Spirited film: How to watch, what it's about and does Ryan Reynolds really sing?

All you need to know about Ryan Reynolds and Will Ferrell's new festive film

Spirited film cast Will Ferrell and Ryan Reynolds
(Image credit: Apple+TV)

There's nothing like a festive film to get you in the mood for Christmas and the new Spirited film does just that with its sweet and spicy holiday treat and fans are asking how to watch, what it's about and does Ryan Reynolds really sing?

If you're looking for a Christmas film on Netflix or a festive favourite on Disney+ you might want to check out another streaming service for this seasonal delight. 

For the first time, “A Christmas Carol” is told from the perspective of the ghosts in this hilarious musical twist on the classic Dickens tale. 

From Director Sean Anders ("Daddy’s Home,” "Instant Family”), written by Sean Anders and John Morris, with original songs by Oscar winners Benj Pasek and Justin Paul ("La La Land") and production numbers choreographed by Chloe Arnold (“The Late Late Show with James Corden”), we look at all you know about the film...

How can I watch Spirited movie?

You can watch Spirited movie on Apple TV with a subscription to its service, alternatively you can get a free one-week trial of Apple TV and watch it without paying anything upfront. Spirited is also being screened at cinemas, so check your local listings for details and how to book. 

You can watch the official trailer for the movie below...

What's the movie Spirited about?

The movie Spirited is about a hilarious musical twist on the classic Dickens tale which see's A Christmas Carol told from the perspective of the ghosts. Each Christmas Eve, the Ghost of Christmas Present (Will Ferrell) selects one dark soul to be reformed by a visit from three spirits. But this season, he picked the wrong Scrooge. Clint Briggs (Ryan Reynolds) turns the tables on his ghostly host until Present finds himself reexamining his own past, present and future.

And fans are delighted with the production.

One fan wrote, "I just watched and i'm watching it again! Loved it hehehe"

Another fan put, "Funny and innovative! Loved the singing and dancing, but the script was strong enough on its own. Great story."

And a a third fan added, "So so great! Make it a Broadway show!"

Does Ryan Reynolds sing in Spirited?

Ryan Reynolds and Will Ferrell both revealed they had to brush up on their signing and dancing for the film Spirited. Ryan posted a rehearsal video to his followers on Instagram so they could see all the hard work going in to the production. 

“The most challenging part of singing and dancing is you work on them separately and you kind of forget that you have to do them simultaneously,” Ferrell told The Hollywood Reporter at Spirited‘s world premiere in New York earlier this month, “and that’s where it’s a ‘holy crap’ moment of, ‘Oh boy, now I have to put it all together,’ which performers seamlessly do, but that was hard for me.”

For Ryan, who is set to become a father for the fourth time, said the most difficult thing was “that moment when you accept that you’re actually going to do it.” he said as he acknowledged that he's not a “natural singer or dancer,” Ryan told The Hollywood Reporter that he “got as close to a black belt in adequate as I could to get through it.”

Part of what helped him, he said, was an understanding that “it’s OK to suck at something at first in order to be good at it, and if you’re willing to do that, you can do some pretty incredible things.”

Off screen, Ryan recently met up with King Charles and Camilla Queen Consort in Wales.

And when it came time to performing in the film, Ryan said he “had probably the most fun I think I’ve ever had actually shooting a movie, the actual physical production.

“I love every one of those dancers that we got to work with,” he added. “Every one of them was our teacher. They never left set, and they really gave us the ability to do the best we could possibly do.”

Ryan recently won the Icon Award at the People's Choice Awards.

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Selina Maycock
Senior Family Writer

Selina is a Senior Family Writer for GoodtoKnow and has more than 16 years years of experience. She specialises in royal family news, including the latest activities of Prince George, Charlotte, Louis, Archie and Lilibet. She also covers the latest government, health and charity advice for families. Selina graduated from the University of Sheffield in 2006 with a degree in Journalism, and gained her NCTJ and NCE qualifications. During her career, she’s also written for Woman, Woman's Own, Woman&Home, and Woman's Weekly as well as Heat magazine, Bang Showbiz - and the Scunthorpe Telegraph. When she's not covering family news, you can find her exploring new countryside walking routes, catching up with friends over good food, or making memories (including award-winning scarecrows!)