As the biggest holiday of the year approaches, production companies like Netflix are gearing up to keep audiences entertained for the whole week. Although watching classic Christmas movies is a tradition, it is always a delight to find new Christmas movies that provide a wide variety of content, such as romance, Santa adventures, family comedies, and horror. The Noel Diary, one of the few Christmas movies arriving on Netflix this year, looks promising enough to keep audiences enthralled.
The Noel Diary is a romantic comedy film starring Justin Harley, Bonnie Bedelia, Barrett Doss, and Treat Williams. The film was directed by Charles Shyer and co-produced by Margret H. Huddleston, Stephanie Slack, and Ridoyanul Hoq. With The Noel Diary based on Richard Paul Evans's 2017 New York Times bestseller novel set to release in time for this festive season, here's everything we know about it.
The Noel Diary: Plot
Jacob Turner, the best-selling author of The Final Midnight, hasn't been home in over two decades since his mentally ill mother drove him out when he was a teenager. As he goes about his usual life as an admired novelist, he receives a call from the lawyer of his mother's estate (a few days before Christmas) informing him that his mother passed last week. Jacob returns home two decades later, not just because of the house his mother left for him but also to reflect on the pain he endured with his abusive mother in the past.
When he arrives at Turner's residence, he encounters a woman named Rachel, who is also looking for the estate. Rachel is the daughter of the lady who used to work as a nanny there and is searching for her mother. After learning that his father is still alive, Jacob and Rachel go on a quest to discover the truths about their past and mend the scars that pierce deep into their conscience.
The Noel Diary: Cast & Crew
Justin Harley is taking up the main lead role in the film as a son looking for answers from his recently deceased mother. He previously worked on NBC's critically acclaimed award-winning series This is Us, which premiered in September 2016. Given that the actor is no stranger to romantic comedy films, we can expect a fantastic performance from him in this one. Barret Doss is aiding Jacob Turner (Justin Harley) as Rachel on his journey in the hope of looking for answers to her questions. The actress is well-known for her roles in Iron Fist, Station 19, and Person of Interest.
While James Remar and Essence Atkins play Justin Harley's mother and father, Bonnie Bedelia assumes the role of a kind neighbor who steers the main characters' path. Andrea Sooch, Vivian Full, Jeff Corbett, Aaron Costa Ganis, Lauren Yaffe, Jacob Mackinnon, Alexander Blaise, Samantha Smart, Baylen D. Bielitz, Sophia Carlin, Mike Donovan, Gina D'Acciaro, and Blaise Morris are among the other cast members shown in the trailer.
The film is directed by Charles Shyer, who is famed for his previous popular movies, Private Benjamin (1980), The Parent Trap (1998), Alfie (2004), and Father of the Bride (1991). While Rebecca Connor, Richard Paul Evans, and David Golden serve as scriptwriters, Charles Shyer also contributes to the script. Shyer revealed to Access Hollywood why he sought to adapt this story. He stated:
"I wanted to adapt this novel for a few different reasons. The story of The Noel Diary felt to me like one that could comfortably embrace humor and humanity – while at the same time offer great visual and directorial possibilities. A movie that, as Billy Wilder once said, 'Could make 'em laugh and make 'em cry.' I chose to cast Justin Hartley from his work on This Is Us. I just knew that, given his remarkable range, Justin could knock this one out of the park."
Dara Taylor, who won the HMMA Award for Best Original Score for the 2019 drama film Colewell, is composing music for The Noel Diary. Considering she was nominated for the best original score HMMA Award in 2015 for the film Undetectable, we may well have high expectations for soundtracks.
Release Date
Netflix has officially confirmed via a trailer on its YouTube channel that The Noel Diary, a romantic comedy-drama film, will be released on its platform and made accessible to stream globally on November 24, 2022.
The Noel Diary, which will soon be a Netflix film, is based on the bestselling novel of the same name. According to Simon & Schuster, Richard Paul Evans is the #1 New York Times and USA TODAY's best-selling author of more than forty novels. This heartwarming tale of an author who had a terrible childhood and overcame obstacles, combined with quirky and entertaining characters, is ideal for the Christmas season. Only time will tell whether it lives up to the expectations of novel readers.