Everything to Know About Melissa McCarthy's Christmas Movie
Melissa McCarthy and Paapa Kwakye Essiedu in Genie on Peacock
Genie grants our wish: Melissa McCarthy is finally in a Christmas movie!
The Peacock original holiday film brings the Bridesmaid star to life as a genie summoned during the holiday season by a workaholic whose life outside the office is falling apart.
Richard Curtis, who's behind the Christmas classic Love, Actually and beloved romcoms Four Weddings and a Funeral and Notting Hill, penned the story for Genie, which is described as a "holiday fairytale comedy." (Goodness knows we could use all of that right now!)
Director Sam Boyd told Entertainment Weekly of the film, "The whole thing was really this huge collaboration, where we were working within a few different traditions, running parallel—the tradition of the Christmas movie, of the Richard Curtis movie, of the Melissa McCarthy movie—and the hope is that the final product is a glorious mashup of them all."
Find out everything to know about Melissa McCarthy's Christmas movie Genie, including the cast, release date and how to watch.
Related: The Best Unconventional Christmas Movies to Watch Right Now
What is the release date for Melissa McCarthy's Christmas movie Genie?
Genie will debut on Peacock on Nov. 22, 2023.
Related: The 14 Best Classic Christmas Movies
Who is in the cast of Melissa McCarthy's Christmas movie Genie?
The Genie cast includes:
Melissa McCarthy as Flora
NBCUniversal/Peacock
Melissa McCarthy stars as Flora, a genie who ticked off a sorcerer back in 77 B.C. and got herself locked in an antique box.
Related: It's a Wonderful Life Quotes
Paapa Kwakye Essiedu as Bernard Bottle
NBCUniversal/Peacock
Paapa Kwakye Essiedu of I May Destroy You and Black Mirror episode "Demon 79" stars as Bernard Bottle, a career-obsessed man whose family life is in shambles. He accidentally calls on Flora, who's ready to grant his wishes.
Related: Is Die Hard a Christmas Movie?
Denée Benton as Julie
Steve Eichner/WWD via Getty Images
Denée Benton of The Gilded Age stars as Julie, Bernard's long-suffering wife.
Related: 100+ Best Christmas Movies of All Time
Alan Cumming as Bernard's boss
Arturo Holmes/Getty Images
The iconic Alan Cumming stars as Bernard's tyrannical boss, who fires him as his family life is struggling too. We love this man as a villain!
Related: Is Gremlins a Christmas Movie?
Lyman Chen as Charles
Michael Loccisano/Getty Images for Tribeca Film Festival
Lyman Chen plays Charles. He's previously appeared in The Departed, Lucky Grandma and Something From Tiffany's.
Related: The Most Popular Christmas Movie Dads of All Time
Jordyn McIntosh as Eve
ROBYN BECK/AFP via Getty Images
The preternaturally adorable Jordyn McIntosh stars as Bernard and Julie's daughter, Eve. She's previously appeared in Emancipation and UnPrisoned.
Nyasha Hatendi as Pete
Amy Sussman/Getty Images
Nyasha Hatendi plays Pete in Genie. The Zimbabwean-British-American actor previously starred in Made for Love, Hunters and more.
Related: What Are the Best Parts of Christmas Movies?
Marc Maron as a doorman
NBCUniversal/Peacock
Comedian Marc Maron appears as a kind doorman in Genie. He's previously featured McCarthy on his WTF podcast, and has also appeared in Joker, Almost Famous, The Bad Guys and more.
Related: The Best Christmas Horror Movies of All Time
Luis Guzmán in an undisclosed role
Corey Nickols/Getty Images for IMDb
Luis Guzmán will star in Genie in an undisclosed role. He most recently played Gomez Addams in Wednesday.
Others in the cast include John Cashin as Celt, John C. Guild as Santa Claus, Orease Bowers as a police officer and LaChanze and Tate Ellington in undisclosed roles.
Related: The Ultimate Roundup of the Best Christmas Movies to Watch This Year
Is Melissa McCarthy's Christmas movie Genie streaming?
You'll be able to stream Genie on Peacock starting Nov. 22, 2023.
Related: 14 Essential Can’t-Miss Christmas Movies
Is there a trailer for Melissa McCarthy's Christmas movie Genie?
Yes! A trailer for the movie dropped on Nov. 1, 2023, exactly three weeks before its release.
In the trailer, we see Maron's character ask Bernard how he's doing, and the answer is unfortunate: He misses his daughter's birthday, his wife leaves him, his boss fires him. Then he stumbles on an old antique jewelry box, and out comes Flora—with unlimited wishes! He tries to use Flora to help him win his family back, as well as to experience some fun during a tough time. Throughout, we also see Flora get accustomed to New York City life following millennia stuck in the box (and a great joke about the meaning of Christmas).
