Universal PicturesIf you go to see the holiday romantic comedy Last Christmas, starring Emilia Clarke, Henry Golding and Emma Thompson, be sure to stay for the end credits — if so, you’ll get to hear an unreleased George Michael song.
The movie uses a variety of George’s hits to punctuate the story. As for the unreleased song, which runs six minutes, director Paul Feig told BBC News that the track was to have appeared on an album the pop legend was working on before his death on Christmas Day 2016.
“[George] was putting together his new album when he passed,” Feig explained. “And one of our tracks is one of those songs, and it’s just an absolutely amazing song that I’m so excited the world is going to get to hear now.”
The director added, “It’s a very celebratory song, I would dare say. And we were able to play the entire song…in the film. Because when you get a song that has never been heard, you don’t want to just use, like, 15 seconds of it.”
Feig noted that the tune “starts at the end of the film, and then goes into the credits.”
Last Christmas follows Clarke’s character, an aspiring singer who idolizes George Michael, but finds herself working as an elf at a seasonal Christmas shop in London. There, she meets cute with Golding’s character, Tom, a guy who seems too good to be true.
“It’s not a musical, but George’s music affects the story,” Feig said. “There are a couple of sections where the actors are actually interacting with the music, and other sections where George’s music is driving, or underscoring the story.”
Last Christmas hits theaters on November 8.
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