Will Ferrell has long been a Christmas staple as Buddy the Elf, but this year, he’s back as a different character: a ghost. Specifically, he’s Ryan Reynolds’ Ghost of Christmas Present in the first trailer for “Spirited.”
The holiday film, set to hit theaters and Apple TV+ this November, will show off Reynolds’ and Ferrell’s singing and dancing chops, as it is a musical. Unfortunately, we don’t get any of their voices in the teaser, but we do get some tap dancing. Apparently, Ryan Reynolds’ character doesn’t actually know how to tap dance, he’s just a quick study of Will Ferrell.
It might appear that “Spirited” is a sort of sequel to the original “A Christmas Carol” — though technically, it’s just a new reimagining — as Ferrell himself is the very same Ghost of Christmas Present that helped Ebenezer Scrooge. He explains to Reynolds that, “My first save, there was this little sick kid, what did they call him?” (Ferrell refuses to concede that his name was Tiny Tim).
You can watch the full trailer for the Sean Anders-directed film in the video above.
In this version of the Dickens classic, Reynolds plays Clint Briggs, a younger, funnier, more musically inclined version of Scrooge. He’s not overly sold on the whole ghost thing, as he tries to resist Ferrell encouraging him to follow the ghost through a mysterious door. Inevitably though, he caves, and in a twist on the Christmas classic, Clint turns the tables on the ghost and looks at his past, present and future.
“Spirited” is produced by Maximum Effort and Gloria Sanchez Productions, and co-written by Sean Anders and John Morris. Octavia Spencer stars alongside Reynolds and Ferrell, and the film will feature new songs from popular duo Benj Pasek and Justin Paul.
“Spirited” will premiere in theaters on Nov. 11 and globally on Apple TV+ on Nov. 18.