Eddie Murphy, Jillian Bell and Madison Thomas inCandy Cane Lane(2023).Photo:CLAUDETTE BARIUS
CLAUDETTE BARIUS
Eddie Murphyis spreadingChristmascheer.
The actor, 62, stars in his first-ever holiday movie, the upcoming adventure comedyCandy Cane Lane,which PEOPLE has an exclusive first look at.
Murphy plays Chris Carver, a father of three who “loves Christmas so much he’s even given all his kids Christmas-themed names (Holly, Joy and Nick),” according to directorReginald Hudlin.
“When Chris is unexpectedly laid off, he throws himself into winning the Candy Cane Lane house-decorating contest in his neighborhood, which has a huge cash prize,” Hudlin says.
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Candy Cane Lane(2023).Courtesy of Prime Video
Courtesy of Prime Video
“Now the ‘12 Days of Christmas’ characters are coming to life and causing chaos for Chris and his family,” the filmmaker adds. “Now instead of winning it all, he could lose it all!”
Candy Cane Lanealso starsTracee Ellis Ross, Thaddeus J. Mixson,Ken Marino,Nick OffermanandChris Redd.
As for Bell’s character, Pepper, she’s an elf who “takes the ‘coal in stocking’ punishment to absurd lengths,” says Hudlin. “She’s out to penalize anyone who she thinks deserves it, and that includes pretty much everyone.”
Eddie Murphy inCandy Cane Lane(2023).CLAUDETTE BARIUS
Offerman, Thede and Redd play characters who “are victims of Pepper’s vindictiveness,” explains Hudlin. “They have been transformed into living Christmas ornaments made of glass and look like Victorian characters.”
“Nick Offerman plays a proper English gentleman from another era, while Robin Thede plays a Kardashian-ish power shopper and Chris Redd is a working-class everyman,” the filmmaker continues. “They don’t get along that well, but they are allied in their urgent need to escape from Pepper’s clutches.”
Hudlin tells PEOPLE, “I can say confidently you’ve never seena holiday movielike this!”
“We have jump scares, car chases and kung-fu fighting, plus all the holiday feels,” he reveals.
Candy Cane Lanereunites Murphy with director Hudlin and producer Brian Grazer, filmmakers he worked with on his 1992 movieBoomerang. Murphy himself is also listed as a producer on the project, in addition to Karen Lunder and Charisse Hewitt-Webster.
“I can’t wait for the world to seeCandy Cane Lane,” Hudlin previously said in a statement. “I’ve wanted to make a Christmas movie my whole life, but I wanted to do something fresh and surprising.”
Poster forCandy Cane Lane(2023).Prime Video
Prime Video
The director added that Murphy “and this hilarious cast really bring the funny.”
“It’s super Christmas-y, and it will hit you right in the feels,” Hudlin said.
Candy Cane Laneis on Prime Video Dec. 1.
source: people.com
