The lord helps them that helps themselves

Crows are never the whiter for washing themselves

And those who respond to their Lord and keep up prayer, and their rule is to take counsel among themselves, and who spend out of what We have given them. (The Counsel 42.38)

Those who tickle themselves may laugh when they please

Those whom they call upon, themselves seek the means of access to their Lord-- whoever of them is nearest-- and they hope for His mercy and fear His chastisement; surely the chastisement of your Lord is a thing to be cautious of.

I think both of these new films opted for December because they saw themselves as natural successors to The Lord of the Rings.