Screenwriter KELLY YOUNGER looks to his own Christmas memories of Candy Cane Lane in El Segundo, California to bring us the joy and laughter of CANDY CANE LANE starring Eddie Murphy.
A sweet holiday treat for the whole family! With something for everyone, CANDY CANE LANE is filled with heart, holiday madness, mania & fun, themes about family, goodness, and individuality, great laughs, terrific film and pop culture references, impeccable and creative production values, marching bands, flying geese, swimming swans, Santa, and thanks to scribe Kelly Younger settles the decades-old debate – “Die Hard” IS a Christmas movie.
SYNOPSIS: Eddie Murphy stars as Chris Carver in this holiday comedy adventure about a man on a mission to win his neighborhood’s annual Christmas home decoration contest. 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. 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.
Directed by Reginald Hudlin with script by Kelly Younger, CANDY CANE LANE stars Eddie Murphy, Tracee Ellis Ross, 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.
In this exclusive interview with KELLY YOUNGER we discuss his creative process and working with director Reginald Hudlin, including but not limited to:
- the origins of the story
- his parents own over-the-top holiday decorations that inspired him with CANDY CANE LANE
- making the story family-friendly and filled with the holiday feel and childlike joy, relatable to “every family”
- the fantastical and magical elements of the story
- collaborating with director Reginald Hudlin to develop “big ideas” and thinking bigger
- the requisite Christmas elements
- writing a marching band into the script
- developing the character of Pepper and balancing the “naughtiness” of her dark side
- the challenges presented for the film’s artisans to bring Kelly’s fantastical ideas on paper to life on film
- “Die Hard” is a Christmas movie and how Kelly incorporated that into the story
- and more
TAKE A LISTEN. . .
by debbie elias, exclusive interview 11/16/2023
CANDY CANE LANE is streaming on Prime Video on December 1st!
