Downton Abbey star Hugh Bonneville looks almost unrecognisable in a first look at Christmas Karma, the upcoming musical adaptation of Charles Dickens' classic, A Christmas Carol, which comes from Bend It Like Beckham director Gurinder Chadha. The 61-year-old Paddington star takes on the role of The Ghost of Jacob Marley and can be seen coated in dust while wearing heavy metal chains in newly released images.
HELLO!'s TV Writer Abby Allen is certainly adding this one to her watchlist. "I don't know what excites me more about this fun take on a Christmas classic – the fact that it's directed by Bend It Like Beckham's Gurinder Chadha, or that it boasts a stacked cast including Bridgerton's Charithra Chandran, Billy Porter and the lovely Hugh Bonneville," she said, adding: "I'll be lining up for a front-row seat in November!"
© True Brit EntertainmentKeep reading to find out all we know so far.
What to expect from Christmas Karma
Billed as a "joyous and colourful musical celebration of Britain today and all of its communities and cultures", the upcoming film is a festive, fresh and feel-good musical take on Charles Dickens' iconic novel, A Christmas Carol, which follows a modern-day Scrooge, Mr Sood, on an "unforgettable and magical journey".
© True Brit EntertainmentAs for the soundtrack, viewers can look forward to "eclectic" music influenced by gospel, bhangra, Christmas carols, rap and classic pop, as well as music from Take That's Gary Barlow, Nitin Sawhney, Shaznay Lewis, Ben Cullum, Panjabi MC and Malkit Singh.
Who else stars in Christmas Karma
The Big Bang Theory star Kunal Nayyar leads the impressive ensemble as Mr. Sood. He's joined by Eva Longoria, Billy Porter and Boy George as the three Ghosts of Christmas, who help Mr. Sood to confront his demons and discover that kindness is the real meaning of Christmas. Other cast members include Leo Suter, Pixie Lott, Charithra Chandran and Danny Dyer.
© True Brit EntertainmentIn a recent interview with HELLO!, Pixie spoke about filming the movie and gave viewers an idea of what to expect. "I love Christmas and I love music, so I was like, 'This is just perfect'. And the cast is just really brilliant." She added: "I've seen the film, and I love Christmas movies, but this one is really funny and also has a lot of heart and soul within it. So for me, it ticks all the boxes."
Other first look images for the film show Danny as a cab driver, while Leo and Pixie's characters ride a carousel with a group of smiling children.
© True Brit EntertainmentWhen will Christmas Karma be released?
Christmas Karma will land in cinemas on 14 November across the UK & Ireland.
