Sky today announces the acquisition of Blithe Spirit from STUDIOCANAL UK. The film will be released in cinemas and on Sky Cinema on 15 January across the UK and Ireland.

Blithe Spirit, based on the play by Noël Coward, stars Academy Award^® and BAFTA winner Judi Dench (Skyfall, Victoria & Abdul) alongside Dan Stevens (Beauty & The Beast, Legion), Leslie Mann (Blockers, The Comedian), and Isla Fisher (Greed, Nocturnal Animals). The original play was previously filmed by David Lean, and the 1945 version starred Rex Harrison, Kay Hammond, Constance Cummings and Margaret Rutherford.

Sarah Wright, Director of Sky Cinema and Acquisitions at Sky UK & Ireland, commented:

“2021 is going to be a big year for original film at Sky and what better way to kick it off than with Blithe Spirit? Based on the Noël Coward production, this sparkling comedy is full of fun, frolics and an all-star cast. A great way to banish the January blues!”

Blithe Spirit is a riotous reimagining of Noël Coward’s classic comedy, about love that just won’t die… Best-selling crime novelist Charles (Dan Stevens) 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).

Blithe Spirit, a Sky Original will be released in cinemas and on Sky Cinema from 15 January. The film will also be available on streaming service NOW TV via the Sky Cinema Pass.

The official trailer is available here and you can compare it to the 1945 version here.