Tom Hanks' Holiday Classic Dominates HBO Max Top 5
The beloved animated Christmas film featuring multiple Tom Hanks characters has surged into HBO Max's most-watched content as families prepare for holiday celebrations.
Holiday movie season has officially arrived, and streaming platforms are witnessing the annual surge in festive film viewership. HBO Max's top-performing content now features several seasonal favorites, with Tom Hanks' animated Christmas adventure climbing into the platform's five most-watched titles as of December 19, 2025.
The Actor's Unsettling Experience Behind the Scenes
The motion-capture holiday film presented unique challenges for Hanks, who lent his voice to numerous characters throughout the story. However, the demanding vocal work wasn't what left the deepest impression on the Hollywood veteran. Instead, it was the source material's creator, Chris Van Allsburg, whose original vision created an unexpectedly profound impact.
During a conversation with entertainment media, Hanks described the unusual combination of stunning artwork and compelling narrative that made both the book and film experience somewhat unsettling in the best possible way. This haunting quality became a major draw for his involvement in the project.
The book itself, the 29 pages of it, is a haunting, very effective story, and you really can't quite put your finger on it. I've been reading it to my kids, I think, since it was published. And as you get closer and closer to Christmas, you read it more and more. There's something very stunning, quite frankly, about Chris Van Allsburg's paintings.
The Enduring Appeal of Classic Holiday Entertainment
The continued popularity of older Christmas movies stems from several psychological factors that resonate with audiences year after year. Nostalgia plays a central role, as these films transport viewers back to simpler times and cherished memories from their past.
These movies also carry shared cultural values that many families have embraced across generations. When people watch films they grew up with, they're reinforcing the moral lessons and beliefs that helped shape their worldview during formative years.
Additionally, many classic holiday films were produced with smaller budgets, allowing filmmakers greater creative freedom to explore unique storytelling approaches while focusing on fundamental human connections rather than spectacular visual effects.
Box Office Success and Critical Reception
The Robert Zemeckis-directed film achieved significant commercial success, earning $286 million worldwide during its theatrical run. Critical reception proved more mixed, with professional reviewers giving it a 55% rating while audiences responded more favorably at 64%. The IMDb score currently stands at 6.6 out of 10, reflecting the divided opinions about the groundbreaking motion-capture animation technique used throughout the production.