1.  “Spider-Man: No Way Home“  (PG-13)  Trailer

After Peter Parker’s identity is revealed to the world, he asks Dr. Strange for help restoring his secret.  But the spell goes wrong and tears a hole in the multiverse, which pulls Dr. Octopus and other defeated villains into our dimension.  Tom Holland is the MCU’s Spider-Man, Zendaya is his girlfriend MJ, Marisa Tomei is his Aunt May, and Benedict Cumberbatch is Dr. Strange. 

As for the multiverse . . .

Alfred Molina returns as Dr. Octopus, Jamie Foxx returns as a cooler looking Electro, and Willem Dafoe is back as the Green Goblin.  Plus we’ll get cameos from both the Tobey Maguire and Andrew Garfield versions of Spider-Man.

2.  “Nightmare Alley“  (R)  Trailer

Bradley Cooper plays an ambitious carny with a talent for manipulating people with just a few well-chosen words.  But he meets his match in Cate Blanchett, a psychiatrist who’s even more dangerous than he is.  It’s directed by Guillermo Del Toro, and the rest of the cast includes Toni Collette, Willem Dafoe, Richard Jenkins, Rooney Mara, and Ron Perlman.

Five Movies Opening over the Holidays

Here are the biggest movies coming out over the holidays . . .

1.  Opening Wednesday, December 22nd . . . “The Matrix Resurrections“  (R) . . . with Keanu Reeves and Carrie Anne Moss returning as Neo and Trinity, and Jada Pinkett Smith back as Zion leader Niobe.

Yahya Abdul Mateen II takes over as the new Morpheus, Jonathan Groff is the new version of Mr. Smith, and Neil Patrick Harris is Neo’s blue pill pushing therapist.  Priyanka Chopra is also in it.  (Trailer)

2.  Opening Wednesday, December 22nd. . . “Sing 2“.   (PG) . . . In this one, the group tries to get a reclusive rock star (Bono) to join them for a new show.  The voice cast includes Matthew McConaughey, Reese Witherspoon, Scarlett Johansson, Taron Egerton, Tori Kelly, Nick Kroll, Halsey, Pharrell, and Letitia Wright.  (Trailer)

3.  Opening Wednesday, December 22nd . . . “The King’s Man“ (R) . . . This prequel to the other two movies tells the origin of the Kingsman spy agency at the outbreak of World War I.  It stars Ralph Fiennes as an aristocratic spy, with Djimon Hounsou and Gemma Arterton as his servant allies, and Rhys Ifans as the mad monk Rasputin.  (Trailer)

4.  Opening Christmas Day. . . “American Underdog“ (PG) . . . It stars Zachary Levi as NFL Hall of Fame quarterback Kurt Warner, who went from bagging groceries to arena football, to getting a shot with the L.A. Rams.  Dennis Quaid is his coach.  (Trailer)

5.  Opening Christmas Day . . . “A Journal for Jordan“ (PG-13) . . . It stars Michael B. Jordan as a soldier who begins keeping a journal offering life advice for his infant son while he’s deployed in Iraq.  It’s directed by Denzel Washington.  (Trailer)