Ricky Martin Is Part Of A Netflix Christmas Musical That Is Making History
Ricky Martin is joining an all-star cast for Netflix’s newest holiday film. “Jingle Jangle: A Christmas Journey” is going to be the streaming giants’ next leap into the holiday film market and the cast of color is giving us so much to look forward to. The technology is helping to make it historic.
Netflix’s next Christmas movie is the POC magic we all deserve.
Forest Whitaker, Keegan-Michael Key, Phylicia Rashad, Anika Noni-Rose, and Ricky Martin are bringing the movie to life. The movie follows a toymaker and his granddaughter, played by Madalen Mills, on an epic Christmas adventure. Like any good Christmas movie, there is drama when an invention that could change their lives lands in the wrong hands.
Ricky Martin plays an evil toy called Don Juan Diego.
Don Juan Diego is a key part of Jeronicus Jangle’s woes as the invention is stolen from his workshop. In fact, Diego convinces Jangle’s protege (Keegan-Michael Key) to betray him. Diego is such a strong force that Key’s character betrays his mentor and spends his time finding ways to continue to make Jangle’s life harder. Martin took a lot of time to really perfect Diego to make sure that he was more than a one-dimensional evil Latino toy.
“This was a green light to be whoever you want to be and be vicious and Machiavellian and be mean,” Martin told NBC News. “I was running the lines in my house, and my kids would be like, ‘That’s not evil.’ And I would say, ‘Because you’re looking at me and I’m still your father.’ And they were like, ‘Yes, but you need to try harder and to be meaner.’ It took me seven, eight weeks to polish this character because is Don Juan Diego Castilian? Is he Colombian? Is he Mexican? We played with all the accents. We had to keep it very neutral. I hope this is the first movie of Don Juan Diego. Did I just say that?”
People have had it with the quarantine and can’t wait for holiday movies to fill the screen.
We have spent almost eight months confined to our homes and apartments. The least every streaming platform can do is have new holiday content already in their queue to make the season more festive. We all need things to look forward to right now so let’s do this, Netflix.
The movie is integrating new technology with Orbital Audio. The tech software allows for any pair of headphones to become surround sound. Orbital Audio is the first product launched with the Martin Music Lab. The first project for Orbital Audio was Martin’s latest album “Pausa.”
“When the lockdown started, I told my team, ‘Listen, we have to create something that is of impact. Let’s create something that will heal people. I don’t know what this is. I have no idea if it’s a vitamin we are going to invent. I don’t know if it’s a new kind of food. But let’s be open,’” Martin said on the Variety/iHeart podcast “The Big Ticket.”
Oh, not to mention that John Legend is behind the music.
That’s right. The music that will fill the movie, and your ears, comes from the talented and beloved John Legend. There really isn’t anything better than music from one of the greats, especially when it is Christmas music.
“Jingle Jangle: A Christmas Journey” will be streaming on Netflix starting Nov. 13.
