Genie Trailer: Melissa McCarthy Grants Magical Wishes in Love Actually Writer-Dire

From the pen of “Love Actually” writer-director Richard Curtis comes a new holiday comedy — but this time the magic of the season is literally magic. Premiering on Peacock on Nov. 22, “Genie” follows Melissa McCarthy as Flora, the titular character, who comes to the assistance of a despondent Bernard (Paapa Essiedu). Through their unexpected friendship, the two discover how the power of love can unleash a special holiday magic.

From missing his daughter’s birthday to his wife leaving him to getting fired, Bernard is in need of a genie for several reasons. Luckily for him, he stumbles upon a jewelry box and unintentionally releases the genie Flora, who can grant unlimited wishes. Flora has been trapped in that box for over 2,000 years due to a misunderstanding with a sorcerer in 77 B.C., so Bernard begins to show her the world she has been missing. Meanwhile, declaring that he needs to get his family to love him again, Bernard and Flora embark on a journey to achieve that very goal in time for Christmas.

Curtis’ screenplay, based on his 1991 teleplay “Bernard and the Genie,” is directed by Sam Boyd, creator of “Love Life.” Also starring in “Genie” is Alan Cumming, Denée Benton, Luis Guzmán, Marc Maron, Jordyn McIntosh, Tate Ellington and LaChanze. The movie is from Universal and Working Title, produced by Tim Bevan, Eric Fellner, Riva Marker and Richard Curtis. McCarthy, Caroline Jaczko, Alexandra Loewy, Sarah-Jane Robinson, Nicole King and Stacy O’Neil executive produced the film.

Popular on Variety

Watch the full trailer below.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k5uzsanBY9U

Must Read

Film
COVER | Sebastian Stan Tells All: Becoming Donald Trump and Starring in 2024’s Most Controversial Movie
By Andrew Wallenstein 3 weeks

Sign Up for Variety Newsletters

By providing your information, you agree to our Terms of Use and our Privacy Policy.We use vendors that may also process your information to help provide our services. // This site is protected by reCAPTCHA Enterprise and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.

ncG1vNJzZmiukae2psDYZ5qopV9nfXN%2Fjp%2BgpaVfo7K4v46gnKehlWLBs63IpZyrZZ2auaq%2F0ppkppuTlr%2B1tNhmo6iulWKupMDUmqOlsV2jsrh5wqGpoqukoq60ecyoraKdXWZ%2FdIGWcG1tbGFk

Larita Shotwell

Update: 2024-03-31

ZestW