The Big Picture

Genie is a remake of a Richard Curtis film, featuring a workaholic man who enlists a magical genie’s help to win back his family before Christmas. The film stars Melissa McCarthy and Paapa Essiedu, and the original film’s star Alan Cumming. Curtis shares insights into his career, like the 5-hour cut of Pirate Radio and the inspiration behind Notting Hill, and looks back at Love, Actually for its 20th anniversary.

From writer, producer, and film director Richard Curtis, the screenwriter behind classics like Notting Hill, Love, Actually, and Bridget Jones’s Diary, comes Genie, a fairy tale Christmas adventure set in New York City. Genie stars Oscar nominee Melissa McCarthy and Emmy nominee Paapa Essiedu in a remake of one of Curtis’ previous films that he tells Collider’s Steve Weintraub he wanted to expand on almost immediately after it was released.

As any good Christmas movie does, Genie starts with Bernard Bottle’s (Essiedu) life in shambles. His wife has left him, he’s missing out on important moments with his daughter for a job he just got fired from, and New York City is in full holiday swing around him. With a little of Curtis’ movie magic, Bernard discovers an ancient jewelry box that happens to contain a powerful genie named Flora (McCarthy). Flora, unlike in the stories, is able to grant infinite wishes, but she’s been stuck in that box for 2,000 years. So, as she’s granting Bernard’s wishes, he’s showing her the magic of the world around them, and rediscovering the joys of life. Genie also stars Alan Cumming, Denée Benton, Jordyn McIntosh, and more.

While talking with Collider, Curtis talks about why he wanted to revisit his 1991 film, tackling his first New York City-based script, what it’s like with Melissa McCarthy on set and how she helped shape her character, the budget of wish fulfillment, and getting Tom Cruise’s permission for the movie. He also shares tidbits from his expansive career, like the 5-hour cut of Pirate Radio, looking back at Love, Actually ahead of its 4K Ultra HD release date, the inspiration behind Notting Hill, and what’s next for the Christmas-obsessed creative. You can check out all of this and more in the video above, or you can read the full transcript below.

Genie The film is a fairy-tale comedy about a workaholic man who enlists the help of a magical genie to help win his family back before Christmas. Release Date November 22, 2023 Director Sam Boyd Rating PG Runtime 93 minutes Main Genre Comedy Writers Richard Curtis

COLLIDER: When I spoke to you for Yesterday, you told me you had an over five-hour cut of Pirate Radio, and my question is, when can I see it?

RICHARD CURTIS: You can never see it. No one will ever see it. But it’s a funny thing with Pirate Radio, now I think about it, I think if I’d written it now, I would have done it as a TV series. Because actually, it was very kind of episodic, and we should have done one where they raid another boat, one where they start to drown, one where the electricity goes down. It was fun at five hours, but I don’t think for human consumption.

Well, you never know. Baz [Luhrmann] just released his Australia cut on Hulu as a miniseries, so maybe you wanna revisit that. Anyway, that’s just a hypothetical. So, I read a few years ago that Hugh Grant revealed Notting Hill was maybe based on a friend of yours, and I wanted to know if it’s possibly time for the truth to come out.

CURTIS: No. I wouldn’t go to Hugh Grant for the truth if you’re searching for it. No, it was really based on a kind of fantasy I used to have. I used to go for dinner every week with the same people and have the same conversation, and I remember when I was an obsessive Madonna fan, I thought, “What would it be like if, at last, I managed to walk in with a woman instead of just on my own with a warm bottle of white wine?” So, the movie started with that kind of dream scenario of what would it be like. And I was thinking about Madonna, and one of my friends at that dinner was an obsessive Madonna fan, and the other one would definitely never have heard of her, so it was based on a dream rather than on a fact.

4K Release of ‘Love, Actually’
Image via Universal Pictures

It’s the 20th anniversary of Love, Actually and it’s now become a Christmas classic. People love the movie, I love the movie. If it comes on, it means I have to keep watching. When did you realize, “Wait a minute, this film has become something special to a lot of people?”

CURTIS: It was when I started getting texts from people I didn’t know very well saying, “We’re watching it again.” It did take a while, and it’s still a bit of a mystery to me. I mean, I’ve got a theory: I think the reason people watch it again is they can never remember what’s gonna happen next. Normally, when you watch a movie, they’ve robbed the bank, they’re gonna get in the car, drive away, and then they’re gonna get shot by the police. Whereas, even I, when I watch Love Actually, don’t have any idea what the next scene is, so I think it’s bearable to watch it again because it’s always surprising you. But it’s a once-in-a-lifetime bit of luck when you make something, particularly at Christmas. I used to so love watching [A Charlie Brown Christmas] every Christmas and White Christmas every Christmas, so it’s a real little boost for me.

Did you ever think the Andrew Lincoln storyline might be a little too weird?

CURTIS: I am very often told it’s a little too weird. It didn’t occur to me at the time, but times change. I remember someone once saying they would like to interview me about it, and they would be focusing on the stalking scene. And I said, “Oh, I didn’t know there was a stalking scene.” They said, “Yeah, Andrew Lincoln. That’s, like, top-notch stalking.” So, slowly but surely I’ve realized what a dreadful mistake I made.

I don’t think it’s a mistake as much as it’s a little different than the rest. Anyway, there’s a new 4K Blu-ray release that’s about to come out. What are you most excited for people to see on it?

CURTIS: Well, it is very pretty now. It is interesting, one of the things I do like about Love Actually is I love how it looks. I think actually the texture of it has a sort of magic to it, and we’ve really added to that. In the 4K, where there were fuzzes in the background, you can see chandeliers and candles and everything like that. So, I think it’s just a sort of general feeling that the movie’s somehow got a little bit better, that it’s even more cheerful than it was before that. So, the grade is really lovely, and then we’ve also remixed it, and that’s fun, as well, because technical things do improve as time goes by. If you can imagine watching a brighter version of White Christmas, what joy that would be.

You’ve written a lot, but you’ve only directed a few things. Do you have plans for directing something else or no?

CURTIS: No. I found directing quite tricky, and I mean, this movie is a great example. I wrote a movie set in New York, which is such a pleasure for me, but I would have felt really insecure as a non-American directing it. And also, I’m getting old, and Sam Boyd, who directed it, is not only an American but young. So, I think I’ll always find someone who’s better than me now.

I wouldn’t say necessarily better than you, I’d just say different than you.

CURTIS: Also, I’m trying to keep my weight down, and when you direct movies, you have to eat a certain number of doughnuts and bacon sandwiches. I think that’s a heavy price to pay.

I don’t think people realize, actually, the one thing is there’s a lot of food on movie sets. Not in the UK. The UK is a little stingy, but in America, forget it.

CURTIS: Whatever they call it, that service table, it’s the most dreadful temptation. Making a movie is like going to Willy Wonka.

Yes.

CURTIS: It’s just sweets everywhere.

Unless you’re in the UK. I’ve done UK set visits, and you’re lucky to get a cup of tea.

CURTIS: No, it’s true. American movies are better.

‘Genie’ Is Actually Remake

[Laughs] Just on craft service. So, a lot of people with Genie will not realize this is a remake of something you made many years ago. So I’m just curious, how did it come about to remake this?

CURTIS: Well, it’s funny, not long after I made the original movie, which is only an hour long, I thought, “This would have been fun as a movie-movie.” But, time goes by, you have children, and all that kind of stuff. Then, just a couple of years ago, I thought, “I will go back and look.” In my circumstances, that’s about a sad singleton who’s just lost his girlfriend, and I thought, “Well, I’d love to make a movie about families at Christmas, and I can actually write a really different movie. I can set it in America. We can have a female genie,” and then the dream came true, and we got Melissa. So, there was just enough, a lot of extra things. Then, I do love Christmas movies, and if I can do another one, that makes me happy.

One of the things about a film where you have a genie, and they can wish for anything, is it can get expensive very fast. So, how much in the writing of the remake are you thinking, “We can’t afford that, so let me not even write it?”

CURTIS: What normally happens is you write a movie, and then people tell you you can’t afford it. So, I don’t remember thinking, “I can’t do this or that.” And then I think there were moments of realism – we couldn’t get a real camel. But I think that, on the whole, my imagination is pretty modest, so most of it happens in a pretty realistic environment. Then once in a while, they say, “Change a Christmas market to a coffee store.”

‘Genie’ Had to Get Tom Cruise’s Permission
Image via Paramount

You have a number of references to Tom Cruise in the film, and I’m curious, did you need permission when she’s wearing that shirt? How did that all come about?

CURTIS: We did need permission from Tom, and it was so sweet that he gave it because there’s an element of teasing. I once tried to do a film with Tom, and he was always so delightful and friendly to me, and I don’t know whether the reason he said yes is because he was so chummy then. But I love the fact that I have eventually written a Tom Cruise movie. It just so happens Tom’s not in it.

[Laughs] Exactly.

CURTIS: But he’s on the T-shirt. And we’ve got, like, a three-second clip from Mission: Impossible.

Yeah, when I saw that, I was like, “Oh, wow. You need permission for this.” So, I’m fascinated by the editing process because it’s where it all comes together. How did this possibly change in the editing room in ways you didn’t expect, or was this all Sam and you just saw the finished film?

CURTIS: No, editing is my favorite part of the process because it’s just so interesting. You write a film, it reads really well, you shoot the film, you watch it, you think it’s the worst film you’ve ever seen. It’s really interesting how you have to take out bits, change bits, stress bits. One of the great things about Melissa in this is she’s both magical, but very normal. The first time I thought it, about an hour in, I thought, “Oh, I’d forgotten she’s a genie.” She’s just a lovely woman, and then you have to build up, put scenes where she does magic closer together.

Then the great thing about Christmas movies is just the wealth of wonderful Christmas songs. You suddenly can, if it’s getting a bit weak, throw in The O’Jays or Otis Redding…and suddenly the movie perks up. So, just like all my movies, it was a bit of a struggle, but particularly because the two leads — well, I say the two leads, and Marc Maron and Luis Guzmán — because the cast was so strong, we had very firm foundations. But as always, it was a journey.

Melissa McCarthy Wrote “Some of the Funniest Lines” of ‘Genie’
Image via Peacock

What do you think would surprise soon-to-be fans of Genie to learn about the making of Genie?

CURTIS: Well, I think they shouldn’t be surprised that some of the funniest lines were written by Melissa McCarthy and Marc Maron.

Sure.

CURTIS: I’m quite a tyrant in terms of my own lines, but these were really clever, great American comedians and they added stuff in. I think everyone will perhaps be surprised how convincingly American it is and that’s because Sam is an American director. So, I hope that it feels like a Richard Curtis movie, but in a whole new world.

I am a fan of your work and have been for a very long time. I’m obviously very curious about what you are working on now.

CURTIS: Well, obviously, I’m working on buying Christmas presents and decorating the tree. That’s the big stuff. Oh, I’ve got a few things. I’ve been working on an animation, which has been a gripping process. It’s the longest filmmaking in the world, but it’s really interesting because you write, direct, cast, shoot, and edit all at the same time. So, that’s been very interesting to me. And I think I might write a play.

Really?

CURTIS: Yeah. Go on.

Are you writing it now?

CURTIS: I’ve started a couple of them, so I think that might be the next thing I do.

The animated thing you’re talking about is called That Christmas.

CURTIS: Yes. That’s my final outing for Christmas, by the way. It’s all gonna be Easter, Midsummer’s Day from now.

Sir, you have an addiction to Christmas. I’m sure that the play takes place at Christmas.

CURTIS: No. No. There’s not gonna be any Christmas. I’m gonna do “delete all” on my computer whenever Christmas is mentioned again. But I’m hoping with Genie I’m trying to go out with a bang.

Oh no, I think you mean with That Christmas you’re gonna go out with a bang.

CURTIS: Oh yeah. I’m going out with a pre-bang with Genie.

When is that coming out? Do you know?

CURTIS: Next Christmas.

So a year from now, we will be talking again?

CURTIS: I hope so.

And you will be talking about how the play, all of a sudden, went to taking place at Christmas.

CURTIS: Yeah, the play will be a Christmas carol by then.

Richard Curtis the Montage
Image via PolyGram Filmed Entertainment

You have actually done a tremendous amount of your career and I am curious, if someone has never seen anything you’ve done before what do you want them watching first and why?

CURTIS: Wow. Do you know, the thing I really like, sometimes I go online and I find that somebody who isn’t me has edited my movies down to three minutes with a really pretty pop song. I think, start with that. Lots of pretty people and no dodgy jokes. I’d go for Richard Curtis the Montage. Start there. I think Four Weddings is lovely and I wrote a TV show called Blackadder, and the final episode of the final series of that is, I think, an interesting piece of work. So, there are some things I like, but start with Genie.

Of course. Which of the films you worked on changed the most in the editing room in ways you didn’t expect going in?

CURTIS: Oh, that’s definitely Love, Actually, strangely. Because Love, Actually was 10 stories, and it seemed to work well, and it is in a completely different order to what we wrote it in. It’s unrecognizable from the original order, even though the scenes are the same. It was like playing three-dimensional chess because you could put any scene after any scene at any point. That’s definitely the one. That’s definitely the one that changed most.

Genie is available to watch on Peacock now in the U.S.

Watch on Peacock