It is generally assumed that either Lifetime or the Hallmark Channel has the market cornered on sappy Christmas movies, especially when it comes to the onslaught of new films that are released year in and year out; however, Netflix has joined a host of other basic cable channels in creating their own Christmas flicks — but with a particularly clever twist. Out of the streamer’s holiday offerings, there is a fair number of their movies that are interconnected, which in turn has led to the inarguable creation of what can only be referred to as the NCU, or Netflix Christmas Universe.
One look at Netflix, and it becomes beyond clear that the streaming service has an abundance of Christmas movies to choose from, but if you want an in-depth look at the movies of the NCU and how they’re all connected, we’ve broken down each of these films and the fun ways in which they link up from time to time.
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The Christmas Prince Trilogy
A ChristmasPrince(2017) - Set in the kingdom of Aldovia, undercover reporter Amber (RoseMcIver) poses as a tutor to Princess Emily (Honor Kneafsey) in an attempt to get dirt on the elusive Prince Richard (Ben Lamb) as he is due to be crowned as King after his father’s recent death. Power-hungry cousin Simon (Theo Devaney) tries to wreak havoc but is ultimately excommunicated. The result is Richard’s coronation and a proposal to Amber to be his Queen.
A ChristmasPrince:The Royal Wedding(2018) - Amber and Richard’s wedding is full of stress. Amber is not enjoying the wedding planning being out of her control as King Richard’s latest initiative has been inexplicably bankrupting the country. When Amber’s two best friends arrive, the three of them, along with the clever Princess Emily and the new, remorseful Simon investigate and find corruption in the King’s trusted advisor, Lord Leopold (Simon Dutton). The country is miraculously repaired and Amber retakes control of her wedding on Christmas Day.
A ChristmasPrince: The Royal Baby(2019) - In the third installment, it’s time for a baby. This time around, Aldovia is on the eve of signing a centennial treaty with ally and nearby nation of Penglia. When the pact is stolen, a mystery unfolds as the treaty must be signed by Christmas or technically the nations are at war. And even worse, the firstborn child of the King will be cursed! One of the palace aides turns out to have stolen the treaty in revenge over a rumor that his ancestor was killed by a Penglian citizen. The royal baby daughter, Elleri, is born. Amber, along with Queen Helena (Alice Krige) and Queen Ming of Penglia (Momo Yeung) vow to change the role of women in the monarchy.
The Princess Switch Trilogy
The Princess Switch(2018) - Chicago bakery owner Stacy (VanessaHudgens) enters an international baking contest with her best friend Kevin (Nick Sagar) in the nation of Belgravia. Meanwhile, Lady Margaret, Duchess of Montenaro (also played by Hudgens) is struggling with her arranged engagement to Prince Edward of Belgravia (SamPalladio). As a judge in the baking competition, Margaret is stunned to find Stacy as they look exactly alike. Margaret convinces Stacy to switch places with her so she can learn about Belgravia as a commoner. Stacy bonds with Mrs. Donatelli (Suanne Braun), Margaret’s personal assistant, who continually runs interference with Edward’s nosy driver, Frank (Mark Fleischmann). Stacy and Prince Edward fall in love as do Lady Margaret and Kevin.
The Princess Switch: Switched Again(2020) - When Margaret’s father dies and her brother abdicates, she is next in line for the throne which royally screws up her romance with Kevin. But Edward and Stacy insist that Kevin and his daughter, Olivia (MiaLloyd) attend the coronation. Desperate to get Margaret and Kevin to spend some alone time together, Stacy and Margaret switch again. When Margaret’s wild cousin Fiona (yes, more Hudgens) arrives to create chaos with her two sidekicks Reggie and Mindy (Ricky NorwoodandFlorence Hall) it gets even more complicated when she decides to pose as Margaret in hopes of accidentally being crowned Queen. Reggie and Mindy kidnap Margaret (who is really Stacy) until Margaret realizes what has happened and rescues Stacy. Don’t worry, it all works out as Margaret marries Kevin and is crowned Queen of Montenaro.
The Princess Switch: Romancing the Star(2021) - Time for more switching! This time, Queen Margaret and Princess Stacy enlist the help of Cousin Fiona to recover the priceless Star of Peace, a sacred relic from the Vatican for the Montenaro Christmas Festival. Fiona, with the help of her minions Reggie and Mindy (all of whom are suspiciously not in prison), seeks out Fiona’s ex, Peter (Remy Hii) for help in the recovery of the artifact. Hijinks ensue and there’s another triple switch, but the Star of Peace is ultimately recovered. Fiona not only reunites with her mother, Bianca (Amanda Donohoe), but also opens her heart to Peter to make for a happy ending for all.
Other Movies in the Netflix Christmas Universe
The Knight Before Christmas(2019) - Norwich England, 1334, an old crone (Ella Kenion) sends Sir Cole (Josh Whitehouse) on a quest into a faraway land to fulfill his knighthood quest. Meanwhile, in Ohio in 2019, Brooke Winters (Vanessa Hudgens… again) is a middle school teacher who doesn’t believe in love or fairy tales. When Sir Cole appears out of nowhere, Brooke accidentally hits him with her car and takes him to her home for recovery. Along with the entire town, Brooke finds herself undone by the charm of Sir Cole. Thankfully, the old crone agrees. This film ends on a cliffhanger with the old crone putting the same charm on Sir Cole’s brother, Sir Geoffrey (Harry Jarvis).
A Castle for Christmas(2021) - In NYC, best-selling author Sophie Brown (Brooke Shields) is receiving a LOT of criticism for her latest novel. She decides to take off for Scotland for the holidays. There she encounters the grumpy Duke Myles (Cary Elwes) and decides to buy his foreclosing castle. Although they don’t get along at first, the two slowly find they have a lot in common and a lot of attraction to each other.
Peripheral Connections
This is a really fun world to get lost in. These movies know exactly what they are and, boy, do they have fun. There is plenty of room for expansion and with the popularity of these films, it is a foregone conclusion that this isn’t the last we’ve seen of these characters. With all this setup, the next logical step is for the NCU to make its own version ofEndgame, where the countries of Aldovia, Belgravia, Montenaro, and Penglia come together to save the world.
