Entertainment TV TV Movies China Anne McClain Is an Heiress Who 'Has Lost Her Way' in Brewster's Millions: Christmas (Exclusive) 'Brewster's Millions: Christmas' premieres Dec. 5 on BET+ By Stephanie Wenger Stephanie Wenger Stephanie Wenger is a TV Writer/Reporter at PEOPLE. She joined the brand in 2021 as a digital news writer, covering stories spanning across the site's verticals. She previously contributed E! Online, Hollywood Life and Oscar.com. People Editorial Guidelines and Kelsie Gibson Kelsie Gibson Kelsie Gibson is the SEO Editor of PEOPLE. She has been working at PEOPLE since 2021. She was formerly at POPSUGAR, Bustle, Tiger Beat and Her Campus. People Editorial Guidelines Published on November 4, 2024 01:00PM EST Comments China Ann McClain is rediscovering the true meaning of Christmas. In the upcoming BET+ holiday film Brewster’s Millions: Christmas, the 26-year-old actress stars as Morgan, “a wealthy heiress who has lost her way,” according to an official synopsis. The film, which is a sequel to the 1985 comedy Brewster’s Millions starring Richard Pryor and John Candy, sees Morgan as she “faces a Christmas challenge to inherit her uncle Monty Brewster’s grandfather's fortune, she must learn the true meaning of love, faith, and family by giving instead of receiving, all while navigating the charming chaos, and the true meaning of the holiday season,” the description continues. China Anne McClain in 'Brewster’s Millions: Christmas'. BET+ Dara Reneé Reveals How 'Role Model' China Anne McClain Encouraged Her on Descendants: 'Angel on Earth' (Exclusive) In the film, the late Pryor’s daughter Rain plays Opal, who stays resilient despite struggling to get back on her feet and regain custody of her daughter. At the same time, his son, Richard Pryor Jr., steps into the role of Uncle Brewster, who died unexpectedly but made a lasting impression on his family. PEOPLE’s exclusive first look at the trailer for Brewster’s Millions: Christmas shows Morgan is living a glamorous life and doesn’t heed the warning of her Aunty Brewster (Telma Hopkins). “Morgan, you’re helping multi-million dollar companies defraud their shareholders just to fill a quota,” her aunt says. Morgan doesn’t appear to think twice about her actions until her credit card is declined while she is out to dinner. The cast of 'Brewster’s Millions: Christmas'. BET+ China Anne McClain Says Returning for New Descendants Film Was Very 'Healing' — See the First Look (Exclusive) “Your card, it's not working,” the waiter says and Morgan demands, “Try again.” “I've tried it four times, ma’am,” the waiter adds but Morgan has had enough, saying, “Don't ma'am, me.” After the incident, Morgan is escorted out by security guards but attempts to play it cool, saying, “Don’t worry about this. This ain’t nothing.” Morgan's aunt then tells her that she “froze” all of her accounts and offers her a challenge, saying, “Either you complete these tasks by Christmas Day or refuse, leaving you without a dime to your name.” BET+ Is Bringing the 'Yuletide Love' and Family Drama with 8 New Holiday Movies: See the Festive Lineup! China Ann McClain in 'Brewster’s Millions: Christmas'. BET+ “Can I at least have a reality show follow me around?” she responds, which her aunt quickly shuts down. Despite her reservations, she begins to realize that she is supposed to be “helping people and thinking outside of myself.” She is seen wrapping a scarf around a person in need and getting in the holiday spirit. Morgan even lends a helping hand to Opal, saying, “We gotta do something. I can't just throw you out of your home.” Andrew (Romeo Miller), who is beginning to have strong feelings for Morgan, says, “You see all this potential that's been in front of you the whole time” before they share a dance. The trailer concludes with Morgan paying tribute to Uncle Brewster. As she holds a glass of champagne up in front of his portrait, she says, “I’m not a saint, but I am a Brewster.” Romeo Miller and China Anne McClain in "Brewster's Millions: Christmas". BET+ All About China Anne McClain's Sisters, Lauryn and Sierra McClain McClain previously told PEOPLE that Brewster’s Millions: Christmas puts “a spin on the original plot of the original Brewsters.” “This one is more grounded for most of the film,” she explained. “And my character, instead of learning how to deal with money but not love it, to not love money, but to have it and be able to deal with it responsibly, like what happened in the original film, my character more so has to learn how to step down from using money to fill holes that she has." She added that Morgan appears to be on her “high horse and a little more arrogant when she's really just a hurt young woman because of the experiences that she's going through.” McClain shared that she watched the original film before reading the script and "fell in love with it." "For some reason, I was really emotional while watching it, especially as it got deeper and deeper into the story," she added. "I think it was something about Richard Pryor's childlike wonder. He had so much of that childlike energy in the film, and it just seemed like that radiated from him. He brought that to the character, and I can't think of anyone else who could have." The Descendants star also explained that she was "really inspired" by Pryor's portrayal, adding, "It was just so beautiful, and there was this innocence to it and this excitement that made me excited to do this film." Never miss a story — sign up for PEOPLE's free daily newsletter to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories. Brewster’s Millions: Christmas premieres Dec. 5 on BET+. Close