On December 19th, 2001, Peter Jackson’s film adaptation of J.R.R. Tolkien’s The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring opened in North American theatres.
The fantasy flick, of course, was a critical and commercial smash hit that spawned two equally beloved sequels, 2002’s The Two Towers and 2003’s The Return of the King. The decidedly less popular Jackson-helmed The Hobbit trilogy came nearly 10 years later.
Given the 20th anniversary of The Fellowship of the Ring, it would make sense if you wanted to revisit the original trilogy. I definitely thought of it — it’s been nearly 10 years since I’ve seen them. Unfortunately, though, it’s not that simple.
As it stands, none of the original three LOTR films are on a Canadian streaming service. While they were once on Netflix Canada, they aren’t anymore. The only digital services that have the films are premium video on demand (PVOD) platforms like iTunes and Google Play. It’s worth noting, however, that the digital collection of the Extended Editions of the trilogy currently cost $25.99 (Google Play) and $19.99 (iTunes) to purchase.
It’s odd that the LOTR series isn’t streaming on any service in Canada, especially with the 20th anniversary. By contrast, fellow Warner Bros. series Harry Potter — which also is celebrating its 20th anniversary this year — recently came to Crave. While it’s likely that licensing agreements are preventing the LOTR series from hitting any Canadian streaming service, that doesn’t change the fact that it’s a bit of a bummer for consumers.
It’s worth noting that The Hobbit trilogy is actually available on Canadian streaming services — well, mostly. 2012’s An Unexpected Journey is on both Crave and Amazon Prime Video, as is 2013’s The Desolation of Smaug (Crave/Amazon Prime Video). However, 2014’s The Battle of the Five Armies is only on CBC’s ICI Tou.TV. Otherwise, they’re all offered on PVOD platforms like Google Play and iTunes.
Hopefully, the LOTR series will come to a service soon. For now, though, I’ll likely just buy the digital Extended Edition trilogy collection while it’s on sale.
Notably, Ymir, B.C.-born Pablo Schreiber (The Wire) is portraying iconic Spartanhero Master Chief, while Natasha McElhone (Californication) plays Spartan-II creator Dr. Catherine Halsey and Jen Taylor reprises her long-running role as the voice of the AI Cortana.
We get a glimpse at all of them here.
Halo is set to premiere sometime in 2022 on Paramount+ in the U.S. While that service is also available in Canada, its content lineup differs significantly from its U.S. counterpart due to the licensing agreements. It remains to be seen whether the series will also be on Paramount+ in Canada or on another service.
While there have been smaller live-action Halo adaptations in the past, Paramount’s series marks the culmination of a years-long effort from legendary director Steven Spielberg to bring the series to the big screen. At one point, it was set to be a movie, although it’s since shifted to a big-budget series. Spielberg remains attached as an executive producer.
It’s been a big few weeks for Halo. The iconic series celebrated its 20th anniversary in November, so Xbox has marked the occasion with the early release of Halo Infinite‘s multiplayer that month, and the full game, including the campaign, on December 8th. You can read more on the game in our review and interview with developer 343 Industries.
Nearly 20 years after The Matrix Revolutions, Neo is back.
The Matrix Resurrections, once again starring Canada’s own Keanu Reeves and Carrie-Anne Moss, will open exclusively in theatres on December 22nd. The sci-fi action flick is being helmed by original The Matrix series co-director Lana Wachowski, who also co-wrote the script.
Given that it’s been so long since the last Matrix, you might want to revisit the trilogy, or even experience it for the first time. With that in mind, we’ve rounded up the ways in which you can stream the three original Matrix films.
The first film, simply titledThe Matrix (1999), can be streamed on Crave. However, its two sequels, 2003’s The Matrix Reloadedand The Matrix Revolutions, are both available on Netflix. If you only have one or the other of these services, it’s worth noting that each film is available to rent for $4.99 CAD on premium video on demand (PVOD) platforms like iTunes and Google Play.
The Matrix Resurrections follows Neo as he re-enters The Matrix with Trinity and joins a group of rebels to fight a new enemy. It’s worth noting that you can enter a special Warner Bros. QR code contest for a chance to win a trip to the December 16th Canadian premiere of The Matrix Resurrections with Reeves and Moss. Learn more here.
Another big December movie is Spider-Man: No Way Home — read more on where to stream the seven live-action Spidey flicks in Canada ahead of that multiverse adventure here.
Bell is currently offering $100 Crave gift cards for $75, a 25 percent discount.
The promotion is available on Crave’s website, and you don’t need to be a subscriber to purchase one.
A gift card can be used towards any Crave subscription. Notably, this particular promotion would cover the full cost of a Crave Mobile plan, which is priced at $99.90/year (or $9.99/month). As the same suggests, this plan only offers streaming via mobile devices, although it does include the full Crave and HBO catalogue (sans Starz).
Meanwhile, Crave Total — which includes the same content but also offers streaming to any Crave-supported device — is $19.99/month or $199.90 per year. Note that a Starz add-on (for either Mobile or Total plans) costs $5.99/month.
You can purchase a Crave gift card here. The promotion is only available for a “limited time,” although Bell didn’t provide a specific end date, so you may want to take advantage of it sooner rather than later if interested.
The full list of movies and TV shows hitting Crave this month can be found here.
Informant, The: Fear and Faith in the Heartland (Special)
Into the Okavango
December 29th
The Book of Boba Fett (Season 1 premiere, new episodes weekly) [Disney+ Original]
It’s important to note that Star content is typically more adult-oriented fare from Hulu and other Disney-owned brands. If you’re looking to keep Disney+ family-friendly for your kids, you can read more on parental controls here.
Every week, MobileSyrup outlines some of the most notable movies and TV shows that recently hit Canadian streaming platforms.
Our ‘Streaming in Canada’ column typically focuses on new content from Amazon Prime Video Canada, Crave and Netflix Canada, but other services like Apple TV+ and Disney+ will be mentioned when relevant.
We’ll also highlight shows or movies that are made in Canada, involve notable Canadian cast or crew and/or are filmed in Canada.
Amazon Prime Video
Hanna (Season 3) [Amazon Original]
Hanna and Marissa uncover dark secrets as they work to put an end to UTRAX, once and for all.
Based on Seth Lochhead and David Farr’s 2011 film of the same name, Amazon’s Hanna stars Esmé Creed-Miles (Pond Life), Mireille Enos (The Killing) and Ray Liotta (Goodfellas).
Amazon Prime Video Canada premiere date: November 24th, 2021 Genre: Action-drama Runtime: Six episodes (44 to 53 minutes each)
What’s more, a brand-new competition series called Harry Potter: Hogwarts Tournament of Houses is hitting Crave on November 28th at 8pm ET. Hosted by Oscar winner Helen Mirren (The Queen), Hogwarts Tournament of Houses sees fans facing off in Potter trivia battles, with guest appearances from the likes of Tom Felton (Potter‘s Draco Malfoy), late-night comedian Jay Leno and Saturday Night Live‘s Pete Davidson.
New episodes of the four-part series will release every Sunday at 8pm ET.
Finally, it’s important to note that a reunion special titled Harry Potter 20th Anniversary: Return to Hogwartsis set to hit Crave on January 1st, 2022, the same date it airs on HBO Max in the U.S. The special will see Daniel Radcliffe (Harry), Rupert Grint (Ron) and Emma Watson (Hermione) joined by a slew of other stars from the series to look back on 20 years of Potter films.
8-Bit Christmas
In the late ’80s, a ten-year-old boy sets off on the seemingly impossible task of trying to buy a Nintendo Entertainment System.
Based on Kevin Jakubowski’s 2013 book of the same name, 8-Bit Christmas was directed by London, Ontario’s Michael Dowse (FUBAR) and stars Neil Patrick Harris (How I Met Your Mother), Winslow Fegley (Timmy Failure: Mistakes Were Made) and June Diane Raphael (How Did This Get Made?).
It’s worth noting that the movie was shot in Toronto.
Crave premiere date: November 24th, 2021 Genre: Comedy, family Runtime: 1 hour, 37 minutes
A standard Crave subscription is priced at $19.99/month, with Starz costing an additional $5.99/month. A mobile-only subscription is also available for $9.99/month.
The full list of movies and shows hitting Crave this month can be found here.
Disney+
The Beatles: Get Back [Disney+ Original]
The Lord of the Rings filmmaker Peter Jackson takes you back into the intimate recording sessions of the iconic English rock band.
Disney+ Canada premiere date: November 25th to 27th, 2021 (new part each day) Genre: Music documentary Runtime: Three parts (2 hours, 27 minutes to 2 hours, 53 minutes each)
After Scarlett Johansson’s Black Widow got her own movie earlier this year, Jeremy Renner’s Hawkeye was the last Avenger to not get his own solo MCU project — until now.
Set two years after the events of Avengers: Endgame, Hawkeye follows Clint Barton as he tries to make it home for Christmas after getting caught up with a young archer named Kate Bishop and New York’s criminal underbelly.
Hawkeye was created by Jonathan Igla (Mad Men) and co-stars Hailee Steinfeld (Dickinson), Vera Farmiga (The Conjuring series), Tony Dalton (Better Call Saul), Fra Fee (Les Misérables) and newcomer Alaqua Cox. It’s worth noting that Cox, an actual deaf Native American, plays the deaf Native American character Echo, who’s getting her own Disney+ spin-off at some point in the future.
Disney+ Canada premiere date: November 24th (first two episodes, new episodes every Wednesday) Genre: Superhero Runtime: Six episodes (around 40-50 minutes each)
A Disney+ subscription costs $11.99/month or $119.99/year in Canada.
The full list of movies and shows hitting Disney+ this month can be found here.
Netflix
A Boy Called Christmas [Netflix Original]
This reimaging of the story of Father Christmas follows a boy as he ventures in the white north in search of his father.
A Boy Called Christmas was directed by Gil Kenan (Poltergeist) and stars Henry Lawfull (2018’s Les Misérables), Jim Broadbent (Iris), Sally Hawkins (The Shape of Water) and Michael Huisman (The Flight Attendant).
Netflix Canada premiere date: November 24th Genre: Christmas fantasy Runtime: 1 hour, 46 minutes
A disgraced MMA fighter returns for one last fight after the son she left behind re-enters her life.
Bruised is the directorial debut of Halle Berry (Monster’s Ball) and stars Berry, Toronto’s Shameier Anderson (Wynonna Earp), Adan Canto (Designated Survivor) and Sheila Atim (The Pale Horse).
Netflix Canada premiere date: November 24th Genre: Drama Runtime: 2 hours, 12 minutes
In the series’ final season, Frank obsesses over a cryptic message from his dad and Sue tries to resolve family issues.
F is for Family was created by Bill Burr (The Mandalorian) and Michael Price (The Simpsons) and features the voice of Burr, Laura Dern (Marriage Story), Justin Long (Ed) and Haley Reinhart (American Idol).
Masters of the Universe: Revelation — Part 2 [Netflix Original]
As the ultimate battle of Eternia fast approaches, a surprising alliance is formed between heroes and villains.
Based on Roger Sweet’s He-Man character, Masters of the Universe: Revelation was created by Kevin Smith (Clerks) and features an ensemble voice cast that includes Chris Wood (Supergirl), Mark Hamill (Star Wars series), Liam Cunningham (Game of Thrones), Sarah Michelle Gellar (Buffy the Vampire Slayer) and Lena Headey (Game of Thrones).
Netflix Canada premiere date: November 23rd, 2021 Genre: Animated fantasy Runtime: Five episodes (23 to 32 minutes each)
The full list of movies and shows hitting Netflix Canada this month can be found here.
Premium video on demand (PVOD)
The Humans
Three generations of the Blake family gather for Thanksgiving dinner, only for tensions to reach a boiling point.
Written and directed by Stephen Karam (who also penned the play it’s adapted from), The Humans stars Beanie Feldstein (Booksmart), Richard Jenkins (The Visitor), Jayne Houdyshell (Only Murders in the Building), Amy Schumer (Trainwreck) and Steven Yeun (Minari).
PVOD release date: November 26th, 2021 Genre: Drama Runtime: 1 hour, 48 minutes
The Humans can be rented for $5.99/purchased for $14.99 on iTunes and Amazon Prime Video, rented for $4.99/purchased for $12.99 on Google Play) and rented for $4.99/purchased for $14.99 on the Cineplex Store.
Venom: Let There Be Carnage
Eddie Brock/Venom face off against a serial killer who’s bonded with a symbiote to become the deadly Carnage.
Directed by The Lord of the Rings‘ Andy Serkis, Let There Be Carnage stars Tom Hardy (Legend), Woody Harrelson (Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri), Michelle Williams (Manchester by the Sea) and Naomie Harris (Moonlight).
Original theatrical premiere date: October 1st, 2021
PVOD release date: November 26th, 2021 Genre: Superhero Runtime: 1 hour, 37 minutes
All eight of the main Harry Potter films are streaming on Crave.
This is a pretty notable get for the Bell-owned service, as the massively popular franchise wasn’t previously available on any streaming service in its entirety. Instead, the final four films were streaming, for a time, on Netflix, with the first four unavailable due to “territorial licensing.”
Crave has gotten all eight movies to coincide with the 20th anniversary of The Philosopher’s Stone, which opened in North American theatres on November 16th, 2001.
For reference, these are the eight movies now on Crave:
It’s worth noting that the two Fantastic Beasts movies, which are prequels Harry Potter prequels, aren’t currently on any streaming service outside of PVOD platforms like iTunes and Google Play. The third Fantastic Beasts film, The Secrets of Dumbledore, will hit North American theatres on April 15th, 2022.
That said, this is the first of three major Harry Potter content releases for Crave. On November 28th at 8pm ET, the streaming service will also debut Harry Potter: Hogwarts Tournament of Houses. Hosted by Oscar winner Helen Mirren (The Queen), the four-part competition series will pit fans against one another in Potter trivia battles. Special guests, including Tom Felton (Draco Malfoy himself) and late-night comedian Jay Leno, will also appear.
Finally, Harry Potter 20th Anniversary: Return to Hogwartswill premiere on January 1st, 2022. The reunion special sees Daniel Radcliffe (Harry), Rupert Grint (Ron) and Emma Watson (Hermione) join Christopher Columbus (director of The Philosopher’s Stone and The Chamber of Secrets) and a variety of other guests from the films to reflect on 20 years of Harry Potter on the big screen.
However, series creator J.K. Rowling has been noticeably absent from all of these 20th-anniversary celebrations, including the Return to Hogwarts special. It appears that Warner Bros. is trying to distance itself publicly from the writer, who’s come under fire in recent years for repeated transphobic comments.
Many of the Harry Potter films’ stars, including Radcliffe, Watson, Grint and Fantastic Beasts‘ Eddie Redmayne, issued separate statements to voice their disagreement with Rowling. During this time, there’s been a marked increase in hate crimes against trans people in both the U.K. and U.S., which LGBTQ+ activists have warned comes, in part, from harmful rhetoric from public figures like Rowling.
Bell has unveiled all of the movies and shows that are hitting its Crave streaming service in December.
Highlights include The Suicide Squad (not to be confused with 2016’s Suicide Squad), Sex and the City revival And Just Like That… (sans Canada-raised Kim Cattrall) and Space Jam: A New Legacy.
See below for the full list:
December 1st
Adrienne @8pm ET
A Christmas Carol (1951, black-and-white)
December 2nd
Music Box: Listening to Kenny G @8pm ET
Santa, Inc. (Episodes 1-4, new episodes weekly)
December 3rd
Batman: The Dark Knight Returns, Part 1
Batman: The Dark Knight Returns, Part 2
Batman: Year One
Bonacini’s Italian Christmas *Canadian Special*
A Christmas Village Romance *Canadian*
Christmas in Washington *Canadian*
Christmas With Bonacini *Canadian*
The Christmas Setup *Canadian*
Crutch *Canadian*
Dangerous Lives of the Altar Boys — Starz
DC Superhero Girls: Hero of the Year
The Deer Hunter — Starz
Frances — Starz
Green Lantern: First Flight
Justice League: The New Frontier
Kids TV, Preschool Fun, and DC Superheroes Collection — includes content from Alvin & the Chipmunks, Paw Patrol, Pac-Man and more
Holmes For the Holidays *Canadian*
The House Next Door: Meet The Blacks 2 — Starz
Lego DC Comics Superheroes: Justice League — Gotham City Breakout
Lego Scooby-Doo! Blowout Beach Bash
Mary Makes It Easy: Mark Makes It Merry *Canadian Special*
Roast Battle Canada *Canadian*
Scott Pilgrim vs. The World — Starz
Stronger — Starz
Superman: Unbound
12 Gifts of Christmas — Starz
The Violent Heart
The Virtuoso
Wander Darkly
Wonder Woman (2009, animated)
You’re Watching Video Music Box @8pm ET
December 4th
Drew Michael: Red Blue @10pm ET
December 5th
Vigil — Starz
December 6th
The Forever Prisoner @10pm ET
Grass Farmers: Regenerative Agriculture & The Canadian Grasslands
Landscapers (Episode 1 — new episodes weekly) @9pm ET
December 7th
The Slow Hustle @8pm ET
December 8th
Cardinals — Starz
Dirty Tricks @8pm ET
December 9th
And Just Like That… (Episode 1 — new episodes weekly)
Murder She Baked #2: A Plum Pudding Mystery *Canadian*
Pitch Perfect 2 — Starz
Ricky Powell: The Individualist @8pm ET
Shoplifters of the World
Space Jam: A New Legacy
Spencer’s Big Holiday Special *Canadian*
Teen Mom (Season 9B)
You Make It Feel Like Christmas
December 11th
Chaplin — Starz
The Real Charlie Chaplin @8pm ET
December 14th
Murders at Starved Rock @8pm ET
December 16th
Finding Magic Mike
Music Box: Juice Wrld: Into the Abyss @8pm ET
Par-Lay: The Fred VanVleet Story *Canadian*
Station Eleven (Episode 1 — new episodes weekly)
Who Killed Mario-Josée?
December 17th
A Hot Holiday Mess
An Ice Wine Christmas *Canadian*
A Snowy Christmas
Christmas is Canceled
Coming Home For Christmas *Canadian*
Digimon Adventure Tri: Reunion
Digimon Adventure Tri: Determination
Digimon Adventure Tri: Confession
Digimon Adventure Tri: Loss
Digimon Adventure Tri: Coexistence
Digimon Adventure Tri: Future
Georgie OGs (Season 4A)
Green Lantern — Starz
Ladyhawke — Starz
The Land Before Time — Starz
Looney Tunes: Back in Action
Madagascar
The Matrix
MTV Unplugged: Tony Bennett and Lady Gaga
Needle in a Timestack — Starz
One Big Holiday Recipe *Canadian*
Prisoners of the Ghostland
Reba McEntire’s Christmas in Tune
Rolling Like Thunder @8pm ET
Spencer’s Holiday BBQ *Canadian*
Spirit: Stallion of the Cimarron — Starz
Ted 2 — Starz
The Truffle Hunters *Canadian*
December 20th
Hank Zipper (Season 1, Episodes 1-13)
The Loneliest Whale
Pac-Man and the Ghostly Adventures (Season 1, Episodes 1-10)
Polly Pocket (Season 1, Episodes 1-13) *Canadian*
Reopening Night @10pm ET
December 21st
Siberia
December 22nd
Boss Baby: Family Business
Contact — Starz
Hello, This is My Penis *Canadian* [Crave Original]
December 24th
Day of the Dead (Season 1) *Canadian*
The Neverending Story — Starz
Norm of the North — Starz
Shrek
Shrek 2
Spirit Untamed
Tha God’s Honest Truth (Season 1)
The Suicide Squad
Together, Together
Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory
December 25th
Letterkenny (Season 10, Episode 1 — new episodes weekly)
December 29th
The Gateway — Starz
The Spy Who Dumped Me — Starz
Singin’ in the Rain — Starz
Stage Beauty — Starz
Uncle Drew — Starz
Universal Soldier — Starz
December 31st
The Challenge: Spies, Lies & Allies (Season 7)
Tacoma FD (Season 3)
It’s also worth noting that the Harry Potter reunion special, Harry Potter 20th Anniversary: Return to Hogwarts, will premiere on January 1st, 2022 to celebrate 20 years since the release of The Philosopher’s Stone.
A Crave Total subscription, which includes all base and HBO content from Crave, is priced at $19.98 CAD/month. A Starz add-on costs $5.99/month, while a Crave Mobile plan (which includes base Crave + HBO titles) is priced at $9.99/month.
Every week, MobileSyrup outlines some of the most notable movies and TV shows that recently hit Canadian streaming platforms.
Our ‘Streaming in Canada’ column typically focuses on new content from Amazon Prime Video Canada, Crave and Netflix Canada, but other services like Apple TV+ and Disney+ will be mentioned when relevant.
We’ll also highlight shows or movies that are made in Canada, involve notable Canadian cast or crew and/or are filmed in Canada.
Amazon Prime Video
The Great (Season 2) [Exclusive Content]
Catherine prepares to give birth to the future of Russia.
The Great is based on Tony McNamara’s play of the same name and stars Elle Fanning (Super 8) and Nicholas Hoult (Mad Max: Fury Road).
Hulu premiere date: November 19th, 2021
Amazon Prime Video Canada premiere date: November 20th, 2021 Genre: Historical comedy-drama Runtime: Ten episodes (around one hour each)
A magician takes a group of five young people around the world, believing that one of them might hold the power to either save or destroy the world.
Based on Robert Jordan’s novel series of the same name, The Wheel of Time was developed by Rafe Judkins (Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.) and stars Rosamund Pike (Gone Girl), Daniel Henney (Criminal Minds), Madeleine Madden (Tidelands) and Zoë Robins (Power Rangers Ninja Steel).
Amazon Prime Video Canada premiere date: November 19th, 2021 (first three episodes, new episodes every Friday) Genre: Fantasy Runtime: Eight episodes (around one hour each)
Four college roommates at New England’s prestigious Essex College carry out sexually active lifestyles in between classes.
The Sex Lives of College Girls was created by Mindy Kaling (The Office) and Justin Noble (Brooklyn Nine-Nine) and stars Pauline Chalamet (The King of Staten Island), Markham, Ontario’s Amrit Kaur (The D Cut), Reneé Rapp (the Mean Girls musical) and Alyah Chanelle Scott (Walk Off).
Crave premiere date: November 18th, 2021 (first two episodes, new episodes every week) Genre: Comedy-drama Runtime: 10 episodes (around 30 minutes to an hour each)
Captain Burnham and the S.S. Discovery crew face a new threat that’s rocked both the Federation and non-Federation worlds.
Star Trek: Discovery was created by Bryan Fuller (Hannibal) and Alex Kurtzman (J.J. Abrams’ Star Trek movies) and stars Sonequa Martin-Green (The Walking Dead), Doug Jones (The Shape of Water), Anthony Rapp (Rent) and Mary Wiseman (Longmire).
Crave premiere date: November 18th, 2021 (new episodes weekly) Genre: Sci-fi Runtime: TBA
A standard Crave subscription is priced at $19.99/month, with Starz costing an additional $5.99/month. A mobile-only subscription is also available for $9.99/month.
The full list of movies and shows hitting Crave this month can be found here.
Netflix
Cowboy Bebop [Netflix Original]
A ragtag group of bounty hunters hunts criminals in its spaceship.
Based on Hajime Yatate’s anime of the same name, Cowboy Bebop was developed by André Nemec (Mission: Impossible — Ghost Protocol) and stars John Cho (Harold & Kumar series), Mustafa Shakir (Marvel’s Luke Cage) and Daniella Pineda (Jurassic World series).
Netflix Canada premiere date: November 19th, 2021 Genre: Sci-fi Runtime: Ten episodes (38 to 60 minutes each)
Fast approaching 30, a promising theatre composer balances his personal relationships and career in an effort to create something great.
Based on Rent creator Jonathan Larson’s semi-autographical musical of the same name, Tick, Tick… Boom! was directed by Lin-Manuel Miranda (Hamilton) and stars Andrew Garfield (Hacksaw Ridge), Robin de Jesús (In The Heights), Alexandra Shipp (Straight Outta Compton), Winnipeg-born Joshua Henry (Hamilton) and Vanessa Hudgens (High School Musical).
Netflix Canada premiere date: November 19th, 2021 Genre: Musical drama Runtime: 1 hour, 55 minutes
