Entertainment
Boxing Day director ‘found his Julia Roberts’ in Leigh-Anne Pinnock and Aja Naomi King
Leigh-Anne Pinnock is making her acting debut (Picture: Rex)
Boxing Day director and star Aml Ameen has compared his leading ladies Leigh-Anne Pinnock and Aja Naomi King to rom-com queen Julia Roberts – and is there higher praise?
The star opened up on his thought process behind casting the two powerhouses, as Leigh-Anne makes her acting debut in the festive flick.
‘With Leigh-Anne, what stood out to me particularly was her humanity,’ Aml told Metro.co.uk.
‘She’s got a way of being so honest and she’s so connected to her soul and who she is. That to me was always something that I was looking for.
‘I was looking for my two Julia Roberts! And I found Julia Roberts in Aja and I found Julia Roberts in Leigh-Anne, just from different films.’
Speaking about setting the film in his hometown, Aml added: ‘We’re from the UK! We’re from London. And everybody gets their moment to shine.
Aml had high praise for his leading ladies (Picture: WireImage)
‘This is a culture that everybody loves.’
Aml added: ‘This is us canonising a film moment.’
At the premiere, Little Mix stars Jade Thirlwall and Perrie Edwards were the proudest best friends as they supported Leigh-Anne for her acting debut.
Aja stars alongside Leigh-Anne and Aml (Picture: Getty Images)
The trio posed together, with Leigh-Anne, 30, rocking a gorgeous floor-length gown, Perrie, 28, in a nude number, and Jade, 28, sporting a corset top and PVC trousers.
The singers made sure to take photos with fans, with Leigh-Anne pulling her girls in for a hug in one adorable photo.
Aml said he ‘found Julia Roberts’ in the two actresses (Picture: Getty Images)
Elsewhere, Leigh-Anne posed with her fiance, Andre Gray, and shared a laugh with co-star and director Aml.
The rom-com has been directed by Kidulthood and I May Destroy You actor Aml and will see Little Mix’s Leigh-Anne make her film debut, while also starring How To Get Away With Murder’s Aja.
More: Little Mix
It follows Melvin (Ameen) as he returns home to London with his new fiancee Lisa (King) to introduce her to the family. However, Lisa’s magical trip to London hits a sour note when they bump into Melvin’s ex-girlfriend Georgia (Pinnock), who happens to be a global superstar singer.
Boxing Day is out in UK cinemas on December 3.
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