Movies like The Principal (2003)
The best movies like The Principal (2003) are Merry Christmas, Drake & Josh (2008), To Grandmother's House We Go (1992) and The Wizards Return: Alex vs. Alex (2013). If The Principal hooked you with its comedy and family, these 30 similar films are what to watch next, and every pick says why it matches.
Quick picks
- Highest ratedWizards of Waverly Place: Wizard School (2008)9.0/10 from 261 votes
- NewestRomanchakam (2026)Released 2026
- In FrenchParade (1974)Also in French
Merry Christmas, Drake & Josh (2008)
Step brothers Drake and Josh must give a foster family the best Christmas ever or face years in jail for a Christmas party gone wrong.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both comedy & family
Worth the HypeMovies like thisTo Grandmother's House We Go (1992)
When precocious twins Sarah and Julie feel like Mom is tired of them, they take off on an exciting adventure to their grandmother's house and encounter a pair of villains along the way.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both family & comedy
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisThe Wizards Return: Alex vs. Alex (2013)
While trying to prove to her family she can be mature and responsible, teen wizard Alex Russo conjures up a spell to rid herself of her bad qualities, unintentionally creating a Good and Evil Alex. When Evil Alex gets involved in a plan to take over the world by a dark wizard, Good Alex must find a way to save her family, humankind, and ultimately herself in an epic Good vs. Evil battle.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both family & comedy
Absolute CinemaMovies like thisDrake & Josh Go Hollywood (2006)
When Drake and Josh accidentally send their little sister Megan on a plane to L.A., they soon find themselves in the middle of a dangerous situation.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both family & comedy
Worth the HypeMovies like thisA Flintstones Christmas Carol (1994)
Fred is cast as Ebenezer Scrooge in a stage adaption of the classic Christmas story, but is acting a bit stingy in real life.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both comedy & family
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisWizards of Waverly Place: Wizard School (2008)
When Alex is caught using magic to clean her room she is forced to go to wizard school with Justin. Max and Jerry camp out on the terrace to prove their manhood.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both family & comedy
Absolute CinemaMovies like thisRecess: All Growed Down (2003)
T.J. and The Recess Gang are kidnapped by the Third Street School's kindergartners, who are in turn being bullied by a new kid in their class.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both family & comedy
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisPsych: The Movie (2017)
The ambitious friends come together during the holidays after a mystery assailant targets one of their own. A comedic thrill-ride follows, as the wild and unpredictable Psych team pursues the bad guys, justice … and, of course, food!
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both comedy
Worth the HypeMovies like thisPsych 3: This Is Gus (2021)
In preparation for a shotgun wedding before the birth of Baby Guster, Shawn and Gus go rogue in an attempt to track down Selene’s estranged husband, as Lassiter grapples with the future of his career.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both comedy
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisBeverly Hills Chihuahua 2 (2011)
Puppy mayhem turns the lives of newlywed Chihuahua parents Papi and Chloe upside down when their rambunctious, mischievous puppies present one challenge after another. But when their human owners end up in trouble, the tiny pups will stop at nothing to save them - because in good times and hard times, the family always sticks together. So Papi, Chloe and the puppies embark on a heroic adventure, proving once again that big heroes come in small packages.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both comedy & family
SnoozefestMovies like thisThunderstruck (2012)
After NBA star Kevin Durant switches talent with 16 year old Brian, the teenager becomes the star of his high school team, but Durant starts struggling and eventually learns an important lesson.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both comedy & family
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisThe Loud House Movie (2021)
The Loud family travel to Scotland and discover they are descendants of Scottish royalty as they move into their giant ancestral castle.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both family & comedy
Worth the HypeMovies like thisParade (1974)
The story of a big party during which Jacques Tati brings together audience members, performers, clowns, children, and himself.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both comedy
SnoozefestMovies like this10 Days with Dad (2020)
Antoine is the Head of HR of a big company. Managing people is his thing, so when his overwhelmed wife suddenly decides to go on holiday and leave him with the responsibility of the house and their four kids, he knows it will be a piece of cake for him. But Antoine has drastically underestimated the mess that four mischievous kids can cause...
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both family & comedy
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisEscape from Mr. Lemoncello's Library (2017)
Can twelve 12-year-olds escape from the most ridiculously brilliant library ever created? Escape from Mr. Lemoncello's Library plunks a dozen sixth-graders into the middle of a futuristic library for a night of nonstop fun and adventure.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both family
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisLittle Big League (1994)
When the owner of the Minnesota Twins passes away, he bequeaths the team to his preteen grandson. The newly minted head honcho quickly appoints himself manager, causing unrest in an organization that struggles to take orders from a 12-year-old.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both comedy & family
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisSee Spot Run (2001)
A drug sniffing agent canine is a target for an assassin boss so the FBI calls Witness Protection to send him somewhere else. Meanwhile a single Mom puts her 6 year old boy James in the care of her irresponsible, mailman, neighbor, Gordon, when the babysitter bails on her. Meanwhile, an assassin mob boss hires 2 goons to kill Agent 11. But when 11 escapes from the van when they tried to kill him, he hides in Gordon's Mailtruck that James is in too. And guess what they name him. Spot.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both family & comedy
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisAstro Kid (2019)
Terra Willy: Unexplored Planet — Upon the destruction of their ship, Willy is separated from his parents. He lands on a wild and unexplored planet and with the help of Buck, a survival robot, he will have to hold until the arrival of a rescue mission.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both comedy & family
Worth the HypeMovies like thisRookie of the Year (1993)
When the cast comes off his once broken arm, a 12-year-old boy can throw a 100-mile-an-hour fastball, and the Chicago Cubs want him as their new pitcher.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both family & comedy
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisJohn Mulaney: Kid Gorgeous at Radio City (2018)
John Mulaney relays stories from his childhood and "SNL," eviscerates the value of college and laments getting older in this electric comedy special.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both comedy
Absolute CinemaMovies like thisThe Powerpuff Girls: Dance Pantsed (2014)
The Powerpuff Girls have always saved the world before bedtime, but Mojo Jojo is back with his most diabolical scheme yet. As Blossom, Bubbles and Buttercup face off with their enemy, the girls may have found the one challenge that has them staying up past bedtime.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both family & comedy
The Love Bug (1997)
The inimitable VW Beetle is losing all his races and destined for the scrap heap until mechanic Hank takes him over and gives him a new lease of life. Soon, Herbie is winning again, to the fury of his previous owner, who builds a menacing black bug to challenge Herbie to the ultimate race.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both comedy & family
SnoozefestMovies like thisBefore Christmas (2016)
An orphan finds a family, old couple that has no children, day before Christmas. The twists and turns of this melodramatic comedy is inspired by timeless words of Branislav Nušić.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both comedy
Beauty & the Briefcase (2010)
A freelance writer looking for romance sells a story to Cosmopolitan magazine about finding love in the workplace and goes undercover at a Finance Company.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both comedy
SnoozefestMovies like thisHarvest Love (2017)
A young widow and her nine year-old son spend a week at her family’s pear farm in Washington state, where they both fall in love with small town farm life, and she falls for the guy who has been managing the farm.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both comedy
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisThe Old Man and the Parrot (2026)
With a taxidermy parrot and pistol in hand, Praxi, breaks into the home of a mute spiritual guru who trapped his lover’s soul inside the parrot years ago. Praxi must convince the guru’s estranged daughter to guide her father in freeing his lover’s soul in this darkly comedic tale of love and the afterlife.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both comedy
The Secret Diaries of Miss Anne Lister (2010)
A lesbian in the 1800s who keeps a detailed account of her life written in coded diaries attempts to live independently while juggling an affair with a married woman.
Why it matches: Similar story and style
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisThis Is Not a Comedy (2021)
A comedian finds new meaning in his life when his best friend asks him to be her sperm donor, and he meets a girl who connects with the cosmos.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both comedy
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisPrim: el asesinato de la calle del Turco (2014)
Madrid, Spain, December 27, 1870. General Juan Prim i Prats, president of the Council of Ministers and Minister of War gets involved in a treacherous ambush, is mortal injured and dies three days later. A mystery, a conspiracy, a murder that was never solved.
Why it matches: Similar story and style
Romanchakam (2026)
An entrepreneur hoping to make money off romance ends up falling in love. But when she blocks him on social media, he tries to reignite their spark.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both comedy
Like The Principal and something else?
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Frequently asked questions
What are the best movies like The Principal?
The closest matches to The Principal are Merry Christmas, Drake & Josh (2008), To Grandmother's House We Go (1992) and The Wizards Return: Alex vs. Alex (2013). Below are 27 more, each with the reason it matches.
What should I watch after The Principal?
Start with Merry Christmas, Drake & Josh (2008), the closest match to The Principal.
What is the highest-rated movie like The Principal?
Wizards of Waverly Place: Wizard School (2008), rated 9.0/10 by 261 TMDB users.
What is the newest movie like The Principal?
Romanchakam (2026) is the most recent release on this list.
Are there French movies like The Principal?
Yes: Parade (1974), 10 Days with Dad (2020) and Astro Kid (2019).
How are movies similar to The Principal chosen?
First come films that Trakt’s viewers watch alongside The Principal, then TMDB’s recommendations and films it rates as similar in story and genre. Each pick says which signal put it there.