Easter has already started, but if you’re stuck on what to watch during your time off then look no further.

Getting the obvious out of the way – yes, most of the movies on this list are not “Easter movies”, but it is a small collection of fun family-friendly movies that are perfect for a Spring watch.

This list is primarily based on the offerings from Disney+ in the UK & Ireland, so some movies may be subject to availability.

The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe

Based upon the first book in C.S. Lewis’ popular Chronicles of Narnia fantasy series, The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, sees four child evacuees sent to the countryside during the Blitz. There, they stumble upon an old wardrobe that hides a secret entrance to the magical land of Narnia.

Fun Facts:

• The inscription on the blade of Peter’s sword reads, “When Aslan shakes his mane, Narnia shall know spring again.”
• After budgetary disputes with Walden Media, Disney chose not to produce the third movie, The Voyage of the Dawn Treader. 20th Century Fox stepped in and produced the movie under its Fox 2000 Pictures label. Disney eventually gained ownership of the distribution rights in 2019, thanks to their purchase of 20th Century Fox.

Hocus Pocus 2

What’s this? A recommendation for a Halloween movie during Easter? It may surprise you that some European countries celebrate Easter with traditions commonly associated with Halloween. For example, Nordic children dress up as witches or elderly people and go trick-or-treating. This witchy tradition comes from an old Swedish legend about witches flying to Blockula (a legendary island) a few days before Easter.

We chose Hocus Pocus 2 over the original simply because it features more witches than the original.

Fun Facts:

• Keep your eyes peeled for the cameo appearance of the late Garry and Penny Marshall, who appear via archive footage from the first movie.
• Mary’s signature crooked mouth inexplicably switches sides between movies. A deleted scene explains that the switch is due to Winnifred slapping Mary so hard that the slant switches from right to left. In real life, the switch is simply because Kathy Najimy can no longer hold the crooked smile on the right-hand side.

Ice Age: The Great Egg-Scapade

Probably the only true Easter movie on Disney+. In this special, Sid the sloth becomes an egg nanny, unfortunately, he loses it which leads to the very first Easter Egg hunt. Hijinks ensue.

Secrets of Christ’s Tomb: Explorer Special

A little different from our other entries on this list, but for those looking for an injection of a more traditional Easter, then you might be interested in this National Geographic special in which a team races to repair the alleged tomb of Jesus Christ.

Sister Act

Academy Award-winner Whoopi Goldberg stars as Deloris Van Cartier who, after witnessing her mob boss boyfriend murder someone, is placed under witness protection. Where is she placed? Why a run-down convent of course. But posing as a nun is a bit too much for the trouble-making Deloris and as punishment for one of her escapades, she is placed within the convent choir. This turns out to be a blessing in disguise because, with her help, the choir turns into an overnight sensation.

Sister Act is a joyous movie that is great fun from start to finish!

Fun Facts:

• Bette Midler turned down the offer to play Deloris.
• Alongside acting, Carrie Fisher was a prominent script doctor and helped rewrite Coyote Ugly, Made in America, Hook, Scream 3 (in which she also makes a cameo) and, you guessed it, Sister Act!

The Sound of Music

From one nun to a-nun-ver.

Starring Julie Andrews and Christopher Plummer, The Sound of Music is one of the greatest musicals ever made and it has become a holiday tradition thanks to its yearly TV broadcasts during Easter and Christmas.

The movie tells the true story of how Maria Kutschera met Georg von Trapp and his children on the eve of the Anschluss (the Annexation of Austria into the German Reich). Through their shared love of music, Maria goes from Baroness to a much-loved member of the family.

Fun Facts:

• The Sound of Music was so popular in South Korea that one cinema owner decided to shorten the film to allow more daily screenings. What did he cut? Only all of the bloody songs!
• The real-life Maria and two of her children can be seen during the “I Have Confidence” number. (See the GIF below: They are the 3 women crossing the street in the bottom left. Maria von Trapp is the lady who briefly looks directly at Andrews).

Night at the Museum

When Larry Daley (Ben Stiller) gets a job as the new night security guard at New York’s Museum of Natural History, he thinks it’ll be an easy job. Little does he know that a magical tablet brings all of the exhibits come to life at night.

Night at the Museum is an exciting localised adventure, perfect for the late afternoon.

Fun Facts:

• The film debut of Academy Award-winning star of The Twilight Saga – Breaking Dawn: Part 2, Rami Malek!
• Eddie Murphy had to turn down the offer to play Larry due to scheduling conflicts. However, his late brother, Charlie Murphy, briefly appears as a cab driver.
• You can skip through Ricky Gervais’ scenes without it affecting the plot!!!!!

Winnie the Pooh: Springtime with Roo

In one of the many classic entries in Disney’s Winnie the Pooh franchise, Springtime with Roo sees the gang head to Rabbit’s house to celebrate Easter, only to find that Rabbit has organized a big Spring Cleaning Day.

The Wonderful Spring of Mickey Mouse

In the second instalment in Disney’s seasonal Mickey Mouse specials, Mickey Mouse and Friends explore the promise of the spring season through the lens of a unique nature documentary.

Fun Facts:

• Mickey Mouse briefly takes on his monster form from Runaway Brain.
• The special features cameo appearances from Disney characters and references to Pixar and the Disney parks.

Zootropolis/Zootopia

Included because the main character is a rabbit, innit.

Zootropolis is a CGI-animated film following Officer Judy Hopps as she teams up with conman fox, Nick Wilde, to solve a mystery involving predator animals going rabid.

Fun Facts:

• Alan Tudyk plays Duke Weaselton, a call-back to his character in Frozen, Duke of Weselton who is often referred to as the Duke of Weaseltown.
• Apes and Monkeys were omitted from the film due to them being too similar to their fellow primates: Humans.

What movies do you plan on watching this Easter? Let us know on Twitter or in the comments below!

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