Ella McCay premiered at the El Capitan Theatre on December 9, 2025, and was released in the United States by 20th Century Studios on December 12. The film received generally negative reviews from critics and became a box-office bomb, grossing $4 million on a $35 million budget.
Plot
In 2008, 34-year-old Ella McCay, the lieutenant governor of an unnamed state, is told by her mentor, Governor Bill Moore, that he is accepting a cabinet position in the forthcoming presidential administration. Moore resigns immediately, leaving Ella to take over as governor for the remaining fourteen months of his tenure.
Ella is ambitious and idealistic, but unpopular within her party for long speeches and proactive political style. Meanwhile, a reporter is attempting to blackmail Ella for using a vacant apartment underneath the government building to have sex with her husband Ryan during lunch breaks, which she later learned qualified as misuse of government property. At her aunt Helen's bar, Ella is reunited with her estranged father Eddie, who threw her life in turmoil after cheating on her deceased mother Claire. Eddie announces that he is attempting to reconnect with his children at the request of his new girlfriend Olympia, though Ella rebuffs him for his lack of remorse.
Ella is later inaugurated, but Ryan is offended when she neglects to thank him in a lengthy speech. Ella sets to work passing a new bill that would offer support to new and expectant mothers, in turn benefiting their children in their most formative years. Ryan admits to having leaked word of their liaisons to the press. Disturbed, Ella seeks comfort with Helen, who bluntly tells her that Ryan is a "ticking time bomb". Ella visits her 20-year-old brother Casey, a bookmaker who has remained almost entirely in his apartment for the past year. Casey's self-imposed isolation is the result of having abruptly cut ties with his girlfriend Susan after she responded hesitantly to his impassioned declaration of love. Casey says that Eddie and Olympia have been leaving him invasive messages on his answering machine. Ella encourages Casey to reconnect with Susan.
Unwilling to let the story be leaked, Ella holds a press conference admitting to the scandal and offering to pay any restitution. Afterwards, Ella's approval ratings slightly improve. At her father's apartment, Ella tells Eddie to stop bothering Casey, and Eddie insincerely apologizes for his failings as a father. When Ella asks him if he ever cheated on Claire while she was dying, Eddie responds, "Not really." Meanwhile, Casey meets with Susan at her apartment, awkwardly rekindling their relationship together.
Ryan confronts Ella, furious that she held the press conference without consulting him. Ryan reveals that he bribed the reporter with a $7500 check, which Ella realizes can be used as proof of extortion. Ryan demands that Ella give him a position on her staff, or he will leave her and slander her reputation. Taking the blackmail as proof that Ryan does not love her, a heartbroken Ella refuses. Ryan then holds a press conference in which he announces their separation, blaming Ella for their marital breakdown, and claims that she is the one who attempted to pay off the reporter.
Party officials gather at Helen's bar, demanding that Ella either resign immediately or face being censured for the remainder of her term. On Bill's advice, Ella threatens to run for reelection as an independent and siphon votes from her party. The majority leader begrudgingly agrees to pass Ella's bill on the condition that she resigns from office. A defeated Ella leaves a mere three days after her inauguration and when Eddie asks her whether she accepted his tepid apology, Ella responds, "Not really." Meanwhile, Helen tips off the police about Ryan's role in the extortion, leading to his arrest. Casey's rekindled relationship with Susan thrives and he starts going out again. Ella starts a non-profit organization with Nash and Estelle that offers legal aid to impoverished families, enabling her to do more good beyond the confines of government.
Hans Zimmer provided the film's score, marking his fifth collaboration with James L. Brooks. The soundtrack was released on December 12, 2025.[21]
Release
The film had its world premiere at the El Capitan Theatre in Los Angeles on December 9, 2025,[22] and was released in the United States on December 12. It was previously scheduled to release on September 19, 2025.[23] It was announced in December 2025 that Disney pulled Ella McCay from its scheduled theatrical release in France on January 7, 2026.[24][25]
Reception
Box office
In the United States and Canada, Ella McCay was projected to gross around $4 million from 2,500 theaters in its opening weekend;[2] however, it ultimately returned just over $2.1 million, making for a per-theater average of $808.[24]Deadline Hollywood pointed to poor critical reception and speculated: "Once upon a time, Ella McCay would have clicked ... Prestige drama/dramedies, which audiences use to find in theaters thanks to Brooks, are too prevalent on TV at home. Why leave the house to watch them (now)?"[26]
Critical response
On the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, 23% of 112 critics' reviews are positive.The website's consensus reads: "Well-intentioned but woefully undisciplined, James L. Brooks's comedy about a woman trying to have it all is so tonally misjudged that it winds up with not much of anything to recommend."[27]Metacritic, which uses a weighted average, assigned the film a score of 39 out of 100, based on 36 critics, indicating "generally unfavorable" reviews.[28] Audiences polled by CinemaScore gave the film an average grade of "B-" on an A+ to F scale.[29]
Adrian Horton of The Guardian called the film "...a mess – a clunky collection of incoherent characters and confounding plot that seem to defy basic story logic at every turn, and not in a surprising or intriguing way", and Nick Schager of the The Daily Beast said it was "...woefully short on charm, its plot a contrived hodgepodge of so many similar ’80s and ’90s tales that it plays as a brand-spanking new relic."[30][31]
In positive reviews, Nell Minow of RogerEbert.com said, "Its optimism is so refreshing, its dialogue so smart, and its characters and performances so endearing, it well rewards a watch," and Adam Nayman of Sight and Sound stated, "There are worse feelings to have at a movie than the suspicion that everything will work out just fine for the people who deserve it, and taken on its own terms, Brooks’s tale of virtue as its own reward is sufficiently endearing."[32][33]
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