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A 39-years-later sequel to the beloved holiday classic A Christmas Story—what could possibly go wrong?
Joel Cunningham
Credit: A Christmas Story Christmas/HBO Max - Fair Use
If the risk/reward ratio for making a movie sequel grows more skewed with both how beloved the original is and how much time has passed, A Christmas Story Christmas may be one of the most fraught films ever made. I certainly can’t help but greet the followup to 1983's perennial basic cable classic A Christmas Story, arriving inauspiciously on HBO Max on Nov. 17, with skepticism. It’s either going to be a better-than-passable nostalgia trip (Bill and Ted Face the Music) or an unmitigated disaster (take your pick; there have been a lot of them lately).
It’s too soon to tell, and we haven’t seen much footage yet. All we know is that the story follows the now-adult Ralphie (played once again by Peter Billingsley, whose sparkling blue peepers haven’t aged a day, even as the rest of him makes me feel impossibly ancient) as he returns home to “give his kids a magical Christmas like the one he had as a child” and see some old friends, with many of the kids from the original returning to remind us that every Christmas (and every viewing of A Christmas Story) brings us one step closer to death.
I’m much less concerned about another long-awaited (by me) return; the second season of The Sex Lives of College Girls, the very good show with the very bad title that not nearly enough of you are talking about, premieres Nov. 17 too. Created by Mindy Kaling, it blends the spark and character authenticity of her Netflix series Never Have I Ever with enough frank sexuality that it garnered early comparisons to Sex and the City, but it reminds me more of an uncensored version of the gone-too-soon early aughts Fox sitcom Undeclared. Anyway, binge the first season now.
Here’s everything else coming to (and leaving) HBO Max in November, including a new reality show called The Big Brunch (Nov. 10), hosted by Dan Levy, and doesn’t that sound delightful (or insufferable, based on your tolerance level for the Schitt’s Creek alumni); and Love, Lizzo (Nov. 24), a documentary about the large and larger-than-life rap superstar. Titles with (HBO) next to them are available on HBO and HBO Max; everything else is exclusive to HBO Max.
What’s coming to HBO Max in November 2022
Arriving Nov. 1
Three Amigos, 1986 (HBO)
(500) Days of Summer, 2009 (HBO)
50 First Dates, 2004
Accepted, 2006 (HBO)
Amazing Grace, 2006 (HBO)
American Boy: A Profile of Steven Prince, 1978
Arthur Christmas, 2011
The Automat, 2021
The B-Side: Elsa Dorfman’s Portrait Photography (HBO)
The Big Shave, 1967
The Bucket List, 2007
Caddyshack, 1980
A Christmas Dream, 1984
City Hall, 1996 (HBO)
Devil’s Due, 2014 (HBO)
Draft Day, 2014 (HBO)
Equals, 2015 (HBO)
Excess Baggage, 1997 (HBO)
From Dusk Till Dawn 2: Texas Blood Money, 1999 (HBO)
From Dusk Till Dawn 3: Hangman’s Daughter, 1999 (HBO)
A Guy Thing, 2003 (HBO)
Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone, 2001
Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, 2002
Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, 2004
Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, 2005
Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, 2007
Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, 2009
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1, 2010
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2, 2011
Harry Potter and The Sorcerer’s Stone: Magical Movie Mode, 2001
Ingrid Goes West, 2017 (HBO)
It’s Not Just You, Murray!, 1974
Italianamerican, 1974
Leatherface, 2017 (HBO)
Legion, 2020 (HBO)
Little Woods, 2018 (HBO)
Lizzie, 2018 (HBO)
Loser, 2000 (HBO)
The Man With Two Brains, 1983 (HBO)
A Midsummer Night’s Sex Comedy, 1982 (HBO)
A Million Ways to Die in the West, 2014 (Extended Version), (HBO)
Miss Sloane, 2016 (HBO)
Morris From America, 2016 (HBO)
Mr. Mom, 1983 (HBO)
Murder In The First, 1995 (HBO)
My Beautiful Laundrette, 1985 (HBO)
National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation, 1989
The Next Karate Kid, 1994
Never Goin’ Back, 2018 (HBO)
Neighbors, 2014 (HBO)
Pieces of April, 2003 (HBO)
A Prayer Before Dawn, 2017 (HBO)
Prom Night, 2008
Race, 2016 (HBO)
Raging Bull, 1980 (HBO)
Richard III, 1995 (HBO)
Se7en, 1995
See How They Run, 2022 (HBO)
Shutter, 2008 (Extended Version), (HBO)
Slice, 2018 (HBO)
Star Trek: The Motion Picture, 1979 (Director’s Cut), (HBO)
Star Trek II: The Wrath Of Khan, 1982 (HBO)
Star Trek III: The Search For Spock, 1984 (HBO)
Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home, 1986 (HBO)
Star Trek V: The Final Frontier, 1989 (HBO)
Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country, 1991 (Director’s Cut), (HBO)
Star Trek: Generations, 1994 (Director’s Cut), (HBO)
Star Trek: First Contact, 1996 (HBO)
Star Trek: Insurrection, 1998 (HBO)
Star Trek: Nemesis, 2002 (HBO)
Stargate, 1994 (Director’s Cut), (HBO)
Time Freak, 2018 (HBO)
What’s a Nice Girl Like You Doing in a Place Like This?, 1992
While We’re Young, 2014 (HBO)
Yentl, 1983 (HBO)
Arriving Nov. 3
Chris Redd: Why Am I Like This?, Max Original Premiere
Low Country: The Murdaugh Dynasty, Max Original Premiere
My Sesame Street Friends, Max Original Season 3 Premiere
Sesame Street, Season 53 Premiere
Titans, Max Original Season 4
Arriving Nov. 4
Magnolia Table with Joanna Gaines, Season 7
Arriving Nov. 5
Bugs Bunny Builders, Season 1B
Arriving Nov. 8
Batwheels, Season 1C
Craig of the Creek, Season 4D
Say Hey, Willie Mays!, 2022 (HBO)
Arriving Nov. 9
All Rise, Season 3A
Hard Knocks: In Season: The Arizona Cardinals (HBO)
Arriving Nov. 10
HBO First Look: The Menu (HBO)
The Big Brunch, Max Original Season 1 Premiere
The Critic (El Crítico), Max Original Premiere
Arriving Nov. 11
The Craftsman, Season 2
Entre Nos: The Winners 3
For the Love of Kitchens, Season 2
Fruitvale Station, 2013
Ian Lara: Romantic Comedy (HBO)
Arriving Nov. 12
Lil Rel Howery: I Said It: Y’all Thinking It (HBO)
Arriving Nov. 13
Hazlo Como Hombre, 2017
Luna’s World (No Mundo Da Luna), Max Original Season 1 Premiere
Arriving Nov. 16
Entourage, 2015 (HBO)
Master of Light (HBO Documentary)
Arriving Nov. 17
A Christmas Story Christmas, 2022
Muxes, Max Original Premiere
Paradise (Paraíso), Max Original Season 2 Premiere
Santa Camp, Max Original Premiere
The Sex Lives of College Girls, Max Original Season 2 Premiere
Arriving Nov. 18
Camilo: El Primer Tour De Mi Vida (HBO)
Food Affair with Mark Wiens, Max Original Premiere
Arriving Nov. 19
2022 Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony (HBO)
Arriving Nov. 20
Looney Tunes: King Tweety, 2022
Arriving Nov. 21
Ben Is Back, 2018
Arriving Nov. 23
Shaq (HBO)
Arriving Nov. 24
A Christmas Mystery, 2022
Holiday Harmony, 2022
Love, Lizzo, Max Original Premiere
Arriving Nov. 25
We’re Here, Season 3 Premiere (HBO)
Arriving Nov. 29
My So-Called High School Rank (HBO Original Documentary)
Piano Y Mujer 2
What’s leaving HBO Max in November 2022
Leaving Nov. 2
The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies, 2014
Leaving Nov. 8
Food Wars! Shokugeki no Soma (S5) (Dubbed)
Food Wars! Shokugeki no Soma (S5) (Subtitled)
Leaving Nov. 11
Dunkirk, 2017
Leaving Nov. 13
Hard Knocks: In Season: The Indianapolis Colts (HBO)
Leaving Nov. 16
Godzilla vs. Kong, 2021 (HBO)
Leaving Nov. 25
Ernie & Joe: Crisis Cops, 2019 (HBO)
Inside Man, 2006 (HBO)
Leaving Nov. 27
Anna Karenina, 2012 (HBO)
Leaving Nov. 30
42, 2013
2021 Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony
21 & Over, 2013 (HBO)
All the Pretty Horses, 2000
Arsenal, 2017 (HBO)
The Aviator, 2004
The Bank Job, 2008
Being There, 1979
Black Dynamite, 2009
Breakdown, 1997 (HBO)
Bushwhacked, 1995 (HBO)
Butterfield 8, 1960
Chain Lightning, 1950
Child 44, 2015 (HBO)
Days of Thunder, 1990 (HBO)
Doctor Dolittle, 1967 (HBO)
Domino, 2005 (HBO)
Dr. Dolittle 3, 2006 (HBO)
Dying Young, 1991 (HBO)
Exorcist II: The Heretic, 1977
Fast Company, 1979 (HBO)
Fatal Attraction, 1987 (HBO)
Freddy vs. Jason, 2003
Freddy’s Dead: The Final Nightmare, 1991
Friday the 13th, 1980
Full Metal Jacket, 1987
Gaslight, 1944
Girl Most Likely, 2012 (HBO)
Godzilla, 1998
Gypsy, 1963
Hart’s War, 2002 (HBO)
Hasta Que La Boda Nos Separe (The Wedding Unplanner), 2020 (HBO)
He’s Just Not That Into You, 2009
How to Survive a Plague, 2012
It’s Always Fair Weather, 1955
Ivanhoe, 1952
Jack The Giant Slayer, 2013 (HBO)
Jackie Brown, 1997 (HBO)
La Leyenda Negra, 2020 (HBO)
Life Partners, 2014 (HBO)
Masters Of The Universe, 1987 (HBO)
Midnight Family, 2019 (HBO)
My Days Of Mercy, 2017 (HBO)
News Of The World, 2020
A Nightmare on Elm Street, 1984
A Nightmare on Elm Street 2: Freddy’s Revenge, 1985
A Nightmare on Elm Street 3: Dream Warriors, 1987
A Nightmare on Elm Street 5: The Dream Child, 1989
A Nightmare on Elm Street, 2010
Objective, Burma!, 1945
Out of the Past, 1947
Percy Jackson Sea of Monsters, 2013 (HBO)
Perfect Stranger, 2007 (HBO)
Poltergeist, 1982
Promising Young Woman, 2020 (HBO)
R.I.P.D., 2013 (HBO)
Racer And The Jailbird, 2017 (HBO)
Remember Me, 2010 (HBO)
Return To House On Haunted Hill, 2007 (HBO)
Runner Runner, 2013 (HBO)
Selena, 1997
The Singing Nun, 1966
Snitch, 2013 (HBO)
A Star Is Born, 1954
Sunrise at Campobello, 1960
Surrogates, 2009 (HBO)
Tim Burton’s Corpse Bride, 2005
The Aviator, 2004 (HBO)
The Day After Tomorrow, 2004 (HBO)
The Happening, 2008 (HBO)
The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey, 2012 (HBO)
The Incredible Burt Wonderstone, 2013 (HBO)
The Legend Of Hercules, 2014 (HBO)
The Night House, 2020 (HBO)
The Truman Show, 1998
Tristan & Isolde, 2006 (HBO)
The Two Jakes, 1990 (HBO)
Unfinished Song, 2012 (HBO)
Unforgiven, 1992
W., 2008 (HBO)
Waiting To Exhale, 1995 (HBO)
Wes Craven’s New Nightmare, 1994
What Bitch? 2020
Wicker Park, 2004 (HBO)
XXX, 2002
XXX: State of the Union, 2005
Young Guns, 1988
Young Guns II, 1990
Joel Cunningham
Deputy Editor
Joel Cunningham is Lifehacker’s Deputy Editor. Previously, he was the Managing Editor of content marketing for Barnes & Noble, where he also founded The Barnes & Noble Sci-Fi & Fantasy Blog and published a novelette by the Malaysian fantasy author Zen Cho that won a Hugo Award in 2019. At the start of his career, Joel won awards of his own from the Illinois Press Association for his work as a local journalist. He currently lives in Brooklyn, NY. You can find him on Bluesky.
Read Joel's full bio
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