These 4 Christmas books are being released as movies this year
Okay, okay. I know it's not even the end of October yet. But can I confess something? I'm already looking forward to Christmas. And I'm specifically talking about Christmas movies. You know, those films where everyone lives in a ridiculously large house, it always snows at the right emotional moment, and people want to get married after just three days. And do you know what often makes these films better? When they are based on a book. This adds just a bit more depth to the otherwise somewhat tame films, so you can guess my excitement when I heard that there are some fun Christmas adaptations coming this year. So grab your blanket, softest pajamas, and warm drink of choice, because you're going to want to see these films.
1. A Dog’s Perfect Christmas (Netflix)
Putting a dog on the cover of a Christmas book is, of course, a bit of cheating. How can I say no to that? Netflix is coming out with an adaptation of W. Bruce Cameron's book A Dog’s Perfect Christmas. Does that name ring a bell? I can understand that. He is also the author of A Dog’s Purpose, which was adapted into a real tearjerker years ago. This time we follow the Goss family, whose holidays are anything but cheerful. After the death of Sander's wife, the whole family has fallen apart.
Now, two years later, the dog Winstead does everything to keep the family together. Even if it means destroying the whole house and pairing Sander with another woman. The atmosphere is so bad that the holidays seem to end in drama again. Just when everything seems to go wrong, a lost puppy arrives at just the right moment to piece the shards back together. Together with Winstead, the corgi puppy Ruby tries to bring the family together once and for all. If you're looking for a tearjerker, then you're in the right place. And if Milo Ventimiglia is in it, then I'm definitely convinced.
2. Ebenezer (In theaters)
We all know someone who sighs at the first Christmas song of the year. The tree is set up too early, gifts are always too expensive, and according to him, all that cheerfulness is nothing less than being forced to be nice. If you add all these people together, you get Ebenezer Scrooge. That name we know from thousands: the rich, grumpy man from A Christmas Carol who hates Christmas almost as much as helping his fellow man. On Christmas Eve, he is visited by ghosts who take him to his past, present, and future to teach him a lesson. Scrooge sees what happens to him if he continues to push everyone away.
Yes, it's a well-known story. But you've never seen it like this version. Although Scrooge is always an annoying man, this story is truly dark. The film is filled with grim snowy landscapes and jumpscares that you would find uncomfortable even with all the Christmas lights on. The ghost visits are not cheerful, but really have something of a horror story. And Johnny Depp? He really gets into the skin of Scrooge and does what he does best: completely disappearing into a character that is both fascinating and quite unpleasant.
3. Guarding Stars (Netflix)
A bit of cheerfulness then, because we really need to talk about this: Leighton Meester and Jared Padalecki star together in a romantic Christmas movie. Blair from Gossip Girl and Dean from Gilmore Girls? Wow. I don't know who came up with this casting, but that person knows what people want to see. Guarding Stars is based on the book The Bodyguard. Not the one with Whitney Houston, of course. In this film, Leighton doesn't play a helpless woman who needs to be rescued by a big, strong man: nope. Here she is the bodyguard Hannah Brooks. Her new assignment is to protect movie star Jack Stapleton (Jared Padalecki), who is being stalked. But… When he goes back home to help his sick mother, he doesn't want to burden her with all his problems. So Hannah? She has to pretend to be his girlfriend.
That can't go wrong, right? Exactly: you can already feel the storm brewing. At first, the two keep a professional distance, but before you know it, they're cozily playing board games with the family and hopelessly falling for each other.
4. In a Holidaze (Netflix)
Have you ever dreamed that you could redo an embarrassing moment? Maelyn Jones gets that chance, only a bit more often than she'd like. In In a Holidaze our main character gets stuck in a time loop. And not a very nice one, by the way, because her life isn't going super well. She still lives with her parents, has a stupid job, and has experienced the biggest romantic blunder ever: she kissed not her crush, but his brother. Oh, and as if that wasn't bad enough, this will be the last Christmas she can spend with her family in her beloved cabin. But well: she must and will survive Christmas. Even after that awkward moment with Theo and Andrew. After struggling for a while, she returns home after a long Christmas celebration. On the way to the airport, she asks the universe to show her what makes her happy. Which is a big mistake, because instead of sending her a message or a metaphorical song, the universe causes a car accident.
After the hard crash, Maelyn wakes up on the plane, just before the Christmas holiday begins. Everything starts over: the flight, the drive to the cabin, the awkward blunder. And again. And again. Christmas keeps repeating itself until she figures out what makes her happy and finally dares to make her own choices.
It will be a little while before you can actually see these films, but that makes waiting for Christmas a bit more fun. And if you really want to prepare for Christmas, you can start with these books. That makes the waiting a bit more bearable, trust me.
