It was Feb. 1, 2024, when director James L. Brooks and celebrities Emma Mackey, Jamie Lee Curtis, and Woody Harrelson gathered with Rhode Island Gov. Dan McKee at the Rhode Island State House to reveal production would begin on Ella McCay. The film tells the story of a young politician who balances her family and work life while learning more about the people she loves.
Filming for the comedy-drama began in early February 2024 and took place across several locations in Rhode Island. They included Providence, Pawtucket, Cranston, East Providence, Bristol, and the Rhode Island State House. Rhode Island residents were among those cast as extras for the production.
Fast-forward more than a year, and the holiday-oriented film will make its debut on the big screen on Thursday, Dec. 11.
The cast features Mackey as Ella McCay, Curtis as Ella's aunt Helen, and Harrelson as Ella's father. A supporting cast includes Jack Lowden, Rebecca Hall, Kumail Nanjiani, Spike Fearn, Ayo Edebiri, Albert Brooks, and Julie Kavner.
According to a Providence Journal report, early screenings of the film are planned at venues such as CW Theaters Lincoln Mall 16, Showcase Cinemas Warwick, and nearby Massachusetts locations like Showcase Cinema de Lux North Attleboro and AMC Dartmouth Mall 11.