Spirited, an Apple movie musical starring Ryan Reynolds and Will Ferrell, has officially been greenlit for a theatrical release this November. The musical, produced by Apple Original Films, will be released on Apple TV+ just in time for the holiday season.
Spirited promises to provide a fresh, modern take on Charles Dickens’s classic A Christmas Story, adding humor to the usual story of Ebenezer Scrooge being haunted by the ghosts of Christmas Past, Present, and Future. “Think Dickens’ heartwarming tale of a scrooge visited by four ghosts on Christmas Eve, but funnier and with huge musical numbers,” Deadline reports. The musical’s soundtrack also reportedly features new songs by Benj Pasek and Justin Paul, the infamous duo known for their work on Dear Evan Hansen (2016), La La Land (2016), and The Greatest Showman (2017). The pair also collaborated on the live-action remake of Disney’s Aladdin (2019) and the film version of Dear Evan Hansen (2021) starring Ben Platt.
‘Spirited’ Hits Apple TV+ with Star-Studded Cast
Although not all of the specific roles have been released, Apple TV+ has confirmed that Spirited will star Ryan Reynolds (Free Guy) as Ebenezer Scrooge and Will Ferrell (The Shrink Next Door) as Present, along with Octavia Spencer (Hidden Figures), Patrick Page (In the Heights), Sunita Mani (Everything Everywhere All at Once), Loren Woods (Texas), Joe Tippett (Mare of Easttown), Marlow Barkley (Single Parents) as Wren, and Jen Tullock (Bless This Mess).
Spirited marks the latest collaboration between Will Ferrell and Sean Anders, who have previously written multiple Ferrell films, such as Daddy’s Home (2015) and its sequel Daddy’s Home 2 (2017). Even outside of Ferrell’s films, Anders is well-versed in the comedy genre, having also written for Adam Sandler’s That’s My Boy (2012) and Jim Carrey’s Mr. Popper’s Penguins (2011). In addition to Anders, John Morris – who has also collaborated on many of Anders’s projects – joins Spirited as a co-writer and director.
Spirited is currently slated for release to Apple TV+ in November 2022. Further details regarding the premise of the musical movie have not yet been released.