Braintree returns to the big screen: Christmas musical 'Spirited' premieres in November

See the South Shore Plaza all decked out for Christmas on Nov. 11 when "Spirited" hits theaters, Apple Original Films announced Friday. After a weeklong run in cinemas, the movie, which was partially shot in Braintree, will stream on Apple TV+ on Nov. 18.

"Spirited" is a "modern musical" remake of the Dickens classic “A Christmas Carol,” said a press release from the studio.

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Filming took place in the Nordstrom wing of the Braintree mall in July 2021.

The movie stars Ryan Reynolds, Will Ferrell, Octavia Spencer, Patrick Page, Sunita Mani, Loren Woods, Joe Tippett, Marlow Barkley and Jen Tullock.

“Spirited” is directed by Sean Anders and John Morris, who also co-wrote the script. Anders and Morris are no strangers to the South Shore. They teamed up for the two “Daddy’s Home” movies, which were both shot in the area.

Reynolds plays the Ebenezer Scrooge-like character who is visited by three ghosts – Past, Present and Future – on Christmas Eve. Ferrell plays Present and Spencer (“Hidden Figures”) will play Scrooge's holly-jolly sidekick who helps teach the man kindness during the holiday season.

“Spirited” also marks a return to the South Shore for Reynolds (“Deadpool”) and Ferrell (“Elf”).  Reynolds filmed scenes for the video-game adventure comedy “Free Guy” at Union Point in Weymouth and at locations in Boston, Worcester and Revere. "Free Guy" was released in August 2021 and went on to become a surprise hit, earning an Oscar nomination for best visual effects. Ferrell starred in “Daddy’s Home 2,” which used the old Quincy Medical Center and a neighborhood around Prospect Street in Hingham to shoot scenes.

This isn’t the first time that Hollywood has set up shop at the South Shore Plaza. Parts of the 2008 action-comedy "Paul Blart: Mall Cop" were shot inside the mall, including a stunt involving the center concourse elevator. Kevin James played a bumbling mall cop forced to fight crime in the film.

Cameras also rolled recently in Braintree for Ben Affleck's "The Tender Bar" and the AMC dark comedy "Kevin Can F*** Himself."

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Reach Dana Barbuto at dbarbuto@patriotledger.com. 

This article originally appeared on The Patriot Ledger: Shot-in-Braintree movie 'Spirited' to be released in November