If Brandy Norwood has anything to say about it, everyone will have the best Christmas ever.
The acclaimed singer stars in a new Netflix film "Best. Christmas. Ever!" and TODAY.com is kicking off the holiday season early by sharing some exclusive photos from the upcoming film, plus plot details from the director.
Here's everything to know so far.
What’s ‘Best. Christmas. Ever!’ about?
Norwood will be showing off her Christmas spirit in spades in the film. She stars as Jackie, a Christmas fanatic who circulates an annual holiday newsletter that makes her old college friend Charlotte, played by Heather Graham, feel insecure.
The film takes place the week of Christmas and follows Charlotte as she and her family unexpectedly end up on Jackie's doorstep. Once there, she's eager to prove that Jackie's life can't be as perfect as her newsletter makes it seem.
“Heather’s character just doesn’t like Christmas. It makes her feel inadequate. And I think there’s a lot of people that feel that way sometimes,” the film's director Mary Lambert tells TODAY.com. “And then there are people like Brandy’s character, who embrace the joy and the fun and the belief (of) the season.”
Much like her character, Norwood has a positive presence in real life, Lambert says.
"She just exudes joy and happiness and when she walks in the room and when she’s ready to be part of the group, everybody is just so happy. It's like a shining light ... She just sort of breathes you in and then she breathes you back out. And you’re better when she breathes you back out," she says.
Lambert says the film will make viewers laugh with its "fun, silly humor," and the three child stars of the film — Wyatt Hunt, Abby Villasmil and Madison Skye Validum — offer up much of this comedic relief.
“They’re adorable and they’re really funny,” she says of the child actors.
The director suspects that kids and adults alike will enjoy watching the flick.
"It’s a sweet, romantic movie, but with a little edge," she says.
The plot of the film is relatable in that not everybody has the same feelings toward the holiday season.
“You get together and everybody reacts to the holidays in a different way. But everybody wants to be happy at the foundation of it all. Everybody really wants to just fight against the darkness and celebrate that the shortest day of the year is gone and it’s kind of going to start getting lighter and brighter from there on," Lambert says.
Norwood and Graham play the female leads, but there are also two handsome dudes in their corners: Jason Biggs and Matt Cedeno.
"(Biggs and Cedeno) were the perfect husbands. And by that, I don't mean they were just sidekicks; I mean they had agency. They did things to move the story along and they were really able to embrace their roles in a way that made Heather and Brandy kind of pop off the screen," Lambert says.
Who stars in ‘Best. Christmas. Ever!’?
“Best. Christmas. Ever!” has an all-star cast. Here is a list of the main stars:
- Brandy Norwood as Jackie
- Heather Graham as Charlotte
- Jason Biggs as Rob
- Matt Cedeño as Valentino
- Wyatt Hunt as Grant
- Abby Villasmil as Dora
- Madison Skye Validum as Beatrix
The film is written by Charles Shyer and Todd Calgi Gallicano, directed by Mary Lambert and produced by Brad Krevoy. Executive producers include Steve Berman, Bryan Bordon, David Wulf, Charles Shyer, Todd Calgi Gallicano, Eric Jarboe, Jimmy Townsend and Amanda Phillips.
When does ‘Best. Christmas. Ever!’ premiere?
The film starts streaming exclusively on Netflix Nov. 16, 2023.