts

Available from Friday 8 December in Sky Cinema on demand. Cert 12

The tagline for Transformers: Rise Of The Beasts is “unite or fall”, which in keeping with the season, is the same thing you’ll often hear yelled midway through a Christmas Day edition of Monopoly. This 90s-set globetrotting adventure with the Autobots introduces a whole new faction of Transformers – the Maximals – who bring a unique spin on the expression “beast mode”. If you want action and spectacular CGI, you’ve come to the right place.

May December

Available from Saturday 9 December in Sky Cinema on demand. Cert 15

Despite having “December” in the title, do not go into this one expecting a Christmas movie. Instead, Natalie Portman (Black Swan) plays TV actress Elizabeth who is preparing to take of the role of Gracie (Julianne Moore, Still Alice), one half of a notorious tabloid relationship long forgotten. But what begins as research into a seemingly mundane relationship reveals far more than either Elizabeth or Gracie expected. Gripping and highly tense.

The Machine

Available from Sunday 10 December in Sky Cinema on demand. Cert 15

We’ve seen movies based on magazine articles, theme park rides and toys, and now here’s one derived from the viral standup routine by comedian Bert Kreischer, who told the story about how he inadvertently helped the Russian mafia rob a train while on a college trip to Russia, thus obtaining the moniker “The Machine”. This movie not only brings Kreischer’s story to life, it also imagines what might happen when a viral video reaches the people he wronged – namely, a murderous mobster hellbent on kidnapping him to atone for his crimes.

Elf

Available from Friday 8 December in Sky Cinema on demand. Cert PG

You can end your online searches for “When is Elf on TV?” or “How I can watch Elf this Christmas?”, because it’s dropping on Sky Cinema on Friday 8 December so you can also watch it on demand again and again. And again. There’s a reason it has become a firm Christmas favourite: the childlike wonder of Will Ferrell’s performance; jokes that still pop years later; an early Zooey Deschanel role that quickly made it a requirement for her to sing in every future job; themes of family and love; and a plot so delightfully deranged, it could only happen at Christmas. Bliss.

Monster Trucks

Available from Friday 8 December in Sky Cinema on demand. Cert PG

Imagine if Herbie wasn’t a sentient VW Beetle and was instead a strange squid-like subterranean creature who crawled inside the car to make it do all the speed-fuelled shenanigans we know and love. That’s kind of the premise for the entertaining family film Monster Trucks, as Tripp (Lucas Till) makes an unlikely friend in “Creech” who might be his ticket out of his small town life. A story of friendship with some Free Willy vibes.

Dance First

Available from Thursday 14 December in Sky Cinema on demand. Cert 12

Directed by BAFTA and Academy Award winner James Marsh (The Theory Of Everything) with a script from BAFTA winner Neil Forsyth (Guilt), Dance First tells the story of iconic 20th-century writer Samuel Beckett. It’s a sweeping account of his life, in all its many parts: Second World War resistance fighter, Nobel-Prize winning playwright, philandering husband and recluse. It’s told by the people he loved, loathed and lost.

Shazam! Fury Of The Gods

Available from Saturday 16 December in Sky Cinema on demand. Cert 12

Shazam! was one of the most surprising superhero films in recent memory, pitching the well-trodden origin story as Big with superpowers. It was a hit, and proved a welcome respite from a world of capes and tight that was getting ever-more-serious by the second. This sequel continues the story of teenager Billy Batson, who yells “Shazam” to transform into a near-invincible adult superhero. This time, he and his “Shazamily” face off against the Daughters of Atlas, played with scene-chewing joy by Helen Mirren and Lucy Liu.

Mummies

Available from Saturday 16 December in Sky Cinema on demand. Cert U

This fun family film tells the story about three Egyptian mummies who live in an underground secret city, hidden in ancient Egypt. But when they end up in present-day London, they embark on a wacky and hilarious journey in search of an old ring belonging to the Royal Family that was stolen. Featuring an impressive voice including Joe Thomas (The Inbetweeners), Eleanor Tomlinson (The Couple Next Door) and Hugh Bonneville (Paddington).

The Unlikely Pilgrimage Of Harold Fry

Available from Saturday 16 December in Sky Cinema on demand. Cert 12

Based on the bestselling book of the same name by Rachel Joyce, this story about ageing and regret is one of those sincere British dramas that toes the line between sadness and joy and feels like it could have only been made in this country. When Harold (Jim Broadband) learns that his old friend Queenie (Linda Bassett) is dying, he vows to walk to her hospice – 724km away. Along the way, he’ll encounter a variety of people while reflecting on his life. Broadband shines alongside Penelope Wilton, who plays his wife.

Spider-Man: Across The Spider-Verse

Available from Friday 22 December in Sky Cinema on demand. Cert PG

As big a game-changer in the world of animation as 1995’s Toy Story, 2018’s Spider-Man: Into The Spider-Verse practically reinvented what an animated movie could look like. It was also arguably one of the best superhero films ever made. That’s a high bar for this follow-up that picks up Miles Morales’ story as his dimension’s one and only Spider-Man. This time, he’s pitted against friends and foes as he tries to redefine what it was means to be a hero.

Allelujah

Available from Saturday 23 December in Sky Cinema on demand. Cert 12

When the geriatric ward in a small Yorkshire hospital is threatened with closure, the hospital decides to fight back. Based on the stage play by the legendary Alan Bennett, it’s a warm and funny story about surviving old age while paying tribute to the ever-growing demands put on medical staff. Jennifer Saunders and newcomer Bally Gill lead an all-star cast featuring Judi Dench, Derek Jacobi and David Bradley.

Silent Night

Available from Christmas Eve in Sky Cinema on demand. Cert TBC

Get into the seasonal spirit with a festive revenge thriller! Godlock (Joel Kinnaman, Hanna) is injured in a Christmas Eve gang shooting that also kills his young son. Unable to speak because of his wounds, he nonetheless swears vengeance and embarks on a mission to become a ruthless killer. Silent Night marks the Hollywood return of legendary action director John Woo (The Killer, Face/Off) – it’s his first American movie in 20 years, and promises to be a refreshing if intense alternative to the usual family-friendly Christmas fare. One for those who insist Die Hard is a Christmas film (because it is).

The Super Mario Bros. Movie

Available from Christmas Day in Sky Cinema on demand. Cert PG

There was a universal truth that movies based on video games would be a guaranteed critical and commercial flop. The charge sheet includes 1993’s unhinged live action Super Mario Bros. that took the colourful source material and ran in the opposite direction. Thankfully, the studio behind Despicable Me understood the brief this time around with this faithful adaptation that has already become as loved is its other properties like Minions. Chris Pratt, Anya Taylor-Joy and Jack Black provides the voices.

Polite Society

Available from Friday 29 December in Sky Cinema on demand. Cert 12

If you’ve never seen Channel 4 comedy We Are Lady Parts, then what are you doing? Go and watch it now. We’ll wait. If you’ve already seen it (or you’ve just returned), then this is the fabulous directorial debut from its co-creator Nida Manzoor. It follows martial artist-in-training Ria who believes she must save her older sister from her impending marriage by staging an elaborate wedding heist. Constantly creative and very funny, it’s not to be missed.

Sisu

Available from Saturday 30 December in Sky Cinema on demand. Cert 15

Imagine Taken. But instead of the protagonist’s daughter, it’s the gold they take. Incidentally, the “they” in this scenario are the Nazis. That is very loosely the plot in Sisu as a solitary prospector (Jorma Tommila) is robbed during the last desperate days of the Second World War. As with Taken, this is no ordinary miner and he’ll do whatever it takes to get his gold back – even if it means killing every Nazi in his path. A unique spin on the revenge story.

Arthur’s Whisky

Available from New Year’s Eve in Sky Cinema on demand. Cert TBC

Diane Keaton (Something’s Gotta Give), Patricia Hodge (Miranda) and Lulu (Absolutely Fabulous) star in this charming, feel-good comedy about living in the moment. When Joan (Hodge) discovers her late husband has created an anti-aging elixir, it opens a world of possibilities for her and her friends to relive their youth. But soon they realise, it’s a very different world from the one they remember. A coming-of-age story with a difference.

Want to know what you might’ve missed in previous months on Sky Cinema? Catch up on these premieres below...

Sky Cinema movie premieres: November 2023

• Magic Mike’s Last Dance
• Section 8
• The Last Rifleman
• Big George Foreman
• She Came To Me
• Palm Trees And Power Lines
• Little Dixie
• Renfield
• Love Again
• The 12 Days Of Christmas Eve
• Violent Night
• Beau Is Afraid

Sky Cinema movie premieres: October 2023

• Shrapnel
• Cocaine Bear
• Mob Land
• Unwelcome
• The Fabelmans
• Champions
• Sick
• Puss In Boots: The Last Wish
• Pearl
• The Pope’s Exorcist
• Retribution

Sky Cinema movie premieres: September 2023

• TÁR
• Accident Man: Hitman’s Holiday
• Sharp Stick
• Scream VI
• 80 For Brady
• Something In The Dirt
• Knock At The Cabin
• All My Puny Sorrows
• Spin Me Round
• God Is A Bullet
• Marcel The Shell With Shoes On
• Swallowed
• 65
• Assassins Club

Sky Cinema movie premieres: August 2023

• I Wanna Dance With Somebody
• Assassin
• The Harbinger
• A Man Called Otto
• Biosphere
• Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves
• She Said
• Next Exit
• M3GAN
• Little Dixie
• Agent Game
• Wifelike
• Margaux

Sky Cinema movie premieres: July 2023

• The Integrity Of Joseph Chambers
• It Is In Us
• Black Adam
• Broker
• Seriously Red
• Breaking Point
• Armageddon Time
• The Locksmith
• Babylon
• High Heat
• The Silent Twins
• The Best Man

Sky Cinema movie premieres: June 2023

• Bros
• Smile
• Simulant
• The Infernal Machine
• The Lost King
• A Love Song
• Watcher
• Paradise Highway
• I Love My Dad
• Don’t Worry Darling
• Emily
• Linoleum

Sky Cinema movie premieres: May 2023

• Ticket To Paradise
• Dead Shot
• Mrs Harris Goes To Paris
• Halloween Ends
• Vengeance
• Confess, Fletch
• Lyle, Lyle, Crocodile
• To Catch A Killer
• Summering

Sky Cinema movie premieres: April 2023

• Emily The Criminal
• The Portable Door
• DC League Of Super Pets
• Beast
• Nope
• A Good Person
• Resurrection

Sky Cinema movie premieres: March 2023

• Elvis
• Summit Fever
• Where The Crawdads Sing
• Bodies Bodies Bodies
• The Black Phone
• Call Jane
• Marlow
• Minions: Rise Of Gru

Sky Cinema movie premieres: February 2023

• Top Gun Maverick
• Father Stu
• The Railway Children Return
• Rock Dog 3
• Bullet Train
• Lamborghini
• Brian & Charles
• The Invitation
• The Independent

Watch on the go

If you subscribe to Sky Cinema on Virgin TV, you can watch on the go with Virgin TV Go. And with loads of sport and Box Sets to try out, too, you’ll always be entertained wherever you are!

The app is available to all Virgin TV customers at no extra cost and is compatible with Android, iOS, Windows 10 and PC/Mac. Get downloading (from the links below) and you’ll be one step closer to watching what you want, when you want. 

Download the Virgin TV Go app from the Apple app store

Download the Virgin TV Go app from Google Play

Download the Virgin TV Go app for Windows 10

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Don’t have Sky Cinema? You can find out about our Sky Cinema package and upgrade here.