Apple TV+’s “Spirited” brings a new twist to the Dickens classic “A Christmas Carol.” With catchy tunes from Academy Award winners Benj Pasek and Justin Paul, this time the story is told from the point of view of the ghosts.
This adaptation sees Will Ferrell’s Ghost of Christmas Present feeling disillusioned with his ghostly job. Alongside him are the Ghost of Christmas Past (Sunita Mani) and the Ghost of Christmas Yet to Come (Loren Woods, voiced by Tracy Morgan). Ryan Reynolds takes on Scrooge (a.k.a. Clint Briggs), who spends his time on social media spinning lies.
The musical numbers are filled with holiday cheer, as choreographer Chloe Arnold crafts each musical number with energy as she gathers the chorus together.
For the rousing “Good Afternoon,” Reynolds exercises his vocal cords and is accompanied by the “Spirited” choir. Pasek and Paul collaborated with songwriters Kayan Hersey, Sakari Jones, and Mark Signblick.
As for the high-spirited number “Do a Little Good,” Pasek and Paul wanted to get the film’s cheery message across. Says Paul, “We were inspired to write the song which asks the question, can people really change what is good, what is bad, and maybe the way for us to really make a change?” He continues, “And to do good in the world is just to come together and try to be a little bit better than we were yesterday, each day doing just a little bit of good.”
“Spirited” is in theaters now and will hit streaming on Nov. 18.
Watch a clip of “Do a Little Good” above.