Isla Fisher calls out social media for ‘threatening our planet and democracy’ in advance of ‘Godmothered’ release on Disney Plus
The new Christmas-themed film Godmothered is set to be released on Disney Plus on Dec. 4, but one of the film’s stars, Isla Fisher, feels strongly about the impacts around social media and the concept of “going viral,” one of the themes addressed in the film.
“I think social media, just as a platform, has to just be rethought in a major way,” Fisher said bluntly at a virtual press conference for the film. “It’s spreading conspiracy and hate and lies, and it’s threatening our planet and democracy, and the publishers should abide by…basic practices and standards and not be spreading nonsense, and being a platform for hate groups to join up.”
“I’m a big believer now that we’re on a precipice, we need to get in involved and…stop these big corporations changing the way we all think.”
Fisher’s character in Godmothered, Mackenzie, works at a local news station in Boston and her boss Grant, played by Utkarsh Ambudkar, loves a sensational news story. Mackenzie ends up meeting Eleanor (Jillian Bell), a young fairy godmother-in-training who is on a mission to show that there is still a place for fairy godmothers in the world. Eleanor finds a letter Mackenzie wrote as a 10-year-old and tracks her down to help bring her happiness, only to discover she is now a 40-year-old single mother who lost her husband years earlier.
Jillian Shea Spaeder and Willa Skye play Fisher’s two daughters in Godmother, but Spaeder in particular, has a bit of a different perspective on social media.
“Having grown up on social media though, I can say it is a negative space but also has this beautiful light to it where I’ve seen a lot of people my age and younger who are getting very involved in big topics they should be involved in,” the 18-year-old actor said. “It can be so negative but it also has this beautiful thing that none of us would have ever gotten to experience without it.”
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Category: “Godmothered”
Isla on Lorraine
Isla made an appearance on UK chat show Lorraine on Tuesday. It’s a really good interview – she talks about the film, as well as how she got into comedy, how she’s managed quarantine, her Scottish accent in Burke & Hare, and the ‘Amy Adams’ thing! Isla’s gorgeous blue patterned dress is by Tory Burch.
Isla on Good Morning America
Isla appeared on Good Morning America on Monday to promote Godmothered. As well as her new movie, she also talked about how she’s coping with quarantine, and the possibility of a Wedding Crashers 2! Isla’s dress is by Aussie designer Zimmerman.
First “Godmothered” trailer
The first trailer for Godmothered was released a couple of days ago, and it looks like a fun movie! It will be streaming on Disney+ from December 4th.
“Godmothered” release date and first still
This week Disney+ announced that Godmothered will premiere on the streaming service on December 4th! We have also an official synopsis and the first still of Isla in the film:
Set at Christmas time, “Godmothered” is a comedy about Eleanor, a young, inexperienced fairy godmother-in-training (Jillian Bell), who upon hearing that her chosen profession is facing extinction, decides to show the world that people still need fairy godmothers. Finding a mislaid letter from a 10-year-old girl in distress, Eleanor tracks her down and discovers that the girl, Mackenzie, is now a 40-year-old single mom (Isla Fisher) working at a news station in Boston. Having lost her husband several years earlier, Mackenzie has all but given up on the idea of “happily ever after,” but Eleanor is bound and determined to give Mackenzie a happiness makeover, whether she likes it or not.
The cast also includes Santiago Cabrera, Mary Elizabeth Ellis, Jane Curtin, June Squibb, Jillian Shea Spaeder, Willa Skye, Artemis Pebdani, Utkarsh Ambudkar, and Stephnie Weir. Sharon Maguire (Bridget Jones’s Diary) directs with a script from Kari Granlund and Melissa Stack. Justin Springer (Dumbo, TRON: Legacy) produced the TV movie, with executive producers including Diane L. Sabatini (Lady and the Tramp), Tom Pollock (Ghostbusters: Afterlife), Ivan Reitman (Ghostbusters), and Amie Karp (Ghostbusters: Afterlife).
The Godmothered original soundtrack, from Walt Disney Records, featuring the score by Oscar-winning composer Rachel Portman (Emma, A Dog’s Purpose), plus the end credit songs “Rise Up (Joy to the World)” and “Hero” performed by Jillian Shea Spaeder, will be available on all digital formats on Dec. 4. The score was produced by Portman and was recorded with the Chamber Orchestra of London at AIR Lyndhurst and Abbey Road Studios.
Jillian Bell, Isla Fisher to Star in Disney+ Comedy ‘Godmothered’
Jillian Bell, Isla Fisher to Star in Disney+ Comedy ‘Godmothered’
Isla Fisher and Jillian Bell are set to star in Godmothered, a comedy for Disney+.
Sharon McGuire, best known for directing the Bridget Jones movies, is helming the feature project that is being developed by Disney’s live-action team run by motion picture production president Sean Bailey.
Justin Springer and Ivan Reitman’s Montecito Pictures are producing.
The story tells of a young and unskilled fairy godmother (Bell) that ventures out on her own to prove her worth by tracking down a young girl whose request for help was ignored. What she discovers is that the girl has now become a grown woman (Fisher) in need of something very different than a “Prince Charming.”
Kari Granlund (Lady and the Tramp) and Melissa Stack wrote the script.
Production is due to begin later this month in Boston. Jessica Virtue and Allison Erlikman are overseeing for Disney.
Bell toplined the well-regarded comedy Brittany Runs a Marathon, which she also executive produced. Prior to that, the actress did scene-stealing work in a slew of comedies ranging from 22 Jump Street and Rough Night to Fist Fight and Goosebumps. She also worked with Paul Thomas Anderson in Inherent Vice and The Master.
Fisher is coming off shooting a leading role in Blithe Spirit opposite Dan Stevens and Judi Dench, and last year appeared opposite Matthew McConaughey in Harmony Korine’s The Beach Bum. She also appears with Steve Coogan in the upcoming satire Greed, which will be released by Sony Pictures Classics.
Fisher is repped by UTA and Sloane Offer; Bell is repped by UTA, 3 Arts and Stone Genow.
(THR)