There’s a moment every year when the first new Christmas movie of the season lands, and suddenly it’s okay to put the blanket and the hot chocolate on the sofa. In 2026, that moment arrives on Friday, October 16, when Hallmark kicks off its Countdown to Christmas. From Netflix rom-coms and a Johnny Depp Scrooge to David Harbour’s return as a very violent Santa, here are the biggest new Christmas movies of 2026, when they’re out, and where to watch them. And if you’re still catching up on last year’s batch, there’s a list of 2025 Christmas movies at the end.
Each movie also links to a full guide to where it was filmed, because some of these places are just as festive in real life.
Christmas Movies 2026 at a Glance (TL;DR)
- First up: Hallmark’s ‘Tis the Season for Setups, Friday, October 16, the first of 34 new Hallmark Christmas movies
- Netflix: A Dog’s Perfect Christmas (Nov 4), Tyler Perry’s The Gospel of Christmas (Nov 11), Guarding Stars (Nov 18), In a Holidaze (Dec 2)
- Prime Video: The Man with the Bag, with Arnold Schwarzenegger as Santa (Dec 2)
- In theaters: Ebenezer: A Christmas Carol (Nov 13), Almodóvar’s Bitter Christmas (Nov 13 in NY/LA, nationwide Nov 25), Violent Night 2 (Dec 4)
- Busiest stretch: December 2 to 5, with four new releases in four days
- All dates are US release dates
2026 Christmas Movie Release Calendar
| Date (US) | Movie | Where to watch | Where it was filmed |
|---|---|---|---|
| Oct 16 | ‘Tis the Season for Setups | Hallmark Channel | TBA |
| Oct 17 | Holiday Touchdown: A Bears Love Story | Hallmark Channel | Chicago (guide) |
| Nov 4 | A Dog’s Perfect Christmas | Netflix | Vancouver, BC (guide) |
| Nov 11 | Tyler Perry’s The Gospel of Christmas | Netflix | TBA |
| Nov 13 | Ebenezer: A Christmas Carol | Theaters | Dublin, London & Kent (guide) |
| Nov 13 / 25 | Bitter Christmas | Theaters | Madrid & Lanzarote (guide) |
| Nov 18 | Guarding Stars | Netflix | Calgary, Alberta (guide) |
| Nov 28 | Holiday Ever After: A Disney World Wish Come True | Hallmark Channel | Walt Disney World, Florida |
| Dec 2 | In a Holidaze | Netflix | Vancouver & Whistler (guide) |
| Dec 2 | The Man with the Bag | Prime Video | New York City (guide) |
| Dec 4 | Violent Night 2 | Theaters | Winnipeg, Manitoba (guide) |
| Dec 5 | A Grand Biltmore Christmas | Hallmark Channel | Set at Biltmore House |
Want all the filming locations in one place? Our hub guide maps the 2026 Christmas movies to the real towns behind them: Christmas Movies 2026 Filming Locations
New Christmas Movies on Netflix in 2026
Netflix’s 2026 holiday slate has four new films, released on Wednesdays from November 4 to December 2, according to TVLine.
A Dog’s Perfect Christmas (November 4)
Dennis Quaid, Milo Ventimiglia and Mary Steenburgen lead this family comedy, with Thomas Haden Church voicing the family’s basset hound. It’s set in Traverse City, Michigan, but it was really filmed around Vancouver and Burnaby, with one skating-rink scene shot in Penticton, British Columbia.
Watch it if: You want a cozy, all-ages movie night.
See every spot: A Dog’s Perfect Christmas Filming Locations
Tyler Perry’s The Gospel of Christmas (November 11)
Fantasia Barrino and Tank star in Tyler Perry’s new holiday film, with gospel legend Shirley Caesar also featured (TVLine).
Watch it if: Christmas isn’t Christmas without a choir.
Guarding Stars (November 18)
Leighton Meester and Jared Padalecki star in this bodyguard rom-com, with Andie MacDowell co-starring. The story is set on a Montana ranch, but the cameras rolled in Calgary and High River, Alberta, where the town’s real Santa Claus Parade made it into the background.
Watch it if: You like your Christmas romance with a celebrity twist.
Where it was really filmed: Guarding Stars Filming Locations
In a Holidaze (December 2)
Maddie Ziegler stars in a Christmas time-loop comedy alongside Rob Lowe. It was shot in Vancouver and the ski town of Whistler, British Columbia, which is about as snowy as a Christmas backdrop gets.
Watch it if: You loved Groundhog Day and want it with more tinsel.
Plan your own Whistler trip: In a Holidaze Filming Locations
New Christmas Movies on Prime Video in 2026
The Man with the Bag (December 2)
Arnold Schwarzenegger plays Santa Claus, with Alan Ritchson, Awkwafina and Ken Jeong co-starring. Unlike most Christmas movies, this one was shot on real New York streets, from Fifth Avenue to Central Park and the East Village.
The Rockefeller Center Christmas tree lit up with decorations in New York City
Midtown Manhattan at Christmas, a short walk from the movie’s Fifth Avenue shoot. Photo: Yizi Zeng / Pexels
Watch it if: You want a big, loud holiday action-comedy.
Follow Santa through NYC: The Man with the Bag Filming Locations, or turn it into a full day out with our NYC Christmas movie filming locations walking guide, which also covers Home Alone 2, Elf and Miracle on 34th Street.
Christmas Movies in Theaters in 2026
Ebenezer: A Christmas Carol (November 13)
Ti West directs a darker take on Dickens, with Johnny Depp as Scrooge, Ian McKellen as Jacob Marley, Rupert Grint as Bob Cratchit and Daisy Ridley as the Ghost of Christmas Yet to Come. Paramount releases it in US theaters on November 13 (Wikipedia).
Its Victorian street and waterfront scenes were filmed partly at The Historic Dockyard Chatham in Kent, which you can visit.
Watch it if: You want a Christmas Carol with real chills.
Where Victorian London was filmed: Ebenezer: A Christmas Carol Filming Locations
Bitter Christmas (November 13 in NY and LA, nationwide November 25)
Despite the title, Pedro Almodóvar’s new film isn’t a cozy holiday movie. It’s the art-house pick of the season. Sony Pictures Classics opens it in New York and Los Angeles on November 13 before going nationwide on November 25. It was filmed in Madrid and on the volcanic island of Lanzarote.
Watch it if: You’d rather have a grown-up drama than a rom-com.
See the volcanic landscapes: Bitter Christmas Filming Locations, then plan a winter escape with Lanzarote in December
Violent Night 2 (December 4)
David Harbour is back as the Santa nobody should mess with, now joined by Kristen Bell as Mrs. Claus and Jared Harris as the villain. Universal releases it in US theaters on December 4 (Wikipedia). Like the first film, it was shot in Winnipeg, including at two real shopping malls.
The first Violent Night was rated R, so this probably isn’t one for the kids’ movie night.
Watch it if: Your idea of a Christmas classic is Die Hard.
Back to Winnipeg: Violent Night 2 Filming Locations
New Hallmark Christmas Movies in 2026
Hallmark’s Countdown to Christmas starts on Friday, October 16, with 34 new holiday movies, up from 24 last year, according to TV Guide. The first premiere is ‘Tis the Season for Setups, starring Amanda Schull, Victor Webster and Barbara Niven.
Three of the season’s biggest premieres, all at 8 p.m. on Hallmark Channel, per ABC6:
- Holiday Touchdown: A Bears Love Story (Saturday, October 17): Lyndsey Fonseca and Robert Buckley star in a Chicago Bears romance, filmed in and around Chicago. Pair it with our Christkindlmarket Chicago 2026 guide if you’re heading to the Windy City this winter.
- Holiday Ever After: A Disney World Wish Come True (Saturday, November 28): Lacey Chabert leads a cast that includes Christy Carlson Romano and Richard Kind, filmed at Walt Disney World Resort in Florida.
- A Grand Biltmore Christmas (Saturday, December 5): Holland Roden, Niall Matter, Andie MacDowell and Jonathan Frakes star in a story set at North Carolina’s Biltmore House.
Missed Last Year’s? 2025 Christmas Movies to Catch Up On
If you’re starting your Christmas marathon early, last year’s movies are a great warm-up. Here’s where each one premiered in 2025, with a link to where it was filmed. Streaming rights can move from year to year, so check a service such as JustWatch for where each is streaming now.
On Netflix
- My Secret Santa (2025): Alexandra Breckenridge stars in a ski-resort romance opposite Ryan Eggold. It premiered December 3, 2025 (TV Insider). Where was My Secret Santa filmed? (Sun Peaks Resort, BC)
- Champagne Problems (2025): Minka Kelly plays an executive who finds romance in France’s Champagne region, opposite Tom Wozniczka. Released November 19, 2025 (TV Insider). Is the Château Cassell a real place?
- Jingle Bell Heist (2025): Olivia Holt and Connor Swindells team up for a Christmas heist in London. Released November 26, 2025 (TV Insider). Jingle Bell Heist’s London filming locations
- The Night My Dad Saved Christmas 2 (2025): The Spanish family comedy (La Navidad en sus manos 2) arrived on Netflix on December 5, 2025, and was filmed in Madrid (Wikipedia). Madrid at night: landmarks from the movie
On Prime Video
- Oh. What. Fun. (2025): Michelle Pfeiffer leads this holiday comedy, with Felicity Jones and Chloë Grace Moretz. Released December 3, 2025 (Wikipedia). Why was Oh. What. Fun. set in Houston but filmed in Atlanta?
- Merv (2025): Zooey Deschanel and Charlie Cox play exes brought back together by their dog. Released December 10, 2025 (AOL). Where was Merv filmed? (coastal North Carolina)
On Hallmark
- A Royal Montana Christmas (2025): Fiona Gubelmann plays a princess opposite Warren Christie. Premiered October 18, 2025 (NBC Boston). Was A Royal Montana Christmas actually filmed in Montana?
- Merry Christmas, Ted Cooper! (2025): Robert Buckley plays a TV weatherman opposite Kimberley Sustad. Premiered October 25, 2025, and now streams on Hallmark+ (NBC Boston, JustWatch). Where was Merry Christmas, Ted Cooper! filmed?
On Great American Family
- Once Upon a Christmas Crown (2025): Ellise Roth and Callum Buckley star in a royal romance that premiered October 25, 2025 (AOL). Once Upon a Christmas Crown filming locations
- The Christmas Spark (2025): Mario Lopez and Ali Cobrin star in a romance that premiered November 28, 2025 (AOL), filmed in and around Buffalo, New York. Where was The Christmas Spark filmed?
Elsewhere
- Joy to the World (2025): Emmanuelle Chriqui, Chad Michael Murray and Ayesha Curry star in a holiday rom-com released November 1, 2025, and listed as a Hulu film by Common Sense Media. It was filmed mainly around North Bay, Ontario. Inside the filming locations of Joy to the World
- Tinsel Town (2025, Sky Cinema and NOW in the UK and Ireland): Kiefer Sutherland leads this British Christmas comedy, with Rebel Wilson and Derek Jacobi. Released December 5, 2025 (kiefersutherland.com). Where was Tinsel Town filmed? (Yorkshire)
- A Cherry Pie Christmas (2025): Katie Leclerc and Ryan Carnes star in a romance shot around Door County, Wisconsin, released October 9, 2025 (Wikipedia). Some listings call it A Wisconsin Christmas Pie. A Cherry Pie Christmas filming spots
FAQ
What is the first new Christmas movie of 2026?
Hallmark’s ‘Tis the Season for Setups, which premieres Friday, October 16, 2026, and opens the network’s Countdown to Christmas. Holiday Touchdown: A Bears Love Story follows on October 17.
What Christmas movies are coming to Netflix in 2026?
Four: A Dog’s Perfect Christmas (November 4), Tyler Perry’s The Gospel of Christmas (November 11), Guarding Stars (November 18) and In a Holidaze (December 2).
How many new Hallmark Christmas movies are there in 2026?
Thirty-four, starting October 16, up from 24 in 2025.
When does Violent Night 2 come out?
Violent Night 2 opens in US theaters on December 4, 2026, from Universal Pictures.
Is Ebenezer: A Christmas Carol on streaming?
Not at launch. It opens in theaters on November 13, 2026, from Paramount. A streaming date hasn’t been announced.
Where can I watch The Man with the Bag?
On Prime Video, from December 2, 2026.
Where can I find out where these Christmas movies were filmed?
Most 2026 movies above link to their own filming locations guide, and our Christmas Movies 2026 Filming Locations hub puts them all on one page.
