David Farnor | On 20, Nov 2020

Blithe Spirit, starring Dan Stevens, will be released by Sky Cinema in January.

The film, which is based on the play by Noël Coward, co-stars Judi Dench (Skyfall, Victoria & Abdul), Leslie Mann (Blockers, The Comedian) and Isla Fisher (Greed, Nocturnal Animals). It was originally set to hit cinemas on Boxing Day in the UK, but with cinemas closed in England due to the coronavirus pandemic, and with different regions across the UK likely to see different degrees of restrictions in the coming weeks and months that will impact theatrical distribution, the film has instead moved back to the new year where it will have a day-and-date release.

Blithe Spirit follows bestselling crime novelist Charles (Dan Stevens), who is struggling with catastrophic writer’s block and a stressful deadline for his first screenplay. His picture-perfect second wife Ruth (Isla Fisher) is doing her best to keep him focussed in the hope of fulfilling her dream of heading to Hollywood. Charles’ desperate search for inspiration leads him to invite Madame Arcati (Judi Dench), a medium recently exposed as a fraud, to perform a séance in their home. They all get more than they bargained for when Arcati accidentally summons the spirit of his deceased first wife: the fiery and jealous Elvira (Leslie Mann) who embarks on a mission to kill Charles so she can spend eternity with him which leads to an increasingly comical and deadly love triangle.

Directed by Edward Hall (Downton Abbey, Spooks) and adapted by Nick Moorcroft and Meg Leonard (Finding Your Feet, Fisherman’s Friends) and Piers Ashworth (Fisherman’s Friends), the film will be available in participating cinemas as well as on Sky Cinema and NOW on 15th January.

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