Alicia Silverstone and Netflix just made next Christmas a lot better

A little drama, but a lot of romance and laughs.

Elton John AIDS Foundation's 32nd Annual Academy Awards Viewing Party
Elton John AIDS Foundation's 32nd Annual Academy Awards Viewing Party | Dia Dipasupil/GettyImages

Netflix is getting really good at making Hallmark-type films. But the streamer does it a bit differently. We know the Hallmark Channel drill: Boy moves to town, girl is trying to get out of a bad relationship, they meet and girl doesn't like boy, and then they end up falling in love and being happy forever. Netflix Originals normally add a lot more intrigue.

We also get actors we know well in most Netflix movies. This will be the case next year (we hope) when Alicia Silverstone is set to join Oliver Hudson, Jameela Jamil, Pierson Fode, and Melissa Joan Hart in a film called A Merry Little Ex-Mas. The script was written by Holly Hester who also penned The Royal Treatment.

The plot involves a recently separated couple trying to have one more Christmas as a family with their children before the mother starts her life over. The issue is the husband already has a new girlfriend and he gets her involved in the festivities. Seems like kind of a cruel thing to do.

Alicia Silverstone and Melissa Joan Hart set to star in Netflix's A Merry Little Ex-Mas

Still, the movie is pitched as a rom-com so we shouldn't expect a long drone filled with intense unhappiness. Hopefully. The film has not yet been made, so we do not know how the final product will turn out.

Silverstone will serve as executive producer, while Hart and her mother, Paula, will produce the film for Hartbreak Films (they founded the company, after all). In other words, some of the actors have a financial stake in how good the film is so that means extra motivation to give Netflix viewers a nice gift.

Another reason for optimism is the flick will be directed by Steve Carr. His previous films include Paul Blart: Mall Cop, Daddy Day Care, and Next Friday, among others. This means the movie will probably have a bit of fun silliness to it. That is exactly the kind of Christmas movie we need, instead of the same romantic story where we already know the end.

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