The first trailer for the festive flick Spirited has been unveiled by Apple TV+. Released courtesy of the official Twitter account for Apple TV+, Spirited stars Ryan Reynolds, Will Ferrell, and Octavia Spencer and promises that this isn’t your great, great, great, great, great, great, grandparents’ Christmas Carol. Give or take. You can check out the new trailer for Spirited below.
This first footage from Spirited offers a glimpse of the spectacle and pageantry that will be on display, as well as teasing the quippy back-and-forth between comedic icons Ryan Reynolds and Will Ferrell. Described as “a modern musical reimagining of the classic Christmas ghost story A Christmas Carol,” Spirited is directed by Sean Anders and John Morris of Daddy's Home, Daddy's Home 2, and Instant Family fame. “A musical version of the classic Christmas story by Charles Dickens,” the official synopsis for Spirited reads. “A miserly man who treats everyone around him with terrible selfishness finds himself on a fantastical adventure into the three phases of time: past, present, and future, in order to discover how he ended up so miserable and alone."
Thus, Spirited will add itself to the already incredibly long list of adaptations of Charles Dickens’ beloved Christmas tale, which follows the effortlessly selfish Ebenezer Scrooge. After living a self-serving life filled with greed and thoughtlessness, Scrooge is visited by the spirits of Christmas Past, Present, and Future, each of whom takes him on a journey of self-reflection and self-discovery. A Christmas Carol has been adapted multiple times for both the big and small screen, with the likes of 1992’s The Muppet Christmas Carol, 1951’s A Christmas Carol, Scrooged starring Bill Murray, and the 2009 animated outing starring Jim Carrey already considered holiday staples.
The real selling point for Spirited is the cast, with Deadpool 3 star Ryan Reynolds leading the way as Ebeneezer Scrooge. Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy star Will Ferrell will star alongside Reynolds as Present, aka the Ghost of Christmas Present. The rest of the cast includes Octavia Spencer, Sunita Mani as Past, Aimee Carrero as Nora, Marlow Barkley as Wren, Jen Tullock as Wendy, P.J. Byrne as Mr. Alteli, and Joe Tippett.
Spirited is Due to Land in Theaters in Time for the Holidays
Surely, Spirited is destined to become a holiday favorite, with this modern take on the classic Dickens story featuring Ryan Reynolds like you’ve never seen him before: singing and dancing. "That's a wrap for me on Spirited,” the actor said when he wrapped filming back in October last year. “Not sure I'd have been ready to say yes to a film this challenging even three years ago. Singing, dancing and playing in the sandbox with Will Ferrell made a whole lotta dreams come true. And this is my second film with the great Octavia Spencer... Perfect time for a little sabbatical from movie making. I'm gonna miss every second working with this obscenely gifted group of creators and artists. These days, kindness matters as much as talent. I've been lucky to work with folks who are flush with both."
Spirited is scheduled to be released in theaters on November 11, 2022, and later on Apple TV+ on November 18, 2022.