‘I May Destroy You’s Paapa Essiedu Joins Melissa McCarthy In Peacock’s Richard Curtis-Penned Christmas Pic

‘I May Destroy You’s Paapa Essiedu Joins Melissa McCarthy In Peacock’s Richard Curtis-Penned Christmas Pic

EXCLUSIVE: Paapa Essiedu (I May Destroy You) is set to star opposite Melissa McCarthy in the untitled New York Christmas movie from Universal and Working Title that we were first to report on.

The film heading to Peacock is written by Love Actually‘s Richard Curtis, with Love Life creator Sam Boyd on board to direct. It’s billed as a fairy-tale comedy about a workaholic man who enlists the help of a magical genie to help win his family back before Christmas. 

Tim Bevan and Eric Fellner will produce for Working Title, with Riva Marker for Linden Productions. Universal’s Senior EVP of Production Development Erik Baiers and Director of Development Christine Sun will oversee the pic for the studio, with Alexandra Loewy overseeing for Working Title.

Best known for his Emmy- and BAFTA-nominated supporting turn opposite Michaela Coel in the hit miniseries I May Destroy You from HBO and BBC One, Essiedu boasts additional small-screen credits including The Capture (BBC), Gangs of London (Sky TV/AMC) and The Lazarus Project (Sky TV), the latter being in production at present on its second season.

His most recent major role on the big screen came opposite Jessie Buckley in the folk horror Men written and directed by Alex Garland for A24. Up next is the drama The Outrun from director Nora Fingscheidt, which has him starring opposite Saoirse Ronan.

Essiedu is repped by UTA and Curtis Brown.