Ryan Reynolds will be co-starring with Will Ferrell in a new adaptation of A Christmas Carol for Apple TV+ subscribers called Spirited. What makes this modern adaptation different from the approximately 934 A Christmas Carol movie adaptations is that we have the chance to see the Deadpool actor sing and dance. But being in a musical movie isn’t always fun and games, as Reynolds discussed the “nerve-wracking” experience he had working on Apple TV+’s Spirited.
The trailer for the Christmas Carol callback film has Will Ferrell and Ryan Reynolds uncomfortably close when the tables turn on the Ghost of Christmas Present with his life being the one examined. Reynolds spoke to Empire about the “nerve-wracking experience” he had while making this musical holiday twist, saying:
I don’t, before this, during, or after, profess to be a competent singer or dancer. I’m used to getting on a film set and kind of being able to figure it out in the moment. That’s not the case with a movie like this. You have to live, eat, breathe and sleep this routine. It was exciting, nerve-racking and terrifying. I was actually so scared that I’d go full circle, back to brave. I don’t think I would ever do it again. But I genuinely loved it.
We all know Ryan Reynolds can throw a punch and make us laugh, but it would be nice to see what else he can do. It’s like when we saw Hugh Jackman play circus showman P.T. Barnum in The Greatest Showman away from the metal-clawed Wolverine character we all know him for. While his movie musical debut in Les Misérables showed to film audiences carry a tune, The Greatest Showman proved he could move to the beat as well (assuming you hadn't already seen Jackman perform onstage). Other actors this year will be making their singing debut, like Grey’s Anatomy Patrick Dempsey showing off his singing chops in the long-awaited Disney+ sequel Disenchanted. Even if singing and dancing don’t come naturally to all, it shows a lot of courage to still be willing to take on a movie musical.
What we know about Spirited is that Ryan Reynolds, known for his action-packed role in the Deadpool movies, will play the “wrong Scrooge,” Clint Briggs. Will Ferrell will be going back to his holiday movie roots playing the Ghost of Christmas Present. This will be his third collaboration with Daddy’s Home Sean Anders and John Morris. The Help’s Octavia Spencer will also be showing off her singing talent in the movie; we'd previously heard her sing in an episode of the short-lived series Red Band Society and in the comedy movie Jesus People: The Movie.
Another actor you’ll see in Spirited is musical actor Patrick Page, known for playing the Green Goblin in Spider-Man: Turn Off the Dark and The Grinch in Dr. Seuss' How the Grinch Stole Christmas! The Musical. Also, expect to see GLOW’s Sunita Mari play the Ghost of Christmas Past and Rise’s Joe Tippett. While we’ve had modern retellings of A Christmas Carol in the past, this Apple TV+ movie shows that there are many ways to tell Charles Dickens' Christmas tale to audiences today.
Getting to show off his song and dance skills was anything but easy for Ryan Reynolds, but I’m sure his “nerve-wracking” experience will ultimately pay off. You can see for yourself if Ryan Reynolds has what it takes to sing and dance into your heart in Spirited when it hits Apple TV+ on November 18th.
