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Writer-Director Robert Eggers is known for his dark, broody films such as Nosferatu, The Lighthouse and The Witch. Eggers specializes in history-driven horror, thriller and drama, and his next project should fit right in with his prior works of art.

Warner Bros. and Eggers are currently working on a proposed re-telling of the Charles Dickens classic A Christmas Carol, which Eggers would both write and direct. A Christmas Carol has been remade many, many times, and this version would likely lean into the ghost story and horror elements of the tale of Ebenezer Scrooge.

The original novella was written in 1843 by Charles Dickens, who was reportedly inspired to write it after visiting the Field Lane Ragged School, which was inhabited by street children. Seeing the treatment of poor people, he began to wonder what would happen if a selfish, rich person were to experience redemption after being confronted by his...

Robert Eggers is reportedly working on a retelling of A Christmas Carol.The Nosferatu filmmaker is said to be turning his attention to a new adaptation of Charles Dickens' iconic festive ghost story, which he is developing with Warner Bros.According to Deadline, Eggers will write and direct the movie, and he has longtime collaborator Willem Dafoe in mind to play Ebenezer Scrooge.Negotiations are not yet underway with cast, but the filmmaker is writing the movie with Dafoe in mind.Eggers will also serve as producer, with Chris and Elenor Columbus attached to produce via Maiden Voyage.A Christmas Carol follows old miser Scrooge on Christmas Eve, as he's visited by his late business partner Jacob Marley, and the spirits of Christmas Past, Present and Yet To Come.There have been countless adaptations of the book over the years, with Alastair Sim's 1951 turn as Scrooge regarded as one of the best.

Robert Eggers is directing a retelling of A Christmas Carol!

It has been revealed that the 41-year-old Nosferatu director and Warner Bros. are developing a remake of Charles Dickens‘ classic Christmas ghost story.

While cast negotiations aren’t underway yet, sources told Deadline that Eggers‘ longtime collaborator Willem Dafoe is being eyed to star as Ebenezer Scrooge.

Keep reading to find out more…Along with directing the movie, Eggers is also writing the screenplay.

A Christmas Carol follows an elderly miser who is visited by the ghost of his former business partner Jacob Marley and the spirits of Christmas Past, Present, and Future.

In recent years, Willem, 69, has starred in Eggers‘ last three movies: 2019′s The Lighthouse, 2022′s The Northman, and 2024′s Nosferatu.

Earlier this year, it was announced that Robert Eggers is working on a sequel to David Bowie‘s Labyrinth!

Warner Bros. Pictures is hoping to be blessed with a new feature based on A Christmas Carol.

Robert Eggers is set to write and direct a movie adapting author Charles Dickens’ classic ghost story set at Christmas. Eggers will produce the project alongside Chris Columbus and Eleanor Columbus for Maiden Voyage.

The Hollywood Reporter exclusively reported last year that Eggers’ next project as director is the werewolf horror movie Werwulf. Eggers co-wrote the script for the film that Focus Features has set for theatrical release on Christmas Day of 2026.

Dickens’ novella A Christmas Carol was first published in 1843 and centers on miserly Ebenezer Scrooge learning from the ghost of late business partner Jacob Marley that he will be visited by three spirits.

Previous screen adaptations include a 2019 British television version starring Guy Pearce, Andy Serkis, Stephen Graham, Charlotte Riley and Joe Alwyn. Robert Zemeckis helmed a 2009 animated feature version starring Jim Carrey as Scrooge.

Exclusive: After hitting a home run during the holidays with his new take on the Dracula story Nosferatu, Robert Eggers looks to be staying in the Christmas spirit for a new project he has set his sights on. Sources tell Deadline that Warner Bros is in development with Eggers who will write and direct a retelling of the classic Charles Dickens Christmas ghost story A Christmas Carol. Insiders add that while negotiations are not underway with talent, Eggers is writing the role of Ebenezer Scrooge for his longtime collaborator Willem Dafoe.

Chris Columbus and Elenor Columbus are attached to produce via Maiden Voyage. Eggers will also produce.

A Christmas Carol has seen its fair share of retellings over the years with its tale of an elderly miser visited by the ghost of his former business partner Jacob Marley and the spirits of Christmas Past, Present and Yet to Come. The...

Isn’t it weird how the single most influential piece of Christmas-related media is technically a horror story? One of the greatest literary hits of the 19th century, one can even make the argument that Charles Dickens’ A Christmas Carol paved the way for the rise of Victorian Spiritualism during the following decade. And while the book’s iconic phantoms were immortalized by the gorgeous illustrations by John Leech, future adaptations of the story would all offer different interpretations of the ghosts that terrify Ebenezer Scrooge into becoming a better person.

With that in mind, we’ve decided to celebrate the holiday season by highlighting six of the scariest ghosts from over a century of A Christmas Carol adaptations. After all, with so many spooky spirits haunting cinema and television screens, we’re bound to run into some festive nightmare fuel along the way.

As usual, don’t forget to...

What’s Christmas without “A Christmas Carol”? There’s a reason why Charles Dickens’ classic has been made over and over: It’s always timely to remind people of the real spirit of the season. And to not be a selfish jerk. Here are our favorite versions of “A Christmas Carol,” from various Disney takes to the one everyone agrees is the best adaptation ever.

Photo credit: Apple TV+

12. Spirited (2022)

What if Scrooge (here named Clint Briggs) were a smug CEO who was beyond redemption? Ryan Reynolds brings his ususal snark to this holiday musical, which costars Will Ferrell as the Ghost of Christmas Present, who’s long overdue to retire, and Tracy Morgan as the voice of Ghost of Christmas Yet to Come.

Photo credit: Walt Disney

11. Mickey’s Christmas Carol (1983)

Who else but Scrooge McDuck could play mean old Ebenezer Scrooge? Mickey is, of course, underappreciated clerk Bob Cratchit,...

Every family that celebrates Christmas likely has those few holiday movies that they watch without fail every year. Maybe you need a little faith in humanity restored via It's a Wonderful Life. Maybe you want to bask in the nostalgic vibes of White Christmas. Maybe you're a little bit more new-school and Elf is your movie of choice (you'd certainly have no shortage of opportunities to catch it on cable). My family's got its own movie traditions, but there's really only one we've managed to watch year after year, and it's not one you might expect.

That movie is Scrooge, the 1970 musical film adaptation of A Christmas Carol. It might not carry the prestige of the '50s version or the nostalgia factor of the Muppets' take on the story, but for my family and I, it's as close to a must-watch as we get. As I've grown and holiday...

It's Christmastime, and many of you reading this have undoubtedly been exposed to the tale of Ebenezer Scrooge at some point in the recent past. Whether that's Charles Dickens' original, Patrick Stewart's cruel and cold portrayal, or Michael Caine's iconic performance alongside Kermit the Frog, you know the story.

As much as The Muppet Christmas Carol (1992) continues to dominate our feeds over 30 years later, how soon we forget how a certain mouse paved the way before Jim Henson ever signed a contract with Disney. Before we were chanting "light the lamp not the rat," Scrooge McDuck was our first introduction to the holiday favorite.

The Ghost of Disney Past

If you're anything like this writer, Mickey's Christmas Carol was your first exposure to the Dickensian story. The haunting of Ebenezer Scrooge and his three ghosts has been told and retold for decades, but Mickey's was more than iconic,...

“Ebenezer the Traveler” is a new live-action ghostly fantasy feature, directed by Joe Valentini, starring Jerry Parisi, Joann Sciascia-Parisi, Leland R Prater, Todd Slater, Amanda Rae Dodson Cast Jerry Parisi, Amanda Rae Dodson, Leland R Prater, Michael Bertolini, Austen Shane and Emily Jeanne Phillips, now available on digital platforms:

“…when ‘Ebenezer Scrooge’ drops dead, he’s reunited with ‘Jacob Marley’, ‘Tiny Tim’ and his sister ‘Fan’…

“…with another chance to redeem himself, as they journey to the modern day…

“….to save a young mother with a dream that may about to become a nightmare…”

Click the images to enlarge…...

Christmastime is a season for tradition, family, and fun, and one of the best ways to fulfill all three is to have the family enjoy a classic Christmas movie together. While not every film may be the most traditional of Christmas movies, many have earned this status over the years. From action movies to decades-old classics, every family has a movie that they gather around the TV to enjoy together after Christmas dinner and the exchange of gifts.

Christmas movies have united millions around the world as people from all walks of life share enjoyment of the different messages imparted through these classic movies. A great movie can be the perfect way to cap off a great Christmas Day, allowing the whole family or a group of friends a chance to unwind with a good story. While each family has their own unique traditions, some movies stand out above others as seasonal classics.

In American animation, talking animal movies are a dime-a-dozen, but the "Kung Fu Panda" series is a gem. A big part of the appeal comes from the charming lead performance of Jack Black as Dragon Warrior Po (read /Film's interview with Black on the "Kung Fu Panda" circuit here). Another reason is the Wuxia-inspired action, where the bouncy CGI complements the characters' acrobatics and allows filmmakers to execute "Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon" style wire-fu with no need for actual wires.

Then there's the other secret ingredient: the villains. In each of the four films made so far (with the "Kung Fu Panda 4" box office making it likely another chapter won't be far behind), Po faces a new adversary, one with a new power he must overcome while also advancing on his own spiritual journey. Pretty typical hero's journey stuff, but like in martial arts, it's all about the proper execution.

Joseph Quinn is currently smashing it in Hollywood. After making a name for himself primarily on television, his upcoming movie roles include this year’s A Quiet Place: Day One and Gladiator 2.

As of Valentine’s Day this year, when the film’s whole cast was announced, he’s also been confirmed as playing Johnny Storm, Aka the Human Torch, in Marvel Studios’ The Fantastic Four, which is due for release in July 2025.

It’s an interesting casting, but there’s no doubt the English actor can pull it off. Here are five of Joseph Quinn’s past roles that prove he’ll make a superb Johnny Storm for the MCU’s Fantastic Four.

Dickensian Joseph Quinn as Arthur Havisham in Dickensian.

Dickensian is a 20-part British drama series aired on the BBC in 2015 and 2016. The series unites characters from several Charles Dickens novels in a Victorian London neighborhood.

Disney is well-known for its sea of Christmas releases. Dive into the magic of the season with these wholesome ones ( Photo Credit – IMDb )

Disney is known for taking Christmas time very seriously. They go all out with their Christmas special releases and their Holiday-themed movies, and all of them end up being very well-received by the public. This is understandable because Christmas is already a magical time, but add a little Disney fairy dust and a wish upon a star in there, and you have yourself the most magical holiday ever.

Here are five of the best Disney Christmas movies to enjoy with your family and add a touch of that magic to the holiday season.

1. Lady And The Tramp (1955)

When we think of romance, a budding relationship between two dogs is not what comes to mind. However, Disney’s “Lady And The Tramp,” released in 1955, makes us root for...

Mickey's Christmas Carol is an overlooked adaptation of the iconic A Christmas Carol story, faithfully sticking to the original and deserving of more respect. The Disney featurette, released in 1983, retells the story in just 26 minutes, making it quick and concise compared to other adaptations. The Disney cast, including Mickey Mouse, Donald Duck, and Goofy, perfectly embody their roles, and the inclusion of other Disney characters adds to the charm of the special.

When one thinks of iconic Christmas tales, several come to mind. Near the top of the list for many people is the enduring classic A Christmas Carol. Charles Dickens's tale of Ebenezer Scrooge's transformation from greedy cynic to generous giver is a hallmark of the holidays. Since its original 1843 publication, A Christmas Carol has been adapted countless times for film, TV, stage, and virtually every medium. Ask any viewer, and they'll likely have a particular adaptation that stands out above all.

While there's a multitude of exceptional Mickey Mouse cartoons worth watching, there are some among them that should be counted as essential viewing. Walt Disney's iconic mascot, Mickey Mouse has been a part of the entertainment industry for 95 years, and he's appeared in many iconic shorts as part of his career. He is undoubtedly one of the most recognizable and iconic characters ever created. Thanks to his cheerful personality and stylish design, Mickey Mouse is one of the most popular cartoon characters in history.

Since his first appearance in animation in 1928, Mickey Mouse has appeared in more than 130 movies, comics, cartoons, and video games. Many of his cartoons have seen him get up to all sorts of mischief and have been highly acclaimed by both critics and audiences. Mickey Mouse has appeared in many cartoons, but there are a few that any true Disney fan should watch at least once...

Sometimes, this job can give you the honor and privilege of drawing attention to all kinds of underseen gems from the wide breadth of cinema that the world has to offer. Other times, you end up writing about a newly-announced schlock-fest of a movie described as, essentially, "John Wick" meets "A Christmas Carol." In either case, it's an undeniable win-win for me, your local /Film writer who absolutely lives for chaos.

From the production company that previously brought you genre hits like "The Raid," "Mandy," and "Anna and the Apocalypse" comes "The Guns of Christmas Past," the latest film directed by French filmmaker Xavier Gens and written by Andrew Hilton. As you hopefully put together by now, the incredibly serious prestige picture and likely Oscar-bait film follows the recent trend of mashing up classic stories and IPs that are now up for grabs for reinterpretation as part of the public domain,...

Exclusive: Australian filmmaker Luke Sparke is set to direct the epic adventure Shadow Chasers for Steve Lee Jones’ Bee Holder Productions and Matthew Shreder’s Concourse Media. A fall shoot in Australia is planned as casting gets underway.

Shadow Chasers is a modern and fresh take on Charles Dickens’ most famous works, including notable characters like Ebenezer Scrooge and Jacob Marley. The story is an adrenaline-fueled thrill ride when these characters team up with Oliver Twist and a young Dickens himself to save Old London from imminent destruction. The script is written by George Mahaffey, who is the scribe behind recently completed Bee Holder spy thriller Chief of Station starring Aaron Eckhart.

Related Story Sam Mendes & Audible Team For Charles Dickens Adaptations; ‘Oliver Twist’ Up First Related Story Alec Baldwin & Olga Kurylenko Board Spy Action Thriller 'Chief Of Station' For Bee Holder & Concourse Media Related Story 'Axis Of...

Welcome to The Daily Stream, an ongoing series in which the /Film team shares what they've been watching, why it's worth checking out, and where you can stream it.)

The Movie: "Breathing Happy"

Where You Can Stream It: Fandor

The Pitch: There are a lot, and I mean a lot of films about people dealing with addiction. Some instances, like "Requiem for a Dream," border on exploitation, while others, like "Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas," highlight the shift in drug culture from feeling free and flying high to becoming broken and completely under the spell of illicit substances. Recovery is often portrayed through Oscar-bait dramas with weepy supporting casts, and seldom told through the perspective of the person actually pursuing sobriety. Rustic Films, the folks that gave us the films "Resolution," "Spring," "The Endless," "Something in the Dirt," "She Dies Tomorrow," and plenty of other independent favorites, have...

Just in time for the holidays, Ryan Reynolds has revealed a Nickelback cover of one key song in his holiday film, Spirited. The musical comedy serves as a retelling of Charles Dickens' classic, A Christmas Carol, following the Ghost of Christmas Present (Will Ferrell) and his efforts to change Clint Briggs (Reynolds), a case previously overlooked because he was considered to be an "unredeemable." As the story progresses and audiences learn more about both characters, they see the pair eventually become friends, understanding that they are more alike than they initially thought. With several songs performed throughout, one number in particular marks an important realization for The Ghost of Christmas Present and comes at a pivotal moment for him in the movie.

Spirited contains a lot of fun music and dancing, but "Unredeemable" serves as one of the film's most memorable songs because it focuses on Ferrell's character and his own personal struggles.

It’s Christmas Eve, and you’re as ready as you’ll ever be. Presents under the tree? Check. Turkey in the fridge? Check. Mince pie for Father Christmas and a carrot for Rudolf on the hearth? Check. The thinning of the veil between this world and the next, allowing unquiet spirits to walk the Earth and the long shadows in the moonlit, frosty lanes to shift and darken with things not of this world? Check, check and check.

Because while Christmas might traditionally be the season of goodwill, comfort and joy, it is also very much the time of ghosts. And no one appreciates that quite as much as Mark Gatiss.

Gatiss is one of our most recognisable TV actors and writers, making his name with the surreal comedy of The League of Gentlemen and cementing his reputation with a starring role in Sherlock, his TV take on Dracula,...

A core musical moment in Sean Anders’ Apple TV+ “Christmas Carol” riff “Spirited” involves Ryan Reynolds and Will Ferrell repeatedly hurling the same insult at strangers set to song and dance in Dickensian London, and as it turns out, the whole thing was Reynolds’ idea.

“When Ryan Reynolds has an idea, you kind of just say like, ‘how do we make it happen?’ He has an okay, track record,” songwriter Justin Paul, who collaborated on the big musical number “Good Afternoon” with frequent writing partner Benj Pasek as well as Mark Sonnenblick, Sukari Jones and Khiyon Hursey, told TheWrap. “It was this sort of very straightforward concept, that was this is a vulgar, obscene insult in the world of Dickensian England that needs to become a song.”

In the words of Will Ferrell’s character ‘Present,” back in the old days “Good Afternoon” was a sick burn. In fact, Present...

Chicago – Ten years ago, an Independent film was released in Chicago, co-written and co-directed by Richard Knight Jr., an entertainment fixture in the Windy City. “Scrooge & Marley” offered a bit more than the previous versions of the familiar “A Christmas Carol” by Charles Dickens, it was the first to filter the story through same sex coupling and LGBTQ+ themes. A new staged version of the film, complete with the featured songs, will be presented at Chicago’s Center on Halsted on December 12th, 2022, at 7pm. It’s a Free event, register for tickets by clicking Scrooge & Marley.

The 10th Anniversary DVD edition of “Scrooge & Marley” has also been released by Dark Star Pictures, with special features and cast interviews, as well as a new digital download available. Click here for The Trailer.

Scrooge & Marley

Photo credit: Dark Star Pictures

Ben Scrooge (David Pevsner) – he doesn’t like his given name...

Netflix's Scrooge: A Christmas Carol features a remarkable voice cast, but what do the actors look like in real life? The animated reboot of the Charles Dickens classic follows the miser Ebenezer Scrooge through Christmases past, present, and future to highlight the mistakes the character has made throughout the years prioritizing his wealth over his relationships. Born into a poor family, young Ebenezer Scrooge works his way up to become a wealthy private banker, but he forgets his own struggle as a child and repeats the cycle of exploitation by levying the same pressure he endured on those who owe him money.

A Christmas Carol has so many movie adaptations under its belt that all avenues of innovation and reinvention seem to have been exhausted for the tale. However, Scrooge: A Christmas Carol leans heavily on its musical element in an attempt to distinguish it from its predecessors. Combined...

Scrooge: A Christmas Carol is a animation movie directed by Stephen Donnelly. And, of course, it’s based on the classic story by Charles Dickens, A Christmas Carol.

The Christmas classic, this time round with spectacular animation in musical form for the younger ones.

Premise

On a cold Christmas Eve, selfish miser Ebenezer Scrooge has one night left to face his past — and change the future — before time runs out.

Scrooge: A Christmas Carol (2022) Movie Review

Relatively true to the original text, with its numerous musical numbers it is a charming adaptation of the classic.

In this movie the story and its moral of the story are conveyed in an entertaining narrative style, with the right amount of humor and at a measured pace. A truly well-executed screenplay that clearly counts on a budget and the means to pull it through convincingly.

Scrooge: A Christmas Carol (2022)

Luke Evans stands out...

In the spring of 1992, the legendary singer-songwriter Paul Williams was walking in a park in the Los Angeles sunshine, thinking about Christmas. Sixteen years after first working with the Muppets, he was about to return to their colourful world, but he was apprehensive. Years of rock ’n roll debauchery having finally caught up with him, The Muppet Christmas Carol would be the first project he’d worked on sober in forever. Three decades later, he tells Empire, he needn’t have worried. “I sat on a bench and Scrooge’s song suddenly started coming to me: ‘Bom-bom-bom-bom… When a cold wind blows it chills you…’ I think I got as far as ‘There goes Mr Humbug, there goes Mr Grim / If they gave a prize for being mean, the winner would be him’ before I paused at all. I was like, 'Hey, that’s pretty good!' I was so...

December is not quite here yet, but for some of us, it’s already beginning to look a lot like Christmas. Thanksgiving is over, and the grimness of Black Friday too. So with the passing of those uniquely American traditions, the biggest holiday event for millions of film lovers is on the horizon. And some want to start celebrating now.

For that reason, we’ve collected the below streaming guide of holiday favorites, old and new, so you know exactly where to find your favorite Christmas movies this year. We’ve generally based this on where they’re available to watch without an additional surcharge on top of a subscription. In other words, we’re leaving off that most of these movies will be available to rent on demand for a fee from Amazon, Apple, or your other preferred video on demand platform. We also have based this list on American streaming service libraries.

Click here to read the full article.

It’s hard to tell exactly whether Netflix’s new animated version of Charles Dickens’ Yuletide classic is geared to very young children who respond to sensory overload or drugged-out college students looking for sensory overload.

In either case, Scrooge: A Christmas Carol delivers it in spades, providing a turbocharged rendition of the tale aimed for maximum visual impact. A very loose remake of the live-action 1970 musical Scrooge starring Albert Finney, this version also features songs from that film composed by two-time Oscar winner Leslie Bricusse.

Director Stephen Donnelly has promised to provide “psychedelic, time-traveling and musical surprises” in this umpteenth version of the oft-dramatized tale, and he lives up to his word, for better or worse. The film’s vibrant animation — the opening sequence depicts a London more colorful than it’s ever been — feels more Hanna-Barbera than Dickensian. And it soon...

Ryan Reynolds shares a behind-the-scenes dance video from Spirited. Released November 18 on Apple TV+, Spirited is a modern retelling of Charles Dickens' ubiquitous 1843 novella, A Christmas Carol. Reynolds and Elf's Will Ferrell lead the all-star Spirited cast alongside Oscar winner Octavia Spencer, Sunita Mani, Patrick Page, Marlow Barkley, and Tracy Morgan. Dame Judi Dench and Jimmy Fallon make cameos as themselves. As opposed to a straightforward adaptation of Dickens' 19th-century novella, Spirited updates A Christmas Carol for modern audiences with several song-and-dance numbers, fully living up to its name as a Christmas-themed musical comedy.

A few days after the Christmas movie debuted on Apple TV+, Ryan Reynolds shared a behind-the-scenes dance video from Spirited. The one-minute-and 20-second BTS video shows Reynolds and Ferrell rehearsing the choreography for one of the musical's dance numbers. While Ferrell is well-known for his Christmas classic Elf and recently ventured into musicals with Netflix's Eurovision Song Contest,...

Warning! This post contains Spoilers for SpiritedThe Christmas movie Spirited is a fun musical with a soundtrack full of original songs. A new take on Charles Dickens's A Christmas Carol, the Scrooge-inspired story follows Clint (Ryan Reynolds) as he is visited by Jacob Marley (Patrick Page) and the Ghosts of Christmas Past (Sunita Mani), Present (Will Ferrell), and Yet To Come (Tracy Morgan). Like most adaptations of A Christmas Carol, Spirited's central theme is changing someone from bad to good, but this musical version is told from the unique perspective of the Ghost of Christmas Present.

Streaming exclusively on Apple TV+ following a brief theatrical release, Spirited continues Will Ferrell's venture into musicals following Netflix's Eurovision Song Contest and marks his first Christmas movie since Elf. For Ryan Reynolds, Spirited is new territory, as he has never been in a musical or a Christmas movie before. The...

Warning: Contains potential Spoilers for SpiritedA modern retelling of Charles Dickens' classic A Christmas Carol, Apple TV+'s Spirited offers a fresh take on the traditional story of seasonal redemption. Boasting an all-star cast, including Ryan Reynolds and Elf alumnus Will Farrell, the movie updates Dickens' 19th-century novella for a modern audience, with a surprising number of special effects and musical numbers. However, it is thanks to Spirited's cast and characters that the movie really stands out.

Pledging to tell the Christmas Carol story from the ghosts' perspectives for the first time, the movie is almost a cross between the original book and Big Mouth spin-off Human Resources, revealing how the ghosts responsible for haunting Ebenezer Scrooge might interact behind the scenes. As such, there are plenty of opportunities for recognizable cameos and famous walk-ons. Here is the complete Spirited cast and character guide.

Related: Every Upcoming Ryan Reynolds...

There’s a tension between sincerity and smarm that often makes it difficult to take Ryan Reynolds seriously. The actor has charisma to spare and is better than almost anyone with a snarky quip; he’s so good at it, that even when he attempts to go earnest, it’s easy to anticipate a joke coming to undercut it. In some movies, that’s a detriment; in Spirited, a new take on the Scrooge story, it’s a benefit.

Charles Dickens’ A Christmas Carol is, at its core, not so much about a grumpy man turning jolly as it is about a self-absorbed narcissist realizing that other people matter. It’s a story retold every few years, and it’s a testament to its staying power that neither Muppets, Mickey Mouse nor Bill Murray can fully dull its impact. No matter how many twists are put on the familiar tale,...

Christmas films can be divisive things. For every person who needs to choke back a sob over Zuzu’s petals in order to feel truly festive, there is another for whom only an 8 week binge of Channel 5’s kindly cupcake cafe owners and selfish businesswomen meeting the interchangeable men of their dreams will suffice.

Yet once in a while a filmmaker crafts a beautiful sparkly bridge that unites the factions and has the chutzpah and baubles to fill even the hardest heart with holiday cheer. One to break out after boardgame controversies and tearful post-sherry fallouts. This Christmas season that audacious movie is Spirited.

Ebenezer (Will Ferrell) has it good. Once the scourge of the poor and vulnerable, Scrooge lived his final days with kindness and generosity and he knew how to keep Christmas well… Which is handy because in his afterlife Scrooge has reunited with Marley and become the Ghost of Christmas Present!

Netflix has debuted the trailer for the upcoming Christmas film ‘Scrooge: A Christmas Carol.’

Charles Dickens’ ageless legend is reborn in this supernatural, time-travelling, musical adaptation of the definitive Christmas story. With his very soul on the line, Scrooge has but one Christmas Eve left to face his past and build a better future.Featuring re-imagined songs from the legendary and two-time Academy Award® winner Leslie Bricusse OBE, Scrooge: A Christmas Carol is one for a new generation to sing.

Directed by Stephen Donnelly, The film stars Luke Evans (voices Scrooge), Olivia Colman (voices Past), Jessie Buckley (voices Isabel Fezziwig), Johnny Flynn (voices Bob Cratchit), Fra Fee (voices Harry Huffam), Giles Terera (voices Tom Jenkins), Trevor Dion Nicholas (voices Present), James Cosmo (voices Mr Fezziwig), and Jonathan Pryce (voices Jacob Marley).

Also in trailers – Main trailer lands for Guillermo del Toro’s ‘Pinocchio’

The film launches globally on Netflix on 2 December.

At this point it is almost impossible to count the number of remakes, ripoffs, variations, takeoffs and general thievery on the part of filmmakers riffing on Charles Dickens’ classic A Christmas Carol. The latest imitation, Spirited, isn’t even the only new version to debut this season; I can count at least two others still waiting for liftoff as the yuletide tidings continue in 2022. But this one has some real firepower in terms of who is involved with the Apple TV+ original film, chief among them stars Ryan Reynolds and Will Ferrell, who deliver a take most closely aligned with Bill Murray’s modern 1988 Scrooged, a homage even noted in the rat-a-tat snarky script here by John Morris and Sean Anders (Daddy’s Home), the latter who also directed.

Above all this is a lively musical with a whole slew of new tunes featuring some of the blessedly most cynical lyrics...

"Am I on the only one with the power to change my life? To change the lives of others?" Netflix revealed the official trailer for an animated musical titled Scrooge: A Christmas Carol, the second major new update on this holiday story. The other one is also kind of a musical, Apple TV+'s Spirited featuring Ryan Reynolds & Will Ferrell. Produced by Timeless Films in association with Axis Studios, Charles Dickens' ageless legend is reborn in this supernatural, time-travelling, musical adaptation of the definitive Christmas story. On a cold Christmas Eve, selfish miser Ebenezer Scrooge has one night left to face his past — and change the future — before time runs out. The film stars Luke Evans (voices Scrooge), Olivia Colman (voices Past), Jessie Buckley (voices Isabel Fezziwig), Johnny Flynn (voices Bob Cratchit), Fra Fee (voices Harry Huffam), Giles Terera (voices Tom Jenkins), Trevor Dion Nicholas (voices Present), James Cosmo (voices...

Charles Dickens’ A Christmas Carol is one of the most adapted and re-interpreted stories ever. There have been numerous popular incarnations. They include a Jim Carrey animated film from Robert Zemeckis, a Muppets version, a Bill Murray parody, a TV movie starring Patrick Stewart, and there’s already a satirical musical comedy with Ryan Reynolds and Will Ferrell premiering this year titled, Spirited. Netflix will now be releasing its own CGI-animated musical with Scrooge: A Christmas Carol.

The official Netflix synopsis reads,

“Produced by Timeless Films in association with Axis Studios and directed by Stephen Donnelly, Charles Dickens’ ageless legend is reborn in this supernatural, time-traveling, musical adaptation of the definitive Christmas story. With his very soul on the line, Scrooge has but one Christmas Eve left to face his past and build a better future. Featuring re-imagined songs from the legendary and two-time Academy Award® winner Leslie Bricusse OBE,...

(From left) Ryan Reynolds and Will Ferrell in Spirited Photo: Apple+ Song has the ability to take the simplest thought—or even a trite expression—and turn it into a moment of joyful uplift. It offers a direct line to more readily accepted vulnerability, and rumination about self-betterment.This fact...

Clint Briggs (Ryan Reynolds) is not a good guy. When we first meet Clint in Spirited, he’s starting an internet war in an attempt to drum up business, and is soon called the “perfect combination of Mussolini & Seacrest.” As it’s Christmas, we all know what’s coming: a change of heart brought on by three ghosts, straight from the mind of Charles Dickens. But as a chained Jacob Marley (Patrick Page) lets Clint know what he’s in for on Christmas Eve, Clint stops him, asking if this is like the Dickens story, and the Bill Murray-Bobcat Goldthwait movie Scrooged, to which Marley replies that yes, it’s like all those, “and every other adaptation no one asked for.”...

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Will Ferrell’s signature comedy style is halfway between obnoxious and endearing, a naïve man-child whose excitable energy is matched by his fearless disregard for dignity. Anyone who’s been missing that persona should find something to enjoy in Spirited, Ferrell’s bid to headline another holiday perennial to sit alongside Elf. His delivery remains inspired and his chemistry with Ryan Reynolds, playing the smarmy Scrooge figure in this busy 21st-century riff on A Christmas Carol, has lots of fizz, even if a supposed romance with Octavia Spencer’s character doesn’t. But is the movie any good?

That will depend on how closely you identify with the delicious disdain of Patrick Page as the chain-rattling Jacob Marley, upholder of the Dickensian tradition, who rolls his eyes and begs for a reprieve almost every time someone bursts into song. Because, yes, it’s a musical.

The Muppet Christmas Carol extended cut is finally getting its Disney+ release next month. Disney released The Muppet Christmas Carol in 1992 to modest commercial and critical success. It has since enjoyed a niche following, spawning the 2002 sequel It's a Very Merry Muppet Christmas Movie and remaining a Christmas staple among audiences for decades to come.

The film is a musical take on the 1843 Charles Dickens novel A Christmas Carol, casting beloved Muppet mainstays in roles made famous by the book. For example, Gonzo is the narrator, Kermit is Mr. Cratchit, and Waldorf is Jacob Marley, to name a few. Scrooge himself is played by Michael Caine. The Muppet Christmas Carol was directed by Brian Henson, son of Jim Henson, and was the first feature-length Muppets film to be produced after the original creator's death.

Related: The Scrubs Cast's Cameo In It's a Very Merry Muppet Christmas Movie Explained

Earlier this year,...

When Muppets creator Jim Henson died in 1990, the future of the Muppets franchise felt up in the air to its fans. At the time, Disney had already been in negotiations to purchase the Muppets, but Henson was on record with his refusal. Disney, still with a foot in the door, co-financed two Muppet feature films in the 1990s -- "The Muppet Christmas Carol" and "Muppet Treasure Island," both directed by Henson's son Brian -- which proved to audiences that the Muppets were capable of living on. Indeed, the two films provided a fascinating new premise for the Muppets: they would be stock players in adaptations of classic literature. Sadly, this tack did not play itself out, and after the not-very-good, straight-to-video "The Muppets' Wizard of Oz," that angle was abandoned. 

Come now, Disney, "Muppet Midsummer Night's Dream," "Muppet Dracula," and "Muppet Moby-Dick" await. 

"The Muppet Christmas Carol" (1992) is both one...

We’ve long been obsessed with disaster. On his new show The End Is Nye, beloved TV scientist and America’s father figure Bill Nye points to the storms of The Tempest, but even Shakespeare caught the catastrophe bug earlier than that. Twelfth Night opens with a shipwreck. In her menacing extreme weather speech in A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Titania speaks of tremendous floods, rotting crops, and disappearing seasons. Now, we have 24-hour news channels that thrive on disaster porn.

Nye appeals to our attraction to calamity, even as he balks at it. “Think about it, people,” he declares on his debut Peacock series about the varied forms – from solar flares to careening comets – Armageddon might take. His eyes are wide, and his voice wobbles with opprobrium. “We’re like some kind of weird death cult.”

Honestly, it kind of hurts when “Bill Nye the Science Guy” reprimands you. What happened to the warm,...

Olivia Colman, Jessie Buckley, and Luke Evans have landed themselves voice roles in Netflix’s upcoming animated feature ‘Scrooge: A Christmas Carol.’

The film is a supernatural, time-travelling, musical adaptation of Charles Dickens’s beloved Christmas story. With his very soul on the line, Scrooge has but one Christmas Eve left to face his past and build a better future.

Evans takes on the voice of Scrooge, Colman voices the Ghost of Christmas Past, Buckley Isabel Fezziwig. Other cast includes Johnny Flynn as Bob Cratchit, Giles Terera as Tom Jenkins, Trevor Dion Nicholas as the Ghost of Christmas Present, James Cosmo as Mr. Fezziwig, and Jonathan Pryce as Jacob Marley.

Also in news – Peter Dinklage cast in ‘Hunger Games’ prequel ‘The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes’

Stephen Donnelly will direct the feature. The new musical adaptation features re-imagined songs from the late two-time Oscar and Grammy winner Leslie Bricusse. The...

Ryan Reynolds is channeling his inner Ted Lasso in a trailer for the FX docuseries Welcome to Wrexham, in which Reynolds and Rob McElhenney (It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia) navigate running the third oldest professional football club in the world.

The duo purchased the 5th tier Red Dragons in 2020 “in the hopes of turning the club into an underdog story the whole world could root for,” per the official synopsis. “The worry? Rob and Ryan have no experience in football or working with each other. From Hollywood to Wales, from the pitch to the locker room, the front office to the pub,...

Olivia Colman (“Landscapers”), Jessie Buckley (“Men”) and Luke Evans (“Crossing Swords”) will voice parts in Netflix’s CG animated feature “Scrooge: A Christmas Carol.”

The film is a supernatural, time-travelling, musical adaptation of the Charles Dickens’ beloved Christmas story. With his very soul on the line, Scrooge has but one Christmas Eve left to face his past and build a better future. Evans voices Scrooge, Colman voices the Ghost of Christmas Past, Buckley Isabel Fezziwig, Johnny Flynn Bob Cratchit, Fra Fee Harry Huffam), Giles Terera Tom Jenkins, Trevor Dion Nicholas the Ghost of Christmas Present, James Cosmo Mr. Fezziwig, and Jonathan Pryce voices Jacob Marley.

The film is directed by Stephen Donnelly (“Monster High: Welcome to Monster High”) and features re-imagined songs from the late two-time Oscar and Grammy winner Leslie Bricusse. The songs are arranged and produced by Jeremy Holland-Smith, who has also provided the original score.

Donnelly said:...

Olivia Colman, Luke Evans and Jessie Buckley are to lead Netflix’s animated adaptation of Charles Dickens’ A Christmas Carol from Stephen Donnelly (Lost in Oz).

Evans will play Scrooge in Scrooge: A Christmas Carol while The Lost Daughter stars Colman and Buckley are the Ghost of Christmas Past and Isabel Fezziwig respectively. Also boarding are Jonathan Pryce, who will play Jacob Marley, Johnny Flynn, who will play Bob Cratchit, Fra Fee, Giles Terera, Trevor Dion Nicholas and James Cosmo.

The animated adaptation was one of eight shows unveiled on a mega European Netflix animation slate at Annecy International Film Festival last month, which also included a follow-up to Academy Award-nominee Klaus and an adaptation of Richard Curtis’ That Christmas.

Produced by Timeless Films in association with Axis Studios and directed by Donnelly, Dickens’ timeless classic, which has been adapted multiple times including famously by the Muppets, follows Ebenezer Scrooge...

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Netflix has unveiled an impressive lineup of stars set to lend their voices to its upcoming animated feature Scrooge: A Christmas Carol from director Stephen Donnelly and Timeless Films.

Luke Evans (voicing Scrooge), Olivia Colman (Past), Jessie Buckley (Isabel Fezziwig) and Johnny Flynn (Bob Cratchit) have joined the film, alongside Fra Fee (Harry Huffam), Giles Terera (Tom Jenkins), Trevor Dion Nicholas (Present), James Cosmo (Mr Fezziwig) and Jonathan Pryce (Jacob Marley).

Landing on Netflix in December, the CG animation gives the Charles Dickens classic a musical spin, with re-imagined songs from two-time Oscar and Grammy winner Leslie Bricusse (Doctor Dolittle, Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory, Superman, Home Alone).

The film is produced by Timeless Films in association with Axis Studios, with producers including Ralph Kamp, Andrew Pearce and Bricusse. Rebecca Kamp and Gareth Kamp will serve as co-producers.

“It’s been a...

As regular as Christmas clockwork, no sooner do the evenings begin to draw in and the firesides begin to warm the house with their soft glow, the seasonal TV and movie schedules come out. We all have our yuletide favourites – well-remembered classics from our childhood which sit alongside more recent festive fare – but one story reigns high above all else as the perfect Christmas tale.

Alastair Sim – putting the Og in ScroOGe back in ’51.

There have been many dozens of adaptations of Charles Dickens’ A Christmas Carol over the years. Some set their scene in the traditional Victoriana of Dickens’ tale, others go farther afield, gender-swapping Scrooge or even anthropomorphise him as with the 1998 video classic – An All Dogs Christmas Carol. Anyone can be rich and redeemed! Those interested in becoming as wealthy as Mr. S can stop off at refuelcasino to try their hand at amassing their own well-stocked counting house.

It would take a unique kind of audacity to reach out to Stephen Sondheim and insist he be your mentor. But then it took a unique kind of audacity—and pain, and tears, and talent—to be Jonathan Larson. As the brilliant if ill-starred artist who wrote a generation-defining musical in Rent, and then didn’t live to see it performed once in front of an audience, Larson was a singular voice who throughout his short life burned like a Roman candle, dazzling many all too briefly. That includes Sondheim.

This dynamic is brought to life in Lin-Manuel Miranda’s profoundly impressive debut as a film director: tick, tick… Boom! The movie is based on what was once Larson’s Off-off-Broadway one-man show, an autobiographical tale of misery and self-doubt written before Rent. But on-screen, Miranda dramatizes this dynamic between Larson and Sondheim with multiple actors, including Andrew Garfield’s frazzled yet resilient Jon,...