Eddie Murphy is teaming up with Amazon Prime Video to bring audiences a holiday film with a twist. Candy Cane Lane has the potential to be a hilarious holiday treat, considering it has nabbed a few other comedic talents in addition to Murphy. The film is part of Murphy’s three-film deal with Amazon, which he signed after Coming 2 America performed well on the platform in 2021. Murphy also produced Candy Cane Lane, which is directed by Reginald Hudlin.
While Candy Cane Lane is a holiday comedy, it seems to have a few other genre elements. Hudlin teased that the film has “jump scares, car chases, and kung-fu fighting” in addition to magical spells. Some action and even horror elements might be sneaking into the film. Of course, Candy Cane Lane won’t be anywhere near as gritty as recent holiday fave Violent Night, but it still could put an interesting twist on the average holiday film.
Here’s everything we know about Candy Cane Lane so far.
When does Candy Cane Lane come out?
Candy Cane Lane will premiere on Amazon Prime Video on December 1, 2023.
Does Candy Cane Lane have a trailer?
Amazon dropped the official teaser trailer for Candy Cane Lane on October 12. With only 74 days left until Christmas, it’s the perfect time to start thinking about the holidays.
The trailer sees Murphy taking on the role of a family man who is a little too enthusiastic about Christmas, especially when it comes to winning his neighborhood’s house decorating contest. Things quickly get zany in a festive way when the family ends up conversing with a real-life elf who promises to make their Christmas wishes come true. While we’ve all been told to be careful what we wish for, Murphy’s wish for the best Christmas ever sounds pretty safe. However, the wish will be fulfilled a little too well and things will get too Christmas-y. The teaser is careful not to reveal too many plot details, but the humor and holiday spirit is on full display, boding well for a nice, lighthearted Christmas flick.
Who stars in Candy Cane Lane?
As mentioned above, Murphy leads Candy Cane Lane as Christmas-lover Chris Carver. Starring opposite Murphy is award-winning actress Tracee Ellis Ross as Chris’s wife, Carol. Ross is best known for her role in Black-ish, where her comedic talent earned her five Emmy nominations. Thaddeus J. Mixson, Genneya Walton, and Madison Thomas portray the three Carver children, Nick, Joy, and Holly, respectively.
SNL writer Jillian Bell has also joined the cast of Candy Cane Lane as a mischievous elf named Pepper. Meanwhile, comic legend David Alan Grier is playing Santa Claus. The film has nabbed a few more big names in comedy, including Ken Marino, Nick Offerman, Robin Thede, and Chris Redd as Bruce, Pip, Cordelia, and Lamplighter Gary, respectively.
Rounding out the cast are Anjelah Johnson-Reyes as Shelly, D. C. Young Fly as Josh, Danielle Pinnock as Kit, and Trevante Rhodes as Tre.
What’s Candy Cane Lane about?
The official synopsis for Candy Cane Lane reads:
Eddie Murphy stars in this holiday comedy adventure about a man on a mission to win his neighborhood’s annual Christmas home decoration contest. After Chris inadvertently makes a deal with a mischievous elf named Pepper to better his chances of winning, she casts a magic spell that brings the 12 Days of Christmas to life and wreaks havoc on the whole town. At the risk of ruining the holidays for his family, Chris, his wife Carol, and their three children must race against the clock to break Pepper’s spell, battle deviously magical characters and save Christmas for everyone.
It seems Candy Cane Lane will be tackling a relatively common premise in which someone with good intentions unwittingly ruins Christmas for everyone by being hyper-fixated on making it perfect. Still, the part about the 12 Days of Christmas coming to life is quite unique. That family will have a lot of hens, geese, swans, and dancing ladies to deal with. Plus, there’s a bit of unpredictability in how the elf and Santa Claus figure into the film and their intentions. Although it seems to include some familiar holiday tropes, Candy Cane Lane‘s impressive line-up of talented comedians and its 12 Days of Christmas twist could make it quite an enjoyable holiday comedy for the whole family.
(featured image: Prime Video)
