Movies like The Star Wars Holiday Special (1978)
The best movies like The Star Wars Holiday Special (1978) are Snow Queen (2002), Craig Before the Creek (2023) and The Amazing Mr. Blunden (2021). If The Star Wars Holiday Special hooked you with its adventure and science fiction, these 30 similar films are what to watch next, and every pick says why it matches.
Quick picks
- Highest ratedThat Christmas (2024)7.2/10 from 461 votes
- NewestThat Christmas (2024)Released 2024
Snow Queen (2002)
Since a bitter winter storm stole the life of Gerda's mother, she and her father have sadly continued to run the remote hotel they call home. Lonely and isolated, Gerda's only joy is Kai, the handsome bellboy. A mysterious guest with an icy stare arrives at the hotel one night, wrapped in fur and diamonds. By daybreak, the "Snow Queen" has vanished with Kai! Gerda embarks on a journey of morphing seasons, fantastical creatures, and long-frozen mysteries in a desperate quest to find her stolen love.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both adventure & family
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisCraig Before the Creek (2023)
Before he was Craig of the Creek, he was just Craig — a new kid in a new town. All Craig wants is to go back to his old friends at his old home. But when he learns that the nearby creek is hiding a lost treasure that could make his wish come true, Craig sets off on a journey to find it — navigating the perilous suburban wilderness, forging new friendships, all while being pursued by a fearsome band of pirates who are bent on destroying the Creek itself.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both family & adventure
Worth the HypeMovies like thisThe Amazing Mr. Blunden (2021)
Jamie and Lucy have an encounter with what appears to be a pair of ghost children. But these spooky kids, Sara and Georgie, aren’t actually ghosts. They’ve travelled forwards in time to seek help, believing they’re going to be murdered by the wicked Mr and Mrs Wickens. And Lucy and Jamie’s strange visitor seems to be the key to it all. With his help, they must travel back to 1821 to save Sara and Georgie and redeem their remorseful new friend – The Amazing Mr Blunden.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both family & adventure
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisDoctor Who (1996)
The Seventh Doctor becomes the Eighth. And on the streets of San Francisco – alongside new ally Grace Holloway - he battles the Master.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both adventure & science fiction
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisRobot Chicken: Star Wars Episode III (2010)
Millions of years from now, after Socrates, Shakespeare and the bible are long forgotten, only two great works will remain: the sci-fi cinema epic Star Wars and Adult Swim's stop-motion animated, cheap gag extravanganza Robot Chicken. And now, for the first time, they come together for the third time, in this all new special. That's right, all your mot beloved Star Wars characters are going back through the comedy meat grinder.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both science fiction
Worth the HypeMovies like thisStar Wars: The Rise of Skywalker (2019)
The surviving Resistance faces the First Order once again as the journey of Rey, Finn and Poe Dameron continues. With the power and knowledge of generations behind them, the final battle begins.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both adventure & science fiction
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisMarvel Super Hero Adventures: Frost Fight! (2015)
The holiday season gets extra chilly as Loki and the frost giant Ymir plot to conquer the world. Marvel heroes Iron Man, Captain America, Hulk, Thor and others must stop the villains from stealing Santa's power – if anyone can actually find the mysterious Mr. Claus. Fortunately, Rocket Raccoon and Groot are also hot on Santa's trail. Heroes, villains, elves and cosmic bounty hunters collide in an epic quest that leaves the fate of the holiday and the world in the balance.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both science fiction & family
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisThe Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special (2022)
On a mission to make Christmas unforgettable for Quill, the Guardians head to Earth in search of the perfect present.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both science fiction & adventure
Worth the HypeMovies like thisKristin's Christmas Past (2013)
Kristin, a cynical 34-year-old, drinks a mysterious champagne on Christmas Eve and wakes up seventeen years in the past, sharing a room with her 17-year-old self. Given the chance to change the worst Christmas of her life, she attempts to fix past mistakes, only to discover surprising truths about her family that may help her mend her present-day relationships.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both family
SnoozefestMovies like thisMinions & More Volume 1 (2022)
This collection of 10 short films produced by Illumination includes: From the "Despicable Me" franchise: Puppy (2013); Minion Scouts (2019); Training Wheels (2013); The Secret Life of Kyle (2017); Santa's Little Helpers (2019). From the "Grinch" franchise: The Dog Days of Winter (2019). From the "Secret Life of Pets" franchise: Norman Television (2016); Weenie (2016). From the "Sing" franchise: Love at First Sight (2017). From the "Lorax" franchise: Forces of Nature (2012).
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both adventure & family
Worth the HypeMovies like thisUnder Wraps (2021)
Three friends try to save their mummified friend, Harold, from greedy criminals by returning him to his resting place before midnight on Halloween.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both family
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisSlugTerra: Return of the Elementals (2014)
A new member has joined Eli and the Shane Gang! Junjie, once the protector of the Eastern Caverns, is a master of the slugslinging art of Slug Fu! But even with the power of five slingers, the Shane Gang find themselves in over their heads as they race across The 99 Caverns in search of the Legendary Elemental Slugs. The five Elementals are ancient slugs of great power, and the forbearers of all slugs found in SlugTerra today. In the wrong hands, they could bring Slugterra to the brink of destruction. So when an evil alliance starts hunting down the Elementals, Eli and his friends — old and new — take off in pursuit of the greatest threat their world has ever faced!
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both family & adventure
Worth the HypeMovies like thisStewie Griffin: The Untold Story (2005)
The maniacal baby of the Griffin family, Stewie, meets his future self. In doing this he discovers that his future image is not what he has anticipated because of a near death experience.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both adventure & science fiction
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisJungle Run (2021)
A brother and sister's journey into the jungle to find their missing father.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both adventure
SnoozefestMovies like thisTwitches Too (2007)
Reunited witch twins Camryn and Alex adjust to their new life as supernatural beings while at the same time trying to maintain a normal existence in this sequel to the magical Disney Channel original movie Twitches. But they soon find themselves going head to head with the forces of darkness that threaten to destroy their world. Luckily, their birth mother, the powerful Miranda, is on hand to help out.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both family
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisSolo: A Star Wars Story (2018)
Through a series of daring escapades deep within a dark and dangerous criminal underworld, Han Solo meets his mighty future copilot Chewbacca and encounters the notorious gambler Lando Calrissian.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both science fiction & adventure
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisAnnie Claus Is Coming to Town (2011)
This year, Santa’s daughter takes her first trip away from the North Pole during the Christmas season hoping to find adventure and love in sunny California. While Santa watches his daughter through a magic snow globe, Annie arrives in L.A. and becomes friends with the owner of Candy Cane Inn, Lucy, and her daughter, Mia. She also quickly lands a job at Wonderland Toys. Wonderland Toys’ owner, Ted is struggling to stay in business selling old-fashioned toys in a digital world. Annie soon realizes that she wants Ted’s business to thrive because she has feelings for this Christmas traditionalist.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both family
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisDon't Look Under the Bed (1999)
A girl calls on her brother's imaginary friend to banish a mischievous boogeyman who has framed her for his pranks.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both family
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisThe Good Witch (2008)
A mysterious woman comes in to town and inhabits the local haunted mansion, making everyone wonder if she's a witch or "The Grey Lady".
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both family
Worth the HypeMovies like thisBabylon 5: In the Beginning (1998)
Londo Mollari, the Centauri Emperor, recounts the initial contact between the Humans and Minbari, which resulted in a major incident and subsequent war, for an eager pair of youngsters wanting a story about love and conflict.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both science fiction & adventure
Worth the HypeMovies like thisSpace Chimps (2008)
When an unmanned space shuttle crashes on an uncharted planet, a trio of astronaut chimpanzees are launched by NASA into a wormhole to investigate.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both family & adventure
SnoozefestMovies like thisThe Three Investigators in The Secret of Skeleton Island (2007)
The hobby detectives “The Three Investigators” want to take a little break. So they take advantage of an offer from Peter's father, who has accepted a job in South Africa and wants to take the detectives there. But Jupiter, Peter and Bob wouldn't be the three investigators marks feared by the criminal world if they just lounged around in the sun on their vacation. So it's no wonder that the clever boys soon have their next case to solve...
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both adventure & family
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisSprookjesboom de Musical - Een gi-ga-gantisch avontuur! (2014)
"Klein Duimpje" has had enough. He doesn't want to be small anymore, he wants to be big! "But how does someone become big?" Klein Duimpje wonders. Witch has a cunning plan for that... "Strength of big, strength of small, let one become the other!" Poof! She casts a spell, making Klein Duimpje ten times bigger! But is being bigger actually more enjoyable?
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both family & adventure
That Christmas (2024)
It's an unforgettable Christmas for the townsfolk of Wellington-on-Sea when the worst snowstorm in history alters everyone's plans — including Santa's.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both family & adventure
Worth the HypeMovies like thisThe Astronaut Farmer (2007)
Texan Charles Farmer left the Air Force as a young man to save the family ranch when his dad died. Like most American ranchers, he owes his bank. Unlike most, he's an astrophysicist with a rocket in his barn - one he's built and wants to take into space. It's his dream. The FBI puts him under surveillance when he tries to buy rocket fuel, and the FAA stalls him when he files a flight plan – but Charles is undeterred.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both science fiction & adventure
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisRebel Moon - Part One: A Child of Fire (2023)
When the ruthless forces of the Motherworld threaten a quiet farming village on a distant moon, a mysterious outsider becomes its best hope for survival.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both science fiction & adventure
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisFamily Guy Presents: It's a Trap! (2010)
With the Griffins stuck again at home during a blackout, Peter tells the story of “Star Wars Episode VI: Return of the Jedi.”
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both science fiction
Popcorn FlickMovies like this2010 (1984)
While planet Earth poises on the brink of nuclear self-destruction, a team of Russian and American scientists aboard the Leonov hurtles to a rendezvous with the still-orbiting Discovery spacecraft and its sole known survivor, the homicidal computer HAL.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both science fiction
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisEnchanted (2007)
The beautiful princess Giselle is banished by an evil queen from her magical, musical animated land and finds herself in the gritty reality of the streets of modern-day Manhattan. Shocked by this strange new environment that doesn't operate on a "happily ever after" basis, Giselle is now adrift in a chaotic world badly in need of enchantment. But when Giselle begins to fall in love with a charmingly flawed divorce lawyer who has come to her aid - even though she is already promised to a perfect fairy tale prince back home - she has to wonder: Can a storybook view of romance survive in the real world?
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both family
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisKismet (1955)
A silver-tongued poet and self-proclaimed "King of the Beggars" searches old Baghdad for a rich bachelor to marry his dreamy daughter, Marsinah. Along the way, he poses as the renowned sorcerer Hajj and gets in and out of scrapes with an elderly thief, a dim-witted wazir, and his wife. Meanwhile, his daughter develops feelings for a handsome caliph.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both adventure
Like The Star Wars Holiday Special and something else?
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Frequently asked questions
What are the best movies like The Star Wars Holiday Special?
The closest matches to The Star Wars Holiday Special are Snow Queen (2002), Craig Before the Creek (2023) and The Amazing Mr. Blunden (2021). Below are 27 more, each with the reason it matches.
What should I watch after The Star Wars Holiday Special?
Start with Snow Queen (2002), the closest match to The Star Wars Holiday Special.
What is the highest-rated movie like The Star Wars Holiday Special?
That Christmas (2024), rated 7.2/10 by 461 TMDB users.
What is the newest movie like The Star Wars Holiday Special?
That Christmas (2024) is the most recent release on this list.
Are there English movies like The Star Wars Holiday Special?
Yes: Snow Queen (2002), Craig Before the Creek (2023) and The Amazing Mr. Blunden (2021).
How are movies similar to The Star Wars Holiday Special chosen?
First come films that Trakt’s viewers watch alongside The Star Wars Holiday Special, then TMDB’s recommendations and films it rates as similar in story and genre. Each pick says which signal put it there.