It’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas, which means there’s enough streaming content to stuff a stocking with, says columnist NICK OVERALL.

THE annual flood of movies and TV shows to get families watching over the holiday season has begun, and Netflix is up front and centre with a new adaptation of “Pinocchio”.

One would be forgiven for mistaking this new film for Disney’s remake, which came out mere weeks ago and quite literally tried to turn the famous puppet into a real boy. 

It was the latest effort to transform their animated classics into more “realistic”, live action movies, similar to what they’ve done with “Dumbo”, “Mulan”, “The Lion King” and so the list goes on.

Sad to say, their newest attempt to reinvent “Pinnochio” was wooden to say the least.

Luckily over on Netflix, Mexican director Guillermo Del Toro has gifted audiences with a bizarre and masterful new take on the tale.

At first glance Del Toro is a peculiar choice for the classic children’s story, given his fame for making horror films, but he’s brought an entirely fresh angle to a narrative that’s been told and re-rold for almost 150 years.

Where Disney’s 1940 classic and new remake focuses on the family-friendly elements of Carolo Collodi’s 19th century novel, Del Toro hones in on the darker and more macabre elements.

An intricately crafted stop-motion animation style creates an absorbing atmosphere and the film comes packaged with a line up of stellar voice talent including Ewan McGregor, Cate Blanchett, Chrstoph Waltz and Tilda Swinton.

While the result is a movie that may be a little much for younger kids to handle, older kids and parents alike will delight in this new version.

I’d dare go as far as to say this might be the best adaptation of “Pinocchio” ever made. No, my nose isn’t growing.

IT’s not the only hit Netflix has on its hands this month. 

“Wednesday”, the latest curiosity to come from the wonderfully weird mind of Tim Burton, has become one of the platform’s most successful shows of all time.

This eight-episode, spin-off to ’60s sitcom “The Addams Family” has taken out the record for the most watched Netflix debut ever.

In its first few weeks alone it’s been seen by more than 50 million households, racking up more than 350 million hours of collective viewing.

Jenna Ortega brings deadpan charm to the show’s titular Wednesday Addams, a surly supernatural teen who’s sent to the Nevermore Academy – something of an alma mater for outcasts.

Enjoyable, if slightly juvenile, “Wednesday” will be a Christmas treat for viewers who enjoy Burton’s hallmark gothic weirdness and pitch-black comedy.

MEANWHILE, Paramount Plus has secured viewers first-class tickets to the danger zone.

From December 22 the platform will include access to “Top Gun: Maverick” – nothing short of 2022’s biggest film.

This follow up to the 1986 classic managed to cross a whopping one billion dollars at the box office after being delayed multiple times due to the pandemic.

During the height of covid, the streaming services swarmed over the rights to the film – hoping to be the first to offer audiences access to the blockbuster.

The only reason it didn’t come to streaming first was due to the direct orders of Tom Cruise himself, who demanded the movie go to the cinema first.

It’ll be a boon for Paramount Plus to offer the thrilling aerial choreography to audiences from their own home.

You might be thinking that supernatural mysteries and dogfighting isn’t all that festive.

This year the streaming services seem to have toned down the Christmas-themed content in favour of blockbuster movies and TV shows.

Disney Plus has also opted for a remake of “National Treasure”, the 2000’s adventure films starring Nicolas Cage, while Amazon Prime Video’s big release this month is a new season of the espionage thriller “Jack Ryan”.

For those who are looking for something more festive to stream, “Love Actually” is on Stan and, for an added excuse, is about to turn 20-years-old.

Not to ruin anyone’s Christmas cheer, but director Richard Curtis recently said he regrets that his classic film doesn’t have more diversity, describing it as slightly “out of date”.

Will this nonsense ever end? At the rate we’re going, I can picture one certain jolly old white man who will be cancelled next.