Genie comes from Universal and Working Title and premieres November 22nd on Peacock.
While the story of Hollywood often revolves around glitz and glamour, sometimes it’s the simplest and most unexpected friendships that can bring magic into our lives.
This Christmas, screenwriter Richard Curtis, known for his work on films like “Love Actually,” “Four Weddings and a Funeral,” and “Notting Hill,” is set to take us on a heartwarming holiday journey with his new film, “Genie.”
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Led by Paapa Essiedu and Melissa McCarthy, the holiday fairytale comedy centers on a genie, a man, and landing one last chance to fix the mess you’ve made of your life.
Denée Benton, Jordyn Mcintosh, Marc Maron, Luis Guzmán, Tate Ellington, LaChanze, Alan Cumming round out the cast.
McCarthy stars as Flora, a genie with a history stretching back more than 2,000 years. Her tale begins with a tiny misunderstanding involving a sorcerer way back in 77 B.C., which led to her entrapment inside an antique jewelry box.
For millennia, Flora has been summoned to grant wishes for greedy men seeking riches and beauty. But her fate takes an unexpected turn when she’s accidentally called to service by Bernard Bottle, portrayed by Essiedu. Bernard’s life is unraveling as he’s been consumed by work, neglecting his marriage to Julie (Benton) and missing precious moments with his daughter Eve (Mcintosh).
A critical turning point occurs when Bernard, due to his work commitments, misses Eve’s birthday, leading Julie to contemplate a trial separation. As if that weren’t enough, Bernard’s overbearing boss (Cumming) decides to terminate him.
Alone in his New York City apartment, a despondent Bernard stumbles upon the antique jewelry box, unwittingly releasing Flora. What follows is a heartwarming tale of unexpected friendship and love, where Flora and Bernard discover that holiday magic can come in the most unlikely forms.
Genie comes from Universal and Working Title and premieres November 22nd. Check out the trailer below.
Genie is produced by Working Title’s Tim Bevan and Eric Fellner, Riva Marker (The Guilty, Beasts of No Nation), and Curtis. Exec producers are McCarthy, Caroline Jaczko, Nicole King, Stacy O’Neil, Alexandra Loewy, and Sarah-Jane Robinson.