If there is one movie of the last 25 years that has become a certified, universally beloved holiday classic, it is Elf starring Will Ferrell as a man who is raised by Santa, and then ventures out into the human world, only to discover it does not operate on the same rules as the North Pole. Elf was a hit in theaters and has only become more popular since then on home video. So I am not at all surprised that someone convinced Ferrell to make another Christmas movie in order to try to recapture that magic.

This time Ferrell isn’t an elf; he’s the Ghost of Christmas Present, and the target of his plans to reform a grumpy Scrooge is none other than Ryan Reynolds. The film is called Spirited and it’s coming this holiday season to Apple TV+ (after a brief appearance in movie theaters). It’s directed by Sean Anders, who previously teamed with Ferrell on the hit comedy Daddy’s Home. And it’s a musical, with songs by Benj Pasek and Justin Paul, the team behind the music in La La Land. So there’s an interesting group of collaborators here — check out the first teaser for the movie below:

Here is the film’s official synopsis:

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. 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.

Spirited premieres in theaters on November 11. It will debut on Apple TV+ on November 18.

The 12 Darkest Christmas Movies Of All Time

Get our free mobile app

More From My WJLT 105.3