Netflix to lose one of the greatest movie franchises of all time - and it's a must-watch in December

For all the great additions to Netflix in December, the loss of this particular series is going to sting. Head over to the Harry Potter movies in Netflix and you'll see they have a termination date - 31 December 2025. That's right, Netflix is set to drop the whole Harry Potter franchise, in the UK at least.

With eight movies in the series, that's a hefty chunk of viewing time over Christmas: 19 hours and 39 minutes in total. You don't have to cram in Fantastic Beasts as well, because that's staying on Netflix for the time being.

It feels like strange timing for Netflix, with the announcement on 5 December that it was to acquire Warner Bros (which would give it the rights to the Harry Potter movies), but with Paramount putting a rival bid on the table, it's unclear exactly where Harry Potter will land next.

There's a difference in these bids: Netflix wants the movie side of the business, while Paramount wants to take on Discovery and the pay channels too, as the BBC explains.

At the same time, there's a Harry Potter TV series in production, which is destined for HBO, but by the time it lands on the platform, it's unclear who will actually own it.

With so much turmoil in the world of Harry Potter, the best thing to do would be to turn up the heating, turn down the lights and nestle in for what's not technically a Christmas movie binge, but one that does Christmas so well.

Why Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone is a Christmas Film - YouTube

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Let's not forget that in the Philosopher's Stone (Sorcerer's Stone in the US) Harry experiences his first Christmas presents in his dorm room, offset only by discovering the Mirror of Erised highlighting the loneliness that the orphaned Potter feels.

The Prisoner of Azkaban gives us a little more: Harry has to sneak to Hogsmeade because he doesn't have a signed permission slip (we've all been there). The friends enjoy a butter beer at the Three Broomsticks after a bit of invisible fun in the snow.

Things are getting a little more edgy in the Goblet of Fire, but the Yule Ball is a spectacular to behold. It's hugely relatable: we've all been to a fancy ball with the wrong date and ended up having a massive argument with a friend.

Towards the end of the saga in Deathly Hallows Part 1, we see Harry and Hermione in Godric's Hollow, again with a snowy blanket covering everything. "Harry, I think it's Christmas Eve," says Hermione as dulcet Christmas carols are heard. It's an interesting parallel of Harry's loneliness in the Philosopher's Stone as he thinks about his absent parents.

Then Harry nearly gets eaten by a massive snake which isn't normally on my bingo card for a Christmas movie, but you can't have everything.

Importantly, the franchise moves a long at a decent pace especially through the first five movies, and it's suitable for the whole family. The advantage of slamming the entire saga back to back it that it's easier to keep up with the characters who are weaved in and out of the story and easy to lose track of.

You're on warning: Netflix will lose Harry Potter on at the end of December.