Eddie Murphy to Reunite with ‘Boomerang’ Director for His First Holiday Movie ‘Candy Cane Lane’
‘Candy Cane Lane,’ which costars Tracee Ellis Ross, Thaddeus J. Mixson, Ken Marino, Nick Offerman, and Chris Redd, lands on Prime Video on Dec. 1
By Tommy McArdle | People
Eddie Murphy attends the 80th Annual Golden Globe Awards at The Beverly Hilton on January 10, 2023 in Beverly Hills, California. PHOTO: MATT WINKELMEYER/FILMMAGIC
Four decades into his career, Eddie Murphy is trying something new.
On Tuesday, Prime Video announced that Murphy, 62, will star in his first-ever holiday movie this December when his new comedy Candy Cane Lane releases on Amazon’s streaming service.
The new movie is described as a “holiday comedy adventure about a man on a mission to win his neighborhood’s annual Christmas home decoration contest,” according to an official synopsis.
“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,” the synopsis reads. “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.”
Eddie Murphy attends the Los Angeles Premiere of Netflix’s “You People” at Regency Village Theatre on January 17, 2023 in Los Angeles, California. PHOTO: AXELLE/BAUER-GRIFFIN/FILMMAGIC
Murphy’s new movie reunites him with director Reginald Hudlin and producer Brian Grazer, filmmakers he previously worked with on his 1992 movie Boomerang. Murphy himself is also listed as a producer on the project, in addition to Ron Howard.
“I can’t wait for the world to see Candy Cane Lane,” Hudlin, 61, said in a statement. “I’ve wanted to make a Christmas movie my whole life, but I wanted to do something fresh and surprising.”
The filmmaker 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.”
Candy Cane Lane will mark Murphy’s second movie appearance of 2023 after he starred in the Netflix movie You People earlier this year. The Hollywood Reporter noted in May that Murphy was in talks to play Inspector Clouseau in the next adaptation of the detective comedy The Pink Panther.
Eddie Murphy in the 1992 movie ‘Boomerang’. PHOTO: PARAMOUNT/KOBAL/SHUTTERSTOCK
The new holiday film was written by screenwriter Kelly Younger, inspired by his experiences growing up on a real-life street in El Segundo, Calif., unofficially known as Candy Cane Lane.
The movie’s cast also includes Thaddeus J. Mixson, Ken Marino, Nick Offerman, Robin Thede, Chris Redd, Genneya Walton, Madison Thomas, D.C. Young Fly, Riki Lindhome, Anjelah Johnson-Reyes, Lombardo Boyar, Danielle Pinnock, and Timothy Simons. Candy Cane Lane begins streaming on Prime Video on Dec. 1.