If there’s one time of the year when we all like to gather our close friends and family and settle in for a night of classic movie entertainment, then it’s Christmas. Sky’s own statistics suggest that viewing numbers skyrocket at Christmastime for both live and on-demand viewing, but what’s on the service that’s worth watching at Christmas 2016?

Join us as we take a look through the schedules to see which premieres and Christmas classics you should be watching on the newly renamed Sky Cinema.

Premieres available over Christmas

Sky relaunched Sky Cinema early in the year with one huge, bold promise – a new premiere every single day. Since then they’ve kept up to that promise with 7 premieres a week. Now, so close to Christmas, they’re ramping their promise up further with some of the highest grossing and best reviewed films of the year – let’s check out what’s coming.

• Hail, Caesar! The Coen Brothers (Fargo, No Country for Old Men, Raising Arizona) return to comedy in this hilarious, high concept caper movie. An all-star cast recreate Hollywood’s golden era as a studio fixer called Eddie Maddox (Josh Brolin) struggles to recover a kidnapped star (George Clooney) whilst managing the petty squabbles of Hollywood’s elite. Look out for star turns from Channing Tatum and newcomer Alden Ehrenreich in this film that’s perfect for adults.
• Midnight Special. Michael Shannon, Joel Edgerton and Kirsten Dunst star in Jeff Nichols’ sci-fi drama about a father and his eight year old son who go on the lam after discovering his son has mysterious powers. Soulful, complex and mysterious, Midnight Special makes for fantastic evening viewing with a cup of hot chocolate and the phones switched to off.
• After winning over the critics and causing a sensation at the box office, this Disney picture is arriving on Sky in time for Christmas. Set in a city where anthropomorphic animals live and work side by side, a rookie bunny cop is trying to earn her badge when he meets a cynical con artist fox, before having to work together to uncover a conspiracy. Beautifully animated, fantastically acted and with enough jokes for the whole family to fall in love with it, Zootropolis is a great family choice this Christmas.
• The Jungle Book. Based upon the book and film of the same name, 2016’s reboot of The Jungle Book differs in one major way – it is shot in live action. Directed by Jon Favreau, this new telling of the story has tremendous heart, incredible CGI and an all-star voice cast which includes Idris Elba, Ben Kingsley, Christopher Walken, Lupita Nyong’o, Bill Murray and more. It’s a terrific family movie and more than worth your time – even if you’re a devoted fan of the original.
• Mark this one down as for adults only, because Deadpool is foulmouthed, crude and riotously funny. Nominated for several Golden Globes this year and starring Ryan Reynolds, Deadpool isn’t your typical superhero film. To say more would be to spoil the fun, but make sure the kids are put to bed before you turn this one on.
• Captain America: Civil War. Back on more traditional superhero group, the new Captain America film sees the titular hero square up to Iron Man as tensions around The Avengers programme reach the government. With one side wanting to limit their powers and introduce government oversight and the others wanting to remain independent, who will win?

Sky Cinema Christmas Collection Movies

Of course, those are just a handful of the amazing new films which are coming to Sky Cinema over the Christmas period. But what if you’re in the mood for something just a little bit more festive? Well, Sky Cinema have you covered there too. These are the films available to stream right now on demand or to watch on Sky channel 303.

• The Grinch. Jim Carrey stars as the grumpy, grouchy Christmas hating Grinch in this colourful adaptation of Dr Seuss’s classic tale.
• The Holiday. Romantic comedy starring Kate Winslet, Cameron Diaz, Jude Law & Jack Black.
• Bad Santa. Billy Bob Thornton stars in this cult classic about a low life con-man who dresses as Santa once a year to pull off a huge heist. Rude, crude and not recommended for anyone but adults, Bad Santa is a hilarious Christmas treat.
• Gremlins meets The Grinch in this delightfully dark comedy horror about a young lad who inadvertently summons the demonic alter-ego of St Nicholas.
• Bill Murray runs the show as a mean-spirited TV boss who gets visited by three ghosts. Big laughs, a lot of heart and more.
• It’s a Wonderful Life. One of the all-time great movies and perhaps the best Christmas film ever, It’s a Wonderful Life is an enduring classic. Starring Jimmy Stewart as a depressed good guy who discovers that his small town just wouldn’t be the same without him, it’s guaranteed to make the whole house laugh and cry.

That’s just the beginning though, so get digging through that on-demand section and be prepared for the Christmas spirit to come over you.