Netflix’s 2023 movie trailer featured several new titles slated to appear on the streaming service this coming year. Among them was a new supernatural family-adventure movie from Happy Death Day director Christopher Landon. We Have a Ghost is scheduled to be released on February 24, 2023, with a listed runtime of 126 minutes. Not much is known about the film yet, as Landon seems to be keeping it secret until its release date. There are only three scenes from Netflix’s movie trailer, with no standalone trailer for the film.
From what there is known about it, We Have a Ghost stars Anthony Mackie, David Harbour, Jennifer Coolidge, Tig Nataro, and Niles Fitch. The premise of the film features Kevin, who discovers that a ghost named Ernest (Harbour) is haunting his new home. After recording the ghost, Kevin’s family turns into overnight social media sensations. Kevin and Ernest begin investigating the mystery of Ernest’s past, turning them into a target of the CIA. Here’s why it’s a must-watch.
It’s Based on a Short Story
Legendary Entertainment
The film follows the recent trend of Netflix buying up the rights for published stories online. We Have a Ghost is based on a short story written by Geoff Manaugh in 2017. The story, titled Ernest, follows the Presley family who discovers that their home is haunted by a ghost and begins filming him. The family becomes media sensations as they post the videos online. Skeptics try to debunk them but end up short. They hosted dinner parties to show off their spooky friend. As time went on, the sensation of a ghost left people’s memories as they moved on to the next hit.
However, the story picked back up again when Ernest disappears, along with Kevin, the 18-year-old son of the Presleys. The news called it a “Supernatural Kidnapping,” but there’s more to the story than a ghost kidnapping a teen. Similarly to what we know of We Have a Ghost’s plot, Kevin is insistent on finding the truth behind Ernest’s past.
Landon Teased That It Will Differ From His Other Works
Landon is a versatile writer and director known for his words on comedic horror movies such as Happy Death Day, Freaky, Scouts Guide to the Zombie Apocalypse, and My Best Friend’s Exorcism. Fans are eagerly awaiting a third film in the Happy Death Day franchise, as Landon previously stated that it was already in development. In the meantime, Landon fans can take a shot at We Have a Ghost, which will differ in tone from his other films.
We Have a Ghost is more of a supernatural-tinged family adventure, with strong emotional undertones. In an interview with Empire, Landon states that his new film will have a “big, sweeping, emotional story that really pays off at the end.” Rather than blood and gore, with the comic relief we see in Landon’s previous films, We Have a Ghost will center on the friendship that forms between a smiling ghost and an outcast boy. With such a pivotal turn from his usual works, Landon’s new film is a 2023 must-watch.
