Henry Golding and Michelle Yeoh reunite to sparkle with Emilia Clarke in Last Christmas
Starring Game of Thrones’ Emilia Clarke, reuniting Crazy Rich Asians stars Henry Golding and Michelle Yeoh, and directed by Paul Feig of Bridesmaids fame, there’s zero chance Last Christmas won’t prove the feel-good seasonal smash of the year
Crazy Rich Asians turned Henry Golding into an overnight star. Not a bad achievement when one considers that the film, a worldwide box office smash – marked his acting debut. Now the British actor is about to test his popularity in the eagerly-awaited holiday movie, Last Christmas, a sparkling romcom directed by Paul Feig and written by Emma Thompson.
Taking inspiration from the eponymous hit song by Wham! and its late, great lead singer George Michael, Last Christmas sees Golding play one half of a heart-tugging love story opposite Game of Thrones' dragon queen, Emilia Clarke.
Should the film emerge as the smash hit that many industry analysts expect it to be, it could establish the tall, charming Golding as the next big Hollywood leading man. Though the actor himself isn't allowing himself to be drawn into such speculation, he has high hopes for the movie's impact on audiences:
“It's a beautiful romcom set in London at the most beautiful time of the year,” Golding says. “Emilia Clarke plays Kate, a lost, young woman who is very cynical about the world. She's a failed singer who then meets my character, Tom, and it's one of the most tear-jerking, hilarious movies you will ever see.”
The story unfolds as Kate (Clarke) is in a downcast frame of mind while working for a harsh taskmaster boss (Michelle Yeoh) in a year-round Christmas supplies shop.
With the holidays approaching, Clarke's despair intensifies until Golding's character, Tom, enters the shop and is so smitten with her that he asks her out on a date. This sets in motion a charming romance with plenty of happy and sad twists and turns.
Director Feig, best known for Bridesmaids (2011) and the 2016 all-female Ghostbusters remake, had worked with Golding previously on last year's comic crime drama, A Simple Favor, starring Blake Lively and Anna Kendrick, and knew that he had the “right touch” to play Clarke's love interest in Last Christmas.
“I love Henry Golding so much,” Feig said. “He's the greatest guy and the nicest man in the world. And he works so hard and he's just a team player. He's so elegant. I feel like I've got my own personal Cary Grant now, so it's very exciting.”