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Talk about walking in someone else’s shoes. This holiday season, joining the long list of body-switching movies is none other than Family Switch. Jess (Jennifer Garner) and Bill (Ed Helms) are the parents of the Walkers, a regular suburban family. They live happily with their three children, soccer star CC (Emma Myers), a tech genius Wyatt (Brady Noon), and baby Miles (Lincoln & Theodore Sykes). But as the inevitable clashes between parents and children unfold, the Walkers find themselves thrust into an extraordinary out-of-body experience that will shock the family.
Here’s everything we know so far about Family Switch.
Family Switch
PGFamilyFantasyChristmasRelease Date November 30, 2023 Director McG Cast Jennifer Garner , Ed Helms , Emma Myers , Brady Noon , Rita Moreno , Matthias Schweighöfer , Bashir Salahuddin , Fortune Feimster , Xosha Roquemore , Paul Scheer , Andrew Bachelor , Pete Holmes , Naomi Ekperigin , Dan Finnerty , Cyrus Arnold Runtime 101 minutes Main Genre Comedy Writers Victoria Strouse , Adam Sztykiel Studio(s) Wonderland Sound & Vision Distributor(s) Netflix ExpandWhen Is 'Family Switch' Coming Out?
Family Switchwill be available on Netflix on November 30, 2023 - just in time for the holiday season! If you’re not on the Netflix bandwagon yet, there are three options for new subscribers to choose from: the Standard plan with ads for $6.99/month, the ad-free Standard plan at $15.49, or go all-in with the Premium plan for $19.99. Depending on your budget and binge-watching style, each plan accommodates different types of audiences.
Will 'Family Switch' Be in Theaters?
No, while Netflix is no stranger to giving some of its films a theatrical release, such as the forthcoming films Maestro and Rebel Moon — Part One: A Child of Fire, Family Switch will not be receiving a release on the big screen.
Is There a Trailer for 'Family Switch'?
In the trailer for Family Switch, audiences are introduced to the Walkers, your average family currently going through a rough patch in their lives - everyone is growing up and growing apart. Parents Jess and Bill find themselves struggling to connect, while their kids, CC and Wyatt, are knee-deep in their school and social lives, worlds away from their parents’ reach.
As the holiday season rolls around, the family attempts a nostalgic trip to mend the rift and relive the good times. However, things take a sour turn when a huge disagreement unfolds, leading to a timeless phrase that embodies every body-switching movie: “I wish you could be me.” Unbeknownst to them, an unsuspecting astrologer captures this moment on camera. Cue the next morning - their wish becomes reality, with everyone waking up in someone else’s body (even the family dog!).
Who Stars in 'Family Switch'?
CloseJennifer Garner takes on the role of Jess Walker, the mom calling the shots in the Walker family. Later on in the movie, she finds herself switching bodies with her own daughter, CC. If there’s anyone experienced in the realm of body-switching movies, it’s Garner, with her previous sting in the 2000s hit 13 Going on 30. Sharing the screen as Jess’ husband, Bill Walker is none other than Ed Helms. By day, he’s a high school music teacher, and by night, he’s the frontman of his all-dads rock band, Dad or Alive. Soon enough, Bill switches bodies with his son Wyatt. Helms gained prominence for playing the timid Stu in the notorious Hangover trilogy as well as the loudmouthed Andy Bernard on The Office.
Emma Myers plays their daughter CC Walker, an ambitious student who sees soccer as her ticket to college. But like any regular teenager, she’s going through a rough patch with her mum. Myers broke the Internet thanks to her role as teenage werewolf Enid Sinclair on Wednesday. Brady Noon plays son Wyatt Walker, a tech-savvy teen with the brains to match. Unfortunately, his intellect doesn’t resonate well with school bullies and crushes. He later switches bodies with his dad - which might not be the best news for his failing love life. Noon rose to prominence with his role as Thor in the raunchy R-rated comedy Good Boys.
Joining the Family Switch is Hollywood legend Rita Moreno. The EGOT-winning actress, best known for her work in the 1961 West Side Story, serves as the mysterious astrologer who might just be responsible for the Walker’s body-switching antics. Matthias Schweighöfer (Army of the Dead) plays Rolf, the Walkers’ neighbor/dog trainer who notices something strange about the family dog’s human-like behavior.
In addition to the main cast, Family Switch features Lincoln and Theodore Sykes, Bashir Salahuddin (Top Gun: Maverick), Ilia Isorelýs Paulino (The Sex Lives of College Girls), Fortune Feimster (FUBAR), Xosha Roquemore (The Mindy Project), Paul Scheer (The League), Andrew Bachelor (The Babysitter), Pete Holmes (Crashing), Naomi Ekperigin (Me Time), Dan Finnerty (Hocus Pocus 2), Cyrus Arnold (8-Bit Christmas), and Vanessa Carrasco (Law & Order: Special Victims Unit).
What Is 'Family Switch' About?
The official synopsis for Family Switch from Netflix reads:
“Jess and Bill Walker are doing their best to keep their family connected as their children grow older, more independent, and more distant. When a chance encounter with an astrological reader causes the family to wake up to a full body switch, on the morning of the most important day of each of their lives, can the Walkers unite to land a promotion, college interview, record deal and soccer tryout? Jennifer Garner, Ed Helms, Emma Myers and Brady Noon star in this family comedy directed by McG and based on the book "Bedtime For Mommy" by Amy Krouse-Rosenthal.”
Reminiscent of classic body-switching movies such as 17 Again and Freaky Friday, Family Switch promises to bring a refreshing take on the classic comedy genre. In an interview with Collider’s Steve Weintraub for Pain Hustlers, producer Lawrence Grey shared briefly about the movies that became the blueprint for Family Switch:
"I thought about movies like 21 Jump Street, where there's a real meta deconstruction of the subgenre you know. So, very early on, I worked with the writer, and we scripted the scene where the family is completely aghast and incredulous that this is happening, and they even say, 'This is the first time in history it's ever happened.' The mom says something like, 'Yeah, I'm 13 going on 30,' the dad says, 'I'm 17 again!' The characters invariably reference every classic body switch movie you've ever seen, but it's as if they've never seen it before."
While Family Switch presents itself as a light-hearted comedy, its true charm lies in the portrayal of the family dynamics. Although the Walker family is fictional, they are just like any regular family in real life (minus the body-switching). Like all families, they are hit with the reality that even those closest to us can become distant over time. Family Switch shows that there’s no such thing as a perfect family - only a family that’s willing to try. And with the movie being set during Christmastime, a period when families traditionally get together for the holiday season, the idea of family simply hits differently during this nostalgic time of the year.
Who Is Making 'Family Switch'?
Directed by McG, Family Switch is based on the book Bedtime For Mommy, written by Amy Krouse-Rosenthal. The screenplay is written by Victoria Strouse and Adam Sztykiel. The film is produced by Grey, Garner, McG, Nicole King Solaka, and Mary Viola. Despite taking inspiration from past body-switching comedies, Grey also shares what makes Family Switch different in the genre.
“It's never been done where the father and son body switch and the mother and daughter, and Jen said, “Only if the baby and dog body switch too.” And that was the key to just really actually revolutionizing it because one of the funniest parts of this entire movie is that the baby and dog have body switched, and the family has to go and try to figure this problem out, and so they have to find someone to take care of them.”
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