After nearly 14 years away from directing, filmmaker James L. Brooks is back. 20th Century Studios has unveiled the first trailer for “Ella McCay,” a warm-hearted ensemble comedy that marks the celebrated writer/director’s long-awaited return to the big screen. The film — written, directed, and produced by the Oscar- and Emmy-winning creator of “Terms of Endearment,” “Broadcast News,” and “As Good as It Gets” — opens in theaters nationwide on December 12, 2025.
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“Ella McCay” stars Emma Mackey as a young, idealistic woman balancing her chaotic family and professional life, surrounded by a top-tier ensemble that includes Jamie Lee Curtis, Jack Lowden, Kumail Nanjiani, Ayo Edebiri, Spike Fearn, Julie Kavner, Rebecca Hall, Becky Ann Baker, and Joey Brooks, with Albert Brooks and Woody Harrelson rounding out the cast.
In the trailer, audiences get a first glimpse at Brooks’ signature blend of sharp humor and emotional nuance, as Mackey’s Ella navigates the joyful absurdities and heartaches of everyday life — “a story about the people you love and how to survive them.”
Brooks reflected on the project’s inspiration in a statement, saying, “My goal for this movie was to pay tribute, as best I could, to the golden age of movie comedy, the 1940s and ’50s, when each of the Hepburns reigned. (Very strangely, it ended up feeling timely.) The challenge all along was to maintain the same zany spirit of that era, while still taking seriously the inevitable jolts, pains and pitfalls of being human. I was lucky enough to have a dream cast who delivered this story about Ella and her family with an energy and spirit way past what I’d imagined.”
Produced by Brooks alongside Richard Sakai, Julie Ansell, and Jennifer Brooks, the film also features original music by Hans Zimmer, marking another collaboration between two Hollywood icons.
With its screwball energy and emotional warmth, “Ella McCay” looks like a quintessential Brooks return — the kind of tender, ensemble-driven comedy that balances wit, empathy, and chaos in equal measure. Check out the new trailer below.
