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Tricks and treats! Just before Halloween, Netflix and Disney+ are bringing spooky specials to families and highly-anticipated new releases from two pop stars that are household names.
First, queue up a Halloween marathon for your kids to set the mood for the holiday — and to keep things festive while you’re likely catching up with what needs to be done before Oct. 31, like the finishing touches on costumes, or pivoting completely when when your little one changes their mind last-minute. Consider this a reminder to confirm trick-or-treating plans with friends. Stock up on candy, or whatever your family prefers to have and hand out for Halloween. Don’t forget a costume for yourself, or it’ll be another year wearing a witch hat for you, too. New on this family’s radar this week is Netflix special Sing: Thriller. Let’s see how the popular children’s movie franchise mixes in the ultimate pop classic.
Also ahead of Halloween, catch the premiere of Olivia Rodrigo‘s Guts World Tour concert film on Netflix. Whether you kind of regret missing her tour (it’s me, hi!) or want to experience it again with your family, it’ll be a chance to take in the show with kids of all ages, wrapped in blankets while singing along in your own living room.
On the eve before All Hallows’ Eve, the spin-off of Selena Gomez‘s Wizards of Waverly Place, known as Wizards Beyond Waverly Place, finally arrives on Disney+. Parents who remember the original series can see where nostalgia takes them.
Find out more about this week’s top picks in the Billboard Family Hits of the Week:
Add ‘Sing: Thriller’ to Your Family Movie Night
“Please take your seats. The show is about to begin,” promises this trailer for Illumination’s Sing: Thriller, streaming on Netflix. The new Sing short plays on the season’s spookiness and clocks in at just 11 minutes, making for a nice, and not too scary, pre-show option ahead of your family’s favorite Halloween classic on movie night this week. The animated special features a spectacle inspired by Michael Jackson‘s “Thriller,” with characters children will remember from previous Sing films. Voice talent includes Matthew McConaughey, Tori Kelly, Nick Kroll, Scarlett Johansson and more. It’s on Netflix now.
Watch Olivia Rodrigo’s Guts World Tour at Home
The Guts World Tour took Rodrigo across North America, Europe, Asia and Australia in 2024. Now it’s making its way to Netflix on Oct. 29. The trailer (above) for Olivia Rodrigo: Guts World Tour, a concert movie filmed over two shows at Los Angeles’ Intuit Dome in August, was just released.
The singer-songwriter/former High School Musical: The Musical: The Series star’s tour had the young hitmaker performing songs from Sour and Guts, both albums that went to No. 1 on the Billboard 200 chart. Who hasn’t had a full-family car sing-along to “Drivers License”? As Billboard noted in a review of another L.A. show, a Rodrigo concert is “a little bit Disney, a lot rock ‘n’ roll.” Her Netflix film should have a little bit for everyone, from those with a preference for her earnest, soaring piano ballads to those that appreciate how she pays homage to ’90s rock in style and stage energy, especially with tracks like “Brutal” and “Get Him Back!”
Get Ready for ‘Wizards Beyond Waverly Place’
Grown-ups know Selena Gomez brings the dry humor to the excellent Only Murders in the Building. Based on the trailer for new family comedy series Wizards Beyond Waverly Place, Gomez’s comedic delivery comes along for the ride in the sequel to the sitcom that made her a Disney star. The original Wizards of Waverly Place, which starred Gomez as young wizard Alex Russo and won two Primetime Emmy Awards, aired on the Disney Channel for four seasons spanning 2007-2012.
The Wizards spin-off introduces a new wizard-in-training to your kids’ generation: Billie (newcomer Janice LeAnn). Gomez’s Alex brings Billie to the familiar face of her brother Justin Russo (David Henrie), which gets the now-regular dad to go back to his days of magic. For those with access to the Disney Channel, you can get an early preview of episode one on Oct. 29. Wizards Beyond Waverly Place arrives on Disney+ on Oct. 30, which is where we’ll check it out.
