| By Carol Brennan |
This December promises to be an exciting one for moviegoers of all ages, and Gale In Context: Biography is a tremendous resource for discovering more about the stars and creative professionals behind some notable releases.
The animated feature Moana 2 hit theaters in late November 2024, just in time for Thanksgiving audiences. The Disney release continues the saga of its heroic, ocean-navigating female lead. Auliʻi Cravalho (born 2001) returns as the voice of Moana, who is older, more confident, and ready to embark on an epic journey. Reprising the voice role of the title character’s chieftain father from the 2016 film will be Māori New Zealand actor Temuera Morrison (born 1960), whose long list of credits includes Boba Fett in The Mandalorian and other roles in the Star Wars franchise.
World War II saga The Six Triple Eight from Tyler Perry (born 1969) arrives in theaters in early December, but streams on Netflix in time for Christmas. Kerry Washington (born 1977) stars as Major Charity Adams Earley (1918–2002), the commanding officer of the all-Black, all-female US Women’s Army Corps (WAC) unit, more formally known as the 6888th Central Postal Directory Battalion. Through the advocacy of trailblazing college founder Mary McLeod Bethune (1875–1955), Major Earley and her WACs arrived in England and worked round-the-clock shifts to deliver a staggering backlog of an estimated 17 million letters and packages to US military personnel in the final, deadly months of the fight against fascism. Bethune is played by Oprah Winfrey (born 1954) with Susan Sarandon (born 1946) in the role of First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt (1884–1962).
Opening in theaters on December 20, Mufasa: The Lion King was directed by Oscar winner Barry Jenkins (born 1979) who took home the Best Picture trophy at the 2017 Academy Awards for Moonlight. The upcoming photorealistic Lion King musical features a wealth of talent, including Beyoncé, Donald Glover, and Thandiwe Newton. Mufasa’s envious brother Scar is voiced by Kelvin Harrison Jr. (born 1994), who portrayed Black Panther Party activist Fred Hampton (1948–1969) in The Trial of the Chicago 7, the acclaimed 2020 film by Aaron Sorkin (born 1961).
Timothée Chalamet (born 1995) tackles a career-defining role as folk legend Bob Dylan (born 1941) in a December 25 release, A Complete Unknown, from director James Mangold (born 1963). The Dylan biopic is adapted from the 2015 book by songwriter and cultural historian Elijah Wald (born 1959), Dylan Goes Electric! Newport, Seeger, Dylan, and the Night That Split the Sixties. Also set for a holiday-release date is the vampire film Nosferatu from writer-director Robert Eggers (born 1983), who made the acclaimed Viking saga The Northman (2022) with Swedish actor Alexander Skarsgård (born 1976). Nosferatu stars Bill Skarsgård (born 1990), also the son of veteran Swedish actor Stellan Skarsgård (born 1951). Eggers’ film is a remake of the 1922 classic from German filmmaking pioneer F. W. Murnau (1888–1931), based on the 1897 novel Dracula by Irish writer Bram Stoker (1847–1912).
Discover more about these people and others in Gale In Context: Biography.
About the Author
Carol Brennan has been writing biographical entries for Cengage/Gale since 1993. If she’s not writing, she is either at yoga or walking her dachshund. Carol consumes an alarming volume of podcasts and audiobooks weekly.