Social media outlets were hooked at the prospect of a sequel to the cult classic Christmas film The Holiday, despite the fact there was no substance behind the claim.
Christmas films are a staple during the holiday period and we all have our favorite festive flick, so the revelation that one of the most loved movies is getting a sequel is enough to melt any cold heart. But unfortunately, that same heart will have frozen over again when the news was identified as fake, conning the entirety of the internet into believing a hoax.
The Holiday is arguably one of the best feel-good festive films, with the likes of Cameron Diaz, Jack Black, and Kate Winslet amongst some of the famous faces seen on-screen. Despite the 2006 film being 16 years old, news outlets worldwide reported that the star-studded cast had all signed up for a follow-up movie set to debut in 2024. Only one issue: it was all a lie.
Writer and director Natalie Meyers shared with her 246,000 Instagram followers that she’d received an influx of DMs from excited fans, but had to reveal that it wasn’t real. Uploading a photo showing the Daily Mail also fell for the lie, the comment section under Meyers’ post was filled with heartbroken emojis and fans begging for a sequel to become a reality.
It’s unknown where the false statement originated from, but within hours of it appearing in tabloids across the world, it was shared on social media, leading to everyone who’s not living under a rock being aware of the fake news. Their festive bubble was well and truly burst by Meyers’ post, sparking the question of how we all fell for it.
The Holiday tells the story of two women in desperate need of a vacation (hence the title) and ends with them both falling in love in their respective temporary holiday homes. The ending is summed up perfectly, with no strings left untied, making it hard to see the need for a sequel. After all, the second installment is very rarely better than or even equal to the first.
As nice as it might have seemed to see how Amanda & Graham and Iris and Miles’ relationships played out over time, a story continuation ran the risk of ruining the whole magic that the first one provided.
So it’s probably for the best that we were tricked after all. And it means we’ve all had a lesson in fake news, making sure everyone ends 2022 knowing to never trust the Daily Mail – a life lesson well learned.
