Genie is a new movie by Richard Curtis whose blockbuster hit Love Actually is as much a part of Christmas as mince pies and the big man himself. Now this legendary filmmaker has a new festive offering on Peacock and Sky Cinema, starring Bridesmaids’ Melissa McCarthy, The Lazarus Project star Paapa Essiedu and Alan Cumming. Genie is actually a remake of the 1991 TV film Bernard and The Genie, also written by Richard Curtis and starring Lenny Henry, Rowan Atkinson and Alan Cumming who's back for this new adaptation which is based again on The Book of the Thousand and One Nights (aka Arabian Nights)
This latest version, simply called Genie, sees Paapa Essiedu star as Bernard Bottle, a man in the midst of a crisis, who inadvertently summons up Melissa McCarthy's genie Flora who has been stuck inside a jewellery box for thousands of years. With unlimited wishes at his disposal, Bernard sets out to fix his life and win back his family. But the path to Christmas joy never runs smoothly.
"Christmas is the most fun time of year for someone to be miserable. It's the most fun time of year for someone to help someone stop being miserable," says Richard Curtis in a recent interview with Entertainment Weekly. "But the genie thing, I've just always been intrigued by magic, and there's a limit to how many magical things Father Christmas can do. He only works that one night a year. If I wanted magic at Christmas, a genie was a fun, new way of doing it."
Here’s everything you need to know about Genie on Peacock and Sky Cinema….
Genie release date
Genie will air on Peacock in the US on November 22 2023 and on Sky Cinema in the UK on December 1 2023. and be available on catch-up service NOW.
Yes the Genie trailer shows Paapa Essiedu’s Bernard as his life falls apart. But then salvation arrives in the shape of genie Flora (McCarthy) who can grant him unlimited wishes. “I need to get my wife and kid to love me again,” he tells her. Will Flora be the answer to his prayers?
Below it you can watch the original Bernard and the Genie from 1991. Enjoy!
Genie plot
Genie is full of festive fune and Christmas messages. Paapa Essiedu plays workaholic Bernard Bottle who, thanks to pressure from his tyrannical boss Oliver Flaxman (Alan Cumming), misses his daughter Eve’s birthday, 12 days before Christmas. And there’s worse to come when his long-suffering wife Julie (Denée Benton) asks for a trial separation and Flaxman fires him anyway. Devastated, Bernard absentmindedly rubs an old jewellery box and summons up fun-loving but chaotic genie Flora (Melissa McCarthy) who can grant him unlimited wishes. Could she be the key to him winning back his family?
Genie cast — Paapa Essiedu as Bernard
In Genie, Paapa Essiedu plays a man who summons up a genie. His career is flying at the moment as the star of sci-fi thriller The Lazarus Project seasons 1 and 2. He shot to fame playing Kwame in I May Destroy You and has since been in Anne Boleyn, The Capture, Gangs of London and Black Mirror.
Melissa McCarthy as Flora
Melissa McCarthy plays the genie Flora. The comedian is possibly best known for her role as Megan in the hit movies Bridesmaids and Spy. She also plays Disney villain Ursula in the remake of The Little Mermaid and starred in Nine Perfect Strangers alongside Nicole Kidman. Melissa has also appeared in Gilmore Girls, Thor: Love and Thunder, God’s Favorite Idiot, Ghostbusters, This is 40, Samantha Who? and Mike and Molly.
Who else is starring in Genie?
The Gilded Age star Denée Benton is playing Bernard’s wife Julie while The Good Wife’s Alan Cumming plays his horrendous boss Oliver Flaxman. Luis Guzmán, Orease Bowers, Tate Ellington and Nyasha Hatendi also star.
