Eddie Murphy is back with a new flick, and it actually marks his first-ever foray into the realm of Christmas movies. The feature is the newly released Candy Cane Lane, and it’s one of the most high-profile titles on the schedule of 2023 new movie releases. While many have been waiting for Murphy to headline another film, his latest isn’t garnering the most stellar reviews. Both critics and general audiences don’t seem to be too impressed by the iconic actor and comedian’s yuletide tale. Nevertheless, it’s been confirmed that the production just hit a serious Amazon Prime Video milestone.
As we speak Candy Cane Lane is the #1 movie worldwide on Prime Video. That’s impressive enough, but the streamer has now officially confirmed in a press release that it’s the most-watched Amazon MGM Studios-produced movie debut ever in the United States. What’s particularly impressive is that the flick managed to accomplish this feat in a matter of three days. The company also released additional info, mentioning that the fantastical romp had the highest reported viewership among PVOD & SVOD titles during the weekend ending with December 3. That metric contains titles monitored by Screen Engine/ASI. On top of all that, the title also sits alongside the streamer’s top 10 worldwide film debuts of all time.
Like most streamers, Amazon doesn’t release specific numbers regarding viewership, though it seems plenty of Prime Video subscribers tuned in for this film. And as you would expect, the bigwigs at the entertainment conglomerate are over the moon about the accomplishments. Amazon MGM Studios’ head of film, streaming and theatrical, Courtenay Valenti, shared her enthusiasm in a statement:
The sensational debut of Eddie Murphy's first-ever Christmas movie, Candy Cane Lane, is a true demonstration of how joyful, family-oriented stories can touch the hearts of viewers around the world. We are so proud of our wonderful director Reginald Hudlin, along with the dynamic Eddie Murphy and Tracee Ellis Ross, our partners at Imagine Entertainment, and the rest of the all-star cast and team of creatives that brought this original and festive IP to life.
While plenty of people are reportedly checking out one of the latest funny Christmas movies, a sum of them don’t seem to be enjoying it. The movie, as of this writing, holds 41% critic rating on Rotten Tomatoes, while the audience score is only slightly higher at 43%. This actually isn’t the first time the leading man has found himself in such a situation. In 2021, fellow Amazon release Coming 2 America was watched by a lot of people despite poor reviews and general responses. Despite the poor reception, the holiday flick’s release would seem to indicate that the Beverly Hills Cop icon is still enough of a draw for people to at least give his work a look.
Reginald Hudlin’s Candy Cane Lane centers on family man Chris Carver (Eddie Murphy), a longtime Christmas lover seeking to win the annual home decoration contest in the eponymous neighborhood. Chris, while attempting to enhance his chances of victory, unwittingly makes a deal with a rogue elf. What ensues are plenty of holiday-related hijinks for Chris, his family and the folks on their block. The Murphy-led cast also includes Tracee Ellis Ross, Jillian Bell, Robin Thede, Chris Redd, Nick Offerman and David Alan Grier.
The family flick may not go down as one of the best Christmas movies of all time. It still, however, seems to be finding some serious success when it comes to viewership. Time will tell if this one ever ends up being reassessed by holiday film devotees years from now.
You can make up your own mind by streaming Candy Cane Lane on Prime Video now, and read up on other festive fare by looking over the 2023 Christmas movie schedule.
