Reginald Hudlin reached a major milestone in his career when he recently received a lifetime achievement award from the St. Louis International Film Festival.
ST. LOUIS — An East St. Louis native reached a major milestone in his career when he recently received a lifetime achievement award from the St. Louis International Film Festival.
Director and producer Reginald Hudlin credits his Missouri upbringing for being a better storyteller in Hollywood.
Having a film career spanning more than three decades, Hudlin said he’s surprisingly never attended the St. Louis International Film Festival before this year.
However coming home to St. Louis was made just a little bit more memorable with a SLIFF Lifetime Achievement Award to sit beside his Oscar and Emmy nominations.
“When you get a lifetime achievement award, it feels like that’s an acknowledgment of your body of work,” Hudlin said. “Like you know what, you keep doing things that are not embarrassing. They don’t suck, and, in fact, we like them.”
It’s quite the body of work for Hudlin, a proud East St. Louis native.
Whether that’s one of his first hits, “House Party” in 1990 or his latest to-be-released movie “Candy Cane Lane” on Amazon Prime with comedic icon Eddie Murphy.
Not to mention, the football drama “Safety” on Disney+ and another classic “Boomerang” starring Murphy again, Chris Rock and Halle Berry.
SLIFF executive director Bree Maniscalco said Hudlin received the award because he has “reached across and done documentaries. He’s done a series with Oprah about African American males and the role that they play as fathers, filmmakers and actors. That has been incredible.
“He’s directed award shows. He’s also done animated works not just on the big screen but through comic books. They way that he’s getting the youth interested in paper book and then on the screen it’s incredible.”
Hudlin said being from the Midwest helped him get his name in lights, and being around hardworking people was crucial.
His advice for aspiring St. Louis filmmakers is to lean into technology and use their smartphones.
“You can film your own movie and cut it together,” Hudlin said. “You have all this stuff in your pocket. We didn’t have that when I was a kid. We didn’t have pockets when we were kids. So you’ve got all this stuff right in your pocket.”
St. Louis International Film Festival closes out its annual event with a celebration Nov. 19 at the Hi-Pointe Theatre. A Lifetime Achievement Award will be presented to veteran Hollywood figure and East St. Louis native Reginald Hudlin.
Cinema St. Louis executive director Bree Maniscalco and Hudlin’s longtime friend Lyah LeFlore-Ituen present the award, and I will sit with Hudlin for a live conversation about his noteworthy career.
Director, producer and writer Hudlin, the first Black executive producer of the Emmys as well as a co-producer of the Academy Awards in 2016, first made his mark in the industry producing music videos and making short films in the 1980s.
Hudlin made his directorial debut with “House Party” (1990) and has been busy ever since, from “Boomerang” to “Django Unchained,” “The Great White Hype” to “The Ladies Man,” “Bebe’s Kids” to “The Black Godfather.”
His latest movie “Candy Cane Lane,” starring Eddie Murphy and Tracee Ellis Ross, is his first Christmas flick, streaming Dec. 1 on Prime Video.
Here, we spotlight 8 essential Hudlin projects.
Kid ‘n Play in “House Party” | Courtesy of St. Louis International Film Festival
“House Party”
1990, director, writer
Hudlin scored big with his directorial debut, a cult classic with rap duo Kid ‘n Play at the center of a wild high school house party. The Library of Congress added “House Party” to its National Film Registry in 2022, the same year a reboot of the movie was released.
Watch “House Party” on Pluto TV, Prime Video.
“Boomerang”
1992, director
Hudlin ventured into adult rom-com fare with “Boomerang,” starring Eddie Murphy as a successful playboy who meets his match in a woman portrayed by Robin Givens, while later finding happiness with his true love played by Halle Berry. The movie was rebooted as a TV series on BET, which ran a couple of seasons beginning in 2019.
Watch “Boomerang” on Prime Video.
“Bebe’s Kids”
1992, writer, producer
Forever etched in urban lingo is the term “Bebe’s Kids,” used to describe a group of really bad young children. The term was taken from Hudlin’s animated movie “Bebe’s Kids” about a man voiced by comedian Robin Harris charged with watching a group of unruly children during an amusement park outing.
Watch it on Prime Video, Pluto TV.
Tim Meadows in “The Ladies Man” (2000). Handout
“The Ladies Man”
2000, director
Hudson successfully took a “Saturday Night Live” skit, not an easy thing to do, and fleshed it out to full-length feature with “The Ladies Man” starring Tim Meadows.
Watch it on Prime Video.
“Django Unchained”
2012, co-producer
Hudlin co-produced this epic, gloriously violent Oscar-nominated western directed by Quentin Tarantino about a freed slave out to rescue his wife from a plantation owner starring Jamie Foxx, Leonardo DiCaprio, Kerry Washington Christoph Waltz and Samuel L. Jackson.
Chadwick Boseman (left) and Sterling K. Brown in “Marshall” | Courtesy of Open Road Films
“MARSHALL”
2017, director, producer
Boasting a cast that included Chadwick Boseman, St. Louis native Sterling K. Brown, Kate Hudson and Josh Gad, “Marshall” looked at an early career chapter of historic figure Thurgood Marshall, the State of Connecticut v. Joseph Spell, before he’d go on to become the first Black Supreme Court Justice.
Watch it on Netflix and Prime Video.
Guy Torry in “Phat Tuesdays” | Courtesy of Amazon Studios
“Phat Tuesdays: The Era of Hip Hop Comedy”
2022, director, producer
“Phat Tuesdays: The Era of Hip Hop Comedy” is a three-part docuseries detailing Phat Tuesdays, which was a night giving new opportunities to Black comics at the famed Comedy Store in Los Angeles from 1995 to 2005. St. Louis native Guy Torry created and hosted Phat Tuesdays, which helped change the culture of comedy.
Watch it on Prime Video.
“Sidney”
2022, director, producer
Teaming up with producer Oprah Winfrey, Hudlin presented a touching tribute honoring the life and legacy of the Oscar-winning Sidney Poitier, one of the greatest actors to ever live. Among the A-list participants in the documentary are Robert Redford, Denzel Washington, Spike Lee, Morgan Freeman, Halle Berry, Lou Gossett Jr., Quincy Jones, Barbra Streisand and most notably Poitier himself.
Watch it on Apple TV+.
The closing night event also features SLIFF’s juried-competition awards, music from Trackstar the DJ and more.
What St. Louis International Film Festival’s Closing Night Awards Presentation • When 6:30 p.m. Nov. 19 • Where Hi-Pointe Theatre, 1005 McCausland Avenue • How much $5 • More infocinemastlouis.org/sliff/festival-home
As an extra sprinkle of cheer, “The Candy Cane Lane Traveling Truck Tour” will travel around the U.S. handing out special treats and free items from the film. Cities include LA, NY, Chicago, Boston, Atlanta, and Miami. Check out the tour schedule at CandyCaneLaneTruck.com to see if the truck will visit a town near you!
Make sure to follow along on @PrimeVideo for more info.
11/22/23 by Davis Northern | Candy Cane Lane | Comments Off on PRIME VIDEO AND GRUBHUB UNVEIL THE ULTIMATE HOLIDAY DELIGHT WITH THE “CHRISTMAS DELIVERED BY CANDY CANE LANE” CONTEST
Free | Nov 20, 2023 | 5:00AM – 5:00PM | Greater Los Angeles Area
In Candy Cane Lane, a family led by Eddie Murphy competes to win their neighborhood Christmas decorating contest. To celebrate that theme, Prime Video and GrubHub will create a national contest where people can win a chance to have the ultimate holiday home makeover. For a limited time, starting on November 20th, Grubhub consumers in select areas of Atlanta, Chicago, Los Angeles, and New York can enter the contest to win a home exterior transformation with stunning holiday decorations donated by Balsam Hill®. The winner of the contest will witness their home transformation come to life in captivating videos crafted by surprise YouTube creators, with smart light products generously donated by Govee.
11/22/23 by Davis Northern | Candy Cane Lane | Comments Off on Join ‘The 12 Days of Candy Cane Lane’ for more festive fun and surprises!
“The 12 Days of Candy Cane Lane” kicks off on Monday, November 20 and brings consumers 12 days of festive surprises and special moments counting down to the opening of
Candy Cane Lane on Prime Video on December 1.
Monday, November 20 begins with the decorative partnership “Christmas Delivered by Candy Cane Lane and Grubhub.” Grubhub consumers in Atlanta, Chicago, Los Angeles, and New York can enter to win a holiday home transformation with stunning holiday decorations donated by Balsam Hill, and smart light products by Govee. Plus, order free Candy Cane Lane Custom Funny Face Bakery Cookies from 11/20-22; just search “Candy Cane Lane” in the app while supplies last!
There will be a holiday surprise every day from November 20 until December 1 when the film is available globally on Prime Video. Additional highlights include Giving Tuesday’s Red Cross Blood Drive; a new song, “Miracle,” from Raphael Saadiq featuring Kelli-Leigh, available exclusively on Amazon Music; advance free Prime Premiere screenings of Candy Cane Lane for Amazon Prime members in select cities; and a fully immersive Kringle’s Virtual Holiday Shop, perfect for all your holiday shopping needs!
Details on all of “The 12 Days of Candy Cane Lane” are available here.
10/22/23 by Davis Northern | Candy Cane Lane | Comments Off on Reginald Hudlin speaks at Howard University about cinema and his upcoming movie CANDY CANE LANE.
From left, Thaddeus J. Mixson as Nick Carver, Genneya Walton as Joy Carver, Madison Thomas as Holly Carver, Tracee Ellis Ross as Carol Carver, and Eddie Murphy as Chris Carver in a scene from “Candy Cane Lane.” — Photos courtesy of Claudette Barius/Amazon Prime Video
Eddie Murphy as Chris Carver in a scene from “Candy Cane Lane.”
Pepper the Elf’s victims turned Christmas ornaments in a scene from “Candy Cane Lane.”
The month of October ushers in the holiday season and, with it, the arrival of holiday films.
Eddie Murphy stars in this year’s comic adventure “Candy Cane Lane,” a film about a man who will stop at nothing to win his neighborhood’s annual Christmas home decoration contest.
Murphy is Chris Carver, a father of three who “loves Christmas so much he’s even given all his kids Christmas-themed names (Holly, Joy and Nick),” states director Reginald Hudlin via People.
“When Chris is unexpectedly laid off,” Hudlin adds, “he throws himself into winning the Candy Cane Lane house-decorating contest in his neighborhood, which has a huge cash prize.”
Chris makes an agreement with an elf named Pepper (Jillian Bell) to improve his chances of winning the contest because, as Hudlin explains, “He finds the coolest-looking Christmas decorations ever that will pretty much guarantee him winning the big prize, it turns out they are cursed by Pepper.”
The mischievous elf places a magic spell that awakens the 12 days of Christmas, naturally causing havoc on the whole town. This disturbance could ruin the holidays, not only for Chris but his wife Carol (Tracee Ellis Ross) and their three children. They must work feverishly to race against time to combat Pepper’s spell, overcome the magical characters and save Christmas.
Murphy was last seen on Netflix’s “You People.” This marks the actor’s first holiday movie and turns back to a family-focused film where he has found much success via vehicles such as “Shrek,” “Daddy Day Car,” “Mulan” and the “Dr. Dolittle” films.
Amazon offered the first look of the decorated comedian in the holiday film directed by Hudlin whose first feature film, “House Party (1990),” became an instant classic. Murphy and Hudlin previously worked on the blockbuster “Boomerang.” “Candy Cane Lane” is the first of three films Murphy will produce with Amazon as part of his three-picture, first-look deal. This comes on the heels of their “Coming 2 America” partnership, which was a big success after Amazon purchased the title from Paramount during the epidemic.
“Candy Cane Lane” is based on the childhood of Kelly Younger who penned the script and previously worked on “Muppets Haunted Mansion” and “Muppets Now.”
Also starring in the film are Thaddeus J. Mixson, Ken Marino, Nick Offerman, Robin Thede, Chris Redd, Genneya Walton, Madison Thomas, Anjelah Johnson-Reyes, David Alan Grier, D.C Young Fly, Danielle Pinnock, Timothy Simons, Riki Lindhome, and Stephen Tobolowsky.
Thede, coming off her success of her highly-critically-acclaimed show “A Black Lady Sketch Show,” portrays one of the victims of “Pepper’s vindictiveness,” Hudlin states. “They have been transformed into living Christmas ornaments made of glass and look like Victorian characters.”
Redd of “Saturday Night Live” portrays a working-class man, and according to Hudlin, Thede and Redd’s characters unify against the elf. “They don’t get along that well, but are allied in their urgent need to escape from Pepper’s clutches.”
Murphy produced the file under his production company Eddie Murphy Productions along with Charris Hewitt-Webster and long time collaborators Brian Grazer and Karen Lunder for Imagine Entertainment.
Murphy, who is a master at improvising, is sure to have audiences laughing, and along with an all-star cast, “Candy Cane Lane” will become part of families holiday catalog for decades to come.
10/22/23 by Davis Northern | The Black Godfather | Comments Off on ‘Black Godfather’ director Reginald Hudlin on Clarence Avant: ‘His effect is literally immeasurable’
Media executive Clarence Avant attends the world premiere of “The Black Godfather,” a documentary about his life, at Paramount Studios in Los Angeles on June 3, 2019. (Mark Von Holden / Invision / Associated Press)
With the passing of media executive Clarence Avant on Monday, Hollywood lost an industry magnate whose impact and reach was unquantifiable.
Avant rose to prominence in post-Prohibition New York City, where he met talent manager Joseph G. Glaser, who taught him the ins and outs of the music business. He would go on to be known as the godfather of the industry, shaping the careers of nascent icons like Bill Withers and Hank Aaron and countless others.
“The joy of his legacy eases the sorrow of our loss,” his family said in a statement announcing his passing.
Avant was a man of principles at a time when Hollywood sought to exploit and discard Black talent. He rose from humble pastoral beginnings to become a man about town in an industry where Black people weren’t afforded such prominent positions.
He was foul-mouthed and brusque, a demeanor that was incongruous with his role in Hollywood as a staunch advocate for Black artists, maintaining throughout his decades-long career a reputation for integrity and fairness in an industry infamous for its lack of both.
“He had an innate sense of goodness and fairness and was able to have the drive and willpower to succeed without compromising his values, and use that success to help more people,” said filmmaker Reginald Hudlin, who profiled Avant in the 2019 Netflix documentary “The Black Godfather.”
The source list for the documentary is itself a testament to Avant’s reach and impact and includes two former presidents (Barack Obama and Bill Clinton), Vice President Kamala Harris, and music and entertainment icons including Withers, Aaron, Quincy Jones, Jim Brown, Sean “Diddy” Combs, Clive Davis, Kenneth “Babyface” Edmonds, Jamie Foxx, David Geffen, Berry Gordy, Jesse Jackson, Benny Medina, Ludacris, L.A. Reid, Lionel Richie, Al Sharpton, Cicely Tyson, Snoop Dogg and others.
Hudlin first met Avant at the airport when he first came to Hollywood to broker his first movie deal. “His reputation so preceded him,” said Hudlin. “I mean, he was like Zeus. There’s powerful people, then there’s the gods of Mt. Olympus and then there’s the god of the gods. And that’s who Clarence was.”
Here, Hudlin discusses Avant’s influence, legacy and impact on music history:
From left, Quincy Jones, Jacqueline Avant and Clarence Avant attend a Netflix reception for the documentary “13th” on Jan. 15, 2017, in Los Angeles. (Eric Charbonneau/Invision/Associated Press)
Where did the idea to make the documentary come from? What moment or experience inspired that?
All of us who had been mentored and inspired by Clarence had been trying to convince him to write a book for years. And he would gruffly rebuff such suggestions. His daughter Nicole had decided [from] when she was 8 years old that one day she would make a movie about her father’s life, so she convinced her dad to do a documentary. And then she asked him, “Well, who do you want to make the movie?” Clarence thought for a second and said, “I like Reggie. Call him.” And when I got the call, it was one of the all-time great honors. It was a papal order. So it was an incredible honor and [I was] very happy to do it.
Can you describe the process of gathering sources for the documentary?
Well, Clarence knows everyone. Nicole had a long list of people who she knew we needed to talk to and it was a spectacular list, and we were happy to start that process. And pretty much at the end of every interview, the subject would say, “Hey, have you talked to …?” And then they would name three people. Those three people would not be on any previous list and none of them had any relationship to each other, nor was there any obvious connection to Clarence. But they would insist, “Oh, you need to call them.” And we would do so and that would just repeat over and over again. And you realize that the network of friends, the network of relationships of Clarence Avant is so vast and so eclectic. It’s impossible to fully know the depth of the man other than he’s brilliant, he’s honorable, he’s all these truly wonderful things.
Would you say it was easy to get people to talk?
Everyone was grateful for an opportunity to testify on behalf of Clarence. I mean people who regularly turn down interviews [were like] “Oh, it’s Clarence, well that’s different.”
When’s the last time you spoke to him?
A couple of weeks ago. He had been staying with his daughter Nicole and her husband Ted [Sarandos]. And I called and said, “Boy, I would love to see Clarence.” We arranged a time and we all got together and it was lovely. It was great to see him again. It’s a family environment, laughing and talking politics and culture and everything and it was just great. I really am so grateful that I had that one last visit. I would be destroyed right now if I didn’t have that last memory.
What about his personality and business sense made him stand out in Hollywood in the entertainment industry?
I think what made him truly unique in the industry is this combination of bluntness, honesty and integrity. He was a person for whom his word was his bond. He said what he thought, he said it in a way that there was no ambiguity about what he thought. And his innate sense of fairness is what made his dealmaking possible. He wasn’t trying to get over on people, he was like, “Here’s an outcome that is fair for all parties.” And he was respected and sought out because of that unique combination of qualities.
The entertainment industry is notorious for lacking those traits: integrity, fairness, honor. So how was someone like Clarence, who was by all accounts an outsider, able to thrive by exhibiting those qualities?
Because he was that and he wouldn’t fold in that regard, it made him valuable because you could trust he’s going to be honest and he’s going to be fair. And you would think, “Why don’t more people function that way?” That’s a whole other sociological question.
And there were these other amazing qualities: the fact that he had unique taste. So many of his greatest successes were acts that people didn’t understand. Bill Withers got passed on by every record label. And he said, “No, no, no, I understand this. I relate to this. I get this.” And he was not scared to stand behind something that he believed in. And Bill Withers turned out to be the great artist that he saw and others didn’t.
Clarence’s demeanor is incongruous with the role he played in Hollywood. He’s foul-mouthed and gruff but was actually pure-intentioned and looking out for everybody that he encountered. Do you think his demeanor was meant as a form of protection?
Well, yes, I think it was a protective shield. I think he was a bit of a porcupine. But also he grew up in a rough-and-tumble era, he grew up as a sharecropper. He worked in these after-hours nightclubs. It’s a really tough environment. You couldn’t be a punk in those situations. But those environments never compromised his integrity as a person. And that combination was special and made him invaluable.
How would you break down his presence and influence on music history?
He understood the value of entertainment. He understood the value of stardom. He built Black institutions, he supported Black institutions. And as Black music went from something that was widely influential but never fully respected, he was a prime driver in the movement to take Black music to its proper place as the mainstream of popular entertainment on a global basis.
There was a period where, if you were a Black executive working in the music business, you were there because Clarence Avant placed you there. And the number of artists, managers, executives, people in every aspect of the business, of every race, of every gender, who went to Clarence for advice, he was a guiding light … he was a lighthouse for so many people.
When we were making the movie, we were trying to calculate OK, if you think about all the fortunes he helped make, can we actually put a dollar number to the ripple effect of what Clarence did? And we quickly gave up. There was just no way. If you look at sports, entertainment, politics, all these different worlds he affected, his effect is literally immeasurable.
Do you think another figure like Clarence could exist in the entertainment industry today?
[Laughs] First of all, it’s really unfair to relegate Clarence to entertainment. His impact on politics was huge. There were so many areas that he touched, but I don’t know that they make men like Clarence Avant anymore. History doesn’t repeat, it rhymes. So there’s a lot of people who were touched by Clarence who aspire to live to the values that he espoused. So in that sense, he has many, many children beyond his son and his daughter. There’s all these men who look at him as a father figure.
And there’s a lot of people who, once they heard about him, either through reputation or through the movie, are like “Oh, that’s another way of being successful, being impactful.” You don’t have to be a celebrity, you don’t have to weasel your way into every deal. Sometimes you do the right thing because the right thing is the thing to do. There’s a lot of people who aspire to those values and that is an extraordinary legacy.
How do you think the entertainment and political landscape might look if he had never come to Hollywood?
It’s literally unimaginable. When you think about him cold-calling Andy Young, who he had never met and saying, “Are you really running for Congress in Georgia as a Black man?” “Yes, sir.” He goes, “Well if you’re crazy enough to do that, I’m crazy enough to back you.” So when you think about the importance of just that one phone call, and [Avant] putting together a huge fundraising concert for [Young] to go to Congress and then from Congress became the mayor of Atlanta and Atlanta being the financial and cultural center that it is, and then [Young] being at the U.N. on behalf of President Jimmy Carter and all the things that he’s doing today, that’s just one man that [Avant] touched. And that one man had a gigantic impact on the rest of the world. And just keep multiplying that.
Here’s Hank Aaron, who’s about to break Babe Ruth’s record. And he’s getting death threats daily. And this is old-time Atlanta; you’ve got to take these death threats seriously. And [Clarence] stepped in and said, “We’re going to make sure you’re financially comfortable for the rest of your life by using this opportunity properly.” And him being the aggressive dealmaker to get Hank Aaron the fair endorsements that he deserved. And then Hank Aaron taking all the business lessons he learned from Clarence over the years and becoming an incredibly successful businessman, and then taking that business success and giving away so many millions through his charitable organizations. We just named two people who in turn touched thousands of people. And you could just go on and on naming case study after case study of how he touched someone’s life who was transformative, and then turned around and did it themselves.
How much do you think his impact was a matter of the time period in which he was born?
Well, this is the question you ask of any great person. Do the times make the man or does the man make the time? So you just have to say Clarence was a unique product of his moment. With that being said, are there great people before him? Yes. Will there be great people after him? Yes, of course, there will always be champions that will emerge out of the unique circumstances and they will meet the moment, whatever that moment is. Because the fact is, Clarence met the moment of the era he grew up in. And there’s a person in a crib today, who will meet the moment of 20 years from now.
We lost a great one last week. Jon Dolgen was a legendary studio executive, and a mentor to me through my career. He was a tough guy with a huge heart and an incredible sense of humor.
He was one of the funniest people I’ve ever met, and I know some very funny people. Most importantly Jon had an incredible moral compass and always went to the extra mile to make the world a better place. Not only was he a pioneer in hiring Black executives, but he supported them in numbers…both creative and business affairs. He also had Paramount open accounts in Black owned banks, which is still an extraordinary commitment to empowering Black people. He enlisted me and my wife to help recruit Black kids to participate in a college prep program for every branch of the arts.
We need men like Jon Dolgen today to solve so many problems in Hollywood, and in the world. I miss you so much, Jon. Blessings to his wonderful wife and children, who he loved dearly.
10/16/23 by Davis Northern | Candy Cane Lane | Comments Off on Eddie Murphy Is on a Mission forChristmas Cheer in Candy CaneLane First Look (Exclusive)
“I can say confidently you’ve never seen a holiday movie like this,” director Reginald Hudlin tells PEOPLE.
The actor, 62, stars in his first-ever holiday movie, the upcoming adventure comedy Candy Cane Lane, which PEOPLE has an exclusive first look at.
Murphy plays Chris Carver, a father of three who “loves Christmas so much he’s even given all his kids Christmas-themed names (Holly, Joy and Nick),” according to director Reginald Hudlin.
“When Chris is unexpectedly laid off, he throws himself into winning the Candy Cane Lane house-decorating contest in his neighborhood, which has a huge cash prize,” Hudlin says.
He continues, “But when he finds the coolest-looking Christmas decorations ever that will pretty much guarantee him winning the big prize, it turns out they are cursed by a wayward elf named Pepper [Jillian Bell].”
Candy Cane Lane (2023). PHOTO: COURTESY OF PRIME VIDEO
“Now the ’12 Days of Christmas’ characters are coming to life and causing chaos for Chris and his family,” the filmmaker adds. “Now instead of winning it all, he could lose it all!”
Director Hudlin (House Party, Boomerang) tells PEOPLE that Ross plays Chris’ wife Carol: “She’s a great wife, a great mother of three kids and a hardworking executive up for a promotion at the distribution center where she works. When Christmas and her family are threatened by supernatural forces, her Mama Bear instincts kick in to the fullest.”
As for Bell’s character, Pepper, she’s an elf who “takes the ‘coal in stocking’ punishment to absurd lengths,” says Hudlin. “She’s out to penalize anyone who she thinks deserves it, and that includes pretty much everyone.”
Eddie Murphy in Candy Cane Lane (2023). PHOTO: CLAUDETTE BARIUS
Offerman, Thede and Redd play characters who “are victims of Pepper’s vindictiveness,” explains Hudlin. “They have been transformed into living Christmas ornaments made of glass and look like Victorian characters.”
“Nick Offerman plays a proper English gentleman from another era, while Robin Thede plays a Kardashian-ish power shopper and Chris Redd is a working-class everyman,” the filmmaker continues. “They don’t get along that well, but they are allied in their urgent need to escape from Pepper’s clutches.”
Hudlin tells PEOPLE, “I can say confidently you’ve never seen a holiday movie like this!”
“We have jump scares, car chases and kung-fu fighting, plus all the holiday feels,” he reveals.
Eddie Murphy in Candy Cane Lane (2023). PHOTO: CLAUDETTE BARIUS
Candy Cane Lane reunites Murphy with director Hudlin and producer Brian Grazer, filmmakers he worked with on his 1992 movie Boomerang. Murphy himself is also listed as a producer on the project, in addition to Karen Lunder and Charisse Hewitt-Webster.
Written by Kelly Younger, the movie is executive produced by Doug Merrifield, with a supporting cast that also includes Genneya Walton, Madison Thomas, Anjelah Johnson-Reyes, Lombardo Boyar, D.C. Young Fly, Danielle Pinnock, Timothy Simons, Riki Lindhome and Stephen Tobolowsky.
“I can’t wait for the world to see Candy Cane Lane,” Hudlin previously said in a statement. “I’ve wanted to make a Christmas movie my whole life, but I wanted to do something fresh and surprising.”
Poster for Candy Cane Lane (2023). PHOTO: PRIME VIDEO
The director added that Murphy “and this hilarious cast really bring the funny.”
“It’s super Christmas-y, and it will hit you right in the feels,” Hudlin said.
10/16/23 by Davis Northern | Candy Cane Lane | Comments Off on ‘Candy Cane Lane’ First Look: Eddie Murphy Strives To Save Christmas In Prime Video Holiday Comedy
Eddie Murphy in ‘Candy Cane Lane’ | Claudette Barius/Amazon
Amazon is offering a first look at Candy Cane Lane, its holiday comedy starring Eddie Murphy and Tracee Ellis Ross, which is set to begin streaming globally December 1st. Check out a series of stills from the pic, along with a new teaser poster below.
Directed by Reginald Hudlin, the film is the first to emerge from Murphy’s three-picture and first-look film deal with Amazon Studios, which was signed on the heels of Coming 2 America‘s success, after coming over to the platform from Paramount during the pandemic. Based on the childhood holiday experiences of Kelly Younger, who penned the script, the film is about man on a mission to win his neighborhood’s annual Christmas home decoration contest. After Chris (Murphy) inadvertently makes a deal with a mischievous elf named Pepper (Jillian Bell) 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 (Ross), and their three children must race against the clock to break Pepper’s spell, battle deviously magical characters, and save Christmas for everyone.
Also starring in the pic are Jillian Bell, Thaddeus J. Mixson, Ken Marino, Nick Offerman, Robin Thede, Chris Redd, Genneya Walton, Madison Thomas, Anjelah Johnson-Reyes, Lombardo Boyar, D.C. Young Fly, Danielle Pinnock, Timothy Simons, Riki Lindhome, and Stephen Tobolowsky.
Murphy and Charisse Hewitt-Webster produced for Eddie Murphy Productions, along with Brian Grazer and Karen Lunder for Imagine Entertainment. Doug Merrifield served as executive producer on the pic, which marked a long overdue reunion for Hudlin, Murphy and Grazer following their work on 1992’s Boomerang.
Eddie Murphy in Candy Cane Lane | Claudette Barius/Amazon
Eddie Murphy and Tracee Ellis Ross in Candy Cane Lane | Claudette Barius/Prime Video
Eddie Murphy and Madison Thomas in Candy Cane Lane | Claudette Barius/Amazon
Amazon
Eddie Murphy, Jillian Bell and Madison Thomas in Candy Cane Lane | Claudette Barius/Amazon
Thaddeus J. Mixxon, Gennaya Walton, Madison Thomas, Tracee Ellis Ross and Eddie Murphy in Candy Cane Lane\Claudette Barius/Amazon
Reginald Hudlin directs Eddie Murphy on the set of Candy Cane Lane | Claudette Barius/Amazon
The veteran comedian stars alongside Tracee Ellis Ross in a new Amazon Prime holiday adventure flick called “Candy Cane Lane.”
Murphy plays Chris Carver, a father bent on winning his neighborhood’s annual Christmas home decoration contest come hell or high snow, according to a press release sent to TODAY.com, Ellis Ross will step into the role of Chris’ wife, Carol.
Eddie Murphy as ‘Chris Carver’ stars in Candy Cane Lane.Claudette Barius / Prime Video
“After Chris inadvertently makes a deal with a mischievous elf named Pepper (Jillian Bell) 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,” the press release explains. “At the risk of ruining the holidays for his family, Chris, his wife Carol (Tracee Ellis Ross), and their three children must race against the clock to break Pepper’s spell, battle deviously magical characters, and save Christmas for everyone.”
In addition to Ellis Ross, “Candy Cane Lane” includes Thaddeus J. Mixson, Ken Marino and Nick Offerman.
The first glimpse of Murphy’s foray into holiday movies came in a trailer released on Oct. 12. The clip shows Murphy’s enthusiastic planning on how to win the holiday decoration contest.
The smooth-talking elf played by Bell makes an appearance, convincing Murphy’s character to sign a contract that she jokes is like “signing your life away.”
When Murphy’s family discovers he made a deal with the elf for the best holiday display, the wisecracks quickly follow.
“Hold up, that was your wish? Not like, I don’t know, world peace,” his daughter says.
His son and daughter then wonder why he didn’t also wish to end hunger, homelessness and climate change — and a new Drake album.
“Ooh, I love Drake,” Ellis Ross says.
“Point taken,” Murphy replies.
When does ‘Candy Cane Lane’ come out?
Catch the PG-rated movie on Dec. 1 on Amazon Prime Video.
This is Murphy’s first holiday movie
Eddie Murphy cracked up viewers with his performances in hits like “48 Hrs,” “Beverly Hills Cop,” and “Trading Places,” but it was his role in “Boomerang” that convinced audiences he could be a charmer.
“Candy Cane Lane” reunites the actor with “Boomerang” director Reginald Hudlin for the first time since the movie debuted in 1992. Brian Grazer, who produced “Boomerang,” is also a producer of the holiday movie.
“Eddie Murphy as ‘Chris Carver’ and Tracee Ellis Ross as ‘Carol Carver’ star in Candy Cane Lane | Claudette Barius / Prime Video
You can visit the street ‘Candy Cane Lane’ is based on
The movie’s writer, Kelly Younger, drew inspiration for the screenplay from his own experiences living on Candy Cane Lane in El Segundo, California, according to Amazon’s press release.
