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Things We Saw Today: Feel the Holiday Spirit With the Jingle Jangle: A Christmas Journey Trailer

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While October has only just begun, Christmas season is already upon us, as networks and studios prep their holiday releases. One of the most highly anticipated films is Jingle Jangle: A Christmas Journey, a family fantasy movie from Netflix. Described as a “musical adventure and a visual spectacle for the ages”, the trailer features glossy production values, actors we love, and an over-abundance of holiday spirit sure to melt the coldest of hearts.

The synopsis reads: “Set in the gloriously vibrant town of Cobbleton, the film follows legendary toymaker Jeronicus Jangle (Academy Award winner Forest Whitaker) whose fanciful inventions burst with whimsy and wonder. But when his trusted apprentice (Emmy winner Keegan-Michael Key) steals his most prized creation, it’s up to his equally bright and inventive granddaughter (newcomer Madalen Mills) — and a long-forgotten invention — to heal old wounds and reawaken the magic within.”

The film is written and directed by David E. Talbert, the man behind the holiday-themed films Almost Christmas and El Camino Christmas. The talented cast includes Forest Whitaker, Keegan-Michael Key, Phylicia Rashad, Hugh Bonneville, Madalen Mills, and Anika Noni Rose. Jingle Jangle also features original songs by John Legend, Philip Lawrence, and Davy Nathan.

What’s especially exciting about the film is that offers something new and refreshing: a big budget holiday fantasy film with a mostly Black cast. Christmas movies are, on the whole, exceedingly white, and stories about POC families are rarely afforded the big studio treatment. Hopefully, Jingle Jangle will join the pantheon of new Christmas classics.

Jingle Jangle: A Christmas Journey arrives on Netflix and in select theaters on November 13.

(featured image: Gareth Gatrell/NETFLIX)

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Chelsea Steiner
Chelsea was born and raised in New Orleans, which explains her affinity for cheesy grits and Britney Spears. An pop culture journalist since 2012, her work has appeared on Autostraddle, AfterEllen, and more. Her beats include queer popular culture, film, television, republican clownery, and the unwavering belief that 'The Long Kiss Goodnight' is the greatest movie ever made. She currently resides in sunny Los Angeles, with her husband, 2 sons, and one poorly behaved rescue dog. She is a former roller derby girl and a black belt in Judo, so she is not to be trifled with. She loves the word “Jewess” and wishes more people used it to describe her.