Real reason why Emma Mackey’s dramedy ‘Ella McCay’ won’t be releasing in theaters near you
Disney has pulled the plug on 'Ella McCay', the upcoming release from its slate. The political drama starring Jamie Lee Curtis and Emma Mackey had poor feedback coming its way, leading to the cancellation. Per multiple reports, the film saw a disappointing outing following its December 12 release and grossed just $2 milliion while having a nationwide release.
The low continued with the movie receiving negative reviews. The lack of moolah, coupled with critics calling it a damp squib are believed to be the major factor behind Disney shelving the film. The film had a 23% rating on Rotten Tomatoes, with the consensus reading, "Well-intentioned but woefully undisciplined, James L. Brooks's comedy about a woman trying to have it all is so tonally misjudged that it winds up with not much of anything to recommend."
This was seconded by The Guardian's Adrian, calling the movie "messy" and "clunky". Horton's review said: "Ella McCay is, first and foremost, a mess – a clunky collection of incoherent characters and confounding plot that seem to defy basic story logic at every turn, and not surprisingly or intriguingly. It’s never a good sign when the lead character reads the literal definition for trauma, finger tracing the dictionary, in the first five minutes of a movie."
The official synopsis of the film reads, "Ella McCay" is a new comedy written and directed by Oscar® and Emmy Award® winner James L. Brooks ("As Good as It Gets," "Terms of Endearment," "Broadcast News," "The Simpsons") about the complicated politics that arise when a young woman's stressful career clashes with her chaotic family life."
Earlier, director Brooks spoke glowingly of Curtis's casting in the film. "The truth is, she’s exactly who you hope she is. And what you think you see, that’s who she is," he told THR. "She has this sense about her, and it carries across to everybody, from the crew to her co-stars. Everybody is equal. There’s a humanism that is just in her, and it carries over to the work spirit. She’s a spectacular human, and she’s earned that. She wasn’t born with it. She lived her life and came out of her life with that. She’s one of the best people I’ve ever known in my life.
