Weezer appear in Netflix’s new Christmas film, ‘Family Switch’

5 December, 2023

Brian Bell and Rivers Cuomo of Weezer

Weezer feature in a new Netflix new Christmas film called Family Switch.

The US rock band – Rivers Cuomo, Brian Bell, Scott Shriner, and Patrick Wilson – make a surprise cameo in the new festive comedy, which stars Jennifer Garner and Ed Helms.

The film is a spin on the 2003 classic Freaky Friday, with the synopsis reading: “When a chance encounter with an astrological reader causes the Walkers to wake up to a full body switch, can they unite to land a promotion, college interview, record deal, and soccer tryout?”

The band make up the remaining members of Bill’s (Helms) garage band Dad or Alive. Director McG (Joseph McGinty Nichol), revealed his motivation to include the band in the film during an interview with Netflix’s Tudum, sharing that he “grew up on Weezer”. He added: “The Blue Album blew my mind.”

“Rivers just came from a two-week silence retreat and is Harvard educated,” the director added. “He’s a terribly introspective man of few words. And I’m out there freaking out and jumping up and down and overextending my welcome at all times. We were sort of the fire and the ice, if you will. It made for a perfectly agreeable cup of water.”

Weezer posted about their cameo on social media, writing: “Got to jam with @edhelms
in “Family Switch”. streaming now on @netflix!”

A number of other cameos feature in the film, including internet personalities Anwar Jibawi and Hannah Stocking, actor and rapper Benjamin Flores Jr and football stars Ryann Torrero, Alyssa Thompson and Gisele Thompson.

Sugar Ray frontman Mark McGrath, who is McG’s childhood friend, also makes a vocal cameo as a radio DJ. “Mark has been my best friend since we were 8 years old,” McG shared. “We’ve never gone a week without talking to each other. I’m the godfather of his children, he’s the godfather to mine. And it just seemed natural.”

This time last year, Weezer returned with the fourth and final instalment of their ‘SZNZ’ EP series, titled ‘Winter’.

Back in October, The Smashing Pumpkins and Weezer shared details of a joint tour in the UK and Ireland next summer.

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