We’ve come over all festive following the announcement of Apple TV+‘s modern adaptation of Charles Dickens’s classic A Christmas Carol, called Spirited, starring Ryan Reynolds.
Described by Apple as “a sweet and spicy holiday treat”, the movie will be an inventive musical twist on the classic Dickens tale, told from the perspective of the ghosts rather than iconic protagonist Ebenezer Scrooge.
Reynolds leads in the role of Clint Briggs, AKA Scrooge, while Elf’s Will Ferrell will play the Ghost of Christmas Present. The film also stars Oscar winner Octavia Spencer.
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Read on for everything we know about this festive star-studded movie below.
Spirited release date
There’s no official date from Apple TV+ just yet – although it will be released in the US on 18th November. As Apple has confirmed it will be coming soon, we’d bet our Christmas stocking that it will arrive by December. We’ll keep you updated.
Spirited: What’s it about?
Apple TV+ has described the movie as “a modern musical rendition of Charles Dickens’s classic holiday story A Christmas Carol,” so naturally we’re intrigued.
Apple’s official synopsis reads: “Each Christmas Eve, the Ghost of Christmas Present (Will Ferrell) selects one dark soul to be reformed by a visit from three spirits. But this season, he picked the wrong Scrooge. Clint Briggs (Ryan Reynolds) turns the tables on his ghostly host until Present finds himself reexamining his own past, present and future.
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“For the first time, A Christmas Carol is told from the perspective of the ghosts in this hilarious musical twist on the classic Dickens tale.”
It is directed and written by Sean Anders (Instant Family) and John Morris, with original songs by Oscar winners Benj Pasek and Justin Paul (La La Land).
Spirited: Who’s in the cast?
Deadpool’s Ryan Reynolds stars as the iconic Scrooge character called Clint Briggs, while Will Ferrell stars as the Ghost of Christmas Present. Octavia Spencer is also in the cast, but there is little information currently about her character. The cast also includes US actress, dancer and comedian Sunita Mani.
Spirited trailer
Apple TV+ has released a teaser trailer featuring Ryan Reynolds and Will Ferrell tap dancing in a cobbled street surrounded by onlookers dressed in victorian garb. We later see the characters in modern day America, with Ferrell’s Ghost of Christmas Present turning up in Reynolds’s character Clint’s office. They appear to go on a Christmas adventure together – with Octavia Spencer popping up too.
We’ll keep an eye out for the full length trailer, which will hopefully be arriving soon.
Spirited will launch on Apple TV+ soon – you can sign up to Apple TV Plus here. Looking for something else to watch? Check out our TV Guide or visit our dedicated Drama hub for the latest news.
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