Ella McCay

Ella McCay marks the return of legendary writer-director James L. Brooks to feature filmmaking, a political comedy-drama starring Emma Mackey as a young lieutenant governor thrust into the top job when her mentor resigns to join a presidential cabinet. Set in 2008, the film follows Ella as she navigates the remaining fourteen months of a gubernatorial term she never expected, juggling political minefields, family dynamics, and her own ambitions while surrounded by a murderers' row of talent: Jamie Lee Curtis, Woody Harrelson, Ayo Edebiri, Kumail Nanjiani, Rebecca Hall, Albert Brooks, Julie Kavner, and Jack Lowden. Principal photography began February 1, 2024, in Providence, Rhode Island, which doubled as the unnamed state capital. The Rhode Island State House served as the primary government building, with filming inside the hallways, State Room, State Library, House chambers, and governor's office. The Federal Hill neighborhood was transformed extensively -- a building at the corner of Almy Street and Broadway became a bar called Helen's 445. Additional Rhode Island locations included the Cranston Street Armory, Moses Brown School, RIDOT headquarters, and neighborhoods in Pawtucket's Oak Hill, East Providence, Cranston, and Bristol. After wrapping principal photography in Rhode Island, additional scenes were shot in New Orleans from March 19-26, 2025, with Cleveland also used as a location. The film was produced on a $35 million budget and premiered at the El Capitan Theatre on December 9, 2025, before its December 12 theatrical release from 20th Century Studios.