If you were beginning to think that the great British rom com was dead, then this Emma Thompson helmed festive treat could not have come at a better time. Set to the music of pop legend George Michael, Last Christmas takes the late Wham star’s enduringly popular Christmas hit as the starting point for a classic, feel good comedy.
The film, which is due to be released in the lead up to Christmas 2019, stars Emilia Clarke of Game of Thrones fame (sans dragon), the aforementioned Thompson, as well as Henry Golding and Michelle Yeoh from Crazy Rich Asians.
The Plot
The film tells the story of shop assistant Kate, whose life seems to career from one disaster to another until she bumps into handsome bike courier/charity volunteer Tom (Henry Golding).
Emma Thompson’s co-writer Bryony Kimmings has said that the film deals with the themes of unrequited and lost love. Meanwhile Paul Feig, the movie’s American director, has described Last Christmas as much more than another romantic comedy. Speaking to Empire magazine recently, Feig said that the film contains “some emotional themes… about family and about immigrants and about homelessness, and people trying to repair their lives and going through catastrophic illnesses.”
Principal Cast
Kate: Emilia Clarke
Tom: Henry Golding
Katie’s boss: Michelle Yeoh
Adelia: Emma Thompson
Dr Addis: Rebecca Root
The Production
It was Thompson who first began developing the idea, after an acquaintance convinced the Oscar winning actress that movie based on the Wham song would work.
Thompson worked on the idea for over two years, after which the actress passed the idea to an industry associate. George Micheal was approached in order to gain his approval for the project and the pop legend was only to happy to give his blessing to the production. Shortly afterwards, Bryony Kimmings was enlisted to write a draft screenplay. It is this script that provides a basis of the new movie.
Filming Dates
Last Christmas was filmed in several locations around the UK between November 2018 and February 2019.
The First Trailer
The first trailer for Last Christmas was release on the 14th of August 2019. The clip introduces us to the movie’s heroine Kate (Emilia Clarke) as she is evicted from her flat. We also see Kate at work where she is subject to the bullying behaviour of her boss, Michelle Yeoh.
We next see Kate spying on a handsome stranger walking past the shop. This is Tom, a bike courier who also volunteers at a nearby homeless charity. The rest of the trailer gives us a glimpse of the growing relationship between Tom and Kate, as a series of chance encounters lead to an unexpected romance.
Audience Reaction
The film drew much praise in test screenings in LA, with Last Christmas’s comedy moments going down particularly well. Those that have seen the movie have compared it favourably with the work of Richard Curtis (Four Weddings and a Funeral, Notting Hill, Love Actually).
Director Paul Feig said of the comparisons: “I actually know Richard really well and love his work. We want (Last Christmas) to be its own beast, but I always feel like Richard and I are really similar filmmakers – we really like comedy, we really like emotion, and we like to try and mix those things together”.
Feig also expressed his sadness that the pop legend behind the film’s title song had not lived long enough to see the project come to fruition. “But he knew it was going to happen” says Feig, “and that gives me such joy”.
The Music
The production team behind the movie have worked closely with Michael’s estate and the film is set to feature several of the artist’s biggest hits (Last Christmas, Freedom 90) as well as an exclusive, never before heard track. Feig told the BBC: “he was putting together his new album when he passed away and one of our tracks is one of those songs”. The director is clearly thrilled at the prospect of Micheal’s many fans discovering the new song. “It’s an absolutely amazing song and I’m so excited the world is going to get to hear now” he said.
Diversity
Co writer Byrony Kimmings talked recently about the influence that Michael’s activism had had on the production. “When I wrote my draft, I tried to slip in some trans people and make sure there was queer politics in there,” Kimmings said of the script. “George was such a massive advocate for gay rights – and a massive gay himself! – so I hope there’s a gay narrative in there.”
Last Christmas – the Book
To coincide with the release of the movie, Thompson and Wise have compiled a collection of essays on the meaning of Christmas. Emily Watson, Olivia Coleman, Caitlin Moran and Andy Serkis are just a small selection of the celebrities featured in the book, which is due to be released a week before the movie on the 31st of October 2019. Proceeds from the collection will go towards the work of the charities Crisis and The Refugee Council.
Release Date
Last Christmas is scheduled to be released on the 8th of November 2019 by Universal Pictures.
