Bill Murray Doesn't Use Netflix, More Christmas Show Details

We haven’t known what to make of Bill Murray Netflix special A Very Murray Christmas, from initial announcement to first trailer, but even in October, new details and promotion of the wandering comedian guru’s holiday hijinks crop up. On the one hand, Murray seems just as confused by Netflix as we are by him, while writer Mitch Glazer also muses the possibility of a yearly special.

First and foremost, Murray dropped by Jimmy Kimmel’s Brooklyn show to answer questions of both Rock the Kasbah and A Very Murray Christmas, charmingly acknowledging that he has no experience with actual use of Netflix. Ignoring the absurd costume (because Bill Murray), see for yourself:

Secondly, writer Mitch Glazer (who had a hand in both Kasbah and Christmas) spoke to Entertainment Weekly of a few new details:

It’s all shot in the Carlyle Hotel. We never leave. It’s so perfect, and New York kind of elegant. So cozy. And it becomes like a family. What happens is this blizzard makes it impossible to do this cheesy live show Bill was going to do as himself, so he finds Christmas in the hotel with cocktail waitresses and the chefs and all the people who are kind of trapped by this blizzard.
I just love it. But to tell you the truth, he’s very wary of the idea of playing himself in quotes, as most actors would be. But he embraced this. I mean, it’s not him. It’s our fantasy version of Bill Murray Big Star kind of thing. But it’s got real heart to it, and the music is amazing all the way through it. Sofia’s husband, Thomas, and Phoenix plays in it, and Maya Rudolph does a Phil Spector Christmas song that is spectacular. It’s just a big wall of sound coming from her and Paul Shaffer.
Rashida Jones and Jason Schwartzman play a couple who are trying to get married in the hotel. And everybody came. Literally, overnight, some of them, just flew in on the red-eye and left at the end of the day, for him.

As to whether we might see A Very Murray Christmas becoming an annual tradition:

I was thinking this would be a joy to do again. I don’t know about yearly, but it was a great feeling. The three of us have actually talked about how cool it would be to do another one. Bill’s got some ideas that are great.

Streaming on December 4, Netflix’s A Very Murray Christmas will feature such impressive names as George Clooney, former Late Show bandleader Paul Shaffer, Amy Poehler, Julie White, Dimitri Dimitrov, Michael Cera, Chris Rock, David Johansen, Maya Rudolph, Jason Schwartzman, Jenny Lewis, the band Phoenix, Frederic Moulin, Rashida Jones, and Miley Cyrus.

So reads Netflix’s official logline:

Written by Sofia Coppola, Bill Murray and Mitch Glazer and directed by Sofia Coppola, A Very Murray Christmas is an homage to the classic variety show featuring Bill Murray playing himself, as he worries no one will show up to his TV show due to a terrible snow storm in New York City. Through luck and perseverance, guests arrive at the Carlyle hotel to help him; dancing and singing in holiday spirit.

Watch the teaser again below, and have yourself A Very Murray Christmas on December 4.