Ryan Reynolds Is ‘Bringin’ Back Christmas’ Cringe — We Mean Cheer! — on New ‘Spirited’ Single

We’re getting Will Ferrell and Ryan Reynolds in the same holiday film, Spirited — so of course, there had to be some cheesy new Christmas songs to come with it!

On Friday, Republic Records released the first single from the movie’s soundtrack, “Bring’ Back Christmas,” where Reynolds — who plays Clint in the film — convinces listeners to purchase real trees, not “plastic pines,” in an effort to return to the classic roots of the holiday.

“We’re bringing back Christmas/We’re bringing back cheer/We’re bringing back cozy nights, those twinkly lights/the glow of yesteryear,” sings Reynolds in the chorus. “Now it’s some slight manipulation/But it’s what we’ve gotta do/See, we need some confrontation/Or else your message won’t go through.”

The song ends with a roast session from Reynolds about his neighbor Doug and his artificial tree: “Easy peasy, poor, lazy, deplorable Doug who cares more about convenience than the happiness and respect of his town, his country, and our sacred holiday.”


This is just one of the 12 original songs fans of Christmas carols will get from this film, including some duets between Ferrell and Reynolds.

The release of “Bringin’ Back Christmas” comes just a few days after Apple TV released the trailer for Spirited, which reinvents Charles Dickens’ A Christmas Carol, and captures Ferrell and Reynolds — along with Octavia Spencer — embarking on a holiday adventure. The film, directed by Sean Anders, is in theatres on Nov. 11 and on Apple TV+ on Nov. 18.

The trailer opens with Reynolds and Ferrell doing an intricate tap dance number, then wondering wildly where they learned to do all that choreography. The clip closes with Ferrell struggling to remember the name of that sweet little boy with the one crutch — not Tiny Tim, but something like “Little Larry… Micro Mike… Super Small Steve.”

Spirited soundtrack tracklist:

  1. Will Ferrell, Patrick Page, Sunita Mani, & The Spirited Ensemble – “That Christmas Mornin’ Feeling”
  2. Will Ferrell – “Present’s Lament”
  3. Ryan Reynolds & The Spirited Ensemble – “Bringin’ Back Christmas”
  4. Octavia Spencer – “The View From Here”
  5. Patrick Page & Ryan Reynolds – “The Story of Your Life (Marley’s Haunt)”
  6. Ryan Reynolds, Will Ferrell & The Spirited Ensemble – “Good Afternoon”
  7. Ryan Reynolds & Will Ferrell – “The Story of Your Life (Clint’s Pitch)”
  8. Will Ferrell & The Spirited Ensemble – “Unredeemable”
  9. Octavia Spencer & Will Ferrell – “The View From Here (Riverwalk)”
  10. Ryan Reynolds, Will Ferrell, Patrick Page & Sunita Mani – “Do A Little Good”
  11. Ryan Reynolds, Will Ferrell, Octavia Spencer, Patrick Page, Andrea Anders, Marlow Barkley, Jen Tullock & The Spirited Ensemble – “That Christmas Mornin’ Feeling (Curtain Call)”
  12. Will Ferrell, Sunita Mani, Patrick Page & The Spirited Ensemble – “Ripple (Cut Song)”