Key points
- Netflix releases eight new originals between Wednesday, Nov. 18 and Friday, Nov. 27, 2026, led by the animated Cinderella spin-off Steps on Nov. 20.
- The Hunting Wives season 2 arrives on Thanksgiving Day, Thursday, Nov. 26, with Brittany Snow and Malin Akerman back.
- Two European films frame the fortnight: Léa Seydoux in Gentle Monster on Nov. 18 and Vincent Cassel as Quasimodo on Nov. 27.
- Family viewers get a holiday rom-com on Nov. 18 and a festive bake-off from the Great British Baking Show tent on Nov. 23.
Contents
- Wednesday, Nov. 18: a Cannes thriller, a holiday rom-com and a mall game show
- Friday, Nov. 20: Steps rewrites Cinderella from the stepsister’s side
- Monday, Nov. 23 to Thanksgiving: the baking tent, then The Hunting Wives
- Friday, Nov. 27: Vincent Cassel plays Quasimodo in Paris
- Which Netflix title fits which viewer this Thanksgiving?
- Subtitles or dubbing for the European films
Eight Netflix originals land between Wednesday, Nov. 18 and Friday, Nov. 27, 2026, giving viewers plenty to choose from over the long Thanksgiving weekend beyond The Altruists, the FTX limited series arriving Nov. 19. The release calendar compiled by What’s on Netflix mixes a Christmas romance, an animated musical, a holiday bake-off and two European dramas.
Here is what drops on which day, who each title suits, and what to check before starting the two non-English films.
Wednesday, Nov. 18: a Cannes thriller, a holiday rom-com and a mall game show
Gentle Monster is the prestige pick of the day. Written and directed by Austrian filmmaker Marie Kreutzer, it stars Léa Seydoux as Lucy, a concert pianist whose life falls apart when police turn up at the family’s new country home with accusations against her husband.
The film competed at Cannes and had its US premiere at Telluride. It opened in theaters on Oct. 30. According to Netflix‘s Tudum, the Netflix release covers the US, Canada, the UK, Australia and New Zealand, with Catherine Deneuve, Laurence Rupp and Jella Haase in the supporting cast.
The same day brings Guarding Stars, a holiday romantic comedy adapted from Katherine Center’s 2022 novel The Bodyguard. Leighton Meester plays Hannah Brooks, a no-nonsense bodyguard assigned to movie star Jack Stapleton, played by Jared Padalecki. Andie MacDowell co-stars, and Elizabeth Allen Rosenbaum directs.
Reality fans can start Win the Mall, hosted by content creator Haley Baylee. Ten teams of expert shoppers fight for control of storefronts inside a working mall, with guest appearances from Jonathan Van Ness, Keith Lee, Salish Matter and Lilly Singh.
Friday, Nov. 20: Steps rewrites Cinderella from the stepsister’s side
The fortnight’s biggest family release is Steps, the first film made fully in-house by Netflix Animation. The film retells Cinderella from the stepsister’s side.
Adults looking for something heavier can pair it with Primetime Preacher$, a documentary by Joe Berlinger about the 1980s boom in TV evangelism. It focuses on Jim Bakker, Jerry Falwell and Jimmy Swaggart.
Monday, Nov. 23 to Thanksgiving: the baking tent, then The Hunting Wives
The Great British Baking Show: Holidays returns for season 9 on Monday, Nov. 23, with two episodes. Paul Hollywood and Prue Leith judge holiday bakes by returning contestants and the cast of the British sitcom Peep Show.
Thanksgiving Day itself belongs to The Hunting Wives season 2, out Thursday, Nov. 26,. Brittany Snow and Malin Akerman return as Sophie and Margo, now on the outs, until old secrets and new enemies force the East Texas socialites back together. The show is for adults only.
Friday, Nov. 27: Vincent Cassel plays Quasimodo in Paris
Black Friday brings The Hunchback, Soul of Paris, a French take on Victor Hugo’s character. It is set in 1830 Paris during a cholera outbreak, with Vincent Cassel as a hunchback hunted for medical experiments and caught between political unrest and an impossible love.
Karim Leklou, Benjamin Voisin and Daphné Patakia co-star, from a screenplay by Éric Besnard and Edgar Marie. It is a dark, adult-oriented reimagining, not a remake of the 1996 Disney film.
Which Netflix title fits which viewer this Thanksgiving?
The table below matches each release with the audience it suits best.
| Date | Title | Best for |
|---|---|---|
| Wed., Nov. 18 | Guarding Stars | Holiday rom-com fans |
| Wed., Nov. 18 | Win the Mall | Reality competition viewers |
| Wed., Nov. 18 | Gentle Monster | Arthouse drama, adults |
| Fri., Nov. 20 | Steps | Families with kids |
| Fri., Nov. 20 | Primetime Preacher$ | Documentary and history buffs |
| Mon., Nov. 23 | Baking Show: Holidays | Cozy viewing, all ages |
| Thu., Nov. 26 | The Hunting Wives S2 | Adult thriller binge |
| Fri., Nov. 27 | The Hunchback, Soul of Paris | Period drama, adults |
For a mixed-age household, the gentlest choices are Steps, the baking special and Guarding Stars. None of the three involves crime or a real court case.
Subtitles or dubbing for the European films
Gentle Monster is an Austrian-German production and The Hunchback, Soul of Paris is a French one. On Netflix, audio and subtitle tracks can be changed from the playback menu, and the languages on offer vary by country.
Purists will want the original audio with English subtitles. Viewers watching on a TV across the room may prefer an English dub, if their region offers one. For more releases, see
The next titles arrive at the end of the month: several licensed films are listed for Monday, Nov. 30, though which ones you get depends on your country.